"You did a great job." The South Korean basketball team, led by head coach Ahn Joon-ho, lost 80-88 to Japan in the second round of the warm-up match at Ariake Arena in Tokyo on the 7th (Korea time). With this, the team finished 1-1 with an 85-84 victory in the first round.
"Young" South Korea, which consists of young players aged 25.5 years on average. They were not lagging at all behind Japan, which is preparing for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Rather, they proved that the future of Korean basketball is this bright.
The match between Korea and Japan is a big match that attracts everyone's attention. KBL coaches who are in the midst of off-season also took time to watch the match. They were all smiles at their disciples' performances beyond their imagination.
First of all, the happiest moment for Lee was coach Kim Seung-ki's sono. In the first round, Lee had 27 points, four rebounds, four assists, and in the second round, he had 26 points, two rebounds, five assists, and three steals, completing 120 percent of his ace role. "Good job," Kim said with a smile.
"(Lee) Jung-hyun is probably about 70 percent physically fit. Although he started the off-season relatively early, he could hardly perform ball exercises except for a week of skill training. Still, he did well," Kim said.
Many people praised him. "I don't think he should stay in Korea," Samsung coach Kim Hyo-beom said. "Aura is different. I think he will be okay if he goes overseas. He is good enough to try the NBA Summer League."
LG manager Cho Sang-hyun also said, "I hope our (Yoo) weather will do as much as Chung Hyun in the future."
Ha Yoon-ki, who also defended Korea under the basket along with Lee Jung-hyun, also shone. Ha struggled, including an ankle injury in the second game, but in the first game, he had 15 points, seven rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block shot.
KT coach Song Young-jin said with a smile, "(All of our players were so good.) Yoon-gi can do better than he does now. He did a great job."
Yoo Ki-sang (17 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block shot), who recorded 5 3-pointers in the second game, and Cho Sang-hyun, who looked at him, could not hide his smile.
"All the players did a great job. We still have a long way to go," Cho said. "Weki is a young player who does not hesitate on a big stage. He was the most bold player in the playoffs last season. He did a great job."
It was Lee who wrote the best unexpected drama. He did not do well in the first round. Regardless of his victory, Lee's passive and regrettable play was definitely full of concerns.
Coach Kim Hyo-beom said after the first game, "[Lee] Won-seok is a child who shows good play when the opponent thinks he is not good for him or makes a mistake. I hope he will not forget that he is himself in the first game and find confidence and self-esteem by targeting the loopholes that Japan can see in the second game."
Was Kim Hyo-beom's message successful? Lee scored 18 points until he was fouled out in the second game. Japan was also embarrassed by Lee's bold rim attack. Even they would not have easily experienced a 205-centimeter-tall big man penetrating the three-point shooting line fast. As a result, Lee made many "and-one plays."
What was surprising was his free throws. Lee garnered nine free throws and made seven on the day. He also garnered great free throws, but his free throws targeting the rim, not the backboard, were all the more surprising.
"Won-seok still has a long way to go, but he has some advantages that Yoongi does not have. He will find his own color," coach Kim Hyo-beom said. "I tried to change the mechanism by analyzing videos every day with coaches Choi Soo-hyun and Kim Tae-kyung. As a result, I am pleased to see that he boldly attempts 3-point shots. I also tried to find an appropriate line through RBI adjustment. I can get better." 에볼루션 바카라사이트
Finally, he said, "I sent a message to Wonseok after the second game. Don't feel relieved as if it's the end. I will help him develop further when he comes back to the team."