The 2023-2024 men’s professional basketball season is back in war mode after the A-Match break. As the league enters the final six rounds of the regular season, the main focus will be on the return of injured stars.
The past 12 days have been golden recovery time for injured players. Coincidentally, the main injured players are the ace members of their respective teams. Choi Jun-yong (KCC), Heo Hoon (KT), Jeon Sung-hyun (SONO), Asem Marei (LG), Ahn Young-joon (SK), and Kim Sun-hyung (SK) are some of the best players in their respective positions.
Many of them will report for duty when the league resumes. Their teams and fans have high hopes for them as they have the power to shake up the game. Choi Jun-yong, who was sidelined with a thigh muscle injury on the second day of the season, is ready to go after successfully completing a practice match following a scheduled three-week diagnosis. During Choi’s absence, Busan KCC went into the break in a somewhat depressing mood, losing three games in three days, including the ‘tackling incident’ of Alize Johnson.
With key players Ragan-ah and Song Kyo-chang called up to the national team for the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers, the team didn’t have much of a chance to organize itself, making Choi’s return all the more welcome.
Furthermore,
the fifth-ranked KCC will face the toughest “rubber stamp” schedule of the second half of the season, with Wonju DB (1st) on March 29, followed by Suwon KT (2nd) on March 2 and Seoul SK (4th) on March 3. What’s even more interesting is that KCC’s two toughest opponents, 스포츠토토 KT and SK, will also be looking to capitalize on the return of injuries.
Most notably, KT is eagerly awaiting the return of Heo Hoon. He has been out for an extended period of time after suffering a calf fascia tear against DB on February 8, and is looking to return in early March. Still, KT went on a six-game winning streak just before the break without Heo, solidifying their hold on second place with a direct playoff berth in the four-team playoffs on the line. With their chances of overturning the deficit not yet gone, KT has done well without their “absolute ace,” so they’re likely to be on a roll when Heo returns. SK, who like KCC, struggled with a five-game losing streak, two-game winning streak, and two-game losing streak before the break, has a glimmer of hope with Ahn Young-joon joining the team in lieu of Kim Sun-hyung’s immediate return.
All eyes will also be on LG as the possibility of Marei’s return increases,
Although the timing has yet to be finalized. Realizing the impact of Marei’s absence, LG is looking for revenge after falling three games behind KT in the race for second place.
Sono’s pyrotechnic shooter Jeon Sung-hyun has also recovered from a back injury and is expected to return to action against SK in the first game of the league’s resumption on Nov. 28. It’s been two months since he last played on Dec. 30 against Samsung Electronics in Seoul. While SONO is unlikely to make it to the six-team playoffs, Jeon’s return will be another highlight for fans, as it could raise expectations for the “four-way battle” that was a hot topic last season.
It will also be interesting to see if the DBs can continue their dominance after coming back from the break with no major injury setbacks. Someone needs to put a bell on the cat’s neck, and DB’s four opponents between February 29 and March 9 are not only KCC, who they will face twice, but also Daegu KOGAS and Seoul Samsung. KCC and Samsung, despite being lower-ranked teams, have been playing the role of the “pepper squad” before the break, harassing the top teams.
In particular, it will be interesting to see if KCC, which unexpectedly promoted acting coach Kang Hyuk to head coach in the middle of the season ahead of the league’s resumption on June 26, will continue its momentum against the top teams.
