YOUNG GUNS SET TO TAKE THEIR SHOT

Raw in experience but ready to fight, China's injury-plagued men's national team is braced for a tough trial at the FIBA Asia Cup in Saudi Arabia, as its young roster faces its first big challenge on the road to LA28.

Without the talent of red-hot NBA rookie Yang Hansen, or the finesse of veteran guard Zhao Jiwei, the Chinese national squad has to lean on the vigor, unity and grit of a young cohort of players, consisting mostly of new blood drawn from the domestic league.

The mission for its Saudi trip is clear — get the young guns as primed as possible to fight for an Olympic return in two years time.

Having missed out on two Olympics in a row, the Chinese men will go all out at the 2027 FIBA World Cup, jostling against its neighbors for the only direct Asian ticket to the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

The arduous saga kicks off in Jeddah, where Team China opens its Asia Cup campaign on Tuesday with a Group C game against the host at the King Abdullah Sports City, followed by two more tests against India and Jordan on Thursday and Saturday, respectively.

Four straight warm-up wins against Venezuela and Bosnia and Herzegovina last month, has lifted the team's morale, while raising hopes among fans for a gusty performance. However, head coach Guo Shiqiang remains cautiously pragmatic on his goal for the Cup tournament.

"The Asia Cup will be a difficult challenge for us, with a lot of key players absent due to injuries," Guo, a former national team guard, said after leading China to a narrow 75-72 win against Bosnia and Herzegovina in its final warm-up on July 29.

"The biggest challenge is that we are shorthanded in the post position. It forced us to pick more younger players, though, which will provide them with more opportunities to be tested.

"Should any of them stand out and perform well at this tournament, then we could consider our campaign a fruitful one that will benefit the future of Chinese basketball."

Among Team China's high-profile absentees are forward Zhang Zhenlin, who is sidelined by injury, and the Portland Trail Blazers' newly-drafted center Yang, who's opted to skip the continental event to focus on a preseason training camp with his new NBA club — as has Beijing Ducks forward Zeng Fanbo after reportedly signing an Exhibit10 deal with the Brooklyn Nets.

Two former NBA prospects Zhou Qi (Houston Rockets) and Cui Yongxi (Brooklyn Nets) are also undergoing rehabilitation from a lower back and a left knee injury, respectively, leaving a gaping hole in Team China's front-court threat, both offensively and defensively.

Back-up big men Yu Jiahao and Hu Jinqiu are expected to carry more weight in rim protection, rebounding and offense in the paint, while the current back-court combo of Zhao Rui and Hu Mingxuan will miss the leadership and playmaking of seasoned floor general Zhao Jiwei, who is also sidelined by injury.

Team China's lack of experience in high-intensity drills was exposed in the final warm-up, where the full-court press of Bosnia and Herzegovina forced Guo's players to turn the ball over 27 times, almost conceding their huge lead in the dying minutes of the game.

Such last-gasp chokes have cost Team China dearly on multiple previous occasions, such as an errant inbound pass with seconds to go in a critical game against Poland at the 2019 World Cup, which resulted in a narrow loss and failure to qualify for Tokyo 2020.

Coach Guo acknowledged the value of the challenging warm-up. "We thank them for making it hard for us today, helping expose our two biggest problems in control of turnovers and rebounding," he said.

Hu Jinqiu, a two-time league MVP with CBA club Zhejiang Lions, agreed, stressing the urgency for the team to play with more care in the hustle.

"Under high defensive pressure, we made too many unnecessary errors. That's something we'll have to learn from and adapt quickly," he said after scoring a game-high 16 points in the final scrimmage.

Throughout the warm-up series, Team China, however, showed positive signs of progress in offensive efficiency and accuracy, highlighted by its 40 percent shooting from the 3-point line, while also seeing several talented youngsters step up to the challenge.

Point guard Liao Sanning, a 24-year-old starter for CBA club Beijing Royal Fighters, delivered an impressive performance in China's first win over Bosnia on July 27, tallying 13 points, six rebounds and four assists. Equally notable was 20-year-old forward Wang Junjie, who put up 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting in the July 25 win over Venezuela, showcasing a composed style of play on his national team debut.

"It's a team sport, and we'll need all 12 players to pull together and cover for each other. We will go all out, and compete for the best possible outcome for sure," said Guo.

The top team from each of the four groups at the Cup tournament will advance directly to the quarterfinals, while the second- and third-placed teams will compete in a play-in round for the remaining four spots.

Team China has claimed the continental title 16 times, including at the former Asian championship, but failed to reach the semifinals at the last edition in Jakarta in 2022, landing in 8th place — its second-worst finish ever at the continental showpiece. The country finished 10th at the 2007 edition in Japan, where it only sent a reserve team after having qualified for the 2008 Olympic tournament as the host.

Jiang Xinyu contributed to the story.