We're in for a fiery matchup, ladies and gentlemen as we witness the Sichuan Blue Whales taking on the Shanxi Loongs. If we're talking about a mismatch worse than dipping an Oreo in orange juice, this would be it. The Loongs, as sharp as ever, have an envious roster including Shuai Yuan and Zhang Ning. Shuai plugged in a cool 20.8 points with 3.3 rebounds on average last season and Zack drenched in a solid 18.2 points a game. Not too shabby fellas!
On the not-so-lucky side, we have the Sichuan Blue Whales. Their supposed big guns Yu Xiaoyong and Xinkai Wang from last season haven't shown their prowess this month. Have they gone on an extended vacation or are they planning a surprise party, only time will tell.
Looking back, the Loongs have been consistently slamming the Blue Whales in their past matchups. Dug out from the depths of my stats pile, the last three games have been dominated by the Loongs, with scorelines that could leave the Blue Whales, well, blue in the face. And let's not forget the Loongs' commendable standing in the 8th position in the CBA league, making them quite the formidable adversary.
Frankly speaking, the Blue Whales are not smelling like roses either with their recent losses, earning themselves the not-so-coveted 17th position in the CBA league. Going up against the Loongs, they'll need more than a pep talk and isotonic drinks. All in all, it does feel like a rather uphill battle for our aquatic friends.
At the end of the day, while miracles do happen on the court, let's be real - the chances of the Blue Whales managing to outsmart and outshoot the Loongs are about as slim as me running a marathon. When I say marathon, I mean running, not watching from my cozy armchair.
Albert’s Prediction: Shanxi Loongs by 22