(Screencap - 11.25.2011 - Pregame -National Anthem - left front - Shandong import and former Ohio State Buckeye Othello Hunter - right front - Zhejiang import Wilson Chandler - Shandong Province in East China)
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evel Talent Overseas - Basketball Never Stops, a 2011 Nike Off-Season/Lockout ad campaign that celebrates a universal love of the game amidst serious labor disputes in the sport's top league, the National Basketball Association. The slogan, Basketball Never Stops, could not be anymore apropos for these late 2011 months of November & December where high level basketball can be found around the world, despite empty NBA arenas. It is disappointing to lose a portion or all of a season's NBA games, but Basketball never stops, a considerable amount of big time NBA talent has opted to played overseas through the duration of the NBA lockout or entire 2011/2012 season leading to unprecedented hype and excitement in the international game (NBA All-Star Deron Williams drops 50 points in a Euro-challenge game, Andrei Kirilenko returns to Moscow to dominate the Euroleague with CSKA..these are unique dream situations for international fans because these players should be in the States under normal circumstances).
Buckeyes in big games - Going into the season, we knew there would be chances to view the overseas Buckeyes compete against some high profile names and there has already been memorable games. In the early season, rookie David Lighty matched up with NBA guys Nicolas Batum and Thabo Sefolosha in Euroleague games, Ron Lewis played against Jordan Farmar and JJ Hickson in Israel, and Jantel Lavender competed against WNBA stars Tina Charles and Diana Taurasi in Turkey. Another former Buckeye, Othello Hunter, is slated to face several current and former NBA players this season as a member of Shandong in the Chinese Basketball Association. Hunter's first real marquee matchup took place on November 25 when Shandong (2-0) hosted Zhejiang Guangsha and NBA player Wilson Chandler.
11.25.2011 - Shandong FB 97 vs Zhejiang Guangsha 89 (CBA Round 3)- Othello Hunter: 27 points (10-16 2pt fgs, 2-4 3pt fgs), 19 rebounds!
- Alan Anderson: 15 points, 4 rebounds, 4 steals
- Wilson Chandler: 42 points (14-20 2pt fgs, 3-7 3pt fgs), 10 rebounds, 3 steals
In the Game - American free agents Wilson Chandler, Aaron Brooks, JR Smith, and Kenyon Martin deciding to play in the Chinese Basketball Association has been one of the most discussed topics in regards to the lockout. Not only are these some NBA players hooping in China, but there is also an interesting angle where all of these guys will have to play the whole CBA Regular Season due to the league not allowing escape clauses in the event that the lockout ends. (link)Wilson Chandler (pictured left: 11.25.2011 - Former New York Knick, played well with the Denver Nuggets this past season - currently an NBA restricted free agent when the lockout ends), signed with the Zhejiang Guangsha Lions back in August of 2011. The head coach of Zhejiang Guangsha is Jim Cleamons, a former Ohio State Buckeye and NBA Champion (as a player & assistant coach). Cleamons just concluded a legendary run as an assistant under Championship Coach Phil Jackson (7 seasons in Chicago, 13 seasons in Los Angeles), this is his first run as a head coach since the late 90's when he served as the head man for the Dallas Mavericks (1996-1997) and Chicago Condors women's ABL team (1998) -( Jim Cleamons - Hoopedia link). This ESPN article notes that Jim Cleamons as the coach of Guangsha was a plus or pro for Wilson Chandler over other situations.
Quote - ESPN's J.A. Andande
"Chandler, who had been in talks with Olimpia Milano in Italy as well, liked the appeal of playing up to three games a week in China, as opposed to one game a week in Italy. He also liked the fact that Jim Cleamons, the former Dallas Mavericks coach who was an assistant on Phil Jackson's championship teams in Chicago and Los Angeles, will be coaching the Lions." (link)Guangsha's second American import is big man Dwayne Jones, a former Celtic & Cavalier (2006-2008) who has been every where from the D-League to Turkey, China, and Puerto Rico since his stint with Cleveland. Like Shandong, we do not know much about the Chinese Nationals that Coach Cleamons has to work with, but they have opened with a 2-0 start behind Wilson Chandler's 43 in the game one and 28/12 in game two.
