Danang Dragons show Achilles' heel at VBA Premier Bubble Games
Thursday, October 21, 2021, 14:46 GMT+7
Despite impressive victories over Cantho Catfish and the Vietnamese national basketball team, Danang Dragons are starting to expose weaknesses other teams may look to exploit as the VBA Premier Bubble Games - Brought to you by NovaWorld Phan Thiet moves deeper into its season.
A strong start to the season
Danang Dragons are off to a strong start this season, chalking up wins against both Vietnam’s national basketball team and former VBA champions Cantho Catfish.
In their game against the Vietnamese national team, Vietnamese-born defender Michael Soy sank seven out of 12 three-point attempts and a total of 28 points for the game.
Meanwhile, against Cantho Catfish, import player Akeem Scott stood out with 35 points and eight assists, helping Danang Dragons mark a 90-87 victory.
Scott and Soy, as well as local players To Quang Trung and Trieu Han Minh, have been critical to the Dragons’ stellar performance this season and made the team a formidable opponent to anyone unlucky enough to be on their schedule.
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| A player of Danang Dragons is injured. Photo: VBA |
The Achilles' heel
Despite his strong squad, coach Phan Thanh Canh has not dug past the first five players in his roster so far this season.
Against Cantho Catfish, Scott, Soy, Christopher Carter, Minh, and Trung played nearly all 48 minutes and scored 100 percent of the team’s total points.
Vo Thai Cuong and Mai Phuoc Thinh made it on to the court for less than seven minutes and took no shots.
The situation repeated itself against the national team when Scott, Soy, Carter, Minh, and Trung scored 92 of the team’s 97 points.
A win is a win, but fans of the Dragons are beginning to worry about what will happen if one of the team’s five core players is injured and coach Canh is forced to look to an untried replacement for support – a situation which may likely come to fruition as upcoming opponents shift their strategies toward wearing down Danang’s main players or forcing them off the court with personal fouls.
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| Mai Phuoc Thinh (R) of Danang Dragons. Photo: VBA |
Secret weapon
Defender Nguyen Van Hung, 1.9 meters tall, has not seen any playing time this season, but could play an integral role in relieving pressure from his team’s core players in the future.
While signed to Thang Long Warriors in 2017, Nguyen Van Hung and teammate To Quang Trung were a dynamic duo that helped lead their team to the VBA championships.
If this season turns into a repeat of last year, with injuries plaguing the Dragons’ roster, the team will likely look to Hung and young members of the team, including Hoai Bao, Quang Sang, Thai Cuong, and Anh Minh to pick up the slack.
Danang Dragons score breathtaking victory over Cantho Catfish
Game 10 of the VBA Premier Bubble Games - Brought to you by NovaWorld Phan Thiet was a back-and-forth match between Danang Dragons and Cantho Catfish.
Both teams started off the game with strong attacks, but going into the third quarter Cantho Catfish appeared poised for a victory.
Danang Dragons turned it around in the fourth quarter when Trieu Han Minh shattered all hopes for a triumph from the Can Tho-based team with two successful free throw attempts, helping his team pull out a narrow 90-87 win.
Danang’s Scott was named MVP thanks to his 35 points and eight assists.
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