Looking at Chinese Taipei's team in FIBA Asia

Looking at Chinese Taipei

by rick olivares

When I look at China and Korea now, I see both their national teams play a different brand of basketball. Time was they lined the perimeter with shooters and rained three-point hell on opponents. Now because of the global impact of the NBA, both teams play an American style power game (although it can be argued that China plays more that way).

Chinese Taipei is a little more traditional in Asian-style basketball in points I will explain further down this piece.

Offense

Very patient. They’ll move the ball around with shooters arrayed around the arc (and almost everyone on this team can shoot from the outside) and/or near the basket. Opponents have to be aware of where they cut and find an open spot on the floor. The Taiwanese will not force the issue inside and more often than not kick the ball out.

They are more of a shooting team and lack a post-up player.

Their scoring leader is Lin Chih Chieh, the Super League MVP and scoring champion who is averaging 17.0 points. He is the heart of this team; their inspirational player.

Quincy Davis II averages 16.0 points and Lu Cheng Ju backstops Lin with 13.0 points per game. The three are their primary scorers.

When they make their outside shots, it opens up the floor for Quincy Davis. But Davis doesn’t assert himself and goes with the flow of his team.

You have to like their chemistry. They’ve had the core of this team for about seven years now (if I am not mistaken) and that really gives them a keen understanding of where they are on court at all times (including tendencies).

Defense

The Chinese Taipei team likes to run a 2-3 zone. Depending on how the opponent plays, they’ll shift, maybe a man zone or a box and one. They are mindful about protecting the rim.

However, their perimeter defense is suspect. Their guards can be broken down by the more athletic players. Saudi Arabia that couldn’t really get inside against the Philippines had a field day against Chinese Taipei by scoring 36 points inside many through drives by Marzuq Al Mullawad and Jaber Kabe.

Here’s how Chinese Taipei fared in their first two games:

If their big men – Tseng Wen Ting, Davis, Tien Lei, Tsai Wen Cheng, and Creighton – can hold the fort inside, they’ll be tough. Like Korea, they can confuse defenses with their motion offense. But they live and die with that outside shot.

Chinese Taipei’s bench averages 33.0 points while opponents average 25.5.

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