In near-unanimous fashion, Lu “Male Model” Cheng-ju was voted last week’s Player of the Week after an outstanding three-game sequence.
The veteran long-range shooter for the Yulon Luxgens won the nod from members of the National Basketball Writers’ Association by averaging more than 24 points per game, including a career-high 36 points against previously unbeaten Taiwan Beer.
“It’s a tremendous honor to be considered for the award, let alone to win it, I am very flattered,” said the versatile small forward with a graduate degree from Chinese Culture University in Taipei.
Photo: Liu Cheng-kung, Taipei Times
He has finally broken out of a two-year slump with a much improved all-around game that emphasizes better rebounding and shot selection.
“Changing my number from 22 to 13 might have helped [improve my game] as well,” Lu joked upon learning of his selection for the weekly honor.
He said that the reason for the change was because all three members of his immediate family — his wife, son and himself — have birthdays on the 13th day of a month.
His timely surge is one of the main reasons the Automakers have ascended from the bottom of the heap to a respectable 4-4 mark in a highly competitive start.
They are third behind the top-ranked Brew Crew (6-1) and the four-time defending champions Pure Youth Construction (5-1).
Lu and the rest of the Automakers have a chance to find out how good they really are this weekend with back-to-back games against the Fubon Braves and Pure Youth Construction tomorrow and on Sunday respectively as they look to raise their winning percentage above .500 for the first time this season.
The losers against both in their previous meetings, the Luxgens have more than their name to defend as they look to remain among the top three.
The Braves commence this weekend’s round of games at the Changhua County Gymnasium tonight against Kinmen Kaoliang, a must-win showdown for both squads, with the tip-off scheduled for 6pm.
That is to be followed by a clash between the Dacin Tigers and Pure Youth Construction.
It marks the first of two weekends of play in Changhua, as the SBL moves to central Taiwan after the first three weeks were played at the Banciao Gymnasium in New Taipei City.
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