ethernetacademy.netA professional basketball perimeter DB has gotten off to the best start of the season with six straight wins to open the season. The team, which flew under the radar at the opening media day, has made a splash early in the season. Not only are the high-level foreign players performing well, but so are the domestic players.
DB opened the 2023-24 season with a 90-79 win over the Ulsan Hyundai Mobis at Dongcheon Gymnasium in Ulsan, South Korea, on Nov. 5. DB has won six straight games to open the season, widening the gap between itself and the second-place Hyundai Mobis (4-3).
It’s a surprising turnaround if you recall the opening media day on March 16. DB coach Kim Joo-sung, who shed the ‘acting’ tag this season, took the microphone and said, “We haven’t played spring basketball in recent years (three years). I will make sure that both players and coaches can learn and play the season,” and expressed his intention for the playoffs (PO). However, only one team named DB as a championship contender. The eyes of most coaches and players were on Busan KCC, Seoul SK, Suwon KT, and Changwon LG.
When the lid was lifted, it was DB who led the way. Notably, five of their six wins have come away from home. Their goals per game is 95.2 (2nd). DB’s offensive prowess is even more noteworthy, as KCC, the top team in the division, has only played three games.
DB’s foreign player duo of Dedrick Lawson and Lee Sun Albano are still going strong. Lawson has averaged 30.3 points (2nd), 9.7 rebounds (5th), 4.8 assists (6th), and 1.8 blocks (1st) through six games, ranking in every major category. Albano chips in with 16.7 points (10th), 2.3 rebounds (10th), 6.2 assists (3rd), and 1.7 steals (1st) over the same period.
While it may seem that the team relies heavily on foreign players based on their records alone, there is also a significant contribution from domestic players to the DB boom. Against Hyundai Mobis on the 5th, Lawson and Albano struggled against the opponent’s defense. At one point, DB fell behind by 19 points. It was the domestic players who led the charge. National team forward Kang Sang-jae and center Kim Jong-kyu showed their presence on the offensive and defensive end. Choi Seung-wook, Shin Min-soo, Park In-woong, and Kim Young-hyun also contributed. After steadily catching up, DB eventually completed the 11-point comeback victory thanks to Lawson’s performance in the third quarter. With Lawson up front, each player seems to be doing their part. 보스토토
DB’s longest winning streak to start a season is eight, set in 2011-12. That season, DB went on to win the regular season title. The prospects of breaking the record this season are bright. DB has a six-game home stand ahead of them, including a game against Samsung in Seoul on July 7 at 7 p.m. at Wonju General Gymnasium. All eyes will be on DB’s “one-club man” Kim Joo-sung to see if he can make history in his first year in charge.