FIBAWC Preview: It's a new dawn for Akatsuki Five

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From August 31st to September 15th Japan's basketball national team will be in China to take part in the team’s fifth FIBA Basketball World Cup, but they will probably be tempted – maybe during rest days between matches – to glance over the Sea of Japan, already picturing what will happen inside their national borders in merely 12 months. 

On the one hand, Japan will undoubtedly give its best effort for this event; they last qualified for the World Cup in 2006, when they were the host country, and they are looking forward to showing their recent improvements to the whole world. On the other hand, though, it's clear that Japan has set its eyes a little further, on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The federation, as well as the team's coaching staff, is determined to approach the Olympic tournament with momentum; thus, the China FIBA Basketball World Cup starts to look like a “run-through” ahead of Tokyo 2020.

ROSTER 

So, how's Japan looking, as it steps onto the stage? The players' pool is down to 16, with the perk of having a bunch of young guns as the most reliable starters: Rui Hachimura and Yuta Watanabe, appointed to be the stars of the team, are 21 and 24 respectively, but these two already have some useful overseas experience under their belt. Speaking of international basketball, Argentinian coach Julio Lamas will also enjoy some help from Nick Fazekas, US-born but naturalized as Japanese after having played for seven years in the B.League, as an import player – or as a gaijin, one might say. 

 

Japan will land in China with a nice collection of homegrown players too. Yudai Baba is perhaps the most intriguing, blessed with the much needed athleticism to compete on the world stage and looking forward to show off after his exciting run in Japan's own B.League, wearing the Tokyo Alvark jersey. To try and curb Baba's enthusiasm, coach Lamas will rely on Makoto Heijima's and Daiki Tanaka's no-nonsense brand of basketball; they will probably spend many minutes on the floor playing at the 2 and 3 spots. Among other veterans, it is worth noting that the Takeuchi twins, Kosuke and Joji, will be the only holdovers from the 2006 national team: it's amazing to still find them competing at such a high level after a career this long. On the opposite end of the ladder, the youngest players – poised to learn some useful lessons from the Takeuchi twins, will be Avi Koki Schafer and center Hiyu Watanabe.

QUALIFYING

“Akatsuki Five” are truly living a golden age. Perhaps, the beginning of it all took place in 2015, when they finished fourth at the Asia Cup. To find another top 4 finish, one must scroll through Japan's basketball history, back to the Nineties. Though Japan failed to keep up with their performance in 2017, Rui Hachimura and Yuta Watanabe quickly came to the rescue, injecting a huge amount of talent to the team. We were about to witness a change of pace. 

The Asian Qualifiers have been an exciting ride for Japan, eager to take part in a World Cup that's happening so close to home, thus being able to bring many fans over from Japan and winding up the spring even more in preparation for Tokyo 2020. There was also the added benefit of a pool of 32 teams, which meant an easier – but not without any troubles – path to qualify. Australia and New Zealand, from Oceania, are on the rise, the Philippines are going through a good stint, South Korea and China are as always fierce opponents. 

In the first round, Japan was caught off guard by Chinese Taipei, but then proceeded to achieve what many called “the most important win in Japanese basketball's history”: in Chiba, against Australia, they prevailed over clear-cut favourite Australia, 79-78, in a game that featured a rollercoaster of emotions capped by a breathtaking ending. Hachimura and Fazekas, scoring 24 and 25 points, were the ones to lead the charge.

Still riding the wave, Japan breezed through the second round. Two comfortable wins over Kazakhstan and Qatar, followed by yet another milestone match, this time in Tokyo: a resounding victory, 70-56, over Iran. Hachimura was once again the best scorer at 25, while Watanabe, who didn't play against Australia, added 18.

GROUP

Japan is set to play in Group E, who will compete inside the Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai. The main event will be the face-off with USA, scheduled for Thursday September 5th, to wrap the group stage up. Drawing from the ballots the consensus strongest team was indeed unlucky for Japan, but the matchup could turn out to be a blessing in disguise, if we think ahead to the Tokyo Olympics: squaring off against NBA stars could do wonders for the worldwide image of Japanese basketball, especially if Hachimura and Co. will be able to stand their ground for a respectable result.

Nothing is set in stone, though, mostly because 2019's Team USA is still hanging a “work in progress” sign outside their camp; coach Gregg Popovich will welcome all the help that he can get, trying to work around the weak links of an uncertain roster. Group E also features Czech Republic and Turkey (Japan will face the latter in their first match). On paper, the two European teams will fight for the second spot, but they should not overlook Japan's chances. Czech Republic is on the rise, thanks to players like Tomas Satoransky, but has to be aware not to rely too heavily on its stars; Turkey boasts a noble tradition, but is currently struggling to perform at the highest level after that 2010 World Cup silver medal, while club teams such as Fenerbahce are winning big matches all over Europe: Turkey's youth sector seems on a bit of a downward trajectory.

