Chapter 641: Undefeated in the Group Stage
In truth, Dream Team 9 was not completely without centers.
They had big men like Chandler and Love on the roster.
However, both had obvious shortcomings.
Tyson Chandler could defend but offered little offense, which did not fit Dream Team 9's tactical system. Bringing him along was more of a last resort. A team always needed at least 1 big man to deal with unexpected situations.
Kevin Love, on the other hand, did fit Dream Team 9's system.
Outside speculation suggested that Colangelo did not like using him because he was too inexperienced. Love was only a second year player and had no playoff experience.
In reality, that speculation did not make much sense.
Love was not the only young player on the roster. Most of Dream Team 9 was young. Their average age was only 25, with only Odom and Billups considered true veterans.
Core players such as Durant, Curry, Gordon, and Rose were all born in 1988.
Colangelo's reluctance to use Love was purely because he did not like the young man's playing style.
1 day later, the Chinese men's basketball team faced its second group stage opponent, Ivory Coast, at Ankara Arena.
Although Ivory Coast was a strong team, it had always been a tier below China. Even without Chen Yan or Yao Ming, Ivory Coast would have struggled to win.
This game was even easier than the 1st.
Chen Yan scored a game high 28 points, Yi Jianlian added 21, and Yao Ming contributed 16.
All 3 of them easily clocked out after 3 quarters with smiles on their faces.
In the end, China crushed the African powerhouse 96 to 74.
Through the 1st 2 group stage games, China's average winning margin was over 20 points.
Fans exclaimed in surprise, wondering whether the Dream Team had arrived.
Domestic media directly ran headlines containing phrases like championship potential.
Only 2 group games had passed, and they were already dreaming of a title.
That was typical domestic media behavior.
Jonas, however, treated such reports like a flood of monsters.
During training, he constantly urged and reminded the players not to be carried away by media praise.
The World Championship had only just begun. China had not truly proven itself yet.
The breakthrough at the Olympics had also changed Jonas's fate. At the request of the higher ups, he chose to remain with the national team.
Of course, Jonas himself was very happy.
Who would not want to coach a team built around Chen Yan and Yao Ming?
In the 3rd game, China faced Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico had Chen Yan's former teammate, Barea, and the 2 chatted for a long time during warmups.
Chen Yan asked Barea how he was adjusting to his new team, while Barea asked about Chen Yan's next destination.
After all, news of Chen Yan's possible departure had already become public knowledge.
When this topic came up, Chen Yan felt helpless.
The transfer situation had reached a stalemate.
Despite Bill Duffy doing everything he could to push the process forward, there had still been no result.
Suns owner Sarver refused to let Chen Yan go.
Chen Yan still had 1 year left on his contract, and after his rookie contract ended, Phoenix still held matching rights.
Sarver wanted to forcibly keep him.
The more they talked, the sadder Chen Yan became. Eventually, a bit of anger surfaced as well.
Soon, Barea regretted bringing it up.
He should not have discussed such an infuriating topic with Chen Yan before a game.
Because in the game that followed, Chen Yan unleashed all that frustration.
The 1st quarter became Chen Yan's personal show.
Super long 3 pointer.
Another super long 3 pointer.
And then another damn super long 3 pointer.
Chen Yan scored 21 points in the 1st quarter alone.
Barea looked up at the scoreboard and exclaimed, "Holy cow!"
Puerto Rico's entire team had only scored 20 points in the 1st quarter.
Less than 2 minutes into the 2nd quarter, Puerto Rico hit 2 straight 3 pointers and showed signs of catching up.
But Wang Zhizhi, who came off the bench, immediately answered with a step back 3 pointer.
After Jonas moved Wang Zhizhi to the bench, China's bench depth improved significantly.
It also effectively solved Wang Zhizhi's stamina issues.
This Chinese men's basketball team could be called the most complete Chinese men's basketball team in history.
The starting lineup had 4 players who had been to the NBA.
Chen Yan, Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, and Da Sheng.
The bench also had Wang Zhizhi, who had played in the NBA.
A team like this feared no opponent in the world.
In the end, China defeated Puerto Rico 89 to 79, securing its 3rd straight win at the World Championship.
Chen Yan scored 33 points in this game.
Through the 1st 3 games of the World Championship, Chen Yan had not delivered an especially explosive performance.
It was not because he was in poor form.
It was because he did not need to.
His teammates were trustworthy.
If the team could win together, why fight alone?
On September 1, China defeated Russia 101 to 90, claiming its 4th straight group stage victory.
Turkey also achieved 4 straight group stage wins.
On September 3, China prepared to challenge the host nation, Turkey, with the game still held at Ankara Arena.
From the start, China felt immense pressure.
That pressure did not only come from the court.
The Turkish home crowd was incredibly passionate.
In addition, China made a personnel adjustment for this game.
Yi Jianlian was sidelined due to a leg injury.
As China's second leading scorer in this World Championship, Yi's absence had a significant impact on the team.
His average of 20.2 points and 10.1 rebounds had to be filled by other teammates.
In the 1st quarter, China led 19 to 15 by 4 points.
In the 2nd quarter, Turkey's bench stepped up.
Asik, Erden, and Savas all contributed, instantly overturning the score.
Chen Yan was forced to return to the game early.
2 minutes later, Yao Ming also came back earlier than planned.
The 2 main stars combined their efforts and helped China regain the lead.
International basketball was very different from the NBA.
The rules were different. The court was different. Even the ball was different.
Of course, the biggest difference was the lack of a defensive 3 second rule.
Turkey's 2 big men, 1 standing 208 cm and the other 214 cm, planted themselves in the paint like anchors.
Even Chen Yan found it difficult to drive inside every possession, so he relied more often on shooting to solve problems.
At halftime, the score was 41 to 36.
China was leading, but it could not pull away.
Chen Yan continued to stay on the court in the 3rd quarter.
If the game continued like this, it would become a seesaw battle.
So he decided to take over in his own way.
Chen Yan first challenged Güre off the dribble. From the top of the arc, he hit a stylish step back 3 pointer.
On the next possession, Chen Yan used the same move to hit another 3 pointer, this time from the left 45 degree angle beyond the arc.
In those 2 possessions, the other Chinese players did not even touch the ball.
Chen Yan brought the ball up himself and immediately created his own shot.
Jonas quietly approved of Chen Yan's approach.
A player of Chen Yan's caliber had to be allowed freedom. He could not be trapped inside rigid frameworks.
Any smart coach would make the same choice.
On Turkey's side, Turkoglu and point guard Akol immediately answered.
Even so, Chen Yan still led China on a 14 to 7 run.
Chen Yan's philosophy was still the same as it had been with the Suns.
Offense was the best defense.
No matter how the opponent scored, as long as they maintained stronger firepower, it was enough.
Turkey called timeout.
After the timeout, Yao Ming returned to the court.
China's lead remained in double digits throughout the 3rd quarter, but Turkey was clearly unwilling to lose on home soil.
In the 4th quarter, Turkey launched 2 consecutive comebacks, but both were extinguished by China under the leadership of Chen Yan and Yao Ming.
In the end, China won 91 to 85.
This was China's toughest victory of the World Championship group stage.
After winning this game, China entered the knockout stage with a perfect group stage record.
Going undefeated in the group stage was a 1st for the Chinese men's basketball team in all major tournaments.
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