Sideline Story

Can Cui Yongxi gain a foothold in the NBA?

The new season of the NBA sees the long awaited return of a Chinese player to the league. What can we expect from Cui Yongxi’s performance with the Brooklyn Nets? Can he earn a spot in the team rotation? Also in this episode, we touch on the first ever father-son duo in the NBA, LeBron and Bronny James, as well as whether Klay Thompson can return to his prime with the Dallas Mavericks.

Broadcast on:: 25 Oct 2024
Audio Format:: other

(upbeat music) - Hello and welcome to Sideline Starry, your destination for sports news, analysis, and discussions, Samuel Gwan. This week, we're going to take a look at the new season of the NBA basketball. What can we expect from Chinese player Tuyong Xi's debut season? How will the NBA's first father and the son basketball look? For this chance, I'm joined here with my co-hosts, Hanyu and Brandon Gates via video. All right, the new season of the NBA is officially underway. I think most of Chinese fans would focus on one thing, the return of a Chinese player to the league. Yes, back we had Yao Ming, Bong Ji Jie Baat it, swing you in the league, but it seemed like after that, fewer Chinese players were able to make the land in the NBA, but now finally we can have Tuyong Xi that every Chinese fan can support and look forward to. Tuyong, it's not a very easy start for Tuyi. If we call, how Yao Ming studied his NBA career as the draft of the first pick as an easy move. - That's an amazing experience. - Then Tuyong Xi's signing a two-way contract with Brooklyn Nets to study his NBA career. It's definitely a difficult mode because it means he can only up to play up to 50 games in the regular season and he's not qualified for the poster season games. Most of his time would be on the bench and some matches would be involved with Long Island Nets with the development league. So he really needs to work hard to earn a spot in the team for more minutes on the court. So from your side, what are your expectations of Tuyong Xi's the first season in the NBA? Can he really gain a foothold in the league? - Well, yeah, first of all, it's really thrilling to see that we finally have another Chinese talent landing in the NBA after Zhou Chi. And even though Tui's playing time seems to be landing in the league was pretty limited, we could still see that he was on the right track. He's got very decent hops and smooth shooting skills judging from the performance on the limited playing time that he's appeared, both in the summer league and the preseason games. And one thing that we can often ignore about Tui was that he's passing choices can be really impressive. I think it was in his NBA summer league debut with the Trailblazers. He had a really nice pass to his teammates covered by a perfect shot fake move. And I think even though the sample size to judge his performance is too small right now, he has already showed what he's capable of doing to help the team. I think what separates him from a lot of the CBA players is that Tui really has more independent thinking on the court compared to his peers. His ability to read the games and his good decision-making on the court can be his strength to help him gain a foothold in the league. And also as a very well-rounded player, he can establish himself as a 3-and-D player, which means 3-point end defense. But just as he set himself when the court players drive and swing the ball out, he needs to hit the shot to earn their trust. And I think his decision to get out of his comfort zone by leaving CBA for NBA is essentially worth a lot of respect from us because his contract in the CBA was definitely a lot bigger in China than what he currently has on offer by the Nets. He gave his position as the up-and-coming star of the CBA and try out for NBA, knowing that the chances are pretty slim that he can stay in the league. For that courage along, I think we need to give him some applause. In a league where talented players are everywhere and considering the position he's playing, which is small forward, I think earning a starting place in position in the team is kind of a long shot, for say, to be honest. Because even though the Nets didn't have so many talented superstars in the team-- Big names. Yeah, big names. The rest of the players are just more reliable and experienced than Tui currently. But I think what Tui can do is to hone his skills and adapting himself to the Temple of the League in a G League. And if things went well, he might earn a chance to eventually play in the first team. So we still need to keep an eye on his development and see what his future might hold. Yeah, what I'm impressed the most with Tui Yongchi is that he really changed his attitudes when he landed in the NBA. Because domestically, he used to be the superstar of the team. She can dunk. Yeah, we are impressed with his athleticism of the courts in the NBA. But in the NBA, he took no time to really adapt himself into a new game mode. Take a step back and be a role player. There's no problem for him for that. So Brandon, any expectations from your side about Tui and Mashi's first season in the NBA? I mean, I'm excited. As a fan of the CBA and having watched the Beijing ducks myself, it's great to see a Chinese prospect making a move over to the NBA. I think it's a very exciting time for Chinese basketball. And I think it's been a while since we've seen a big Chinese talent making a move over to the NBA and being a massive prospect. And Tui Yongxi is definitely that prospect. I think Yang Guang, you already mentioned that it's going to be a challenge to make that mental shift, going from the CBA to the NBA. But like you also mentioned, we've already seen science that he's been able to change his mentality of being one of the biggest stars in the CBA, the name that everybody