Zhou Qi, a 7-foot-1 center-forward from China, is a force to reckon with and has been known to be one of the few big men who can knock it down from afar. He was the 46th overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft but somehow his career in the pros never really gained ground.
The 22-year-old basketball player got waived by the Houston Rockets recently, opening up a roster spot according to NBA.com. For now, Zhou Qi never really made an impact in the NBA aside from the four blocks that he registered against the Sacramento Kings in last season's finale.
Zhou spent most of his time in the G-League where he played for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He averaged 11.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks and owned a 51.3-percent field goal shooting average. His shooting prowess is seen as one of the reasons why the Rockets were keeping him before he got his walking papers this month.
But injuries hampered Zhou's rise with the Rockets, one of the reasons critics believe forced Daryl Morey to part with the Chinese player. As of this writing, it remains to be seen if Zhou will get another shot at playing in the NBA.
If not, he is likely to go back to the Chinese Basketball Association. Back in 2016-17, he was part of the Xinjiang Flying Tigers - a team he led to its first championship. He remains a member of the Chinese Senior National team and likely to have more time to focus on campaigns in 2019.
Though his NBA career did not necessarily take off, basketball fans may remember Zhou best during the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games. He was one of the towering figures during that prestigious sporting event, leading China to a gold medal finish, NBC said.
Owning a wicked wingspan of 7-foot-7 (2.33 m), Zhou does have the physique and talent to be of help to any NBA team. However, he may need to work on keeping himself healthy and last longer during games. While he was something to watch during the 2018 Asian Games, he was visibly unable to last in some games - raising questions on his ability to pace himself and finish strong.
At 22, Zhou Qi can still return to the NBA after some fine-tuning. His height is an advantage and all he needs to do is find a way to play smarter and stay healthy. He has shown he has the hops but all these are futile if he is always in sickbay.
