MANAMA (Bahrain) & DOHA (Qatar) - The Asia Cup landscape is always changing. One minute, Player A is merely a bench player fighting his way to a starting role or a wide-eyed youngster adjusting to the big stage.

Next thing you know, they are dunking all over defenders or knocking down clutch shots on a regular basis.

Watching players blossom into stars is always a joy of any fan and here are some of those who have made the biggest leaps forward at the recent Asia Cup Qualifiers bubbles!

Chanatip Jakrawan (THA)

Statistics in the bubble: 15 points, 5 rebounds, 42.9 field goal percentage
Statistics in previous Qualifiers games: 18.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.3 blocks per game, 51.2  field goal percentage

After 4 games in the Asia Cup Qualifiers, Thailand are still unable to claim a victory. However, there’s hope for the future and plenty of room for improvement with the rise of Chanatip Jakrawan.

The 23-year-old big man was impressive all throughout the Pre-Qualifiers and has been known to be Thailand’s main star, but his performance in the bubble suggests that he’s taken another step.

In Thailand’s game against Indonesia, Jakrawan tied his Qualifiers-high of 15 points to go with 13 rebounds and 3 blocks for his first double-double. As if that wasn’t enough, he followed that up with yet another double-double of 34 points and 12 rebounds. Not only did he impress the fans with his high-flying dunks, Jakrawan also showcased solid footwork which he used to work his way in the post.

It’s an upfill battle from here for Thailand to qualify for Asia Cup 2021 in their last two games, but it’ll be less difficult with Jakrawan as their big man.

Mohammed Al-Khafaji (IRQ)

Statistics in the bubble: 2.5 points per game, 28.6 field goal percentage
Statistics in previous Qualifiers games: 13.5 points per game, 73.3 field goal percentage

Mohammed Al-Khafaji is not exactly a “young” prospect at 29. He’s also already had some of his moments as one of Iraq’s key players. Nonetheless, the improvements he’s made from Window 1 to Window 2 is encouraging for Iraq heading into a crucial final stretch.

The 2.09M (6’10”) center reached double-digit scoring for the first time in the first game of Window 2 against Bahrain and followed that up with his highest total of the Qualifiers so far at 15 points against Lebanon.

Iraq needed more contribution from Al-Khafaji after getting only 5 points in Window 1. They’ll need even more in the final window in order to have a shot a locking in the third-place spot in the standings.

Dwight Ramos (PHI)

Statistics in the bubble: 5 points, 5 rebounds, 2-4 field goal shooting
Statistics in previous Qualifiers games: 16.5 points, 6.0 rebounds per game, 11-17 field goal shooting

Dwight Ramos went from “that kid who should be pretty good soon” to “Mr. Perfect” in just less than a year. He was given a shot with increased playing time in the bubble and the results point to him getting even more minutes down the road.

The highlight for Ramos was his “perfect” game in which he scored 20 points in 20 minutes without missing a single shot. While that was certainly an outstanding game, he’s been consistently impressive and improving since making his debut.

The Philippines are loaded with high-level talent throughout their talent pool. To be projected as a key player of that pool in the near future says a lot about a young player and that’s something they are saying about Ramos after his play in the bubble.

Mohammed Alsuwailem (KSA)

Statistics in the bubble: 7.5 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks per game, 6-17 field goal shooting 
Statistics in previous Qualifiers games: 13.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.0 blocks per game, 12-19 field goal shooting

Development is not easy to quantify for some players as the improvements can only be seen when focusing on that specific player in action. For Mohammed Alsuwailem, however, it’s pretty clear in the numbers.

The 22-year-old big man has increased his scoring in every single game so far through the Qualifiers, as well as his Player Efficiency. He’s always a big time threat on the boards and as a rim protector and that hasn’t change for the center who is top three among all players in both rebounds and blocks per game.

The most important part of Alsuwailem’s improvement is how he went from averaging 4.5 fouls per game in Window 1 to only 1.0 fouls per game in Window 2. Foul trouble kept Alsuwailem off the court in crucial stretches and when he was able to control that part of his game, Saudi Arabia looked much better as a team as well.

Group E is turning out to be one of the most tightly contested groups in the Asia Cup Qualifiers with many towering giants such as Hamed Haddadi and Abdulwahab Alhamwi. Saudi Arabia should feel a bit more secure in paint with the continued improvement of their young big man.

Muzamil Hamoda (BRN)

Statistics in the bubble: 10.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 0.5 steals per game 
Statistics in previous Qualifiers games: 12.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 3.0 steals per game

No one would have blamed Muzamil Hamoda on being satisfied with his national team debut performance in Window 1. At just 18, the fact that he logged in over 20 minutes and averaged double-digit scoring should have been enough for Bahrain basketball fans to remain happy.

They should be ecstatic now with what they’ve seen from the 1.99M (6’6”) forward in Window 2.

Muzamil’s numbers didn’t take a huge leap forward (though they did increase significantly), but more impressively was how comfortable he looked on the court in these important games for Bahrain. There are still some rough edges to smoothen for Muzamil, but it seems like the future is very bright for one of the youngest players in the entire Asia Cup Qualifiers.

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