In the ongoing National U21 Men’s Basketball Championship, the Beijing Shougang youth team convincingly defeated the Guangdong Hongyuan U21 squad with a score of 94-69. This result has raised eyebrows, especially since Guangdong’s youth roster includes players like Yang Yi and Li Yizhen, who have already seen CBA playoff action. However, both underperformed, with Yang Yi’s lack of shooting ability being severely exploited by Beijing. His poor three-point and free-throw percentages have cast doubt on his future with Guangdong’s first team.
Yang Yi’s chances of breaking into Guangdong’s senior lineup are now slim. With head coach Du Feng pushing the team to playoff intensity, even promising talents like Chen Jiazheng and Wang Hongze have fallen out of the rotation. In the backcourt, Guangdong already has Xu Jie and Hu Mingxuan as core players, and Samana is likely to stay. Xu Jie’s elite three-point shooting and playmaking make him irreplaceable for at least five to eight years, leaving little room for Yang Yi. Even when Xu Jie declines, younger guards will likely have developed, making it tough for Yang Yi to get sufficient CBA experience.
Yang Yi’s lack of a reliable jump shot has already led to his marginalization by Du Feng. His poor U21 performance has only reinforced the coach’s decision to move on from the national youth guard. Guangdong’s current need is for a quality domestic power forward. Until Wang Hongze matures, Du Runwang has been exposed defensively, forcing Du Feng to play Zhang Haojia at the four spot—a gamble at best. To compete with top teams like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, Guangdong general manager Zhu Fangyu could consider trading Yang Yi for a solid power forward. This would also benefit Yang Yi, who needs playing time to develop elsewhere.
Yang Yi was once hailed as a potential “upgraded version of Xu Jie” and could become a starting point guard for mid-to-low-tier CBA teams. With game experience, he could grow like Xu Xin. A possible trade partner is Guangzhou, who have Chen Guohao—a strong, versatile forward with significant popularity in Guangdong. Chen’s power, spacing, and local appeal could make him an upgrade at the four spot over Du Runwang.
Ultimately, Yang Yi’s shooting limitations hinder his development in the CBA, and he requires more game time to improve his three-point shot. Staying with Guangdong may not be the best move for him.