As a result, the difference in power can be struck without breaking Ryukyu’s adherence.
Akita Northern Happinets achieved their first championship appearance in club history, boarded an enemy territory and played once morest the Ryukyu Golden Kings in the quarterfinal. However, the season ended with a series of losses of 60-74 in the first game and 56-77 in the second game.
In both games, Akita finished the first quarter evenly, but was thrown out in the second quarter. Then, in the second half, he was thin for a while, but he mightn’t catch up and overtake him, and eventually lost in the same development that allowed a double-digit lead.
Ryukyu, who had the highest winning percentage in the league in the regular season, was able to make a showcase with a fierce catch-up in both games and to excite the venue. However, in the end, it became clearer that both were defeated by a double-digit difference and that great growth was required to win the championship.
Takuya Nakayama, the main player in Akita, enjoyed the first championship not only as a team but also as an individual. “It was a lot of fun. I was happy to be able to play in a different atmosphere than in the regular season, where only eight teams can play.” However, he is keenly aware of the difference with the top of the league, saying, “I think there was more I might do in today’s game and I had a lot of challenges.”
“A strong team has no waves. We had a challenge to make a big quarter from the time of the regular season and we mightn’t improve it. It’s very mental and physical to catch up with the lead. It’s hard. I think it’s still a weak team that has made such a game development. “
“I mightn’t make good use of it while it was abandoned.”
On the other hand, although there was a response to his personal defense, he strongly wanted to be an offense to help the team more.
“I think I was able to contribute in the defense part. However, the offense was not good. I mightn’t make good use of it while I was abandoned. The more I grow up, the better the offense of the team. This offense I want to pursue my own challenges and move in the right direction. “
The characteristic of the Akita offense is a 3-point shot, but in the first game, 4 out of 18 shots were successful, and in the second game, 3 out of 16 shots were successful. In addition, ace scorer Jordan Glynn was also on the thorough mark, and when the first game scored 7 points and the second game scored 12 points, no player might fill the hole. Nakayama regrets that he might have stopped the bad tide if he had the power to score.
“There was a place where I was able to attack and deploy the offense, which is not all bad. However, if I had a higher probability of hitting a pull-up 3-point shot, the situation of the opponent’s defense would be I think it has changed. In this case, the shooters and the defense once morest Grin were tough, and the others had to score more points. If that was possible, the two games would have been different. “
As the center of the captain’s team, Nakayama is keenly aware of his responsibility to end up with a low score in two games in a row with 60 points and 56 points. That is why Nakayama made a simple but powerful statement. “I’m frustrated, so I’ll do my best to practice.”
“It was a long time before I made my first appearance in the championship.”
Including specially designated enrollment, Nakayama will be in Akita’s sixth year this season. He talks regarding his frank thoughts regarding his first appearance in the championship following literally having experiences with mountains and valleys. “I had been demoted to B2 and it was a long time before I made my first appearance in the championship. There were many tough seasons, but I’m not happy with this time and I have to come here every season from now on. But I think it was a long time. “
“I was able to participate in the championship for the first time as a club, and the winning percentage was the highest so far, but there were many games that I won. Also, it was a truly miraculous way of participating because the rival team lost. We have to play on our own next season. “
The 2021-22 season was a memorable year for Akita to compete in the championship and overcome one big barrier. Some of the main players, led by Nakayama, have signed multi-year contracts, and it is great that this experience can be linked to next season. It is indispensable for each person to use this regret as a source of off-the-shelf to solve their own problems in order to return to the championship stage once more. And there is no doubt that it will be a big point of attention whether Nakayama can improve his shooting ability and become a more threatening offense.