The Wonju DBs are preparing for a new season under head coach Kim Joo-sung.
Kim Joo-sung, who is preparing for his first season as head coach after the end of last season, has set up the front line with a triple post. If last season’s triple post was based on defense, this season’s is more of an offense.
“We have been preparing with a triple post,” said Kim. We are in the process of finding a combination of Dedrick Lawson, Kang Sang-jae, Kim Jong-kyu, Garrison Brooks, Seo Min-soo, and Lee Yoon-soo. (Kim) Jong-kyu is not in the national team, so we will find a combination to rotate through practice games and cup competitions.”
The centerpiece of the Korean triple post is Kang Sang-jae. During the offseason, Kang played small forward. He lost a whopping 8 kilograms to add speed to his game. During the training camp in Japan, he also spent a lot of time practicing perimeter defense, including defending Japanese guards who were smaller than him. Coach Kim Joo-sung said, “(Kang) Sang-jae’s preparation for the season was good. He played the role I wanted him to play in practice. He can also play the No. 3 (small forward) defense, so he can maintain his speed while building a triple post.”
Kang was matched up with Lee Jung-hyun, Choi Seung-wook, Lee Dong-yeop, and other shooting guards and small forwards in the team’s scrimmage against Seoul Samsung at Wonju Gymnasium on Saturday. He contributed to the team’s victory (72-70), scoring 20 points, second only to Derrick Lawson (25).
“We had a lot of injuries throughout last season,” said Kang. The coach emphasized injury management the most. I also tried to manage my body fat to keep my body healthy. I’ve never lost so much weight before. I used to weigh between 104 and 105 kilograms, but now I’m around 96 kilograms. It’s the lightest I’ve been since I turned pro,” he said.
“You have to work to the bone to improve, and the No. 3 position is where the team wants me to be and I’m trying to get better at it. I tried playing outside again and it was fun. However, I’m trying to balance my inside-outside game without playing too much outside,” he added.
Coach Kim Joo-sung has nothing but praise for Kang Sang-jae. In response, Kang Sang-jae said, “The coach always praises me, but I’m giving myself a whip. I’m not satisfied with my performance right now. If I’m satisfied, I’ll loosen up. We haven’t made the playoffs for three seasons in a row. For now, the goal is to get to the quarterfinals and make the playoffs. I’m not good enough, but I have good teammates. We have a good player in Dedrick Lawson, who is a good addition to the team. If we make it to the playoffs, we’ll be able to go even higher,” he said about the new season 스포츠토토.