knows, and being one of the biggest attractions in that league to being a rookie in the NBA and kind of making that mental shift of being the star to now being the prospect and being eager to learn and being eager to shape himself and his game to suit this league and this team. So the signs are promising. Look, I think it's a long shot, like you guys already mentioned for him to being a starter for the Brooklyn Nets. But I think that there definitely is some potential there. We've already mentioned he's a young wing player. He's got a combination of size and his shooting and his defensive potential. I guess it makes him an intriguing prospect for the NBA and the Brooklyn Nets. So I think we can't expect massive things in his first season. I think this is definitely going to be a transitional phase. But I think even in the first couple of preseason games that we've seen, he's improved from game to game. I think in his first game, he landed a free throw and then in his second game, he scored five points in less than five minutes, including a three pointer that really fired up the Brooklyn Nets bench. So I think there's definitely been some promising signs in his early days with the Brooklyn Nets, which, like you guys also mentioned, don't really have many superstars, but it's still a big franchise. I guess any franchise in the NBA is really big. So just being a part of an NBA team is a big deal, especially if you're not from the US and just making that transition to US life and US culture. And that sort of thing is also a completely different issue to deal with. I also know that, well, of course, as fans of Chinese basketball, we'll all have our eyes on the Brooklyn Nets this season. And I think that this is also an intriguing time for the NBA because I also think that viewership of the NBA has steadily increased in China over the years. But you probably find this season there's going to be even more eyes on the NBA with Tseoy Yangxi being over there. So hopefully we can see him playing as many minutes as possible. But I know at a recent preseason game, Tseoy returned to the locker room wearing traditional Chinese clothes. I believe it's a Jiang Shan suit. And that definitely honored a lot of attention from his teammates and the media in the United States. So we're also seeing him stay true to his roots and showcasing Chinese culture on the international stage, which I think is also something great for Chinese basketball and fans of Chinese basketball. Right, I'm just glad. It seems like he really got along with the teammates, with the Brooklyn Nets, because in that preseason game, when he scored a three-pointer, his teammates on the bench celebrated like crazy. It's like a game winner from him. So yeah, that's a good sign from him, definitely. But I think Tseoy Yangxi has the NBA capabilities. He just needs more time and more opportunities. And I think he's in a good era. It's a time that belongs to small fives. It's called the small ball era. And Tseoy has good height, good speed, good shooting capabilities, and good arm length, which makes him a qualified 3D world player. In my imagination or in my dream, the best scenario case for Tseoy would be creating another miracle Jeremy Lane once made with the New York Knicks, when he became an NBA hit. You know, really coming from nowhere and making everyone drop their draws. But if things don't end up that way, that's a dramatic or perfect way. I still think Tseoy is capable of securing a spot in team rotation. I think one major reason why many Chinese players, or even some European players, couldn't demonstrate their full capabilities in the NBA is language and cultural barriers. That seemed no problem for Tseoy. He used to play in the NBA Academy in Australia a couple of years back. And he's quite an outgoing figure. So this personality may lead to more comfortable environment where he handles basketball. So things are looking quite promising for him, even though it's just a two-way contract. We've seen this in multiple sports, though, right, young one. I mean, we've seen in massive talents making the move to the Premier League, for example, or like you mentioned, foreign talents making the move over to the NBA. And it doesn't seem like talent is the issue. It seems like the cultural adjustment language barriers seems to sometimes get in the way of talent and playing time. But like you mentioned, Tseoy Yongchi has been in that, you know, the foreign NBA, you know, the development programs. And, you know, like we saw the celebrations from his teammates on the bench when he landed that 3.0, he seems to really have integrated into the team really well. And they also seem to be really supporting him. So they obviously recognise him as a great talent. So I think his combined efforts with the efforts of his teammates to integrate him into the Brooklyn Nets culture, into, you know, the culture of the United States and all of those things, it looks like it's off to a promising start. So hopefully cultural and language barriers won't have an effect on his playing minutes and his ability to showcase his talent in his first season in the NBA. Yeah, definitely. But meantime, another highlight in the NBA's new season must be Lebron James and his some Brownie James playing together at LA Lakers. They have made the first father and son duel in league history. Among Lebron James countless honours and achievements, this one must be a special one. So Tien, what do you make of this father and son appearance in the NBA? Well, yeah, I think for Lebron is definitely going to be feeling like dreams come true, because like he said himself, for someone who didn't have a dad growing up, he to be able to have that influence on his kid and ultimately to be able to work with his son, he thinks it's going to be it's one of the greatest