MATCHUPS

It might be the worst kept secret in the world: Japan's entire game plan revolves around Rui Hachimura. It's hard to envision how a player this young will perform being held accountable for such high expectations, but Japan has an affordable goal – thinking one game at a time, and trying to seize the moment for a highlight win – and he will have Yuta Watanabe to back him up, alongside a veteran core. From a technical and tactical standpoint, Hachimura is irreplaceable if Japan is looking to keep up with their opponents in athleticism. 

Rui Hachimura Japan FIBA

Looking ahead to the USA match, it will be interesting to see him playing at the 4 or even at the 5 spot, during an occasional small ball lineup: Hachimura is the only player capable of defending strong swingmen like Jalen Brown and Jayson Tatum, and then switching on pick and rolls to follow feisty point guards, like Kemba Walker, without losing too much ground. Lacking some height underneath the basket – it's particularly hard for a “young” basketball nation like Japan to develop skilled big men, and that's why naturalized Nick Fazekas plays such a huge role in boosting Japan's chances in the paint – Japan will likely have some trouble in dealing with Turkey's size (they will bring Ersan Ilyasova and Semih Erden, among others, in their roster) and to contain the stars of the Czech Republic. 

The dynamic duo of Hachimura and Watanabe, though, could prove to be lethal if they succeed in pushing the pace in fast breaks, tearing the defence up with drives to the basket or serving Makoto Hiejima on the perimeter, the team's best sharpshooter. Both Hachimura and Watanabe have achieved their overseas accolades thanks in part to their ability to cover the floor with just a few powerful strides, a skill that sometimes European wings lack. It will be intriguing to see if coach Lamas decides to gamble with a small ball lineup, trying to hide the weaknesses of a team that still has so much room to grow. If during the process Japan would happen to draw an ace from the deck, like a stronger-than-expected showing from Yudai Baba, things could become electrifying indeed.

STORIES

How would it be like to be in Rui Hachimura's shoes? During a three-year span he went from playing in the school championship final to hear his name being called by NBA commissioner Adam Silver, on Draft night – selected with the ninth overall pick by the Washington Wizards. Between all that, a great educational experience at Gonzaga, a program that has a keen eye for international players. The first challenge was learning to speak English; after that, on a seemingly downhill ride, Hachimura became the leader of the 2019 March Madness's team, showing impressive improvements in his skillset. 

His physical gifts, inherited by his Benin-born father, had always been there to be seen. Quick feet, despite being 203 centimetres (just under six feet, eight inches) tall, broad shoulders, a powerful and agile leaper, great instincts and discipline on defence. In recent years Hachimura has honed a basic but effective offensive game, that is quickly evolving beyond the three point line – if he'll keep expanding his range, the NBA will start to look at him as something more than a lockdown defender.

But there's more than Hachimura: it seems like the whole Japanese basketball scene is leaning towards the United States. Yuta Watanabe was one year ahead of Hachimura, playing first for the George Washington Colonials in the NCAA and then earning a contract with the Memphis Grizzlies, with whom he suited up for a few games this season – spending the rest of the year with Memphis' G-League affiliate. 

Yuta Watanabe FIBA Japan

Last month, Yudai Baba and Makoto Hiejima boarded a flight for the United States too, being invited for a Summer League roster spot, a huge chance to impress scouts from all over the world. It's very likely they received some advice from Nick Fazekas, who's an American by birthright but decided to become a Japanese citizen; he still plays for the Kanagawa Brave Thunders after he moved there in 2012, winning titles and MVP trophies along the way.

It seems like Yuta Tabuse wasn't just a one-hit-wonder, after all. He was the first Japanese-born player to debut in the NBA, playing for the Phoenix Suns back in 2004, but maybe it took other Japanese players some time to fully realize where his example could lead them, starting by rekindling their passion for the game. Tabuse's rightful heir, point guard Yuki Togashi, is nursing a hand injury and won't be able to join his national team in China; Yudai Baba, though, claims to be eager to step up in his absence. “We're ready to compete with the world”, he said, and his excitement mirrors the very meaning of “Akatsuki Five”, the nickname that Japanese fans love to use for their basketball national team. 

It roughly means “the five of the dawn”, and there's indeed a new sun rising on Japanese basketball. Up until now, Japan's biggest contribution to the sport had probably been Slam Dunk, the world-famous manga by Takehiko Inoue, but now Hachimura and his teammates are looking to write a story of their own. Hachimura's name, by the way, is already etched in the record books: he is the first Japanese player to be selected as an NBA lottery pick, and he will try to also become the first Japanese player to lead his national team beyond the first stage of a FIBA Basketball World Cup. 

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