One of the problems Samsung needs to solve is “ball handlers”.
There are 10 people on a basketball court. 온라인카지노 Only one of them has the ball. This person has to create off-ball options, and the five people on defense have to stop both the ball-handler and the ball-less player.
The four players without the ball have a lot of responsibility, but the one player with the ball has to make the right decisions. That’s why point guards and shooting guards who have the ball a lot are so important. In other words, the quality of the ball handler is more important.
Teams with solid point guards or solid ball handlers have done well in the KBL. Kim Sun-hyung (Seoul SK), Byun Jun-hyung (now with the Armed Forces Athletic Corps), and Lee Jung-hyun (Goyang Sono) are the most representative. All of these players combine offense and judgment. Their strengths synergized with their teammates, and their teams were able to perform well.
It was for the same reason that Samsung signed Lee Jung-hyun (189 cm, G) in May 2022. Lee combines durability, decisiveness, and the ability to play 2-on-2 with flair. He was evaluated as a resource who could be responsible for Samsung’s offensive flow.
The existing point guard, Kim Si-rae (178 cm, G), was also a resource that could be utilized. He has the ability to create fast breaks, set up 2-on-2 offense, and pass well. When paired with Lee Jung-hyun, they were able to multiply their destructive power.
However, Kim Si-rae and Lee Jung-hyun were not as harmonious as expected. First, Kim hasn’t averaged more than 30 minutes since the 2018-2019 season (2018-2019: 27:36, 2019-2020: 28:33, 2020-2021 LG: 29:24, 2020-2021: 29:15, 2021-2022: 27:50), especially in the 2022-2023 season, when he only played 22:36 minutes per game. Career low.
This means that Kim doesn’t have the same energy level or speed she once had. In addition, Kim has been injured at least once in every season except 2021-2022 (when she played all of the regular season). The number of games he played in the 2022-2023 season was also 46.
As a result, Lee Jung-hyun had to shoulder a lot of the load, and he didn’t play as many minutes as before. His average playing time in 2022-2023 was 25 minutes and 52 seconds. This was the lowest amount of playing time since the 2011-2012 season, when he played 24 minutes and 31 seconds per game as a sixth man. Like Kim Si-rae, he has less time to produce the same performance.
Kim Si-rae, born in 1989, and Lee Jung-hyun, born in 1987, will be one year older during the 2023-2024 season. Even if they stay in shape, their energy levels and activity levels may not be the same. The destructive power of these two players could diminish.
That’s why Samsung head coach Eun Hee-seok found alternatives to Kim Si-rae and Lee Jung-hyun for the 2022-2023 season, but Lee Ho-hyun (182 cm, G) left for Jeonju KCC, and Lee Dong-yup (193 cm, G) is more suited to be a secondary ball handler. He performs better when he has a limited role, such as defense and three-point shooting.
That’s why Samsung brought in Aban Nava (183 cm, G) on the Asian quota system. Nava is a resource with solid ball-handling and good shooting ability. He can take some of the pressure off Kim Si-rae and Lee Jung-hyun. He also showed his strengths in a scrimmage with the Ulsan Hyundai Mobis.
However, Nava’s presence won’t make Samsung’s offense surge. Nava and the existing players will have to work together more. They’ll also have to adapt to the KBL’s unique defensive system. If Samsung expects too much from Nava, he could be a liability. Why Nava can’t be a complete replacement.
For that reason, Samsung has no choice but to play a certain ball handler for a limited amount of time. This is especially true in close games, especially when it comes down to five points or less. If the teams they play can figure out their limited ball-handler combinations, they’re bound to struggle throughout the season.
That’s not to say that Samsung’s frontcourt lineup isn’t formidable. Lee Won-seok (206 cm, C) and Cha Min-seok (200 cm, F) need to grow, and Samsung’s two foreign players (Kofi Cockburn and Ismael Lane) need to be proven. The same goes for Choi Seung-wook (193 cm, F) and Shin Dong-hyuk (193 cm, F).
This could lead to a vicious cycle of ball-handlers, forward lines, and big men. If that happens, Samsung could miss out on another leap forward. Therefore, the ball-handler issue needs to be addressed in depth. It’s a problem that coach Eun Hee-seok has to solve.