“I just play my game regardless of position.”
Gunma Crane Thunders play the first half of the regular season19win11defeat, east region4I turned around at that point. Round 19, after the suspension period due to the Emperor’s Cup and All-Stars, will be played at home against Shiga Lakes. January 24th1War, 25th2Both in war92-76They won consecutive games and gained momentum in the second half.
Gunma is the first1In both the first and second games, he stumbled at the beginning of the match. The second match started with a struggle against Shiga’s fierce defense.3in a minute and a half4They committed two turnovers and were scoreless. In addition, mainstay Kelly Blackshear Jr. also started2point11in seconds2He committed two fouls and was forced to sit on the bench. They made a comeback thanks to the performances of Naoto Tsuji and Trey Jones.18-19De No.1The quarter ended, but it wasn’t a great start.
The match started after2quarter. Becomes a major source of points for the team3point shoot8Honzaka5In this quarter, we sink the book and build a lead.31They scored points and took control. Kenny Asano showed a particular struggle. in this big quarter6point21He stood on the second court and brought a good flow to the team.
about2At the Emperor’s Cup held a week ago, there were no naturalized players on the team, so Asano was expected to play inside. Until his university days, Asano was registered as a power forward, but after coming to Gunma, he often played a wing role, which is not an easy role. However, he did this brilliantly throughout the tournament and supported the team, but in the match against Alvark Tokyo, which they unfortunately lost in overtime,33point37Asano’s struggle in the second play was etched in my memory.
Even in this match against Shiga, while big man Blackshear Jr.’s playing time did not increase, Asano supported the team with inside defense and rebounding when used in conjunction with Trey Jones and Terrence Woodbury, who play mainly on the wing. However, Asano reveals that he was dedicated to fulfilling his role without being bound by his position.
“(Gunma’s offense) is like a 4-out or 5-out, so I don’t need to play post inside, and (using wing players) is a matter of lineup as a team, so I’m not conscious of my position.My main role in the offense is making connections and shooting from cutting, so I just do my own play regardless of position.”
It was an idea similar to positionless basketball, which Gunma head coach Kyle Milling has been advocating since before this season started. Asano has also been able to keep pace with the team and is feeling a positive response. “On defense, I often play guard, but if there is a switch call, I will match up with a big man (matchup), so in a good sense, I am able to play positionless basketball.”
“I want to stand on the court with a good mentality when I’m called.”
Asano’s stats in this match are:12point23In the second appearance2score3rebound1assist1block. If you look at the numbers alone, it may not be spectacular, but it shows the difference in goals and losses between individuals.+/-” is the most on the team.+16was recorded.
In this regular season, Asano10Games in which he played more than 1 minute, including this game.9There is a match and the results are8win1Defeat. The only loss was against the Toyama Grouses, where they didn’t have the inside players, and Gunma won in games where Asano was on the court for a long time. Asano also feels that his play is contributing to the team, saying, “Even though it’s the Emperor’s Cup, I think I’ve proven to some extent that I can do it if I have long playing time.”
No.2Looking at his performance in the quarter, I thought he would have more opportunities to play in the second half, but contrary to expectations, he3point31It didn’t last longer than seconds. When I asked Asano about this, he honestly said, “I wanted to play a little longer,” but he seems to be looking at it positively, saying, “I want to prepare well and when I’m called up, I want to stand on the court with a good mentality.”
Furthermore, during the league suspension period, good news came in for both the club and Asano. Tokai University’s Shori Jukae joined the team as a specially designated player. It is a well-known fact that Jukae, who joined Gunma as a trainee last season and eventually signed a special designated player contract, and Asano, who is closest in age, are close.
When I asked Asano about joining Jugae, he said with a smile that it would have a positive impact on him. “I often practice with him on the same team, so I think it’s a good opportunity to take the initiative myself.I’m usually the youngest and I’m always in a position where I’m being led by others, but I’d like to be able to take the lead in doing more things.”
Their winning streak is short-lived, and they will face off against the top teams in the region, including Levanga Hokkaido on Wednesday and Utsunomiya Brex on the weekend. Both are away games and it is not expected to be an easy battle, but the team’s morale is high.
“Hokkaido is very good, so if you hit here,1If we win the individual and Utsunomiya too, it will be enough.2You can improve yourself. It’s a really important game, and everyone is fired up, so unlike yesterday and today, we’re going to have a good start and fight as a team.”
When Asano was interviewed in December 2024, when he started his professional career in Gunma, he said, “I want to be a scorer.” The unfinished rookie is still developing and still has room to grow. Asano will continue to take on challenges in order to become an even greater force for the team.
