The CBA rematch is imminent.

  In two more days, the CBA that has been interrupted for 151 days will jump again. The detailed anti-epidemic measures and rematch plan will not only make the CBA league the first large-scale sports event in China to resume the game, but will also make it the current international sports arena of numerous basketball events. This also made many fans lament "My happiness is back".

  But despite this, for the CBA League that has experienced countless changes before it can return, some "happiness" may not come back.

The joy of "Dark Horse"

  Before the game was interrupted, CBA had already conducted 30 rounds. In the case of two-thirds of the regular season is over, many "dark horse" team's amazing performance makes fans and themselves extremely happy. The darkest among them is Shandong and Jilin.

  In the past 30 rounds of the game, Jilin's "Giant Killer" is full of true colors. Yuqiang Yueqiang had "double-killed" Xinjiang this season, and the league leader Guangdong team's first defeat of the season was also given by the Baijilin team. To know the season so far, the Guangdong team has only lost two goals. In the constant "upset", Jilin team has now ranked seventh in the standings.

Jilin became the dark horse this season. Photograph by Wu Junjie

  Speaking of rankings, Shandong, now ranked fourth in the standings, is regarded as the biggest dark horse so far this season.

  Before the start of the season, did not wait for the return of Ding Yanyuhang, and lost the team's number one combat team, the Shandong team, but it gradually got better in the season. A month before the offseason, the Shandong team used a wave of 8 consecutive victories and a wave of 5 consecutive victories to boost their rankings to fourth in the league, second only to Guangdong, Xinjiang and Liaoning.

  Undoubtedly, the important factors for Jilin and Shandong to achieve such breakthroughs this season are the outstanding performance of their respective foreign aid. Jilin's absolute core Dominique Jones averaged 37.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game, which has proved his value to the team; and the amazing performance of the Shandong team has also rejuvenated with the new aid Hudson this season. "Is closely related.

Data map: Hudson. China News reporter Li Junshe

  But when the league resumes, the biggest dark horses in these two seasons so far may not be happy. The reason for this is naturally that the core players of the team, Jones and Hudson, have already determined that they will miss the next game. Without their tandem and threats, the two dark horses returning to the field must have had difficulty maintaining the momentum of the first half of the season.

  Correspondingly, in the new league environment, the current big change in the back of the standings (4-10 places) is about to happen. Suddenly looking forward, which team will appear as the new dark horse?

  According to the newly announced notice on the suspension of foreign aid in the CBA League, there are 12 teams including the Bayi team that will play in the next game with the All-Chinese team. Under this background, will there be opportunities for domestic players to break out, Let the fans experience new happiness?

Data map: Jones (55 white) in the game. Photograph by Wu Junjie

The joy of "making the call"

  According to the rematch plan announced by the CBA, the reopened league will be conducted in the form of a tournament system, with the locations selected in Dongguan and Qingdao. This means that except for the Guangdong team and the Qingdao team, the remaining 18 teams will no longer have the opportunity to play at home in the first round of the regular season rematch.

  At the same time, the schedule for the next round of matches and the playoffs has not yet been determined. Earlier news said that the second round of the game may be concentrated in Qingdao. If so, it means that the Guangdong team will also lose the opportunity to play at home in the second round. Although there is no official announcement at present, most teams no longer have the pleasure of "owning their own hands", it is a fact that they are firmly established after the rematch.

  However, in view of the fact that most teams have lost the right to fight at home together, this arrangement is understandable. In special periods, the CBA League tries to ensure that it is relatively fair.

The Guangdong team has become one of the few teams that has the opportunity to play at home after the league resumes. China News Agency reporter Chen Jimin

  At the same time, in the context of the tournament system, the first two rounds of the CBA playoffs after the semi-finals will be eliminated in a single game, and the semi-finals and finals will also use 5 games with 3 wins.

  The short version system means that there will be greater uncertainty in the playoffs, especially the single elimination system like the "sudden death" rule, which doubles the suspense of the playoffs. In a sense, the fate of the team will be determined by the performance of a game or even a round.

  Although the ultimate outcome depends on strength, luck often becomes part of the game's final direction, especially in the current season. From this perspective, before the victory and the negative, there may be many teams that rely more on the favor of fate than any previous season. Even if they are as strong as Guangdong, the initiative may not be entirely in their own hands.

The simplified format of the playoffs brings more suspense to the game. China News reporter Li Junshe

The joy of "onlookers"

  It must be admitted that the uncertainty in the system will make the game more suspenseful, which is undoubtedly what fans and spectators want to see. The only regret is that they can’t experience the joy of “onlookers” on the spot.

  In order to prevent and control the epidemic, the CBA after the rematch will be empty. For the players, they have to do their best in the open and quiet field to fight for the final championship. Players accustomed to spotlights and fans shouting suddenly changed their environment, and it will take some time to adapt.

  For fans, although there is less opportunity for "onlookers" on site, they will also have the opportunity to experience new "happiness". According to the schedule of the first stage, during the half-month competition, every afternoon from Monday to Friday, there will be competitions.

After the rematch, the CBA game will be played in empty court. China News Agency reporter Han Haidan

  However, unlike in the past, each match day was kicked off at the same time and started at the same time. After the rematch, the start time of the match was distributed at multiple times from 11 to 20 every day. The game was "tiled" from Monday to Every noon to evening on Sunday.

  This means that the CBA after the rematch will have the opportunity to enjoy a longer exposure time on each match day, while also reducing the annoyance of fans for choice. If you want, you can "bubble" in the TV and webcast all afternoon.

The happiness of the fans is finally back. China News Agency reporter Chen Jimin

  Whether "happiness" is more or less, the most important thing is that it is back.

  As the Chinese Basketball Association Chairman Yao Ming mentioned in a letter to the CBA participants, the CBA League with all its efforts to "return" will be brilliant, and its rematch strategy has far-reaching significance, and its social impact has exceeded the basketball itself.

  We are waiting for the return of CBA, not waiting for a fleeting rainbow, but heartily gratifying for the good weather when the rain is over. I hope the trajectory afterwards can really be like this. (Author Li He)