Shandong Men’s Basketball Team was swept out of the playoffs by Shanghai.
“All the preparation and motivation were useless. Only Johnson gave his all—such a disgrace. Some players today put in effort, but others simply don’t belong in professional basketball,” head coach Qiu Biao harshly criticized his players after Shandong’s heavy loss to Shanghai, particularly expressing dissatisfaction with the foreign players. Overall, Shandong exceeded expectations this season by reaching the playoffs and eliminating Liaoning in the first round. However, they clearly lagged behind Shanghai in overall strength. While they showed fight in the first game despite losing, they completely lacked spirit and suffered a humiliating defeat in the second game.
**All Foreign Players to Be Replaced**
If Shandong had top-tier foreign players, they could have put up a better fight in the playoffs against Shanghai.
Chris had a decent regular season, but he was playing through an injury during the playoffs and performed poorly, averaging just 11 points and 6.6 rebounds with a 41% shooting percentage. Chris had been with Shandong for two seasons, but his temper was a major issue—he even clashed with team staff.
Boswell scored zero points in both games against Shanghai, and Shandong will certainly not keep him. The team urgently needs a scoring guard, as any team that wants to go deep in the playoffs must have an elite small foreign player.
The decision to keep Jones remains puzzling. He was mediocre in the regular season and even worse in the playoffs.
Shandong’s best-performing foreign player in the playoffs was Johnson, who averaged 15.8 points and 4.6 assists. However, he still fell short compared to other teams’ imports.
Shandong’s top priority this offseason is finding suitable foreign players. It remains unclear whether the team’s budget is limited or if other factors are at play, but the club has failed to secure quality imports in the past two seasons.
**Seeking Trades for Domestic Stars**
Despite their playoff exit, Shandong’s season was respectable, thanks in large part to Chen Linjian. Signing him was a bargain—Fujian was unwilling to offer him a maximum contract, and Shandong, in need of shooters, nabbed him for slightly less. This offseason, several domestic players with expiring contracts could become available, and Shandong should consider trades if suitable talent emerges.
Shandong enjoys a strong fan base, with playoff tickets selling out quickly. Although they haven’t missed the playoffs in recent years, fans are hungry for deeper runs. It remains to be seen what moves the Shandong Expressway club will make this summer.
