The Shandong Men’s Basketball Team has officially begun its offseason break after being eliminated in the quarterfinals of the CBA playoffs. This season, the team exceeded expectations by reaching the quarterfinals for the first time in five seasons, surpassing their initial goal of just making the playoffs. According to Shandong sports reporter Xu Kaihua, the team started their holiday on May 11 and will regroup in early June.
Local media outlet “Jinan Times” reviewed Shandong’s performance this season, acknowledging their progress but also pointing out a key issue: none of the six foreign players signed this season could deliver in critical games. To achieve further breakthroughs, the team must sign stronger foreign players for the new season. As a result, all four current foreign players are unlikely to be retained, and the team will search for more impactful reinforcements during the offseason.
Among the four foreign players, Kris was the standout performer and the team’s leading scorer. However, he has clear weaknesses: his emotional control remains a recurring problem, often leading to on-court outbursts. Additionally, his playoff performance was disappointing, with low efficiency in several games. In the decisive match against Shanghai, Kris scored only 3 points, a far cry from what is expected of an import.
As for the other three foreign players, Johnson showed positive effort but struggled with shooting, making only 21.4% of his three-pointers in the playoffs. Jones also demonstrated a good attitude but lacked impact, averaging just 4 points and 2.2 rebounds per game in the postseason. Purcell, however, had the most glaring issues, with both his ability and attitude falling short. He scored zero points in three of the five playoff games, leading head coach Qiu Biao to remark that one player was “not worthy of being a professional athlete.”
Shandong’s domestic players are relatively average, meaning high-quality foreign players are essential for improvement. On the domestic front, several players have expiring contracts, including max-salary players Gao Shiyan and Tao Hanlin, as well as Chen Peidong, Liu Yi, Sun Tonglin, Xu Mengjun, and Yu Dehao. Gao Shiyan is expected to re-sign, as Shandong’s backcourt lacks depth, and he is their only reliable point guard. Xie Zhijie still needs more development.
Tao Hanlin, despite considering retirement, remains in good form, and the team will likely retain him with a veteran contract, given the lack of other capable domestic centers. Chen Peidong and Liu Yi may also be offered new deals. However, Sun Tonglin, Xu Mengjun, and Yu Dehao—due to age or declining skills—are expected to leave the team.
Notably, Qiu Biao signed a “3+2” contract with Shandong, and next season will be the final year of the initial three-year term. Reports indicate that Qiu Biao set a goal of reaching the semifinals within three years. If the team fails to meet this target next season, his position could be at risk. To achieve his objective, Qiu Biao is expected to strengthen the domestic roster during the offseason. Bringing in one or two capable players could significantly boost Shandong’s chances.