31 wins, 29 losses, 4th place in the East Region, Head Coach Mizuno: “I’m proud of the team.”
On May 5th, the Gunma Crane Thunders hosted the Sendai 89ERS at home and lost 79-98, ending their season.
In the first game the previous day, they held out until the third quarter and then exploded in the final quarter to win, but in this game they stalled in the middle of the third quarter and allowed Sendai to score a lot of points. The reasons for the defeat were clear both offensively and defensively, as Sendai, who defended hard, created many periods in which they were unable to score, and allowed 27 points on Sendai’s fast break, which had been limited to three points in the first game.
Head coach Kota Mizuno looked back on the game with regret. “We had 16 turnovers and the offense didn’t finish well, which led to the opponent’s fast break.It wasn’t just the defense that gave up 98 points, but also the fact that we couldn’t get the offense to play well. I think it led to
Gunma finished the season in 4th place in the East region with 31 wins and 29 losses. Although they improved their season by two wins from last season, it was not a satisfying result for a team that was aiming for the championship and beyond. Early in the season, there were times when the winning percentage was less than .500 due to injuries to Trey Jones and Ben Bentil. However, although they achieved an unprecedented nine consecutive wins starting in late January and leapfrogged into contention for a spot in the championship, Michael Parker and Caleb Tarzowski left with injuries at the end of March, and their winning streak once again slumped.
Although it was a tough season with two foreign players and two naturalized players leaving the team at a critical moment, they devised a variety of tactics, executed them, and showed a willingness to somehow find a way to win. Head coach Mizuno looked back on the season as follows.
“Despite the various circumstances, our players and staff continued to work hard and keep fighting, and in the second half we were able to compete for the championship.I am proud of our team for continuing to grow and pursue standards. I think so.”
“It was a good opportunity for both players and the team.”
Coe Flippin, who attracted attention as a new player this season along with Naoto Tsuji, also spoke about the team’s strength, similar to head coach Mizuno, saying, “I’m glad we were able to fight through as a team throughout the season.”
Flippin won the championship last season with the Ryukyu Golden Kings, and before that, he also won the league championship with the Chiba Jets. How does he, who has always been in the race for the top spots, view this result? Flippin answered, “I think basketball is interesting because sometimes things don’t go well. I would be happy if we could win every game, but we enjoyed the parts that didn’t.”
“When we are successful, sometimes we don’t show an attitude of learning from it. It is when we fail to achieve our goals that we learn a lot from our experiences.This result is a great success for both players and the team. I think it was a good opportunity to learn how to proceed.”
Regarding what he can evaluate about his play, he commented, “I was able to control the ball and get involved in various situations.” Not only has his finishing pattern increased from drives, but he has also become more aggressive on the ball in many situations, and his individual season average stats are career highs in points, rebounds, assists, and steals.
It was also a season in which he had so many steals that his dunks from interceptions became synonymous with him. Although it was not confirmed at the end of this match, he expressed his feelings as he was about to win his first steal title, saying, “This is the first time for me and the club to win an individual title.I’m happy.” won an award.
Flippin has always been popular for his outstanding physical ability and lovable character, but since coming to Gunma he has gained the reputation of being a “core player who helps the team win.” Needless to say, many boosters were excited about Flippin’s play this season.
Although the team didn’t get the result they hoped for, as Flippin said, there is a lot to be learned from this. We can’t help but look forward to his progress next season.
2024-05-07 03:10:48
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