DOHA (Asian Games) - Japan has gone through some major changes in the three months since they hosted the FIBA World Championship. Croatian coach Zeljko Pavlicevic is gone, and Kimikazu Suzuki is now in charge.

And the new boss has brought with him to the 15th Asian Games a new philosophy, which helped them to an opening Group F victory against Chinese Taipei 85-75.

One of the leading figures in the win was naturalised American Eric McArthur, who scored 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while blocking three shots off the bench.

The 38-year-old McArthur is making his debut with the national team. He has played in the country for the past 16 years and received a Japanese passport in 2000.

He took time after the victory to talk to PA Sport's David Hein on behalf of FIBA.

Eric, Japan were in a close match at half-time until turning up the defensive pressure and beating Taipei by 10 points. That's probably the start you wanted to this tournament.

McArthur: We try to really do a good job on the defensive end. In the past Japanese teams have struggled with their intensity, but I think that's my job and I tried to spark it as much as I can. Hopefully we can keep that going.

FIBA: You have a new coach for a new tournament. But the FIBA World Championship in Japan wasn't that long ago. What did that experience mean for Japan's national team?

McArthur: "I think the previous coach, Zeljko Pavlicevic, brought a level of intensity to the practice and how they prepare for the World Championship. And I think that's carried over to what we're trying to do on the world stage. Being aggressive against the international players and not backing down has been something of a focal point as we try to get better."

FIBA: Pavlicevic brought in a lot of young players over his tenure as national team coach. Some of those youngsters are not here. What's your opinion on that?

McArthur: "Some of them experienced the World Championship and the William Jones Cup, and they were just a little bit fatigued. They were doing it for two or three or four years, and I think they needed a little bit of time off. This is in between our Japan league. So as far as the experience and the mix of young and middle-aged players, I think it's a nice little blend. The experienced players like (Kenichi) Sako, myself and (Takehiko) Orimo we try to keep it going in practice and keep it light in practice at the same time, joking around and making it seem like more of a family atmosphere."

FIBA: What does coach Suzuki bring to the mix?

McArthur: "He has a different philosophy as opposed to Zeljko. His philosophy is more about keeping it simple, but obviously on the defensive end picking it up and keeping it up. But as far as the level of plays and execution, keep it as simple as possible because a lot of times when you put in all those plays and those options, you tend to get confused. We only had about two weeks to get prepared for this thing, so he's kept it as simple as can."

FIBA: That makes veterans like yourself and Sako all that much more important.

McArthur: "Exactly. Actually I don't know about the experience we bring. I personally have never played in any of the Asian Games or Asian Championships. But I play against foreigners every day in in practice. But these guys and some of the young guys like (Shinsuke) Kashiwagi aren't scared of anybody. I think at this point they have about as much experience as we do."

FIBA: This is your first time playing for Japan, I assume this is fun for you?

McArthur: "Yeah, this is a lot of fun. I wish I had done this a few years earlier. But I had a family to take care of with three young kids and some other things to take care of at home. That was my priority at that time. Now I have everything straightened out and hopefully, I can do this for a couple more years."

FIBA: Have I read correctly, you've been in Japan for 16 years and are 38 years old?

McArthur: "Yeah, don't make fun of it. It's right, it's not a typo."

FIBA: "You dont look 38."

McArthur: "Thank you very much. I get that a lot. But sometimes, I feel like every day of 38. But in a game like this, it's just a lot of fun for an older guy to get out there and play."

Written Exclusively for FIBA