South Korea National Team 2013-2014

[CKR13]

Lee Jong-Hyun will be sidelined for six weeks due to a nasal fracture suffered in a game yesterday. Three weeks if Lee could play with a mask.

[reamily]

I am a "you have a one good low post player in your team" fan. As when it boils down in the end, I really need a reliable post up guy in my team.

[CKR13]

I am a "you have a one good low post player in your team" fan. As when it boils down in the end, I really need a reliable post up guy in my team.

In the current 16 man pool, Kim Joo Sung and Lee Seung-Jun are established post players. Lee Jong-Hyun, Kim Jong-Kyu, Lee Seung-Hyun are still developing. Kim Joo-Sung still has the most polished post game among the bigman. Second and missing is Oh Sek-Eun.

But Korea is moving away from isolating a post player to operate when it comes to FIBA Asia competitions. It is a common practice in the KBL, but not a good one when it comes to international plays. The days when Korea used to dump it on low with Ha Seung-Jin stagnated their offense and the shooters became out of sync.

In the 2012 Olympic qualifier and 2013 East Asian Qualifiers, Korea's post points from bigmen came from high picks concluding to a hit with a forward dive. Either a pass is channeled in the succeeding cut or the post is lit after a baseline drive from a guard or winger. Bottom line: dives out of the baseline flex.

[CKR13]

Training started today with conditioning exercises as well as lifting weights. Yoo Jae-Hak stated that the national team's size is not compromised despite missing Ha Seung-Jin. Yoo also added that depth of the front-court will be tested against the Middle East teams but he plans not to sacrifice speed and versatility against other fast teams.

Lee Seung-Jun and Moon Tae-Young both stated that they are having a friendly competition against one another. Based on the videos, both were hyped for lifting weights.

[reamily]

But Korea is moving away from isolating a post player to operate when it comes to FIBA Asia competitions. It is a common practice in the KBL, but not a good one when it comes to international plays. The days when Korea used to dump it on low with Ha Seung-Jin stagnated their offense and the shooters became out of sync.

But Ha has zero or below average post up skills compare to the Seo Jang Hoon's and Eric Sandrin's. They aren't your ordinary post players as they can play back to the basket as quick as a big guy who has face up skills. Thats why our Filipino big men cannot match up with Seo. And guys like Kim Min Soo did not blend well with the Korean scheme of offense because the ball takes a lot of time in him.

In the 2012 Olympic qualifier and 2013 East Asian Qualifiers, Korea's post points from bigmen came from high picks concluding to a hit with a forward dive. Either a pass is channeled in the succeeding cut or the post is lit after a baseline drive from a guard or winger. Bottom line: dives out of the baseline flex.

They forced to do that given the size disadvantage they had against Russians and how green the Chinese Big men to react to the rolls made by no. 14 and no. 15.

[CKR13]

But Ha has zero or below average post up skills compare to the Seo Jang Hoon's and Eric Sandrin's. They aren't your ordinary post players as they can play back to the basket as quick as a big guy who has face up skills. Thats why our Filipino big men cannot match up with Seo. And guys like Kim Min Soo did not blend well with the Korean scheme of offense because the ball takes a lot of time in him.

Not true on Ha Seung-Jin having zero post moves, more like average post moves and that is good enough in the KBL but not international competitions. I remember a young Ha Seung-Jin who was touted as the next big thing after Seo Jang-Hoon (the latter was a good post player) as an 18 year old Ha was the third best post player in the country.

Prior to the 2004 NBA draft, NBA scouts compared him to a young Jamal Maglorie in terms of potential and the late Marty Blake called it right: Ha Seung-Jin's post game resembled that of raw American prospects in the orientation of a power type post player, unlike Yao Ming who was pure finesse. Ha's similar American post game got him drafted. I remember those workouts with the Portland scouts that had Ha SJ showcase some post game repertoire involving:

1. Back down - Pivot - Finish
2. Back down - Drop step - Hook
3. Back down - Pivot - Glass

Ha used to dunk effortlessly until he got heavier and slower. With that came trouble on his knees and hamstring. In 2009, Ha lost his mobility and somewhat athletic grasp.

