The Korean men’s national basketball team, who participated in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, will face Japan at 12 noon today for first place in Group D. The national team, which was placed in Group D of the group stage, is on a two-game winning streak after defeating Indonesia and Qatar in turn. This is also true in Japan. Whoever wins this match will take first place in the group and advance directly to the quarterfinals.
On the other hand, if they come in second, they will have to play in the round of 12, so both teams are expected to come forward with the determination to win. There is a sense that it is a fateful match between Korea and Japan, but even if we only consider practicality, we must win unconditionally to gain an advantageous position. In addition, we cannot ignore the possibility that it will occur again in the future, so suppressing the momentum has great significance. This is a matchup that requires a sure win.
Ahead of the Asian Games, there were many voices of concern about the national team. This is because most of the tall forward resources that Korean basketball is proud of have not been able to join the team. Even so, Lee Hyun-joong (23‧202cm) of the Australian Illawarra Hawks (23‧202cm) and Gonzaga University’s Yeo Junseok (21‧203cm), who are struggling with the goal of advancing to the NBA, are expected to play a central role in defense by playing the role of ace stopper and moving between the front and back lines. Moon Seong-gon (30‧195.6cm) and Song Gyo-chang (27‧201.3cm), who were both players, were out due to injuries.토토사이트
Choi Jun-yong (29‧200.2cm), who can be used as an all-rounder in attack and defense as well as assistant leading and passing games, could not join. As a result, coach Chu Il-seung, who is well-known for specializing in forward basketball, has no choice but to unintentionally focus the game on guards. As if conscious of this, in an interview with the media, he said, ‘I will play fast-break basketball at a fast tempo.’
The Hyundai national team consists of Kim Seon-hyung (SK), Kim Jong-gyu (DB), La Geon-ah, Lee Seung-hyeon (KCC), Heo Hoon, Byun Jun-hyung (executive director), Lee Jeong-hyun, Jeon Seong-hyeon (Sono), Ha Yoon-ki, Moon Jeong-hyeon (KT), Yang Hong-seok (LG) ), Woo-seok Lee (Hyundai Mobis), and a total of 12 players. In the first match against Indonesia, they won a complete victory 95-55 with Heo Hoon (28‧180cm) and Kim Jong-gyu (32‧206.3cm) at the center, and in the second match against Qatar, in addition to Heo Hoon, Ha Yoon-ki (24‧204cm) and La Gun-ah (34‧200.5cm) took off and won 76-64.
Heo Hoon is now becoming the undisputed ace of the national team. He is not just a starting point guard. He is showing the highest level of scoring production across all of his positions and is becoming a main gun. He led the team’s offense with 20 points and 7 assists in Game 1 and 10 points and 6 assists in Game 2. Heo Hoon’s 3-point attack is more powerful because he has many moving shots.
He watches the defense’s movements while holding the ball at the top, and when he determines that passing is not feasible, he personally targets the gap and throws an outside shot. What is impressive is that there are many times when he creates a gap where there is none and shoots. He takes advantage of the screens of big men such as La Gun-ah with an explosive first step and quickly fires a 3-point shot at a split second when the defender has a hard time reacting.
His heart is so strong that he doesn’t waver even when a player bigger than him tries to block a shot right in front of him. Depending on the situation, it also acts as a catch and shooter, but it goes up so quickly and without hesitation that by the time the opponent notices and runs, it is already too late. A mid-range jumper that is faked as if to shoot a 3-point shot and then taken a few steps in is also powerful. There is nothing special in terms of diversity. However, the evaluation is that he delivers simple yet fierce attacks based on his sturdy body, athletic ability, and good balance.
There is no flashy no-look pass that will leave those watching in awe, but the visibility is not bad either. He skillfully scores with an accurate delivery pass in a fast break situation, confuses the defense with a shot or a breakthrough motion, and then passes a pass at just the right time to a teammate running towards the rim.
If the leader of the front line is Heo Hoon, the last guard of the back line is definitely Ha Yoon-gi. He has recently risen. It is true that there is a lot of concern that as a large number of talented tall prospects are flocking to the forward side, the resources of the big man side are decreasing in quantity and quality. There were many concerns about who would be the next starting center to succeed Kim Jong-gyu. Now those worries are gone. The only problem is the thickness of the big man jeans, and the starting position has already been confirmed beyond the outline.
Recently, Ha Yoon-ki has been showing skills that are on par with Kim Jong-gyu. Considering that while veteran Kim Jong-gyu’s performance is coming down from its peak, youngster Ha Yoon-ki’s performance is on the rise, it seems only a matter of time before the gap is overturned. Although his size is a bit disappointing, his explosive athletic ability is comparable to that of Kim Jong-gyu in his prime. And he even has power. As proof of this, he reliably defended the goal with 14 points and 6 rebounds in the second game.
As mentioned earlier, the current national team is not at full strength due to the departure of key players. But this is also true in Japan. Several key players that Japan is proud of did not participate in the competition. Anyway, we are in a similar position. Considering the current power level, it is highly likely that the game will be decided depending on the condition and momentum on the day. The match between Korea and Japan, which is destined to clash with a direct route to the quarterfinals, will be broadcast live on SPOTV NOW from 12 p.m.