“We won’t repeat the same mistakes”
On June 23, 2023, the KBL announced a trade between Jeonju KCC (now Busan KCC) and Ulsan Hyundai Mobis. The deal went like this. KCC’s main point guard Kim Ji-wan (188 cm, G) will head to HMC, while HMC’s young point guard Yeom Jae-sung (176 cm, G) will wear a KCC jersey.
Kim made his KBL debut in the 2012-2013 season and spent six years playing for Incheon E-Land (now Daegu KOGAS). He joined KCC as a free agent before the start of the 2020-2021 season. In his first season, he averaged 7.7 points, 3 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per game, 토토 helping the team reach the championship game.
However, calf injuries plagued Kim, especially in the 2022-2023 season. Kim only played 39 regular-season games that season. He averaged just 6.1 points, 2.3 assists, and 1.5 rebounds per game.
However, the playoffs were a different story. In three games, he averaged 11.3 points, 2.3 assists, and 1.3 rebounds in 28:55 minutes. 2.0 three-pointers per game and a 42.9% three-point shooting percentage. Although KCC didn’t win a single game in the playoffs, Kim’s playoff performance was encouraging.
That’s why he moved to Hyundai Mobis. In the 2023-2024 season, Kim averaged 22 minutes and 18 seconds in 43 games. He put up 5.1 points, 2.9 assists, and 1.8 rebounds per game. His numbers were similar to his 2022-2023 season.
“I was very disappointed for the team and myself. There were a lot of injuries and other unfavorable factors, but everyone is working hard to shake off those regrets,” Kim said, reflecting on his first regular season with Hyundai Mobis.
Kim also played his first playoffs with Hyundai Mobis. However, Kim’s playing time was short-lived. Although he played in all six playoff games (four), he only played 13 minutes and 15 seconds per game. Hyundai Mobis also lost to Suwon KT three games to one. Kim was even more disappointed.
“We prepared a lot to stop KT’s main scorers, including Paris Bass and Heo Hoon. We worked hard as we prepared, but we ended up giving up a lot of goals to those two players. But we learned a lot from that experience. With this as a springboard, we want to do well in the upcoming regular season, and we won’t make the same mistakes as in the last playoffs,” said Kim, speaking about his first playoffs with Hyundai Mobis.
Kim Ji-wan, however, will have to put the disappointment behind him. He still has to prepare for the 2024-2025 season with his teammates. In order to perform better, he is sweating harder. From August 11th to 24th, they trained in the Philippines.
“The coach’s keywords were ‘pressure defense,’ ‘active rebounding,’ and ‘quick offensive transition,’ so the players trained a lot. We also gained a lot of physical strength and stamina in the process, especially during the training camp in the Philippines,” he said, starting with what he had been doing until August.
“When a foreign player joins the team, the foreign player and the domestic player have to work together. At the same time, the team colors must come out, such as pressing defense and quick offensive and defensive transitions. That’s the most important thing,” he said, explaining the tasks he had to do with his teammates.
“First of all, I don’t want to get injured, and I don’t know how much playing time I’ll get, but I have to do a good job of running the game and defending during my time on the court. I want to help the team,” he said, setting out his tasks. Kim Ji-wan seemed to put all her focus on the team.
