Japan’s Tenacity and Three-Point Shooting Strategy Propel them to Victory against Finland

The game seemed to be decided by the offense and defense of the aces of both teams.

Japan vs. Finland in the second round of the men’s basketball World Cup. The third quarter (Q) is about 5 minutes and 9 seconds left. Yuta Watanabe, Japan’s spiritual pillar and the only NBA player in the tournament, went for a dunk shot.

However, the whole blow was blocked by Finland’s only NBA player, Lauri Markkanen, who was also selected as an NBA All-Star, which is a proof of the world’s top players.

Finnish attack immediately after. This time Markkanen received a pass in the air and slammed it into the ring with both hands. The alley-oop, the flower of basketball, is complete. That’s 14 points difference.

The shock was great, and the point difference widened further. With 2 minutes and 46 seconds remaining in the 3rd quarter, Japan was behind by 18 points, the maximum score of this game. In the FIBA ​​rankings, Japan is ranked 24th, 12 ranks higher than Japan, and this point gap with Finland, which has achieved rapid growth in recent years, seemed hopeless.

but–.

There was a player who believed that Japan would win.

Japan’s concept of “continuing to hit 3P shots”

“Anyway, I want to win. I think it was just that tenacity. Finland was far ahead of us in the rankings, and we knew that we weren’t an opponent that we could (always) win no matter how many times we tried. That’s why, for 40 minutes, we continued to fight with each play, believing that our flow would come…”

That’s what Yuki Kawamura, a 22-year-old point guard (PG), looked back on the seemingly hopeless flow.

Also on the team was a rare shooter named Keio Tominaga, who was 22 years old, the same age as Kawamura, and had been competing since high school.

“Hit with confidence. Your shooting power will be needed.” (Yudai Baba)

“Keep shooting!” (Head Coach Tom Horvath)

Tominaga, who was struggling with a thorough mark in the opening match against Germany, was called out to him by those around him. That’s because everyone recognizes Tominaga’s ability, and the team’s concept was to “proactively hit 3-point shots.”

What Head Coach (HC) Horvath wanted from the national team is an offense that uses a lot of 3-point shots from hard defense and high-paced offense. He bases his strategy on modern basketball scoring efficiency statistics. In fact, a similar strategy led Japan’s women’s team to a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics. In recognition of his achievements, he was invited to coach the Japanese men’s national team after the Tokyo Olympics, and his basic strategy never wavered.

In other words, the Japanese players have to keep shooting no matter how painful they are.

[next page]Why did Finland change their “defensive tactics”?

2023-08-28 09:42:10
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