grapplegraphics.com There will be a “military reserve variable” on the professional basketball court.
Heo Hoon, Song Kyo-chang, Kim Nak-hyun, and Ahn Young-joon, who will return to their respective teams and play right away, will complete their military service on the 15th and 16th.
Suwon KT, which has recently won five straight games to move into a tie for second place with Anyang Jungkwanjang (6-3), is expected to get a big boost from the return of its “ace,” Heo Hoon.
“He’s a talented player and has good stats, so he’ll help us a lot,” said KT head coach Song Young-jin ahead of Heo’s arrival, who averaged 14.9 points and 5.2 assists in the 2021-2022 regular season before joining the military.레모나토토
KT is also poised to accelerate its pursuit of the top spot in the standings (8-1) with free agent signing Moon Sung-gon, who is set to return from a hamstring injury in the back of his thigh ahead of the 2023-2024 season.
Song Kyo-chang attempts a shot during an exhibition match against Japan in July.
Busan KCC and Seoul SK, who were dubbed “super teams” before the start of the tournament and were expected to form a “two-strong system,” will await the return of Song Kyo-chang and Ahn Young-joon.
KCC has lost three straight games, although Choi Jun-yong made his first regular-season appearance in a KCC uniform when he returned against Goyang Sono on Dec. 12.
With a 2-4 record, KCC is not living up to its ‘super team’ reputation, and will be ‘complete’ when 2020-2021 regular season Most Valuable Player (MVP) Song Kyo-chang retires.
Song will join existing players Lee Seung-hyun, Heo Woong, and Ragan, as well as new recruits Choi Jun-yong and Alize DeShawn Johnson.
However, a KCC official said, “It will be difficult for Song Kyo-chang to play right away due to pain in his knee,” adding, “We expect him to play around the end of November.”
With four wins and four losses, SK is in the middle of the pack, and Ahn’s return is a welcome one.
Unlike the other players, Ahn will complete his military service as a full-time reserve and will be discharged on the 16th, one day late.
SK has a lot of veterans in Kim Sun-hyung, Oh Se-geun, and Heo Il-young, but it’s true that the team looked a bit tired on the road in Japan and Taiwan at the beginning of the season due to their East Asian Super League schedule.
The addition of Ahn Young-joon, who can play both inside and outside, could freshen up the team and give them a chance to rebound.
Kim Nak-hyun (left) tries to attack in 2021 before enlisting in the military.
Last-place Daegu Korea Gas returns guard Kim Nak-hyun.
With a 1-7 record, the team has struggled in recent seasons, but the addition of Kim will give them some depth to compete with the likes of Lee Dae-heon, Andrew Nicholson, and Sam Josef Belangel.
Add to that the fact that SONO has added another KBL-proven foreign player, Chinanu Onuaku, to its roster and is looking to make a mid-to-high-end push, and the competition for a spot in the 2023-2024 regular season will be even more intense heading into the second round of the six-round playoffs.