The downside is his deficiencies in defense and confrontation, on one hand, his individual and team defense is a bit weak, causing increased defensive pressure on other members of the Eagles Team.
On the other hand, even though he worked hard to strengthen his muscles over the summer, his ability to confront is still at a medium-low level in a short period.
This is a considerable disadvantage in the highly competitive and physically demanding NBA, where muscle-bound players abound.
This also led to him struggling to keep up with the intensity as games progressed into critical stages.
Moreover, at the age of 22, born in 1977, Wang Zhizhi was considered an older rookie when he entered the league, and his potential for growth was not considered vast.
Therefore, Wang Zhizhi faced significant pressure, as failing to meet team expectations in his rookie season could easily lead to being abandoned.
After all, not many rookies picked around the 20th spot in the first round truly succeed, with quite a few being discarded within a year or two, given the high elimination rate in the NBA.
For Wang Zhizhi, coming to Portland for a game was both pressure and an opportunity to relax, a chance to confide in an older brother.
Of course, Wang Zhizhi knew that Gan Guoyang had faced much more pressure and hardships in the past year than himself.
So during his time in Atlanta, no matter what difficulties he encountered, he didn’t call Gan Guoyang lightly.
He only called Gan Guoyang after his career debut to report on the situation, without saying much more.
Gan Guoyang knew that Wang Zhizhi, like Hu Weidong, had a rather silent, introverted character, not very communicative, and not good at expressing himself.
This was a common trait among athletes from that generation who came out of the sports teams, focused solely on playing and training, not knowing or wanting to know much outside basketball.
Once the Hawks were settled in Portland, Gan Guoyang invited Wang Zhizhi over for a meal at his home, after which they went to the Glass Pyramid Arena to practice and chat.
The previously introverted and shy Wang Zhizhi brightened up after having some delicious Chinese food and opened up, continuously expressing the inconveniences he faced after arriving in America.
Wang Zhizhi participated in the draft in June, was subsequently summoned back to the national team, and did not come to the US to start training and playing until the Hawks’ training camp commenced in October.
So, until now, Wang Zhizhi had only been in America for a little over a month, and during this time, his biggest impression was: "Out here, you really have to rely on yourself for everything, everything."
Players like Wang Zhizhi, who grew up within the domestic sports team system, entered the local youth training system at a young age due to exceptional talent and experienced a collective lifestyle.
The players ate and trained together since childhood, with specialized coaches or team leaders taking care of their daily needs.
Before joining the NBA, Wang Zhizhi would wake up to knocks from a team leader or assistant coach, and even meals at the cafeteria would be coordinated.
However, after joining the NBA, Wang Zhizhi realized that the days when he could focus solely on basketball without thinking about daily life were gone forever.
"There’s absolutely no one looking after things outside of playing; everything is self-managed. Attending training on time is obligatory, and if you’re late, you’re fined—$1,000 per late appearance. I’ve already been fined $2,000 US Dollars."
In front of Gan Guoyang, Wang Zhizhi seemed like an inexperienced child, venting his grievances while feeling remorseful about being fined $2,000 US Dollars.
Gan Guoyang thought, in his nearly 20-year basketball career, he had never been late for training; he only arrived early and left late, never the other way around.
Wang Zhizhi still carried a lot of childishness, not realizing early on that one needs to be responsible for their own life and work.
Players like Barkley grew up in hardship, balancing basketball, school, and part-time jobs to make a living during high school, and relied solely on themselves to carve out a space in the NBA.
At 22, Wang Zhizhi was notably late in learning this crucial lesson, having only understood it a month into his time in America.
Gan Guoyang didn’t reprimand Wang Zhizhi; instead, he shared stories of his own young years of training and playing experiences.
Upon hearing this, Wang Zhizhi realized that he shouldn’t ever be late for training, knowing how diligently Gan Guoyang used to arrive early every day.
Then on the court, Gan Guoyang assessed Wang Zhizhi’s confrontation and skills, offering him pointers.
Gan Guoyang noticed that Wang Zhizhi’s skills were still very refined, with excellent body coordination and flexibility.
The lack of strength was a definite weakness, yet Gan Guoyang didn’t recommend that he bulk up excessively or solely focus on strength training.
He said, "To become a top superstar, generally you can’t have obvious weaknesses; you need to cover any gaps and be competent in all aspects. But if you want to survive in the NBA, hard training is essential; more importantly, you should maximize your strengths and minimize your weaknesses, finding your own way to survive."
Considering Wang Zhizhi’s talent, becoming a top superstar might be challenging, but securing a place in the NBA is definitely feasible.
Even before the draft, Gan Guoyang had planned a training route for Wang Zhizhi, advising him to focus more on offense, especially mid-to-long-range shooting.
Make an effort in defense and strength to not be too much of a laggard.
This time, Gan Guoyang offered even more detailed suggestions, recommending that Wang Zhizhi engage more in exercises enhancing his body flexibility and coordination.
Things like spider crawls, yoga exercises, jump rope, etc., to fully leverage his nimble footwork and diverse offensive skills.