Top 10 reasons to be excited about the Asian Qualifiers' second window
MANILA (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers) - The second window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers is just around the corner, and action promises to be off the hook.
What are the most interesting storylines to follow in the second window of the road to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019? FIBA.basketball gives you 10 reasons to follow all the amazing action this week.
1) New faces at the Qualifiers.
A new window brings new, fresh faces to fore, and there is no shortage of that at the Asian Qualifiers. For starters, there's Korea's Doo KyungMin, who at just 26 years old, is already the best shooter in the KBL. There's also the Philippines' Abu Tratter, a 6ft 5in (1.96m) power forward who can bang bodies with guys twice his size. And speaking of banging bodies, Lebanon's Gerard Hadidian isn't no slouch, too. At 6ft 7in (2.01m), the 22-year-old seems ready to fill in for the injured Ali Haidar. Japan's Hyu Watanabe is also ready to debut, bringing his 6ft 9in (2.07m) frame to the table in hopes of providing more rebounding and rim protection for the Akatsuki Five.
2) Are upsets in the offing?
Looking at the second window matchups reveals several fixtures that could end up with surprising results. Syria, armed with new naturalized player Justin Hawkins, may prove to be the biggest surprise of the second window, and their two opponents - Lebanon and Jordan - better watch their backs. Qatar may also return to their sharp form with some veterans back in the fold, and they could score upsets over fancied Kazakhstan and upstarts Iraq.
3) Chance for payback for some teams.
With some teams facing their first window tormentors again, the opportunity to serve up some sweet revenge presents itself. Japan, in particular, looks ripe and ready to give the Philippines a helluva time in Manila on 25 February, while New Zealand will try their luck inflicting some pain on Korea on 26 February. The Tall Blacks are certainly not going to pull any punches, especially after they have gone 0-3 against Korea since debuting in FIBA Asia last year. To say that coach Paul Henare and his troops are aching for a W against the Koreans is a gross understatement.
4) The Tall Blacks' Band of Brothers.
Two sets of brothers will help make up the @TallBlacks roster to take on China and South Korea in the @FIBAWC qualifiers. More here, including what time you can watch the games on @maoritv #TuKaha #TallBlackshttps://t.co/bm9QJbM1lW pic.twitter.com/Wss62EMqUL
— Tall Blacks (@TallBlacks) February 20, 2018
New Zealand will be in for two exciting fixtures in the second window as they square off with East Asia powerhouses China and Korea. Bannering the Tall Blacks will be two sets of brothers in Corey and Tai Webster as well as Isaac and Dan Fotu. The Webster boys have been on the senior team before, and they always seem to play better together. The Fotus, on the other hand, have never played together prior to this window, so their dynamics on the floor will certainly be appealing to watch.
5) Rising stars galore.
Of course, this new window is another chance for the up-and-coming stars of the region to once again put their skills on display. One man billed to break out is the Philippines' Kiefer Ravena, who was the second overall pick in the PBA Draft 2017. He has been on a tear in the PBA, and he should have a bigger role to play for coach Chot Reyes' crew. China's Hu Jinqiu made quite an impression at the FIBA Asia Cup 2017, and his playing alongside Yi Jianlian in the paint for China should be quite the sight. Even at only 20 years old, Hu has risen to become one of the CBA's top players, figuring in the MVP race this season alongside household names Yi, Zhai Xiaochuan and Ding Yanyuhang. There's also spitfire guard Jason Cadee of Australia and the high-flying Yudai Baba of Japan. Cadee isn't the top-of-mind international Aussie playmaker, what with guys like Matthew Dellavedova and Patty Mills playing in the NBA, but he has shown a great ability to orchestrate well for the Boomers. Baba, meanwhile, is gradually finding his rhythm with the Akatsuki Five, and nobody should be shocked if he drops a big game really soon.
6) New naturalized players.
Syria's potential to do really well in the second window has already been expressed, and the main reason for that is their new naturalized player Justin Hawkins. We last saw Hawkins at the Asian international circuit playing for Iraqi club Al Shorta in the FIBA Asia Champions Cup 2016, averaging nearly 30 points, 9 rebounds and 2 steals per game. Clearly, he's a game-changer for the Syrians. Another potential game-changer is long-time KBL foreign player Ricardo Ratliffe, who finally got the green light to play for Korea as their naturalized player. Ratliffe will add much-needed muscle in the paint for the Koreans, who will miss the services of versatile forward Lee SeungHyun.
7) Which teams will finally win?
Another thing to watch out for is which teams will finally earn their first wins in the Qualifiers. Hong Kong are hoping they can catch one of their foes on a really bad day, but the chances of their winning over Korea and China are very miniscule. Japan and Chinese Taipei will meet on 22 February, and one of them is bound to finally get that elusive W. The smart money seems to be on the bigger and more experienced Japanese, who are also playing at home. India and Qatar both have bigger chances to win, what with their retooled rosters, but it certainly won't be easy as there aren't any 'weak' sides in either Group C or D.
8) The Yi-Guo combo will be lit.
China's team in the second window will be totally different from their first window squad, and we'll finally get a glimpse of that Yi Jianlian-Guo Ailun combo we missed at the FIBA Asia Cup 2017. Yi chose to skip that joust, but he seems raring to return to action this week, teaming up again with arguably China's best floor general, Guo Ailun. Guo's aggressive style should suit China just fine as they try to upend New Zealand and Hong Kong, and his tandem with Yi makes China that much more challenging to contain.
9) Can Kazakhstan and Jordan stay unscathed?
Nashama Final-12 for #FIBAWC Second Window against @BFI_basketball & @SYRBBALL :
— Jordanian Basketball (@jorbasket) February 18, 2018
Mahmoud Abdeen, Mousa Awadi, Ahmad Hamarsheh, Dar Tucker, Mohammad Shaher, Amin AbuHawwas, Yousef Awamleh, Malek Kanaan, Fakhri Syouri, Yazan Taweel, Ahmad Obeid, Yousef AbuWazaneh@FIBAWC @FIBA pic.twitter.com/7fDR5f2ToZ
Two teams that surprised a lot of people with their undefeated slates at the end of the first window were Kazakhstan and Jordan. Both, of course, will try to preserve their immaculate records, though they will both encounter much tougher resistance in the second window. The Steppe Wolves open against a revitalized Iran on 22 February before taking on dangerous Qatar on 25 February. Al Nashama, meanwhile, are heavy favorites to beat India on 23 February, but they will have a fight in their hands opposite Syria on 26 February.
10) Bahrami and Haddadi are back, baby!
Team Melli fans rejoice! Your iconic super scoring power pairing is back and ready to help carry the team to a much better performance compared to what they displayed last November. Iran dropped their opening Asian Qualifiers game against Iraq, and that result seems to have shaken the IBF to the core, forcing them to recall grizzled veterans Samad Nikkhah Bahrami and Hamed Haddadi back to the national program. Naturally, both Bahrami and Haddadi are no longer as athletic as they used to be, but they can still make a major impact for Iran as they try to re-assert their supremacy in their group.
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