It was the Final Four, where Williams and Warney's fantastic chemistry shone through.
Seoul SK advanced to the finals by beating Anyang Cheongjang 94-79 in the first round of the 2023-2024 EASL Final Four at Hoop Dome in Cebu, the Philippines on the 8th.
SK has emerged as a strong contender this offseason, recruiting Oh Se-geun (200 cm, C). However, Oh has not easily adapted to his team. On top of that, Kim Sun-hyung (187 cm, G) has also been injured. Ahn Young-joon (196 cm, F) and Heo Il-young (196 cm, F) have also missed the season due to injuries.
Nevertheless, SK did not falter easily. In the regular season, they recorded 28 wins and 18 losses, and continue to fight for the top spot. Also, in the EASL, they made it to the Final Four.
SK was able to achieve this feat thanks to Jamil Warney (200cm·C) showing strong performance this season. Warney dominated the net by targeting the best East Asian players not only in the KBL but also in the EASL.
However, the biggest difference between KBL and EASL is that two foreign players can play together. This means that they have to play with Warney and Leon Williams (198 cm tall, F).
Williams is a player who, while not glamorous, quietly performs his part. He still spends an average of nine minutes this season, but he gave Warney a break by grabbing 2.8 rebounds per game.
Also in the EASL, where he played with Warney, he was in charge of both outer and under-the-basket defense. At the same time, it helped to keep a gap between Warney so he could use more space.
The same was true for the Final Four. Chung also hired two foreign players who enjoyed shooting from the outside at the same time. Williams' outside defense skills were needed to control this. Williams actively moved and played this role. In addition, he showed off his strengths, including rebounds. He set the tone for his team by grabbing 11 rebounds in the first half alone. Adding Warney's offense and Williams' defense, SK took a 45-40 lead.
Williams, who is a veteran and hasn't played many games, played all 20 minutes in the first half. He was a great help to his team with his outstanding performance as well as playing time. However, he physically cannot play all 40 minutes. So, Williams got some rest in the third quarter.
When Williams did not play, Choi Boo-kyung (202 cm, F) firmly defended the goal and SK ended the third quarter with a 67-58 lead.
The score difference is not that big. SK wanted a complete victory. Williams returned to the court, too. He grabbed the rebound and also scored in the middle range. He helped his team in a variety of ways. It was not flashy. However, he came under pressure from Warnie, playing 36 minutes, scoring 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Playing with Williams, Warney dominated the game. He was a major contributor to the victory, scoring 36 points and 16 rebounds. After the game, Warney said: "Playing with Leon is a lot of fun. He always takes the pressure off me for rebounds. I think it's because Leon was a player who was confident in rebounds. "He was able to have an interesting game with a good partner," he said about Leon's influence on the game.
Williams is quiet, if not flashy. And this is the combination of Warney, who has the strongest scoring ability. This is what drove SK to reach the EASL final.토토사이트웹