With the MarShon Brooks-led Guangdong Southern Tigers eliminated from the playoffs, the Zhejiang Golden Bulls are now in the driver's seat to win the 2022-23 CBA title. The Southern Tigers got eliminated by the Zhejiang Guangsha Lions in the quarterfinals, losing their series 2-1. The Southern Tigers were the number two seed in the CBA behind the top seeded Golden Bulls, so them getting knocked out is huge for the Golden Bulls. The Golden Bulls now find themselves in the semifinals against the Shenzhen Leopards, who are the 4th seed in the CBA playoffs. On the other side of the draw are the Zhejiang Guangsha Lions and the Liaoning Flying Leopards.
For those that are curious, the first two playoff rounds, the first being a wild card round of sorts, are best-of-three. The semifinals are best-of-five and the finals are best-of-seven. So things get taken up a notch with this upcoming semifinal round, which begins later on this week.
The Golden Bulls dominated the regular season, going 35-7 and in the quarterfinals against the Guangzhou Long-Lions, they won the series 2-0, winning game one 114-91 and winning game two 113-100. So, they really haven't had much competition all season long.
The Golden Bulls are led by shooting guard Jamar Gulley (17.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.6 assists, & 2.6 steals), combo guard Qian Wu (17.0 points, 6.0 assists, & 1.8 steals), and power forward Zeyi Liu (15.1 points & 7.6 rebounds). As a trio, they are really balanced, capable of scoring inside and out while also being able to facilitate and crash the glass. Their quality combination of guard play and post play is why they have had such a strong season and are in the position that they are in.
During the playoffs, all three of them have stepped up their game: Gulley averaging 22.5 points and 10.5 rebounds, Wu averaging 22.0 points and 8.5 assists, and Liu averaging 16.5 points and 9.0 rebounds. If they can keep up that intensity and quality of play in the semifinals, one has to like their odds to reach the finals. And if they reach the finals, they of course are going to be the favorites.
While anything can happen in playoff basketball, I would be surprised if the Golden Bulls do not win the CBA title this year. They've just been on such a roll all season long. They started the season 15-0 and really haven't looked back. It'll be fun to see if they can complete their championship quest and whether or not they get a serious push in the semifinals by the Shenzhen Leopards.
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