SEOUL (Korea) - As the tipoff for the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers approaches, Korea could be missing out on a big part of their frontcourt with Ra Guna possibly out with an injury.

Ra has been a force for Korea ever since making his debut during the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers i. The 1.99M (6'6") big man led all players during the Qualifiers in two categories with 26.7 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. He continued his dominance at the World Cup in China, where he topped all players once again with 23.0 points and 12.8 rebounds per contest.

However, Ra might not be available for the first window of the Asia Cup Qualifiers after suffering a left knee contusion, as noted in his personal Instagram post.

Ra also mentioned that he would "be out [for] 2-3 months" in the post. Basketball fans - no matter where they are from - are certainly hoping for a speedy and healthy recovery for the Korean superstar.

In the meanwhile, the other big men in the Korea frontcourt will have to step up to potentially replace Ra's production. Asia Cup Veteran Kim Jong-Kyu is a prime target to step up, as is rising youngster Yang Hong-Seok who has been excelling in the local Korea Basketball League (KBL).

Kim is a three-time Asia Cup bronze medalist, missing out on a podium finish only once in 2015. The 28-year-old has scored 219 points across 34 games played in the Asia Cup competition.

Meanwhile, 22-year-old Yang has been groomed as the future to protect the paint for Korea in recent years, already having played in Asia Cup 2017 and some games during the World Cup Qualifiers.

FIBA