things that a father could hope for in his life. But for his son, Brownie, I bet he's probably having mixed feelings about this. Because on the one hand, being able to land in the arena of NBA under the guidance and help of his father is definitely a boon for him. Because I think we can agree here that he is a talented player, but not that impressive enough to be drafted by the Lakers. Right, so on the other hand, he's going to be play under immense pressure from both fans and haters. His performance on the court will be put under the microscope, because he has got a dad who is one of the greatest players ever in basketball. So there will be a lot of judgments from outside the courts, and it takes really a strong mentality to handle this pressure. And for the team, actually, I don't think they will give Brownie too much time. And the foundation will still be around Anthony Davis and Lebron. Yeah, after all, business is just business. Yeah, this, oh farce, they should be, you know, shouldn't be given too much highlights. So I think Brownie will probably earn some minutes on the court and play with his dad during some trash time of the games. And I think it's likely that we will see him end up in the G League as well after several games. Right, I think we can witness this huge history only because of Lebron James. It would be his 22nd season in the NBA, and yet he is still one of the best in the league. It just feels crazy even just saying this. This longevity is the reason why he and his son can play in the same era. Now I even wonder if Lebron James can play with his grandson in the future in the NBA. But without his influence, I don't know why Ella Laker's or any other team would pick Brownie James in the NBA draft. Because to be honest, he's not that good to be in the NBA, I'm just saying it. But at the end of the day, he still feels madness to see an athlete being able to compete with his son, play professional in any sports. I know Brazilian football icon Revaldil was played with his son in the Brazilian second-year league. And they both scored in one of those games. Wow. It's amazing. But Revaldil came out of retirement in that case. But Lebron James continued playing for two decades before Brownie joined him. So it just tells how great an athlete Lebron James is and how difficult it is for Brownie to be playing without being in the shadow of his father. Brandon, any thoughts? Youngguang, you mentioned something. Business is business. And at the end of the day, I think the inclusion of Brownie James is a little bit of business that we may not be aware of. Because I think that the Ella Laker's might have had a bit of trouble convincing Lebron James to play another couple of seasons. And I think the inclusion of Brownie James might have had an impact on his decision to stay with the Lakers and to continue playing in the NBA. And also think, look, I'm sure that the Lakers' marketing team are aware of the news hype that surrounds Lebron James and Brownie James potentially playing together in the NBA. And I think that we'll see a massive boost in shirt sales, in viewership, and all of those things that the NBA and the Ella Lakers really value, besides obviously wins on the court. So look, I mean, I agree with you. I don't think Brownie James is the most talented player. And look, I think Lebron and Brownie himself are kind of aware of this. I think Brownie knows that he is nowhere near the levels of his almost goat father. I mean, you know, the fact that he's even playing in the NBA, I think is an achievement on its own. So I think Lebron and Brownie have kind of entered the league with that mentality. I think they see it as an amazing achievement that they're both able to play together for one of the biggest franchises in the NBA. I think Brownie is just very appreciative of this opportunity of playing with his father and in the NBA. And look, I mean, he looks like a decent, you know, impact player of the bench. He scores relatively well. He's a pretty strong defensive player. So I think he can have some, you know, impact as a role player for the Lakers this season. And then maybe he can have a relatively prolonged NBA career, not necessarily as a star, but just somebody that, you know, remains in the league and, you know, earns a really good living as a professional basketball player. But I think going into the season, it is a bit of a marketing ploy. I think that, you know, just in terms of sports history, to see a father and a son play together, well, firstly, it makes me feel extremely old because I remember when Lebron entered the league and the impact that he had. And now to see him playing with his son is just incredible. And I feel like I need to go to the retirement village along with Lebron. Maybe at some point, maybe we can share a room together. That would be nice. But yeah, just to see a father and son make history potentially in the NBA for one of the biggest teams is going to be incredible to see. And look, I don't think we expect him to see fireworks from Brownie. And I don't even think Brownie himself is expecting to have a massive impact in the league. I think he's just excited to play with his father. And I think he's going to do absolutely everything that he can to be the best player that he possibly can be, which on its own is an achievement. Yeah, maybe we don't need to be so harsh on Brownie. After all, he underwent a cardiac arrest during college. Yeah, yeah. So it's really a long way. He's going through. I think he's 19 something. 