NONTHABURI (FIBA Asia Champions Cup 2018) – After winning the Japanese B.League championship game earlier this year, Alvark Tokyo Head Coach Luka Pavicevic spoke about the goals of his team in the games and seasons coming up ahead.

“This team will fight for every one of them that exists.” Pavicevic said, as told by The Japan Times.

Among the next challenges for Alvark Tokyo will be in Nonthaburi, Thailand where they will face the top clubs in Asia at the FIBA Asia Champions Cup 2018. Alvark are placed in Group B along with the defending champions Al-Riyadi, hosts Mono Vampire Basketball Club, and the Meralco Bolts.

Alvark’s performance was inspiring in where it was a season that all the pieces fell into place, leading up to clinching a title and claiming a spot among Asia’s best clubs at this tournament. Coach Pavicevic was already inheriting a talented team when he started his reign as the squad’s Head Coach for the first time this season and he turned it into an even more well-balanced and cohesive unit. The team united behind their seasonal slogan – “We” – by trusting each other, forgiving each other, and giving it their all which eventually got them to the end goal that they envisioned.

Daiki Tanaka had already been stellar for Alvark Tokyo in the past years, but Pavicevic made it a mission to turn the 26-year-old National Team rising star into the team’s primary offensive option. He was rock solid on both ends of the floor and continued to step up time and again for the team in critical situations.

“Daiki is our main hitter,” Pavicevic told reporters earlier in the season.  “And it depends on what the defense do. If the defense helps him, he makes assists. If the defense doesn’t help much on him, he’s trying to score. He’s doing what the main hitter in a team does: creating offensive opportunities for his team. He has to be aggressive, but at the end of the day, he’s going to score or build for others. It depends on how the defense is reacting on our offense.”

Tanaka’s scoring dipped a bit down to 12.5 PPG this season, but nearly doubled his assists to a career-high 5.1 per game.

“Daiki has stepped up mentally and physically. He didn’t want to let his team down,” Pavicevic said of Tanaka’s performance after the championship game to The Japan Times. “He’s obviously our offensive option No. 1.”

While Tanaka was the team’s definite star, Coach Pavicevic also turned to another up-and-coming prospect in the Japan National Team pool for production: Yudai Baba. The 22-year-old spent most of his rookie season in the B.League being an energizer off the bench, sparking both teammates and fans in the crowd. Just in his first year, the forward put up 8.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game.

“[Coach Pavicevic] allowed Baba to be Baba,” Alvark teammate Jawad Williams said of how Baba was utilized this past season. “He allowed him to use his natural ability and athleticism, while molding Baba’s mind at the same time. I felt that as the year went on Baba got better and better.”

At the FIBA Asia Champions Cup, Alvark Tokyo will still need the same excellent contributions from Tanaka and Baba should they want to continue building up on their impressive season. Alvark Tokyo had a first-year Head Coach lead them to their first ever B.League championship and will now be the first Japanese club since 1999 to play in the FIBA Asia Champions Cup. It definitely won’t come easy, but they could be the first ever club from Japan to win a FIBA Asia Champions Cup if they pull it off.

The team will just have to bank on the mindset that got them here in the first place by winning the B.League title.

 “They are so competitive and proud athletes,” Paviecevic said of his team to The Japan Times. “It would be a waste if we don’t (make a) run for [B.League] championship even if it’s the first year. I told my players they are good now, but let’s go for it now, and let’s work on getting better later. We still need to get better.”

They became better and good enough to be the best basketball club in Japan. Now, can they take it up another notch and prove themselves by breaking out as the best basketball club in Asia?

FIBA