So here we go, Shandong vs Guangsha! We love these types of games because it is always exciting to watch our pro Buckeyes playing under the bright lights against high profile competition! Othello Hunter, former Atlanta Hawk and Italian League All-Star, has been nice in his first two regular season games in China. He's accounted for two double-doubles, 11 points with 21 rebounds in game one and 19 points/13 rebounds in the followup, a 3 point OT win over Shanghai.Video - 'In the Game' - Shandong/Guangsha clips!
- Game Notes -
- In China, only one American import per team can be on the court in the first half, Jim Cleamons made the obvious choice of starting Wilson Chandler while Shandong elected to open with Hunter who checked Guangsha's big man.
- Wow, Othello Hunter just looks better and better every season. He's worked on that mid-range to 17/18 foot jumper throughout his pro career, and now he wants to show that he can consistently hit from long range. So with the score at 2-2, Hunter hits back-to-back three pointers! Great way to start this big game..huge pops from the home Shandong crowd!
- Shandong actually got out to a great 15-2 opening run before Guangsha battled back to within six by the end of the 1st. Hunter had another cool sequence at the 3:57 mark (20-8 score) when he blocked a shot and then hit a short jumper over Chandler at the other end, prompting Coach Cleamons to call a timeout.
- Hunter and Chandler did match up occasionally. Hunter on defensive p&r switches, and Chandler when Guangsha would go small. Early in the 2nd quarter, Othello hits the Denver Nugget with a fadeway j in the post! But Chandler responds with a step back jumper of his own and a long three.
- Both Hunter and former Michigan State standout Alan Anderson were on the floor together in the 3rd. The American tandem provided the play of the game at the 8:56 mark..Anderson intercepted a poor outlet pass to create a 2 on 1 with Othello who finished with the two handed slam! Shandong went back up by ten at that point (58-48).
- Man, Wilson Chandler is near unstoppable in this setting. The talented wing can get where ever he wants on the court, and he's hitting everything from acrobatic layups to fadeways and long threes. He's going to have to have several big scoring nights for Cleamons because Guangsha's other import, Dwayne Jones, is more of a defender, rebounding type. By the way, Chandler, like many imports look huge in China..Couldn't imagine how Dwight Howard would look..lol..There's a lot of tall guys there, but the athletes here in the States are tall and big and strong and fast...those guys aren't as plentiful in China, although the country is starting to develop that archetype.
- Fourth quarter..both teams trading baskets. It's been close since late the 3rd when Guangsha was able to cut the game long deficit to single digits..Chandler, who is totally carrying his team, hits a jumper of the glass to give Guangsha a 76-72 lead. Alan Anderson nailed a three to bring Shandong within 1, Chandler comes back with another tough jumper, and then Hunter ties the game with a bucket and-1 finish! (78-78)
- 78-78 score - Wild sequence! Guangsha foils a Shandong fastbreak..they save the ball from going out of bounds, but Othello Hunter ends up getting the ball from a Shandong teammate and finds a waiting Alan Anderson in the corner for three!
- 81-78 score - Here we see Hunter off the bounce again, the agile PG drives, rebounds his own layup attempts and scores to give Shandong the five point lead.
- This is so fun to watch..these imports have the green light to go off in these games! Wilson Chandler was superb in carrying Guangsha, ending with 42 total points, but you tell that Shandong had a little too much with the 1-2 punch of Anderson and Hunter..and they got help from some of their guards who hit two late threes which ultimately put the game out of reach for Guangsha after tying it at 87.
- Statement Play - Under 50 seconds left, the score is 93-87 after the clutch Shandong threes, but Chandler isn't quitting and makes a running jumper. Shandong, with Alan Anderson on the ball, just wants to run some clock and get a decent shot with their next offensive possession. Anderson finds a guard in the corner who attempts a three, Othello Hunter rebounds the miss, gathers himself with a dribble where he gets low on Chandler and rises for the game clincher over Wilson Chandler! (Big pop from the crowd..Hunter is hyped, the Shandong bench is hyped, Anderson points to Hunter and starts flexing.. Hunter finished with his best game yet in China, 27 points, 19 rebounds!)
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