Can Shinshu stop Chiba J’s transformation crime?
Two quarter-final matches of the Emperor’s Cup (final round) will be held today. The two teams that won the quarter-finals, last season’s League B champions Utsunomiya Brex, and the runners-up Ryukyu Golden Kings joined the four teams in the semi-finals (semi-finals) in February, and on March 12. the final is held.
Chiba Jets (22 wins, 4 losses / 1st East) vs Shinshu Brave Warriors (13 wins, 13 losses / 3rd place)
Currently, Chiba J has the highest winning percentage in the league. In the last 10 games, he has been strong with 9 wins and 1 loss, and has developed a high level of basketball in both offense and defense, and is currently winning 8 straight games. There was also a game where John Mooney was absent, but there was also a time when he made full use of a small lineup that did not use foreign players on the inside, and he felt the thickness of the players’ base. In particular, the team’s defense has worked, and the turnover score has outscored the opponent in every game during this winning streak, and good defense is associated with offense. Of course, the offense is also strong, and Christopher Smith recorded double-digit scoring in each of the last 10 games, and showed a big explosion of 40 points in the game against Gunma, contributing to a big win. The gears are all meshed and the team is running upgrades. On the other hand, Shinshu has won 6 consecutive wins, which is the record for consecutive victories of a B1 team, since the beginning of December, and has won 7 and lost 3 in the last 10 games. However, Anthony McHenry withdrew from the line-up against Shimane Susanoo Magic in Round 13. Hidemasa Ikuhara is also absent, and the team remains in an inadequate state. However, there is also a bright side, and Japanese ace Yudai Okada is doing well with an average of 18.3 points in the last 10 games. In addition, William Mosley, who joined at the end of November, has also been fitting into the team, and has been able to cover the holes of McHenry’s absence in offense and defence. They have won some games by high scores, but in 6 of the 7 games they have won in their last 10 games, they have kept opponents in the 60s. Shinshu would like to see the development of slow endurance. The point is how much the Shinshu defense can stop the offense of Chiba J. I want to finish the offense in good shape and seal the transition of Chiba J. Chiba J wants to develop an offense that does not reduce the target and score consistently inside and outside. We can expect a tight and good game.
The power of Gunma’s defense and the power of Yokohama BC’s offense will be tested in this game
Gunma Crane Thunders (14 wins, 10 losses/East 3rd) vs Yokohama B-Corsairs (15 wins, 11 losses/2nd place)
A card that was 1 win and 1 loss in the 15th division the weekend just before that. Yokohama BC’s good points were seen in the first round, but in the second round Gunma was a card that regretted using the reflection, so this match will be the next match. In the last 10 games of Gunma, they lost 4 wins and 6 losses due to the suspension of team activities due to the positive ruling of the new coronavirus infection. The number of goals conceded is particularly noticeable, and only two of the last 10 games have been kept under 80 goals. There are also games where turnovers, which were kept low in the early stages of the season, increase. Especially in the first game against Yokohama BC, 16 turnovers led to 30 goals, so I would like to be careful not to repeat it. The number of games with a good success rate of 3-point shots has increased, but the lifeline is still 2-point shots. I would like to mass produce high probability shots like scoring by aggressively attacking the paint and scoring on the fast break. On the other hand, Yokohama BC won the last 10 matches with 7 wins and 3 losses. In these 10 games, the winning games are all 80 points or more, and the losing games are 75 points or less, and the quality of the offense determines the win or loss. Specifically, in the three games they lost, the 3-point shot success rate was in the mid-10% range, so the key is how well they can create and hit. While we tend to focus on offense, Yokohama BC has the sixth best defensive rating in the league this season. Based on a stable defense, the strength of this season is that they can win even offensive games. Gunma is also aware of the transition, so Yokohama BC, who are undefeated even when running, will want to defend solidly and lead to good attacks. We expect a good game with a surprising speed of offensive and defensive development, but it will be a game that requires precision even in fast developments. In a game where the offensive power of Gunma will be tested, and the offensive power of Yokohama BC will be tested.
