In the B.League's second division, aka B2, four Eastern Conference teams have established themselves as top playoff contenders: Altiri Chiba (18-1 record through December 1), Toyama Grouses (14-5), Fukui Blowinds (14-5) and Shinshu Brave Warriors (13-6). At the same time, the Western Conference's Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka have emerged as B2's hottest team, riding an 11-game winning streak.
Fukuoka began the season with six defeats in its first eight games, but since an 81-62 road loss to the Bambitious Nara on October 26, head coach Honoo Hamaguchi's team has hit its stride.
The Rizing Zephyr (13-6) are in first place in the West. They are fourth in the 14-team B2 in scoring (84.0 points per game), fifth in rebounding (39.9) and sixth in assists (20.0). And they hold a one-game lead over the Kagoshima Rebnise (12-7) in the seven-team conference.
Several key players with vast experience in the B.League joined Fukuoka during the offseason, with general manager Satoshi Ishitani assembling a retooled roster for Hamaguchi, who was promoted from assistant coach to bench boss after the 2023-24 season. The Rizing Zephyr went 36-24 last season.
Among the newcomers, center Joshua Smith, 32, has been a tone-setting force for the club at both ends of the court. The Georgetown University alum is the team leader in scoring (19.9) and rebounding (11.2) nearly one-third of the way through the 60-game season. He suited up for the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins, a first-division club, in the 2023-24 campaign.
A week after Smith made 17 of 19 shots from the field in a two-game sweep of the visiting Aomori Wat's, Fukuoka returns to action on the road against the Yamagata Wyverns (8-11) on Saturday and Sunday, December 7 and 8.
Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka: A Lesson in Resilience
Before the Rizing Zephyr and the Wyverns tip off this weekend, Hamaguhi's comments on recent games, including his team's 94-80 triumph on Saturday, November 30, shine a light on its development in 19 games to date.
"In recent games, I feel that we have gained the ability to turn things around from difficult situations," Hamaguchi told reporters. "I believe this is due, above all, to the fact that our player lineup has solidified. Even when the starting members were struggling, the backup players were able to restore the flow of the game, and the team members were able to flexibly change according to the opponent's situation, which I feel led to our victories."
Added the former head coach of the Sendai 89ers, the Kyoto Hannaryz and the Grouses, "It is also significant that the players themselves have gained the ability to take advantage of limited timeout periods to quickly correct a bad flow. In addition to the fact that we have many veteran players, I feel that the players have come to understand each other much better, which has contributed to the team's growth."
Coming Together as a Cohesive Team
The essential building blocks for the Rizing Zephyr this season include veteran forward Justin Burrell, who joined the club after suiting up for the Shiga Lakes last season. Burrell, the MVP of the now-disbanded bj-league in the 2011-12 season, is a team-first player with strong all-around skills. He's averaging 13.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists.
Another important offseason pickup, guard Taichi Nakamura, 27, has thrived in B2 after competing in the top flight for the SeaHorses Mikawa over the past two seasons. Nakamura gives Fukuoka a scoring spark on the perimeter, knocking down 3-point shots with regularity (45.5%). What's more, he's averaging 12.8 ppg. Nakamura scored a season-high 26 points on November 2 against the Kobe Storks.
In addition to fellow newcomers Smith, Burrell and Nakamura, former Osaka Evessa small forward Takanobu Nishikawa is chipping in with a solid 7.1 points-per-game average, including a season-best 19-point effort with 6 of 7 from 3-point range versus the Veltex Shizuoka on November 16.
Randall Brings Energy and Experience to the Court
Enhancing the competitive fire of the Rizing Zephyr is versatile American playmaker Andrew "Scootie" Randall, whose basketball ties to Japan stretch back to 2013 when he made his debut for the Ryukyu Golden Kings. In the years since, he's been a key contributor for numerous teams during the bj-league and B.League eras.
Confident in his abilities, Randall made an immediate impact when he joined Fukuoka this fall. He had a 15-point debut on November 11 in the team's 12th game, and the Rizing Zephyr are 8-0 in the games he's played.
His consistent productivity (14.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists) off the bench has blended well with his new team's blueprint.
When the Temple University product signed with the Rizing Zephyr in early November, he said, "I can't wait to get to work with the staff and my teammates. The goal is to get better every day and ultimately by doing that we will accomplish great things."
Added Randall, "I have a lot of experience here in Japan so I'm looking to bring that to the team."
The same can be said about forward Ira Brown, a 42-year-old naturalized Japanese citizen who began the season with the Hiroshima Dragonflies before joining Fukuoka in mid-November.
Building for the Latter Stages of the Season
Although Fukuoka has made a big turnaround after its slow start, Nakamura insisted the team can't become satisfied with its play.
"Even though we are on a winning streak, we still have things to reflect on," he told reporters on November 30. "So I feel that we need to be more convincing to everyone and have the ability to execute the kind of basketball that the head coach is looking for. I hope that we can all work with a shared awareness that such [effort] will lead to winning in the playoffs."
Fukuoka is aiming to return to B1 for the first time since 2019.
RELATED:
- For Ryukyu Golden Kings, Masahiro Waki Proving to Be a Good Choice for Starting Lineup
- Utsunomiya Brex Extend Winning Streak to 10 Games in the B.League
Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login