The new season's form is uncertain! What’s going on with Hu Mingxuan? What’s wrong with Chen Guohao?

LeBron James’ 41st birthday coverage will surely take the front pages of all major sports media today.

But in fact, looking back at the compliments on his 40th birthday, most were about the awe for the “longest river.”

So, I won’t get involved in this buzz.

For the “last dance” of 2025, let’s talk about two questions that concern CBA fans the most.

1. What’s wrong with Hu Mingxuan?

So far this season, Hu Mingxuan has played 5 games, averaging only 7.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. His shooting percentage has dropped to 26.7%, with a three-point rate of just 22.2%.

A former Finals MVP and a national team player in his prime, how did he end up blending into the team’s “potato crowd”…

And this isn’t just about five games; since finishing the Asia Cup and missing that buzzer-beater against Australia, Hu Mingxuan’s performance has been quite poor.

His poor showing at the National Games and what could be called “criminal-level” performances in the two World Asian qualifiers against South Korea are undeniable.

He took 13 shots in live play without scoring, totaling only 4 points in those two games.

He clearly has the ability and has produced representative performances against top international teams; his place on the national team shouldn’t be questioned.

However, if he goes into next year’s must-win games against Japan and provincial teams in this state…

As a fan, it’s hard not to feel a chill down the spine.

Maybe the “game boy” is holding back a big move.

This season, I’ve watched many Guangdong team games.

From what’s shown, the part that disappoints fans most about Hu Mingxuan isn’t that he misses shots—after all, even great shooters like Curry have off days.

It’s his ball handling… which is quite frustrating.

We might have said this a thousand times: Hu’s style does not suit playing the point guard position.

He either turns the ball over or hesitates too much.

This puts a lot of pressure on Xu Jie.

Despite Guangdong’s current eight-game winning streak dominating the league, it’s built on Xu Zhongfeng carrying the team; right now, Xu Jie is my pick for regular season MVP.

Whenever Xu Jie rests, no matter how big the lead, fans feel uneasy, leading to many close wins.

What are Hu Mingxuan’s characteristics?

A shooting guard attacker, a spot-up shooter.

Any coach putting him in charge of running the offense will cause traffic jams…

In Guangdong, he needs to partner with Xu Jie; on the national team, he must be alongside Zhao Rui.

2. What’s wrong with Chen Guohao?

Guohao’s return home hasn’t gone as smoothly as expected.

In 7 hometown games, he averaged 15.3 minutes, 5 points, and 4 rebounds per game, with a shooting percentage of only 36.7%.

Last summer, when Longshi played three NBA preseason games, he was still a standout player.

He averaged 11 points and 3.3 rebounds, hit 75% from three (3 of 4), and scored 33 points across three games, the highest among domestic players.

The difference in performance and psychological gap is inevitable.

Let’s summarize a few reasons.

1. The current CBA season format.

With the 40-minute game length being more intense but foreign player usage still limited to 7 times in 4 quarters, the vast majority of domestic players get little playing time (except Sichuan).

Coaches prioritize winning by maximizing foreign player minutes.

Many players besides Chen Guohao run back and forth without the ball during games.

This is an external factor.

2. Personal playing style.

Guohao’s height and wingspan make it difficult for him to be an outstanding defensive player in the CBA, especially in rim protection.

His strength lies in offense.

He excels at creating scoring opportunities through physical contact, finishing with both hands equally well, and facilitating plays.

But under Mitchell’s coaching, he often plays the role of spacing the floor.

So far this season, he hasn’t been confident in shooting threes, which hurts the viewing experience.

He urgently needs to find his shooting rhythm.

3. Psychological factors.

I believe this is a major reason for his underperformance.

From Beikong to Guangzhou, hometown fans’ attention and his strong desire to prove himself weigh heavily on him.

But overexerting often backfires.

During his time at Beikong, he had notable performances.

Against Tianjin, he scored a career-high 32 points and 14 rebounds; in the Beijing derby, 25 points and 9 rebounds, becoming the “X factor” against Shougang’s zone defense; in his rookie playoff season, he scored 30 points and 9 rebounds against Shenzhen…

As a reserved Chaoshan native, he now desperately needs an outstanding game to relieve his burden.

The expectations of hometown basketball should be motivation, not a burden.

On the last day of 2025, we discuss the dilemmas of Hu Mingxuan and Chen Guohao.

This represents both their personal challenges and a microcosm of the growth of China’s young basketball generation.

We look forward to their fresh start in the new year, maturing through doubts and breaking new ground through adjustments.

As the new year begins, all past experiences serve as the prologue.