Suspense! Zhou Qi temporarily leaves the team! The primary core of the Chinese men's basketball team is down.

Zhang Zhenlin's old injury has resurfaced.

Zhou Qi's old injury has flared up again.

Is the training intensity for the Chinese men's basketball team really that high? The main battle hasn't even begun, yet two core players have already been sidelined in succession.

But unlike Zhang Zhenlin, Zhou Qi has not fully quit this training session; the current statement is that he will only miss the European conditioning trip...

This summer's Asia Cup will take place from August 5th to 17th, meaning there is only about a month left before it starts, so the Chinese men's basketball team cannot confirm whether players like Zhou Qi and Zeng Fanbo will be able to participate as planned.

Players currently not on the training roster include Zhou Qi, Zeng Fanbo (with a back injury), Zhang Zhenlin, Yang Hansen (competing in the NBA Summer League), and Zhao Weilen (taking credits), resulting in a major loss of the main lineup.

Especially now, the only reliable inside player for the Chinese men's team is Hu Jinqiu, followed by Yu Jiahao; Xu Xin might not yet meet the standards to compete in FIBA tournaments and has mostly served as a practice player for the national team. It seems Hu Jinqiu will once again have to shoulder a heavy workload like a workhorse.

Back to Zhou Qi, this guy remains the primary core of the Chinese men's basketball team, the strongest inside player in both offense and defense. At the 2022 Asia Cup, he averaged 15 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. Notably, in the game against Lebanon, he exploded with 20 points and 21 rebounds for a massive double-double and was selected to the tournament's all-star team. At that time, in good physical condition, he showed strong dominance.

In short, if Zhou Qi does not play, the Chinese men's basketball team's hopes of winning the Asia Cup gold this summer might become very uncertain, especially since potential knockout opponents like Australia, New Zealand, and Japan are all tough competitors.

The groups for this summer's Asia Cup are as follows:

Group A: Qatar, Australia, South Korea, and Lebanon;

Group B: Guam, Japan, Syria, and Iran;

Group C: China, Jordan, India, and Saudi Arabia (host);

Group D: Chinese Taipei, New Zealand, Iraq, and the Philippines.

Considering the relatively weak strength of the group stage opponents, the Chinese men's basketball team should have no problem advancing regardless of who is missing.

According to the rules, the top team from each group advances directly to the quarterfinals, while the second and third place teams must compete in a crossover elimination match, with the winner advancing to the quarterfinals.

What are your thoughts on the Chinese men's basketball team's prospects in the Asia Cup? Feel free to grab your keyboard and boldly join the discussion in the comments!