Zhou (whose name is pronounced ‘Joe Chi’) has a simple perspective on how he wants to guard the basket,and he will be looking to lock down the keyway when his Phoenix attempt to win their third-straight game when they take on Melbourne United at John Cain Arena on Sunday.
“Protecting the rim is one of the most important roles for me on the team,and I will always do the best I can,” Zhou said via his interpreter.
Phoenix star Mitch Creek has fast formed a friendship with his fellow former NBA player,and he praised Zhou’s smarts and persistence on Friday when he withstood three early fouls and having the Breakers score against him in the first three quarters to stand up in the final term asCreek led the Phoenix to victory with a career-high 36 points.
“I wasn’t expecting we could get along so well in such a short period of time.”
Zhou Qi on his new teammates
“I know they made a lot of shots on him[tonight],but he deters players and makes it hard for the offensive players,they might make them early,but we know the percentages are in our favour as the game goes on,” Creek told ESPN post-game.
Zhou admits he wasn’t sure how well he would mesh with his teammates,especially after missing the early part of preseason and spending time away with his national team heading into last week’s opening game.
“I get along with the boys pretty well and it’s better than I thought before I came here,” Zhou said via his interpreter.