Why have Jordan been so good in the Asian Qualifiers?
MANILA (Enzo Flojo's Asia on My Mind) - Jordan have been nothing short of stellar at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers, and here are a few reasons why.
Jordan are a perfect 4-0 through the first two windows of the Asian Qualifiers. They join Australia as the only other team to have gone unbeaten so far, beating opponents by an average of 20.0 points per game.
They were not projected to be in this position before the Asian Qualifiers began last November, especially with West Asia powerhouse Lebanon in the same group. However, Al Nashama have truly exceeded expectations thanks mainly to the guidance of former national team player and current head coach Sam Daghlas as well as the following key factors.
Terrific Tucker
To say that Dar Tucker has been a godsend for Jordan is an understatement. After the heydays of Rasheim Wright, Jordan tried getting a couple of other naturalized wingmen to shore up their ranks - Jimmy Baxter and Alex Legion - but neither really panned out in their roles. Enter 2016, when Jordan called up Dar Tucker, a then 28-year-old combo guard who was known for his great scoring potential. Tucker made an immediate impact for Jordan in the FIBA Asia Challenge 2016, helping them to a podium finish, their first since 2011. Since then, Tucker has been the man for Jordan, and not surprisingly, he has been a difference-maker in the team's Asian Qualifiers campaign. Through the first two windows, Tucker is averaging 23.3 points on top of 4.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.8 triples per game. So far, it's clear that where he goes, Jordan will go, too.
Explosive Guards
Of course, stopping Jordan will take more than stopping Tucker, especially with backcourt partners Mousa Al-Awadi and Mahmoud Abdeen scoring really well. In years past, both Al-Awadi and Abdeen played second fiddle to the likes of Daghlas, Wright and Wesam Al-Sous, but with those veterans now retired form international play, the onus is on both Al-Awadi and Abdeen to take on bigger roles for the national team. They have, by all intents and purposes, made the most of this opportunity. Al-Awadi has blossomed into a dead-eye shooter for Jordan, averaging 3.5 made three-pointers per contest as part of his 16.0 points output and an impressive 4.5 rebounds. Abdeen, meanwhile, has embraced his role as the team's de facto playmaker, handing out 5.0 assists per game while also scoring when needed. The 30-year-old floor general has put up 14.0 points and 3.0 triples per game so far in the first and second windows.
Low Turnovers
Another big reason for Jordan's potency has been their propensity to keep their turnovers at a minimum. Al Nashama have the second-lowest turnovers-per-game stat in the entire FIBA Asia field, norming just 10.0 per game. That's a testament to the stability of their backcourt and the efficiency of their offense. Much of that, of course, has to do with their main guards - the aforementioned Abdeen, Al-Awadi and upstarts Malek Kanaan and Amin Abu Hawwas. Keeping their errors low means fewer possessions for their opponents and higher chances of prevailing, which has, so far, seen no falter.
Hussein was Huge
As great as their guards have been, though, Jordan would not have been undefeated had it not been for the consistently solid play of their main man in the middle, Mohammad Shaher Hussein. The 28-year-old 6ft 9in (2.05m) slotman has always shown flashes of brilliance for Jordan, but now he has really taken centerstage. He has been a rock in the paint for Al Nashama, especially when it comes to grabbing those rebounds and scoring around the basket. He has been instrumental in limiting the likes of Ivan Todorovic (Syria), Ater Majok (Lebanon) and even NBA draftee Satnam Singh (India). As long as Hussein plays well - and if fellow frontliners Ali Jamal Zaghab, Zaid Abbas and Ahmad Al Dwairi return to form - then Jordan will continue to impress.
All these factors have significantly contributed to Jordan's officially earning a spot in the second round, and these four wins have also bolstered their chances of returning to the FIBA Basketball World Cup, where they last played in 2010.
Enzo Flojo
FIBA
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