College push making the grade

"I think the draft expands the horizon of talent development for the professional league," said newly installed Jiangsu Dragons head coach Li Nan.

"It builds a platform for players of various backgrounds to demonstrate their skills and commitment to turn pro whereas we didn't manage to do that in the past."

However, the former Team China head coach reckons the gap in competitiveness between the professional league and the collegiate competition remains a sizable one that rookie players need to be prepared for physically and mentally.

"The test of competing on a much busier schedule and in more fiercely contested games can be intimidating for some of the young players. To live up to their expectations, they should start from surviving and staying healthy," added Li.

Last year's top draft pick, PKU graduate Wang Shaojie, who was selected by the Beijing Royal Fighters, set the bar high for this year's crop to follow.

Coached by former NBA All-Star Stephon Marbury, Wang played a significant role in helping the Royal Fighters make the CBA playoffs for the first time since the franchise was promoted from the second-tier league in 2014.

The power forward was voted the league's Rising Star of the Month in July after averaging 7.8 points and 5.1 rebounds over five games while battling a knee injury since the league resumed play in June after a four-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Sooner or later, a rookie is going to hit the wall. As long as you hang in there, perseverance, hard work and a positive mindset will eventually pay off," said the 23-year-old.