Asian TC: Debrief
Thanks to the victory over Iran in the last match of the second round, Japan finished the Asian championship in the TOP 8! A result which, in my opinion, corresponds well to the capabilities of the team.
In the balance sheet, Japan has 4 wins for 7 losses. With a little more luck, this one could have been positive but in the end, the final result would undoubtedly have been the same.
Japan showed good things in attack with 106.8 pts scored per game but struggled in defense with 104.5 pts conceded. The team played good matches and competed well with Hong Kong in the inaugural match as well as against the Philippines and China for 3 quarters. On the contrary, the match against the U.A.E which will remain the disappointment of this season.
On an individual level, Matsuyama has been the key player again this season with 33.6 pts scored per game. Should we speak of a Matsuyama's dependance? I don't think so! Others players like Oyonagi, Masuko and Misato on season second part, showed they weren't just his loyal lieutenants. Still others performed well over a game or two like Nagata, Jiawen or other one.
And now? ...
Of course, next season Japan will not play World Championship but I think that we must now look to the future and to the team of the next generation, to come back stronger. Not necessarily at the next Championship but maybe in 4, 6 or 8 seasons or even more, Matsuyama and company will not be forever competitive.
For that, I invite you to train your Japanese players with an interesting potential.
I have already established a list of players with NT potential, it will be more precise after the start of the season scouting.
You can contact me by BB-mail, I am available to anyone who wants to optimize the training of their players with training plans or to answer any questions about the game.
Thank you for following this season and Happy New Year everyone, see you soon