Fanbo Zeng’s Shooting Touch Turns Heads Ahead of Nets Arrival

Through three years in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), Fanbo Zeng has proven to be a near-40% shooter from beyond the arc. He holds a career average of 39%, but continues to work on his shot. In an X post on Sunday, player development coach Vaughn Compton spoke glowingly of Zeng's shooting ability.

"Great having Fanbo Zeng in Phoenix before he heads to the Brooklyn Nets," Compton posted. "Have not seen many [6-foot-11] guys that can shoot the way he can."

If the rest of Zeng's skills are up to par, he could be a real weapon for Brooklyn in 2025-26. The Nets' current center room is quite traditional and doesn't include many floor spacers. Nic Claxton and Day'Ron Sharpe are great at what they do, but both have been limited offensively in their respective careers thus far. Sure, Sharpe showed the ability to knock down the occasional triple last season, but nothing close to what Zeng possesses.

If he's able to develop—and there's no reason to believe he can't, especially under head coach Jordi Fernandez—he could make an immediate impact. Especially since he'll benefit from the incoming rookie class, which features three playmakers in Egor Demin, Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf, who'll be able to find him in pick-and-pop situations.

If the near-40% three-point stroke is able to transfer from the CBA to the NBA, Zeng will have the opportunity to carve out a major role in Fernandez's rotation simply due to the mismatch he presents on the floor. Fernandez will be able to get creative with the change of pace, alternating Claxton, Sharpe, Zeng, Drew Timme and Danny Wolf, adding a dynamic aspect to the Nets' big man room.

It's important to note: Zeng is currently only on an Exhibit 10 contract. This means the 22-year-old is on a one-year, non-guaranteed deal that allows him to compete for an active roster spot or a G League affiliate spot during training camp. Given the Nets' packed roster, it does seem more likely that Zeng will head to the Long Island Nets, but that could change with a strong training camp showing.

Either way, Zeng has a chance to secure that he belongs in the league. Last season, Timme and Tyson Etienne proved the transition from Long Island to Brooklyn is more than possible.

If the Nets want to add a big man that can stretch the floor to the active roster, Zeng could very well end up following the trend set by Timme and Etienne.