Zhang Hao Out, Du Runwang Nursing an Injury—Guangdong Unleashes a Surprise Weapon: Their Most Gifted Prospect in the Past Decade

On December 16 (Beijing time), the CBA regular season rolls on, and a marquee matchup is on the horizon: title favorites Guangdong will head to the road to face a formidable Zhejiang squad. Yet just as the spotlight sharpens, Guangdong have been hit by a wave of bad news—Cui Yongxi, McCall, Zhang Hao, and Du Runwang are all sidelined with injuries. The sudden injury pile-up has dealt head coach Du Feng a serious blow as he tries to piece together a competitive rotation.

The absences of Cui Yongxi and McCall have already weakened Guangdong’s perimeter options, while Zhang Hao had just delivered an encouraging performance in the previous game. Du Runwang, meanwhile, is a key stretch forward in Du Feng’s system—his spacing is vital to how Guangdong create driving lanes and generate clean looks. With the frontcourt rotation suddenly stretched thin, Guangdong have decided to bring Huang Mingyi on the trip to Zhejiang in an attempt to patch the gap on the wing and at the forward spots.

As one of the most highly regarded prospects from Guangdong’s youth pipeline in recent years, Huang Mingyi has long been viewed as a modern, versatile forward thanks to his physical tools and the ability to swing across multiple positions. In terms of height, length, and athletic upside, he has even been considered capable of matching—or surpassing—players like Zhang Hao, Wang Hongze, and Du Runwang. However, Wang Hongze’s elite feel for the game and all-around impact have quickly elevated him in the pecking order, while Du Runwang remains an essential floor-spacer in Guangdong’s small, fast system. With Zhang Hao showing signs of a breakthrough as well, Huang’s role has gradually become more uncertain.

One issue that has followed Huang is how he looks against seasoned opponents—when faced with physical, high-contact matchups, he has at times appeared too passive, struggling to impose his tools consistently. That perception has fueled growing concern among fans that he could eventually slip out of Guangdong’s 12-man rotation, especially as other players have already been phased out and a new wave of young talent continues to emerge.

Now, though, circumstances have created a rare opening. With Zhang Hao and Du Runwang unavailable, Huang Mingyi must seize this moment—and doing it against Zhejiang, a strong and demanding opponent, would carry even more weight. For Du Feng, turning to Huang is not only a necessity born out of injuries, but also a clear message: this is another chance for a gifted young player to prove he belongs.

If Huang can deliver in limited minutes—bringing high-effort defense, competing on the glass, showing active rebounding instincts, and offering even a hint of reliable floor spacing—he can immediately ease Guangdong’s rotation crisis and potentially earn deeper trust from the coaching staff. The stakes are real, because with certain veterans already out of favor and roster competition intensifying, many supporters see Huang as someone playing for his long-term place in the squad.

There have even been rumors that Guangdong explored the idea of sending Huang out on loan during the offseason for more reps, only for the move not to materialize. Whether or not those reports are accurate, the takeaway is clear: Huang needs to build his value this season and silence doubts with on-court production.

In the bigger picture, Guangdong may still boast one of the league’s deepest domestic cores, but the road to a championship remains steep—teams like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangsha are all legitimate threats. If Du Feng can successfully develop Huang Mingyi into a dependable piece this season, it would strengthen Guangdong’s ceiling moving forward—and even if they fall short of the title, that kind of progress would be a result many fans could respect.