19. I think in 2020, see, this is a thing. He's not a star, so we don't even know how old he is. But we know he's young. That's the thing. And yeah, like the cardiac arrest thing is a massive thing. We forget about that. You know, we almost lost Brownie. I mean, so his trajectory has been absolutely amazing to having those serious health problems that he had in college to now being potentially an NBA player. So I think it's a very exciting time for the LA Lakers. And I think this is going to be an incredible moment in sports history if we see them play together. And look, I think the pressure is off Brownie because he knows the media knows LeBron knows that this kid is not going to reach the heights of his father. I think that also takes the pressure off Brownie in a way and just allows him to play his game. So I think that we can actually see-- I think we're going to see better performances from Brownie than we're expecting. Because I think a lot of people are saying, oh, the pressure is on him because of the spotlight of his father and the legacy of his father, et cetera, et cetera. But honestly, I think Brownie is going to go out there, see his dad, give his dad a little high five and say, let's play together and let's just do our thing and see how things go. And I think that the pressure is going to be off Brownie. And I think we're going to see the best of Brownie, which could potentially see him have not a star-studded career, but a decent career in the NBA, which, you know, is an incredible achievement, considering everything that he's already gone through. Right. Yeah. He may not be a superstar, but he definitely is a brave man to step down to the court after that incident. But who is a real star is Clay Thompson. Thompson joined the Dallas Mavericks in the off-season, and it's a quite surprising move, because Thompson only played with the Golden State Warriors before in his career. And in the New Deal, he even agreed to a salary cut to join the MAFs. What do you make of Thompson's joining MAFs in the new season? What do you make of this new chapter of his career? Well, yeah, I think Clay Thompson's joining is definitely going to bring more experience and strategic variety to the team. And it's also thrilling to see what kinds of chemistry between him, Kerry Irving and Lukadansz can be created in the new season. But the question with him is pretty obvious, how much does Thompson have left in his tank? So during the times of the Warriors' dynasty, he might have averaged over 22 or 25 points per game, but with an aging body and the numerous injuries he's had. Yeah, that Thompson is long gone. His former staff have taken a nosedive after that. And in the last season, he only averaged less than 18 points. And we could still see how he struggled with shooting accuracy in critical games for the Warriors. So I think how much has Thompson recovered in his forms is going to be a determined factor for how far the MAFs can go this season? Brandon, do you think Clay can help the MAFs reach the finals again? Do you think this movie is reciprocal for both sides? I think so. I think for Clay Thompson, it's definitely a refresher for him, because like we've already mentioned, he was part of this incredible Golden State dynasty, where they just absolutely dominated for numerous seasons. And he was a huge contributing factor to that success. A lot of things have happened since then. Injuries and aging body and just a lack of consistency has been an issue for Clay Thompson. And recently, Draymond Green, who was also a major part of that Golden State dynasty that we so enjoy to watch. He mentioned that sometimes you get into this position in a team where you kind of expect things to happen, you expect to be a starter, you expect to be treated a certain way, and sometimes you even expect certain performances from yourself and the team. And I think that maybe he fell into Clay Thompson, fell into a bit of a rut at Golden State. And I think that this move was something that he needed to refresh his career and potentially elongate his career. And I just think that his elite shooting, his championship experience, and just being a veteran, I think that addition to the Dallas team, along with the star-studded quality of Luca Donchich and Kyrie Irving, it's going to be an interesting addition to a very strong Mav's team. Look, I don't think it's highly unlikely that we're going to see the Clay Thompson of all, then it's maybe unlikely that we're going to see him grab the headlines in the latter stages of the season, like Donchich and Irving will probably do. But I think that an addition of someone like him who is versatile, experienced, and has shown to be clutch in massive, massive games, I think it's going to be a good thing for the Mavs. And I also think it's a good thing for Clay Thompson. I think that he needed this new team and needed a new challenge. And I think this could potentially revitalize his career and potentially also help the Mavs reach the heights that they were able to reach last season and maybe get over the line and lift that NBA title. So I think he's going to have an impact, but I don't think he's going to be somebody that's going to be crucial for the Mavs this season. Right. No matter how big a slump he has had, Clay Thompson is still a big threat. No opponents should underestimate and leave a wide open. So that really gives Luca Donchich and Kyrie Irving some spaces for a solo place. He would be a big help for the Mavs, especially on the strategic front instead of his individual influence. We cannot expect to see Clay Thompson, Clay Solo anymore. But he can definitely help those two superstars in assistance. The new season of the NBA is definitely full of excitement and uncertainties. Let's see if Taehyung She can make a splash and what Brown James and his son, Brownie James, can bring us in a new season. With that, we end this episode of Sightline Story. Thank you so much for joining us. Subscribe to Sightline Story wherever you listen to podcasts. And for more information, you can also check our website, radio.cgpm.com. See you next time. [MUSIC]