Beijing Ducks struggling without Jeremy Lin; coach Simone Pianigiani has ‘lost dressing room’
- Reports of infighting at last season’s play-off semi-finalists, who are 13th in the standings after 15 games
- CBA team have tried to re-sign Lin, who is still waiting on an NBA offer during free agency
Jeremy Lin’s former Chinese Basketball Association team, the Beijing Ducks, are struggling in his absence, with domestic media reporting coach Simone Pianigiani has lost the dressing room and instances of infighting in the team.
The latest news reported that none of the team’s Chinese players would accompany their Italian coach to the post-game press conference after Saturday’s 110-95 loss to Shaanxi Loongs.
Pianigiani was hired in September ahead of the 2020-21 season, which started in October, with his arrival much vaunted by Ducks chairman Qin Xiaowen.
“I believe he can build a better and stronger Beijing Ducks with rich experience and an excellent modern basketball concept,” Qin said on the Italian’s arrival.
The Ducks sit 13th in the 19-team standings after 15 games, with a 6-9 record.
Last season they finished with a 32-14 record in the regular season, including an 11-game winning streak as they qualified for the play-offs for the first time since 2016.
