Wonju DB Kim Bo-bae and Kim Si-rae. Provided by KBL
Professional basketball rookies selected in the 2024 draft are taking the court one by one. There is also a rookie who received a starting position as soon as he debuted due to the departure of the team’s ace player due to injury. Who will be the super rookie who will become a strong supporter for the tired team?
The 26 rookies selected in the draft on the 15th of last month can play starting from the 12th professional basketball game of the 2024-2025 season for each team. The first player to get a taste of the pros was DB center Kim Bo-bae (3rd pick in the first round). Kim Bo-bae was brought on in the 4th quarter of the game against Goyang Sono on the 28th of last month, 34 seconds before the end of the game. DB was ahead 86-74 thanks to Seo Min-soo’s consecutive scores. Chinanu Onuaku won the defensive rebound, and Kim Si-rae received the ball and broke through the fast break, but was blocked by Kim Jin-yu’s defense and fell. Kim Bo-bae, who was in the paint zone, received Kim Si-rae’s pass and penetrated the rim, scoring his first goal since his debut.
Goyang Sono Lee Geun-jun. Provided by KBL
Lee Geun-jun, a high school graduate wearing the Goyang Sono uniform as the second pick in the first round, made a brilliant debut in the game against Busan KCC on the 1st. Sono’s coach Kim Tae-sul, who lost 7 points in a row to KCC without scoring after the first quarter, boldly brought Geun-jun Lee into the game. Lee Geun-jun lived up to Coach Kim’s expectations by immediately hitting a corner 3-point shot. Geun-Jun Lee scored 16 points and 7 rebounds in this game, including 4 3-point shots. Even in a matchup with the opposing team’s ace Choi Jun-yong, he showed his unwavering spirit. It was the emergence of a rookie shooter like Sonoe Danbi, who was struggling in the absence of Lee Jeong-hyeon, the team’s leading scoring resource. Thanks to his performance in his debut game, Lee Geun-jun started as a top 5 starter in the game against Daegu Korea Gas Corporation on the 3rd.
Coach Kim said of Lee Geun-jun after the KCC game on the 1st, “His performance was so good that I thought there was no player with this level of shooting and power in the pros,” and “Compared to the senior players on the team, he was sufficiently competitive in the number 3 position.” there is. “I have hope that it will grow at a rapid pace,” he said.
Suwon KT Cho Hwan-hee (front). Provided by KBL
Suwon KT also brought out its rookie card. Guard Cho Hwan-hee, who debuted as the 9th pick in the first round, made his debut in the match against SK in Seoul on the 1st. Cho Hwan-hee was brought in early in the fourth quarter when KT was losing 48-77. Although it was virtually garbage time, Cho Hwan-hee showed his presence by recording 6 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal in 7 minutes and 59 seconds. Cho Hwan-hee, who scored 24 points in the D-League game against Seoul Samsung on the 21st of last month, is building up his stamina by playing 40 minutes full-time in the D-League.
KT’s main players, including Heo Hoon, Ha Yoon-ki, and Moon Jeong-hyeon, have all left due to injury, leaving their under-the-goal offense and backcourt defense weakened. We are in a situation where we need to fill our strengths with even new players. If he makes a mark before the key players return, Cho Hwan-hee can be given a definite role in the team.
