Thoughts on Lin Qi in a Chinese Basketball Association Game
April 16th, 2020
By Alan Lu
This time around, I decided to take the time to watch Xinjiang’s 6-7 forward, Lin Qi from China, as he played in a July 7th CBA basketball game against Jilin, with thanks to YouTube via Thumb Media. I wanted to check out a couple of prospects that were from China to see how well their games would translate to the NBA, and statistically, Lin Qi and former Tulane center, Kevin Zhenlin Zhang, who now plays for Liaoning, stood out as their likely best prospects to watch for the 2021 draft. Lin Qi is an unheralded prospect whose sharpshooting and offensive skills could make him a sleeper prospect for the NBA. Here are my thoughts on how he fared that day, as well as how may currently rate as a prospect for the next level.
(Photo: VCG/CGTN)
Xinjiang’s 6-7 forward, Lin Qi is a very good shooter that excelled at knocking down shots to provide floor spacing for his team on offense. He showed a knack for making smooth pull-up jumpers from the mid-range, and he also has good footwork to make step-back jumpers both from the mid-range and from beyond the arc. He showed deft handles to make a step-back three, and he also used a quick, behind-the-back dribble move to draw free throws on a turnaround mid-range jump shot from the left elbow.
He also is a solid athlete, and he ran the floor hard to score on a quick layup off the glass. Qi was very aggressive in looking to hoist up shots in the first half, but he was far more passive in the third quarter. He also didn’t look to go all the way to the hoop to score off the dribble in half court sets, but he showed good foot speed and quickness to score on jumpers as well as on fast breaks.
Qi also displayed solid playmaking skills in this game. He ran the floor hard and he threw a nifty shovel pass to drop it off to a teammate to set up a score on the break. He also drove up the court and threw a swift, no-look pass to get another assist in transition. Qi passes the ball well, especially on fast breaks, and he is an unselfish player that also moves well off the ball on offense. Also, he did a decent job of rebounding the basketball. Qi would get boards off of tap outs. He also chased down a defensive rebound, and he then quickly pushed the ball up the floor that time.
He also played satisfactory defense. Qi roams a lot, and his gambles would pay off when he would be in position to make plays on the ball. He ran in to intercept a pass quickly to get a steal, and he then was able to drive the ball up court and get the ball to a teammate to get an assist in transition. He also showed a knack for deflecting passes to disrupt his opponent’s timing and field of vision. Also, he contested a long two, as he forced his man to shoot an air-ball, which led the other team to commit a shot-clock violation.
On the downside, he gambles quite a bit defensively, as he would cheat pretty far off of shooters, and other times he would camp out in zones. He would tend to over-help off of his man and into the paint, which would lead him to allow opponents to score on open corner threes. He also committed a blocking foul when defending an opposing ball handler in the backcourt, but that call could have gone either way.
Overall, Lin Qi is an unheralded prospect that has not drawn much draft buzz, but he is an automatically draft eligible player due to being a 1999-born International player. He will need to get more exposure to increase his odds to get drafted by an NBA team, but in this game, he showed that he can quickly move off the ball and score on jumpers, and he also is a solid athlete that can make plays on both ends of the floor. Right now, he may be a borderline second round candidate in the 2021 draft, but if he makes it to the NBA, he could end up being a solid role player similar to current Houston Rockets’ swingman, Danuel House in the NBA.
