Rookies impress as Team China embarks on new journey

Despite capping its World Cup qualifying campaign with two straight wins, China's new-look national basketball team still has a long way to go before leveling up to the international standard.

Team China passed its first official test under new coach Aleksandar Djordjevic, but not quite convincing enough for a program that aspires to finish the 2023 FIBA World Cup as the best-performing Asian squad to secure the continent's only direct ticket to next year's Paris Olympics.

Djordjevic, however, took plenty of positives from Team China's final two qualifying wins, over Kazakhstan and Iran.