Nagasaki Velca opened their B.League campaign with four consecutive losses, capped by a 25-point defeat to the Kyoto Hannaryz on October 4, after struggling to a two-point output in the opening quarter. Following a roster turnover that included the departure of head coach Moav Maolhead and key player Stanley Johnson, the reigning B.League champions entered the season under new head coach Dean Vickerman without key imports and coping with early injuries.
Kyoto Hannaryz Hand Nagasaki Velca Fourth Straight Defeat
The Velca’s early-season struggles deepened during the two-game weekend series against Kyoto on October 3 and October 4. In the opening match on October 3, Nagasaki dropped a hard-fought contest in overtime, forcing four of their five starters to log upwards of 35 minutes on the floor. That heavy reliance caught up to the squad immediately the following afternoon. Lacking their usual competitive intensity right from the opening tip, Nagasaki fell behind 21-2 in the first quarter on October 4 and never recovered, ultimately dropping the game by 25 points to fall to 0-4 on the young season.
Roster Shortages Force Yudai Baba into Expanded Two-Way Role
Nagasaki entered the year facing severe depth constraints after South Korean standout Lee Hyun-jung departed for an NBA opportunity, leaving the club without an Asian quota or naturalized player on the roster. Those lineup complications worsened when big man Akil Mitchell suffered an injury early in the season opener, leaving Jarell Brantley and Levi Randolph as the team’s only available foreign or special-quota players. The resulting shortage of bench depth has placed an extraordinary burden on Yudai Baba, who noted that playing positions one through four and handling heavy responsibilities on both ends of the floor is entirely new to his long basketball career.
New Coaching Staff and Communication Challenges Under Dean Vickerman
Head coach Dean Vickerman took over the sideline after winning three NBL titles, inheriting a side disrupted by offseason departures and thin rotations. Reflecting on the team’s slow start, Vickerman acknowledged that he is currently learning how to communicate effectively with every player on the roster and admitted that those ongoing adjustments are clearly visible in the team’s on-court execution. While the club awaits the integration of Pablo Aguilar—brought in to ease the frontcourt shortage left by Mitchell’s injury—Baba emphasized that the squad is maintaining a positive outlook while working to get every player onto the same tactical page under the new staff.
Baba Sees Early Season Adversity As a Growth Opportunity
During the previous championship run, Baba operated primarily as a defensive stopper, benefiting from teammates who shouldered the scoring load and allowed him to expend 100 percent of his energy on lockdown defense. With the current roster limitations demanding a larger offensive contribution, Baba has embraced the challenge of expanding his role. Stating that performing well in these demanding circumstances will foster personal and professional growth, Baba maintains that the team is avoiding excuses and focusing entirely on gradual improvement as they face their toughest stretch of the season.
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