CYC Pre-NACBAIT 2004
April 25, 2004
The 2004 pre-NACBAIT
was the next challenge for the young Bullets.
On the court and off, difficulties and problems had to be overcome
if the Bullets were going to be successful in this year's tournament. The first challenge was the absence of key Bullets members Steve
Lee, Brian Edwards and Billy Kim, as well as the pinky injury to Brian Tran.
In response, the team had last minute additions of Chol Kim, and Jun
Park, along with stalwarts Joe Kim, Seung Lee, Boo Kim, Brian Tran, Krizzio
Washington, Scott Yun, Dennis Kim and Alex Yun.
The second major problem was the inability to get into the top division
of the tournament; a late registration meant that the progression to the top
would be delayed. This led to early overconfidence, which always
proves to be the Bullets worst enemy.
The first game, at an untenable 8am
start time, pitted the Bullets versus Philly Old School, and their venerable
leader and Bullets hall of famer, Benjamin Jung. Ben's team was in shambles from the 8am start time, and with 6 players
they played with heart and spirit befitting their coach, but fell short, as
the talent of the Bullets was able to overcome, highlighted by Boo Kim's backboard
alley oop pass to Krizzio Washington. The
game also featured Chol Kim’s first Bullets’ appearance, where he went off
for 9 quick points, and the team won by 14 points in the groggy opener.
The next game was versus MD All-Stars,
that veteran Bullets members were familiar with. The hustle, effort and consistent midrange
of the All-stars, combined with no defense from the Bullets made the game
close throughout. The Bullets displayed
their penchant for spectacular offensive plays necessitated by zero ball movement,
combined with lackluster, effortless defense and through talent alone, came
away with an 8 point win.
The third and final pool play game
was versus the Pittsburgh Pandas, who have noticeable grey uniforms with an
actual picture of a panda on their jersey.
The team was hyped for the game, played at the much smaller gym of
Pearson center and plastic backboards. A
rules change from the commissioner said that slapping the backboard would
result in a technical foul. This rule
proved crucial, as lazy offense, bad defense and a motivated pandas team built
a small lead and held it throughout. The
small court took away the Bullets' fast break, and a crucial 6 point swing
on a questionable backboard slap call did the Bullets in, in embarrassing
fashion, with a 4 point loss. The
Bullets were brought down to earth, as a team with a picture of a cute ursine
creature on their jersey defeated them. The
bad habits finally came back to haunt the team, as the Bullets suffered their
first loss since the 2003 pre-nacbait.
Due to some good fortune, the Bullets
were able to get the #2 seed and got a long break where the team retreated
for a badly needed nap, and came back, humbled and refreshed for the semifinal,
versus NY Agents, in a real gym. The
Agents were basically a one-man show, with their Asian version of Dana Barros.
Unfortunately for them, the Bullets had the show stopper Joe Kim, who,
despite uncharacteristic offensive struggles, was still a crucial presence
on the floor, especially on the defensive end, locking the opposing star down. The team also got another huge lift, with Brian Tran's decision
to play despite doctor’s orders; his defense and inspired play were essential,
and its hard to imagine winning the championship without him. The team played together, with crisp ball movement,
inspired defense and heady play to win in a 20-point blowout. Alex Yun got on the board with 2 points, and
Jun Park scored his first points with the Bullets. Congratulations Jun.
The final was against NY Crossbearers,
an organized team with one star, an Asian version of Andrei Kirilenko.
Joe Kim, Brian Tran and eventually Krizzio went to work on shutting
him down, though defensive and mental lapses allowed the Crossbearers offense
to function. Offensively, Tournament MVP Krizzio scored
basket after basket, hitting jumpers from all over the floor, and the game
was close throughout. The Bullets
trailed by one point with 44 seconds remaining when Krizzio hit the eventual
game winner, then hit two clutch free throws with 12 seconds left. The Crossbearers final try hit the side of
the backboard, and the Bullets had their second straight tournament victory,
in a game won with defense and team work, 30-27.
The team came away with a satisfying victory, yet knowing that bigger challenges lie ahead. The team’s talent is clear, but the true question remains: will the Bullets ever be able to truly harness this ability and ascend to the top of Asian basketball? Only hard work, dedication, selflessness and time will tell the story.