Illustration: Liu Xiangya/GT

Despite a narrow miss on the FIBA Asia Cup title, the Chinese men's national basketball team's collective resilience and defensive commitment have demonstrated their solid progress after a long struggle on the international stage and that the new generation of players has built the foundation for future success. 

China, heading into this tournament as an underdog, led for three quarters and battled until the very end, but ultimately fell just one point short in a narrow 89-90 loss to world powerhouse Australia on Sunday night. The runners-up finish marked China's best result in the tournament in the past decade.  

China has fallen short in the last two tournaments, bowing out in the quarterfinals on both occasions. The most recent title was in 2015 when China dethroned the Philippines 78-67 in Changsha, Hunan Province. 

In this tournament, the Chinese team displayed youthful energy and fighting spirit, showing strong overall defense when facing the physically tough teams of Australia and New Zealand, Wang Dazhao, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times on Monday. 

With three straight wins in the group stage, China secured first place in Group C and advanced to the quarterfinals. Against arch-rival South Korea, China's high-pressure defense held them to a 12.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc. In the semifinal against New Zealand, five Chinese players scored double digits, shooting 46.15 percent from the three-point range.  

In this tournament, China led all 16 teams in field goal percentage, three-point accuracy, and free-throw percentage, according to the official statistics on the FIBA website.

Under head coach Guo Shiqiang, China adopted targeted defensive strategies against different opponents, and throughout the tournament their three-point shooting percentage showed significant improvement, becoming an integral part of their offensive tactics. The increase in both three-point and free-throw accuracy reflects the quality of recent training. With persistent and rigorous practice, the team is bound to be rewarded in major competitions, Wang noted. 

The aggressive rotations forced turnovers at key moments, showing that the team has developed a defensive identity built on energy and discipline. Rather than relying on one or two stars, multiple players stepped up - both defensively and offensively - suggesting stronger balance in the roster.

When selecting players for the Asia Cup, Guo once emphasized that players must have a strong desire and the willingness to serve the country. 

"I want 12 players who will give everything, and on the court, I want five who will fight with all they've got," said Guo. 

Thanks to their outstanding performances in the paint, Chinese duo Hu Jinqiu and Wang Junjie were selected in the tournament's All-Star Five after the final. 

If center Hu is the cornerstone of the team, then 20-year-old Wang, who plays for the University of San Francisco in the NCAA Division I, emerged as one of the breakout players for China in this tournament. 

Making his debut for the national team, Wang averaged 13 points per game with a three-point shooting percentage of 47.8 percent in the tournament, and against South Korea he tallied 21 points and eight rebounds while hitting multiple clutch shots. His ability to drive with the ball and exploit mismatches has filled the gap in China's forward playmaking, and he is expected to grow into the backbone for the national team in the future.

Wang attributed his performance to Guo's trust in him. He said that Guo moved him during a team meeting when he said, "I chose the players, I designed the tactics, everything was done by me. What I want is for you to prove to me that my judgment was not wrong."

Although the young players showed great fighting spirit and potential, the tournament also exposed China's lack of depth in the frontcourt off the bench. Young center Yu Jiahao still has much room for improvement, said Wang. Yu joined Bilbao Basket in the Spanish league in August.

China was missing centers Zhou Qi and Yang Hansen in this tournament. Yang is currently focused on his development with the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers, while Zhou is out due to an injury. Another forward Zeng Fanbo, who joined the NBA franchise Brooklyn Nets in August, is also recovering from an injury. 

China's young squad has shown their defensive intensity and team resilience. Gaining more international experience and adding the depth of the squad will be crucial to bridge the final gap.

Captain Zhao Rui said after the final that this is just a beginning, not the end. "By working hard, we made it to the Asia Cup final. This team has shown everyone that under coach Guo's leadership, Chinese basketball is evolving - and it can get even better."

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. life@globaltimes.com.cn