Outrageous! Two Nights, Three National-Team Stars Combine for Zero Points — Fans Demand Answers from Guo Shiqiang: What’s the National Team Selection Standard?

On December 28 (Beijing time), the CBA regular season witnessed two straight game days where several national-team players delivered shockingly low-impact performances—so much so that fans have been calling it “unbelievable.”

Zhang Zhenlin’s move from Liaoning to Shanghai was widely viewed as a blockbuster signing. Expectations were high that he would perform like a top-salary star. Yet in Shanghai’s matchup against bottom-ranked Sichuan, what many assumed would be a “get-right” game turned into a nightmare: Zhang went 0-for-5 from the field and finished with zero points.

The stat line looked even more awkward given the context. Zhang logged 25 minutes, the second-most on the team, but still ended up as the only player in Shanghai’s 12-man rotation to score nothing.

And this wasn’t just a one-off. This season, Zhang’s shooting numbers have dipped sharply—his field-goal percentage has fallen to 38.2%, and his three-point percentage to 29.0%, both career lows. Even his free-throw percentage is only marginally better than his rookie season.

Against Sichuan, four of his five attempts came from beyond the arc, which left many fans confused. The reaction online was blunt: if you can’t impose yourself against a last-place team, why not attack the paint and pressure the defense?

Another national-team player, Gao Shiyan, also found himself in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. In Shandong’s game against Shenzhen, Shandong trailed by three in the final second—meaning a three-pointer was the only realistic path to tie. But on the inbound, Gao passed to Zhang Xu cutting inside, and Zhang missed the layup. Shandong lost immediately.

Commentators and fans were stunned. Even if the layup had gone in, it would have only been worth two points—still a loss. Gao later defended his decision by saying he feared a five-second violation, but many fans didn’t accept that explanation, arguing that in that moment, the team had to live or die by a three-point attempt.

The criticism intensified after Shandong’s away game against Guangdong, where Gao went 0-for-6 and also scored zero points. As a player often regarded as a favored option under Guo Shiqiang, the contrast with Xu Jie—who missed out on national-team selection yet has frequently outperformed—only added fuel to the debate.

Meanwhile, in Liaoning’s loss to Beijing Enterprises (Beikong), national-team guard Wang Lanqin played 18 minutes and produced 0 points, 3 assists, and 3 turnovers, finishing with a -4 plus/minus. Liaoning ultimately lost by four—prompting fans to joke that if he hadn’t played, the game might have gone to overtime.

Three national-team players producing prolonged struggles—and combining for zero points across these appearances—has once again pushed the national-team selection conversation to the forefront. Some observers warn that if selections remain rigid while current form is ignored, past international disappointments could repeat themselves.

After all, if a player can’t consistently break down CBA defenses, how are they expected to hold up against Asia’s best—let alone the world stage?

For Zhang Zhenlin, Gao Shiyan, and Wang Lanqin, the message is clear: if they can’t quickly stabilize their form, the door to the national team may start closing—and even their club roles could become increasingly fragile.