▲Lee Hyun-joong
[점프볼=홍성한 기자] 46.94% vs 46.89%.
Lee Hyeon-joong, who is playing for Nagasaki Belka in the Japanese B League this season, has finished the first half of the season. The team will begin the second half of the season after completing the All-Star Game schedule to be held at Nagasaki’s home stadium, Happiness Arena, from the 16th to the 18th. Selected as an Asia All-Star, he plans to participate in the 3-point shooting contest and event match.
In the first half of the year, Lee Hyun-joong’s presence was hotter than anyone else’s. In 30 games, he played an average of 27 minutes and 58 seconds, recording 17.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.0 steals. He attempted 3.3 3-point shots per game, boasting a high success rate of 46.9%.
▲Lee Hyun-joong’s shot chart
The first thing that catches your eye in the record is also the 3-point shot. The exact figure is 46.89%. Ranks 2nd overall in the league. The shot chart clearly shows Lee Hyun-joong’s strengths. Regardless of left and right corners, the success rate is over 40% in most angles and positions.
We also laughed about the team performance. Nagasaki finished the first half of the season with 27 wins and 3 losses, ranking first in overall win percentage in the B League.
▲Kosuke Kanamaru
So, who is the player with a higher 3-point shooting success rate than Lee Hyeon-joong? There is only one, Japanese player Kosuke Kanamaru (Saga).
Kosuke is a 192cm forward who plays for Saga Ballooners. In 29 games this season, he averages 23 minutes and 4 seconds, averaging 10.8 points and 1.6 rebounds. He makes 2.4 3-point shots per game, and his success rate is 46.94%, slightly ahead of Lee Hyun-joong.
Kosuke, a 37-year-old veteran born in 1989, has an impressive resume. He has received major awards including regular season MVP once, Best 5 five times, and 3-point shooting percentage award three times. He is also a member of the national team, representing Japan in the Olympics, Asian Games, and Asia Cup.
▲Kosuke Kanamaru shot chart
The Japanese media is also showing great interest in the competition between Lee Hyun-joong and Japanese veteran shooter Kosuke for 3-point shooting success rate.
On the 7th, Japanese media ‘Basketball King’ focused on the records of the two players through an article summarizing individual rankings in each category.
‘Basketball King’ reported, “Veteran Kosuke, who turns 37 this year, is aiming for the 3-point success rate award once again after the 2016-2017 season. He has boasted of his unwavering accuracy, hitting 5 out of 10 shots since the opening game.”
At the same time, he pointed out, “The player who is closely following him by a piece of paper is Lee Hyun-joong, who has been showing remarkable performance recently. He has made a career-high six 3-pointers in one game so far, making his presence known. Attention is naturally focused on this competition between the next-generation Korean basketball ace and the veteran Japanese basketball shooter.”
#Photo_provided by B League, captured from B League website
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