After the Xinjiang Flying Tigers' impressive 105-87 victory over the Shandong Heroes on Wednesday night, former Chinese national team captain Liu Wei, currently taking charge of the Xinjiang side, has silenced fans' concerns about losing last season's CBA Coach of the Year, Qiu Biao.

Richard Soloman (R) of Beijing Ducks blocks Li Yanzhe of Xinjiang Flying Tigers during a match between Beijing Ducks and Xinjiang Flying Tigers at the 2024-2025 season of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league in Beijing, China, Oct. 22, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan)

Last season, Qiu led Xinjiang to the Finals, where they were swept 4-0 by Liaoning. This summer, he opted to join Shandong.

"Shandong is a very strong team, and Qiu has made many changes since he arrived there," the 44-year-old Liu said humbly. "I think we were just a bit lucky and had a good shooting night, which helped us win."

Liu, who spent the majority of his playing career with the Shanghai Sharks, was one of teammates of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Yao Ming during his CBA years. The guard has represented China in three Olympic Games, reaching the quarterfinals twice. After retiring, he served as an assistant coach under Serbian Aleksandar Djordjevic in the national team.

Xinjiang signed him as head coach, following a recommendation from Li Qiuping, who led them to their only CBA championship in 2017.

Some insiders believed Qiu focused heavily on defense, while the team struggled offensively due to a lack of shooting ability in last season's Finals.

Doubts arose about whether the rookie coach Liu could elevate the already competitive Xinjiang team. He brought in more shooting-capable foreign players, Quentin Peterson and South Korean league's MVP Dedric Lawson, while emphasizing a faster-paced game and roles for point guards and centers.

The changes have been evident. Xinjiang have averaged 109.8 points per game this season, ranking second in the league, and leading in possessions per game with its rapid-fire offense.

The team has faced injury challenges early in the season, with last season's MVP Abdusalam Abdurexit injured during the opening game and star guard Zhao Rui still absent since last season for five months. Under Liu's guidance, some younger players who had previously lacked opportunities have shone.

Elfurat Muhtar, who played only 13 games last season, has emerged as one of key shooters this year with a 3-pointer shooting percentage of 44.8%.

Liu has navigated challenges brought on by Abdusalam and Zhao's absence limiting his options in the fourth quarter. Now both players have returned to the team and contributed to the win against Shandong.

"With Abdusalam and Zhao back in action, we have now become a real team," Liu said. "With our core players, we will see a completely different transformation."

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