The championship match (4 wins from 7 matches) to determine the final protagonist of professional basketball this season is finally opening. The protagonists to face off on the final stage are Anyang KGC Ginseng Corporation and Seoul SK, which have recently emerged as emerging rivals. The two teams battled for the championship last season as well. At that time, SK, the winning team in the regular league, took the lead and finished the series with 4 wins and 1 loss, achieving a combined victory.
It was difficult for any team to overcome the power of SK, led by the local Big 3 of Kim Seon-hyeong, Ahn Young-jun, and Choi Jun-yong, and the scoring machine Jamil Warney. Of course, at KGC, coach Kim Seung-gi, the best manager in the league who created the current Ginseng Corps, was holding on. Coach Kim put the team up to the championship match even in a situation where he could hardly use Omari Spellman (25‧206cm), an injured 1-option foreign player, ‘Flying Spamman’.
In the championship match, Spellman came back with difficulty, but his condition was not normal, and he was unfortunately defeated. Fighting without a spellman, the main players’ stamina was at the bottom. But this season is different. In SK, Ahn Young-jun left the team for a while to resolve his military enlistment, and as Choi Jun-yong spent more time away from his seat due to injury, only Kim Seon-hyeong remained among the big three.
On the other hand, KGC’s main shooter Jeon Seong-hyun left as a free agent, but they filled the void to some extent by recruiting Bae Byung-jun. In addition, since Spellman maintained a relatively healthy physical condition, he was able to win the regular season championship after maintaining first place with stable power throughout the season.
And that wasn’t all. Lens Abando (25‧188cm), a Filipino player who came through the Asian Quarter, showed skills comparable to that of a fairly short foreign player, and the overall team power was evaluated to be stronger than last season. Director Kim Seung-gi’s vacancy may act as a variable, but the current KGC is a team that runs well even if left alone.
The level of perfection is already high, and in addition, the leadership of seniors such as Yang Hee-jong and Oh Se-geun is evaluated as more than a coach level. Moon Seong-gon, who is inheriting the franchise star lineage, is also at its peak. There are overwhelming opinions that KGC is ahead in terms of objective power, but considering SK’s upward trend from the end of the regular season, it seems that it will not be a one-sided match.
In a big match, the role of the main gun in the team is important. No matter how good the other players are, the player who is the center must lead the game at the forefront to show proper power. In this regard, the 1-option foreign player match between KGC Spellman and SK’Jamsil Warney’ Jamil Warney (29‧199cm) is expected to act as the most important factor in determining the direction of victory.
It is clear that the performance of both teams will change depending on whose fingertips are hot, as they are showing off their firepower to compete for first and second place in the league based on their increased scoring power. In the semi-finals, Warney’s floater exploded regardless of distance and situation, neutralizing the LG defense. Spellman also calmed Carrot’s gust by scoring in various ways, both inside and outside.
In the meantime, interest in KGC Darryl Monroe (37‧197cm) and SK Leon Williams (36‧197cm), the two-option foreign players of both teams, is also increasing. It is analyzed that there are many aspects that are relatively hidden because both teams have one-option players who are so firm, but they maintain an exemplary and sincere appearance on and off the court and make a large invisible contribution.
Monroe and Williams have lost a lot of physical ability due to their considerable age, and as a result, their skills are not the same as before. Nevertheless, the two teams aiming for the championship have signed renewal contracts with both players and are together this season. If you take a wider range of choices, there will be plenty of second-option foreign players who are younger and better than them in terms of performance.
First of all, the travel time is short compared to other teams’ 2 option foreign players, so it stands out in terms of records. Williams averaged 8 minutes and 57 seconds in 45 regular season games, averaging 4.9 points (81st overall), 2.9 rebounds (61st) and 0.4 assists (135th) per game. Monroe also averaged 4.4 points (92nd overall), 3.4 rebounds (49th), and 1.3 assists (63rd) per game for an average of 10 minutes and 33 seconds in 48 games.
Looking at the numerical part alone, it is doubtful whether the record of a foreign player is correct. This is because his performance is lower than that of some local players. However, the two veterans had their own distinct advantages that differentiated them from the existing 2 options, and as a result, it was still possible to demonstrate their presence in the championship team. This is because there is simply no such thing as a contract renewal in the cold-hearted professional world.
Williams is one of the longest-serving foreign players representing KBL. Since he was nominated by Goyang Orions with the 18th pick in the 2012 foreign draft, he has been through various teams such as KGC, kt, DB, KCC, Hyundai Mobis, and LG. One of the qualifiers that represents him is ‘passable’. He’s not particularly conspicuously good, but he doesn’t fall too far either. He is active in the fight for rebounds, screens, and physical fights. As a player who faithfully participates in team play, he is good at parrying near the post and mid-range.
Monroe is similar to Williams, but different. If Williams is the type who raises his energy level as much as possible when he goes on the court despite his considerable age, Monroe stands out for his passing sense based on his wide field of vision. He is so clever and skillful that he is called the ‘point big man’.
From a team standpoint, the biggest advantage of the two is that they are not greedy for travel time. Except for special circumstances, each team inevitably has a lot of travel time for one option. Even more so with young aces like Spellman and Warney. In such a process, if a player who is proud of himself and greedy during business trips comes with the second option, the likelihood of friction increases.
Ricardo Powell, who messed up the team atmosphere during his KCC days, is a representative example. Even if that wasn’t the intention from the beginning, as the number of cases of sitting on benches and applauding increases, discord may arise that was not there. Monroe and Williams are the players who make the coach’s headache easier. Even if it is only to the extent of going in and out of the court for a short time, he does not have any complaints about the business trip time, and on the contrary, if the first option is injured, he burns his fighting spirit and does his best to fill the vacancy.
Spellman and Warney are hot-blooded players. It’s to the extent that it doesn’t need verification anymore, but there are times when it’s too much and hurts the atmosphere. At that time, two foreign veterans from both teams are needed. As a senior, he plays the role of calming down the junior ace’s excited emotions or giving advice, and also changing the atmosphere by doing his best while out on the court. If the 1st option outsider of both teams is fire, the 2nd option outsider is equally water.
Even though there is a difference in power, the flow of victory and defeat fluctuates depending on which team can lead the atmosphere of each game or the entire series on a large stage such as the championship match.메이저놀이터 In that respect, unexpectedly, Monroe and Williams may become another key player. This is why more interest is being poured into the clash between the two teams, which will be rampant with constants and variables.