Tokyo, another step forward for Wang Zhelin’s leadership abilities?

BEIJING, China (4th FIBA Asia Cup): Saying Wang Zhelin is the brightest star in the Chinese basketball horizon for the future is stating the obvious. But when the 214-cm arrives in Tokyo, it is not his individual abilities on the floor but more his ability to lead that will come under the microscope.

When Wang Zhelin was left out of the Chinese roster for the eventually calamitous campaign at the 2012 London Olympics, there indeed an outrage in the Chinese media. “He’s too young right now,” was the justifiable response from the top brass of the CBA then.

But down the line Wang Zhelin has shown enough to even raise questions in certain quarters if that decision to leave him out was right. That of course is in hindsight.

Wang Zhelin himself has shrugged it off saying “my time will come and I will wait” and has concentrated more on contributing to any team that he has played for.

At the 22nd FIBA Asia U18 Championship in Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) last month, if there were any doubts about his abilities they were answered in style – when he fired a three-pointer with 12 seconds left in the game to bring China from brink of defeat to go on to win the gold.

Wang Zhelin did finish as the most consistent scorer in the competition – with an average of 22.3 points per game – but it was more his abilities to lead the team from the front and deliver when push came to shove that caught the attention.

Therefore, there can’t be any questions about Wang Zhelin’s abilities as a player. It is his attitude and aptitude to lead that will be watched with keen interest.

via CHN – Tokyo, another step forward for Wang Zhelin’s leadership abilities?.

Previous Seasons

Competition	Year	M	FGM-A	FG%			FTM-A	FT%	TOT	AST	PTS
2012 4th FIBA Asia Cup	2012	0	– – –	0.0			– – –	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
2012 22nd FIBA Asia U18 Championship	2012	9	79 – 116	68.1			42 – 60	70.0	10.3	0.8	22.3
2010 21st FIBA Asia U18 Championship For Men	2010	9	48 – 77	62.3			33 – 55	60.0	8.6	0.7	14.3