MANILA (Enzo Flojo's Asia on My Mind) - There are no ifs and buts about it -- Lebanon superstar Wael Arakji is the best point guard in Asia.

Over the past decade or so, we have seen a handful of names take root as the elite point guards in the Asian continent. Among these are Jordan's Sam Daghlas, the Philippines' Jayson Castro, China's Guo Ailun, Iran's Mahdi Kamrani, and Korea's Yang DongGeun.

Most of those players, in fact, were named to the All-Star Fives of at least one FIBA Asia Cup. Daghlas was part of the All-Star Five in 2011, while Guo was part of the All-Star Five in 2015. Castro was the only one to make it to the All-Star Five twice -- in 2013 and 2015.

This year, during the FIBA Asia Cup 2022 in Jakarta, Indonesia, a new name was found and rose to the occasion.

Lebanese talisman Wael Arakji was named to the 2022 All-Star Five after leading the Cedars to a 4-win, 1-loss record. He also averaged 26.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.8 steals, and 2.2 triples per game. He also shot 51.7% from the field and 45.8% from beyond the arc.

Not only that, the 27-year-old Arakji was also named tournament Most Valuable Player. He is the first guard to be named Asia Cup MVP in 23 years after China's Hu Weidong last became MVP in 1999.

With Arakji at the spearhead, Lebanon won their first three games of the Asia Cup. They made short work of Gilas Pilipinas, New Zealand, and India before vanquishing China in the Quarter-Finals. Arakji then delivered 25 points as they survived Jordan in the Semi-Finals to make it to the Asia Cup Final for the first time since 2007.

Lebanon faced defending champions Australia in the Final, where Arakji saved his best for last. The 193cm/6'4 guard unloaded 28 points on top of 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 three-pointers as the Cedars nearly toppled the mighty Boomers, 75-73.

Despite the loss, it was a scintillating effort by Arakji. With Lebanese legend Fadi El Khatib now enjoying retirement, the onus has fallen on Arakji to lead the way for the Cedars, and he has certainly embraced that responsibility.

At 27, Arakji is entering his physical prime, which means we should continue seeing more good stuff from him in the coming years. That bodes well for Lebanon, who are hoping to qualify for the FIBA Basketball World Cup for the first time since 2010. Remember that they missed out on the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2014 because of a suspension while they fell short of qualifying for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 in China.

Now, the Cedars are in very good shape. They enter the fourth window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Asian Qualifiers with a 3-win, 1-loss card. They will play both the Philippines and India in the coming window, and Lebanon should be heavily favored in both contests.

Arakji now leads a new generation not just of Lebanese players but also of promising guards in Asia. Other Asian guards who are producing very good numbers include Iran's Behnam Yakhchali, Chinese Taipei's Ray Chen, Japan's Yuki Togashi, and Jordan's Freddy Ibrahim. These are the names to watch in the coming windows of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Qualifiers.

Still, even among these stars, Arakji shines the brightest. Given his performances and achievements this year, there is no doubt that he formally joins Asia's elite.

There is also no argument about his status. Wael Arakji is the best point guard in Asia.

Enzo Flojo

FIBA

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