MANILA (Enzo Flojo's Asia on My Mind) - Amidst all the uncertainty of our current situation, it pays to remember that there are still things worth celebrating, and among them is the fact that some new stars emerged in the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers.

I'm talking about players who defied projections to banner their respective teams' efforts in the previous window, resulting in some of the most interesting performances of the Qualifiers so far. Here are five FIBA Asia small forwards who did just that.

Huang Jhen (Chinese Taipei)

22.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals, 6.0 three-pointers, 70.0 FG%.
This veteran of the Taipei national team just blew up in their lopsided win over Malaysia, and though one may say Huang's numbers appear bloated, whenever someone hits six triples in a single game, that deserves notice. Don't think Huang cannot repeat that sort of performance, though, since many view him as the heir apparent to aging national team sniper Lu Cheng-Ju.

Karim Zeinoun (Lebanon)

15.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 4.0 three-pointers, 78.6 FG%.
At just 20 years old, Zeinoun is primed to be among the future pillars of Lebanon's national squad, and he certainly made quite the impression in the Cedars' two Asia Cup Qualifiers games. The 6ft 3in/1.90m shooter was on fire from beyond the arc, hitting all but one of his nine three-point attempts across two games. How's that for long-range accuracy, eh?

Saeid Davarpanah (Iran)

10.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.0 steals, 63.6 FG%.
The 32-year-old Davarpanah has seen many battles as a member of Team Melli, but he showed and stepped up big time for Iran in the first window, dropping a dozen points on fellow West Asia side Syria before another rock-solid effort against Qatar. Davarpanah was a picture of efficiency, shooting close to 64.0% from the field and exactly 100.0% from the line.

Jordan Ngatai (New Zealand)

16.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals, 3.0 three-pointers, 57.9 FG%.
This 6ft 5in/1.96m Tall Black shone bing time as New Zealand sprung an upset to remember against neighboring Australia in the first window. Ngatai was unstoppable in that big victory, putting up 19 points on the back of three triples for his team. He followed that up by scoring 14 points in an easy win over Guam as New Zealand rose to 2-0.

Muzamil Ameer Mohammed Hamoda (Bahrain)

10.5 points, 5.0 rebound, 1.0 block, 50.0 3pt%, 56.2 FG%.
Two years ago, this kid was playing in the FIBA U18 Asia Championship in Thailand but look at him now, playing a pivotal role for Bahrain in the Asia Cup Qualifiers. At only 18 years old (yes, he's still eligible for this year's U18 Asia Championship), Hamoda is already showing signs of potential stardom. He scored 12 points against a tough Indian side before holding his own and scoring 9 points against Lebanon.

Honorable Mention
Leung Shiu Wah (Hong Kong) - 16.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 50.0 FG%.

Earnest Lee Ross, Jr (Guam) - 21.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steal, 4.0 three-pointers.

Jeon SeongHyeon (Korea) - 11.5 points, 1.0 steal, 3.5 three-pointers.

Enzo Flojo

FIBA

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