Who was HOT and who was NOT on Day 1
CHENZHOU (FIBA Asia Champions Cup 2017) - Day 1 in Chenzhou was full of great hardcourt action, and it's great to look back at who shone and who underplayed for their respective clubs.
HOT
Chang Chia-Jung (Dacin Tigers Taipei)
He may not be among the most heralded names on Dacin's roster, but Chang Chia-Jung stepped up to lead the team to victory in their first assignment against ONGC India. The 1.92m wingman hit 2 triples on his way to a team-high 22 points while also shooting 63% from the field. He will be a marked man from here on out for the Taipei quintet.
Jason Brickman (Mono Vampire Thailand)
The day's most exciting game was courtesy of Thailand and Palestine, where Mono Vampire relied on the endgame brilliance of Jason Brickman, Teerawat Chanthachon and Mike Singletary to prevail. Brickman, however, was most impressive, notching a near-triple-double with 19 points, 11 assists and 8 rebounds. The 1.83m playmaking wizard lived up to his billing and should be one of the most entertaining players in the entire competition.
Kiefer Ravena (Chooks-To-Go Philippines)
The man called "The Phenom" was cooking in his debut at the senior level of FIBA Asia, scoring 22 points on 8-of-15 field goal shooting to go along with 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 triples. He kept Chooks-To-Go within striking distance of BC Astana in the first half but also led his squad's rally in the last two periods. He is one of the rising stars to watch as the days pass by.
NOT
Justin Carter (BC Astana)
Just lost to the sorriest team I ever played against
— Justin Carter (@_smooth_J) September 22, 2017
The 30-year-old American reinforcement of BC Astana was a disappointment on Day 1. Carter did finish with 10 points, but he shot an atrocious 3-of-21 from the field in doing so. The 1.94m guard was outplayed by Ravena in the backcourt, and his cold shooting was a factor in Astana's first defest of the tournament.
Jassim Al Blooshi (Shabab Al Ahli UAE)
The UAE club's lead guard struggled mightily in his first game of the competition, making just 1-of-6 shots from the field and recording 6 turnovers against hosts China Kashgar. Al Blooshi had a lot of trouble with the size and length of China's guards, and it will be interesting to see if he can bounce back today against Al Riyadi Lebanon.
Jeron Teng (Chooks-To-Go Philippines)
Teng was highly touted heading into this competition, but the 23-year-old could not find his footing in his first senior level FIBA Asia contest. The 1.88m wingman missed all his field goals, got into foul trouble and played under 10 minutes despite starting the game against BC Astana. Teng is a fiery competitor, though, and he will surely make a strong effort to bounce back in their next few games.
FIBA
