The CBA regular season has concluded for most teams, with only a few still vying for the championship. The Shandong men’s basketball team was swept 2-0 by Shanghai in the playoffs. After the final game, head coach Qiu Biao was furious, stating that some players do not deserve to be called professional athletes. In the coming months, Shandong is expected to undergo significant roster adjustments, particularly regarding players whose contracts are expiring. Uncertainty looms over their future with the team.
Among them, point guard Yu Dehao finds himself in a precarious position. Given his current form, continuing his CBA career is looking increasingly difficult. In the recently concluded season, Yu played 25 games, averaging just 9 minutes per contest. His stats were a career low: 1.5 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game.
While Yu has never been considered a top-tier guard in the league, he was never a high-volume scorer, never averaging double figures in a season. However, he consistently produced around 6 points per game in prior seasons. This past year, his contributions were negligible, partly due to the increased number of foreign players in the league, which squeezed playing time for domestic bench guards. Without a reliable offensive skill set, earning minutes became a major challenge.
Given his minimal impact, it seems highly unlikely that Shandong will renew his contract this summer. According to CBA official records, Yu’s deal expires at the end of July. When he signed a two-year contract two summers ago, Shandong retained a team option for the second year. Given his performance, the team is expected to decline that option, effectively ending his tenure with the club.
Born in 1994, Yu is now approaching 32, and even without the foreign player factor, declining form is inevitable. In a highly competitive league, the inability to contribute on the court often leads to elimination.
Yu entered the CBA in 2013 with the Shenzhen Leopards. He quickly gained recognition for his tenacious defense and fearless play. A particularly memorable chapter of his career came when former national team coach Du Feng selected him as the starting point guard for the Blue Team, pushing Guo Ailun to the bench. This move, amplified by media hype, created a long-standing rivalry between the two guards.
Time has proven that Yu’s strengths lie primarily as a defensive specialist. His offensive game is limited, especially his unreliable shooting. Opponents often sag off him, daring him to take open three-pointers without fear.
In 2020, Yu was acquired by the Xinjiang Flying Tigers, where he spent four seasons as a reliable rotation player. He even saw a significant increase in playing time when Zhao Rui missed extended stretches due to injury. However, his limitations as a lead guard prevented Xinjiang from reaching higher levels.
When his contract expired in 2024, Yu chose not to re-sign with Xinjiang, partly due to an invitation from veteran teammate Qiu Biao, who had just taken over as head coach of a rebuilding Shandong team. The reunion seemed promising.
In Shandong, Yu served as the backup to star guard Gao Shiyan. Surprisingly, their playing styles are quite similar, with neither being a reliable three-point shooter. However, Gao possesses solid playmaking and passing abilities, whereas Yu’s skill set is too one-dimensional to carve out a consistent role. The past season has clearly highlighted this issue. For a rebuilding team like Shandong, keeping an aging defensive specialist makes little sense when younger players with more energy and athleticism could fill the same role. The chances of Yu receiving a contract extension appear extremely slim.
