Chinese Zeng Fanbo ready to join an NBA team

19-year-old Chinese basketball player Zeng Fanbo, who attended tryouts for several NBA teams including the Indiana Pacers this week, believes he can play as a reserve in the best basketball league in the world.

Zeng said he enjoyed the trial with the Pacers. “It’s a great experience,” he told reporters. “I can make buckets as a shooter. I can be a good stretch four; I’ll do my best to do anything on the court. I can defend and change to take all five positions. There’s nothing that I can’t do in the game.”

Zeng dreamed of playing in the NBA since he was a child. He was sent to an American high school by the Beijing Ducks of the China Basketball Association in 2014.

“It’s a totally different culture here. You have to start experiencing it from high school. I had to travel between China and the United States for the past few years because of COVID-19. It’s difficult, but I enjoyed it,” Zeng said. .

Zeng played with Ignite in the NBA G League last season to prepare for joining the NBA.

“This experience helped me a lot,” he told reporters. “I have to express my gratitude to the Ignite. They helped me a lot to grow and to learn a lot of things on and off the pitch, including how to be a professional player and how to take care of my body. In the locker room , the veterans taught me a lot, especially in terms of mental health.”

A 2.05-meter tall striker, Zeng has a wingspan of 2.11 meters, good athleticism and 3-point shooting ability. Theoretically, these abilities should allow him to adapt to the current trend in basketball in the league to stretch the floor and pass to perimeter players on the defensive.

However, Zeng’s 90 kilogram weight is too light for his position. Mikal Bridges of the Phoenix Suns, who is 1.98 meters tall and plays more often as a small forward, weighs 94 kilograms. John Collins, who sometimes has to play center on the Atlanta Hawks small ball team, is similar in height to Zeng but weighs 220 pounds, not to mention that Collins often can’t match true power centers.

Therefore, Zeng needs to build muscle before attempting NBA-level physical contact. His 40% 3-point shooting rate sounds remarkable, but taking just 1.67 attempts per game is too little for a skilled shooter. Zeng needs to prove he can get productive from downtown to buy more time on the pitch – if he gets drafted, of course.