Five FIBA Asia players who've found great professional success this season
MANILA (Enzo Flojo's Asia on My Mind) - Professional basketball in Asia has been on fire this season, and several players have really made a big mark in their respective leagues.
June Mar Fajardo (Philippines - San Miguel Beermen)
- Let's tip things off with the most dominant Filipino player the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) has seen in decades. 6ft 10in (2.08m) June Mar Fajardo won his fourth PBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) plum late in 2017 and recently pocketed his record-setting sixth Best Player of the Conference (BPC) award after leading the San Miguel Beermen to their third straight Philippine Cup title. The 28-year-old Fajardo averaged around 23 points, 13 rebounds and 2 blocks for San Miguel Beer in the 2017-2018 Philippine Cup, and Filipinos are hoping his unstoppable low post game will carry over to Gilas Pilipinas's games in the third Asian Qualifiers window this June and July.
Guo Ailun (China - Liaoning Flying Leopards)
- China's starting point guard was nothing short of awesome for Liaoning in their 2017-2018 Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) campaign, which ended with the team finally winning their first CBA title. The 1.92m Guo was a stud in the Finals as Liaoning swept rivals Zhejiang Guangsha, 4-0, putting up 19.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists per ballgame. he was fit and aggressive throughout their championship series, and it should not be a shock to see him highly assertive when Team Dragon plunge into action against Korea and New Zealand in the third window.
Lin Chih-Chieh (Chinese Taipei - Zhejiang Guangsha Lions)
- Chiefly opposing Guo in the 2018 CBA Finals was Chinese Taipei superstar Lin Chih-Chieh, who led the Zhejiang Guangsha Lions to their first ever championship round appearance. Yes, they were on the receiving end of an unceremonious swept thanks to Guo and the Liaoning Flying Leopards, but that should deter us from the fact that the 35-year-old Lin proved that age is nothing more than just a number. He averaged 13.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per contest in the Finals, and that kind of performance certainly has Taipei fans clamoring for his return to the national team.
Ricardo Ratliffe (Korea - Seoul Samsung Thunders)
- Naturalized Korea big man Ricardo Ratliffe had a big impact for the national team in the second window, and he continue to be in fine form for the Seoul Samsung Thunders in the 2017-2018 Korean Basketball League (KBL) season. The 6ft 8in (2.03m) center may have fallen short of leading his team to the KBL Playoffs, but he was still mighty impressive as the season's best rebounder, second-best scorer and fourth-best shot-blocker. Those are exactly the skills expected of him by Korea's basketball fans, and he should be able to showcase those in the third window when Korea take on China and Hong Kong.
Naoki Uto (Japan - Toyama Grouses)
- This young Japanese star is sort of a diamond in the rough for the Akatsuki Five. The 6ft 2in (1.88m) guard-forward has not produced big numbers for Japan in the four Asian Qualifiers games he has played, but it's clear the potential for him to be an impact player is there. The 26-year-old is the leading local scorer in the B.League with16.8 points on top of 4.7 rebounds and a league-leading 7.3 assists per contest. He has clearly been an all-around threat for the Toyama Grouses, and his star is destined to be one of the Japan's brightest in the near future. Of course, with the third window starting soon, it's Japanese basketball fans' hope that Uto can finally make his mark for the Akatsuki Five.
Enzo Flojo
FIBA
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