As for Lee Seung-Jun, he was never really a post player. His days globetrotting various leagues had him play PF and SF. When he came to Samsung, he never really played the post game and was more of a screen and roll bigman, relying on athleticism to finish as he moved. He also made a living on the mid-range game. It is Lee Dong-Jun who was a good post player and not Lee Seung-Jun.

As for Kim Min-Soo, he was not much of a post player, but played a pressure release bigman in the mold of a tweening cross between a PF and a SF. Yoo Jae-Hak apparently liked him in the 2009 FIBA Asia due to his presence on stretching the floor.

They forced to do that given the size disadvantage they had against Russians and how green the Chinese Big men to react to the rolls made by no. 14 and no. 15.

Not true. Lee Sang-Beom used D'Antoni's 7 seconds or less offense heading into the Olympic wildcards. During the build-up, Lee's national team run and gunned against KBL teams, College teams, Venezuela, Russia and the Dominican Republic. Lee Sang-Beom hoped that speed will make the team atleast competitive so he tapped bigmen like Lee Seung-Jun, Kim Jong-Kyu, Kim Dong-Uk and Lee Jong-Hyun who were mobile and prefer the rolling game. Lee Seung-Jun thrived in that role and couldn't be more happier.

As for the 2013 East Asian championship squad, Choi Bo-Young stressed discipline in the form of the high flex point that involves a double post game in the baseline. Screen - Duck - Roll was the main role of Lee Jong-Hyun and Kim Jong-Kyu. Even against smaller teams like Chinese Taipei and Macau, the team ran the flex all the way to the championship round against China.

So no truth on your claim that Korea was "forced" to utilize the screen and roll over the ad-hoc post isolation. There is a difference between forced and preaching continuity in a motion offense.

[reamily]

Thanks for the good read... but I believe that whenever Korea would match up against a middle eastern team or Philippines who uses grit and strength in defending the paint will have a difficult time in executing their motion offense compare when they up against east asian teams..

[CKR13]

Thanks for the good read... but I believe that whenever Korea would match up against a middle eastern team or Philippines who uses grit and strength in defending the paint will have a difficult time in executing their motion offense compare when they up against east asian teams..

I don't see the connection of being physical in the paint equates to Korea struggling with a baseline flex. Action unfolds at the high top mind you in a screen and roll situation where the defending bigman happens to come up high and is forced to pedal back as he trails a diving forward in the offense.

Physicality in the paint negates post up scenarios for bigmen. Physicaliy in the paint does not spare you from wide open shooters off curls and flash cuts. Which is why Korea is moving away from just dumping the ball down low to a bigman as they do struggle against heftier post defenders.

Physicality in the paint does not equate to hampering a motion offense that is very much dependent in cuts, screen and duck. Now physicality in the cover and quick switches / traps does help negate a motion offense.

[CKR13]

A lot of emphasis in core training, flexible response and cardio (training like jogging in the morning for 2K, sprint and suicide drills) is what Yoo Jae-Hak is implementing for conditioning. He wants everyone to be much more fit and more stamina for August.

[CKR13]

Yoo Jae Hak's reaction: We are underdogs in the first round.

[CKR13]

Atleast for South Korea, they can rely on Yang Dong-Geun to play a motivated game against China. He always seem to lead the motor for the team.

Plus Lee Jong-Hyun (If he makes it) could meet Wang Zhelin again.

[CKR13]

Head coach Yoo Jae-Hak added new press statements in regards with the draw and Korea's grouping. Yoo singled out that Iran and China are the two teams to beat in the tournament and stated that it will be advantageous for the team to get to know the two teams beforehand and Yoo added that if Korea aims to finish atleast as high as first, Iran and China will stand in the way.

Yoo stated that the team will get a first look of the other competition in the Jones Cup next month.

[CKR13]

The team is wary of Kim Joo-Sung's health and in this case, the latter's knees. Kim is taking it light with leg strengthening and other body-conditioning exercises. Kim also shot some hoops and seems not to be bothered by landing.

[CKR13]

With the way Moon Tae-Young and Lee Seung-Jun are working in the daily training, it will be difficult to choose between the two of them. Yet they seem to be very close, even helping one another in spot up weight-lifting.

[zonglin]

With the way Moon Tae-Young and Lee Seung-Jun are working in the daily training, it will be difficult to choose between the two of them. Yet they seem to be very close, even helping one another in spot up weight-lifting.

Both of them will attend jones cup?