This opener brings together two rebuilt guard combinations with several ways to restart an attack. The first drive will draw attention, but the next pass into the paint or across the floor should shape the contest. Recent preseason wins tell less than the quality of those connections against the personnel each team actually faced.
Shandong can share the ball between Wang and Banton, with Faye and Tao supplying targets inside. Liaoning brings Cooper's scoring and distribution alongside Edwards's perimeter threat, with Fu, Zhang and Wu providing different finishes. Cooper's 22 points and 11 assists against Fujian came without Zhao, giving Liaoning a demonstrated way to create beyond its returning veteran.
Gao is reported to miss this opener after also missing the recent preseason games. That removes perimeter resistance and organization, although Shandong has already used Wang and Banton together. Zhao played the final preseason game and has since reported full-contact work; my reading of Liaoning's attack starts with Cooper's demonstrated role rather than assuming a particular Zhao workload.
I expect the opening guard exchanges to bring the interior support into play, followed by changes in the guard combinations through the middle quarters. Shandong's Wang-led restart and Plummer's finishing against Guangzhou came against an incomplete frontcourt, while its earlier recovery against Guangdong drew an immediate reply. Liaoning's current distribution and range of finishers carry more weight for me than Shandong's low preseason concessions against reduced rotations. That's why I'm siding with Liaoning to win this match.
