 Players of the South Korean national basketball team practice at the KCC Indoor Stadium in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, Monday, in preparation for the Olympic qualifiers. / Yonhap |
South Korea Faces Uphill Climb for Olympic TicketBy Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
A 3-pointer is the favorite option in the offensive repertoire of the South Korean men's basketball team in international competitions.
But the lethal weapon, which has been a big threat to opposing teams, might not be found at the Beijing Olympics qualifying tournament thanks to the arrival of big men Kim Joo-sung and Ha Seung-jin.
Kim, who stands 2.05 meters tall, and the 2.25-meter Ha joined their first national team training session Monday, and they spent most of the time practicing low post plays.
``We are focusing on high-percentage shots,'' national team coach Kim Nam-ki said. ``Rather than a 3-pointer, we will pass the ball to the front court to score down low and also try to add points on fast breaks.''
South Korea has heavily depended on long-range shots due to a lack of skilled low post players, and as a result, it has not qualified for the Olympics since the Atlanta Games in 1996.
Kim, a Dongbu Promy power forward who led the Wonju-based team to the Korean Basketball League (KBL) championship this past season, is considered the best multifaceted player in the domestic league. The 28-year-old can play in the small and power forward positions as well as center.
``People around me say it is less possible for South Korea to get qualified for the Olympics,'' Kim said.
``But I cannot agreed with them and will play for an appearance to the last.''
Former Portland Trail Blazer Ha is also determined on seeking an Olympic berth.
Before reporting to training, Ha, the 2008 KBL draft's No. 1 overall pick by the KCC Egis, underwent conditioning programs to strengthen his stamina.
He has not been in action since 2006, when he last played for the Anaheim Arsenals of the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) in 2006.
Despite being absent from the game for a long time, Ha showed he is already game fit during the practice. His trainer said his conditioning is much better than last year at the Asian Championships, where South Korea finished third and his shooting touch is unbelievable.
``I am in good shape,'' Ha said. ``I will play hard to get a satisfactory achievement.''
Twelve nations, drawn into four groups of three, will participate in the qualifying tournament, which will be held on July 14-20 in Greece.
South Korea will face Canada and Slovenia in preliminary rounds. The average height of both of those teams is 2.00 meters, compared with 1.97 for Korea.
Canada, which has Philadelphia 76ers center Samuel Dalembert on its roster, is asking two-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns to join its national squad for a qualification.
Slovenia features Toronto Raptors center Rasho Nesterovic and Sacramento Kings guard Beno Udrih and most of its other players also play in the European leagues.
Two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals and the top-three finalists will earn berths in the Beijing Olympics.
ksw@koreatimes.co.kr
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