How did the free agent contracts spend this season?
With the final match on the 29th, the 2022-2023 SKT Adot Professional Basketball regular league schedule has all been completed.
One of the issues that has ignited even more this season is the behavior of players who were evaluated as great players in the FA market held last year. In the free agent market last year, when the phrase ‘the greatest market ever’ came out, Lee Jung-hyun, Kim Seon-hyung, Doo Kyung-min, Jeon Seong-hyun, Lee Seung-hyun, and Heo Woong were selected as the Big 6.
Amidst the attention of many fans, KCC caught Lee Seung-hyun and Heo Woong side by side. Jeon Seong-hyeon as Carrot, Lee Jung-hyeon made a new nest at Samsung, and Doo Kyung-min made a comeback with his parent team, DB. Kim Seon-hyeong, the only member of the original club, signed a contract for a total of 800 million won and became the highest-paid player in KBL.
Then, how did the Big 6, which signed free agency contracts, look this season?
The player who stood out the most at the beginning of the season was Jeon Seong-hyun. Jeon Seong-hyun, who has risen from a shooter to an ace who leads the team, led Carrot, who was considered weak, to a blast. He also summoned senior shooters one after another in the process of achieving a record of 76 successful three-point shots in a row.
Although the momentum slowed down a bit towards the end of the season, Carrot’s performance cannot be discussed without mentioning Seong-Hyun Jeon. Led by Seong-Hyun Jeon, who recorded an average of 17.6 points, Carrot left a strong impression with a new basketball centered on the 3-point shot.
Kim Seon-hyung showed the dignity of the highest paid player by holding on steadfastly even though many variables occurred in the squad, such as injuries to key players and Ahn Young-jun’s enlistment in the military. He has become closer to a complete player as he has the athletic ability that is not easily pushed by anyone, as well as the wide perspective that comes from experience.
Like Benjamin Button, Kim Seon-hyung, whose time seemed to go backwards, had a career-high season with an average of 16.3 points and 6.8 assists. He also had the honor of ranking first in assists for the first time since his debut. Thanks to Seonhyung Kim’s performance, SK broke away from the sluggishness at the beginning of the season and finished the regular season with an excellent record of 36 wins and 18 losses.
Heo Woong, the most popular KBL star, posted an average of 15.7 points and 4.3 assists in his first season after moving to KCC, proving that the step-up last season was no coincidence. Although there was a period of absence due to an ankle injury at the end of the season, Heo Woong still played a significant role in KCC’s offense.
Lee Seung-Hyun got off to a bad start in the aftermath of the surgery he received during the off-season, but as time passed, he regained his boss tiger. Lee Seung-hyun, who is more dedicated than anyone else on the court, became the center of the team’s defense at KCC, and he led the team to the semifinals with his fighting spirit. 안전놀이터
Doo Kyung-min, who returned to Wonju, poured out an average of 14.6 points and showed off his appearance as a guard from the regular league MVP. But injuries were a problem. Doo Kyung-min, who underwent off-season knee surgery, was absent due to frequent injuries throughout the season, and only played 25 games, leaving a deep regret.
Lee Jung-hyun, who joined the lowest-ranking Samsung last season, played in all games and continued to show the appearance of a diamond. However, it was disappointing that his efficiency dropped significantly compared to his prime, such as a field goal rate in the early 30% range. Samsung, the affiliated team, also finished the regular league at the bottom for two consecutive years amid various bad news.
Other than the Big 6, FA contracts that stood out include Chang-Young Jeong, Seung-Wook Choi, Byung-Jun Bae, and Joon-Won Jung.
Jeong Chang-young maintained the center well as a captain while KCC was shaking and contributed to advancing to the semifinals. Choi Seung-wook emerged as the core of the DB forward team, which was considered a weakness, and created a career-high season. Bae Byung-Jun and Jeong Jun-Won became the hidden contributors to KGC’s wire-to-wire victory with their Altoran-like performance.