“It was a choice for the future 안전놀이터.”
Professional basketball’s Hyundai Mobis has been relatively quiet in the 2023 free agency (FA) market. While the free agent big fish were on the move, the team focused on grabbing internal free agents. They re-signed Ham Ji-hoon, Choi Jin-soo, and Kim Hyun-min. They also signed Kim Jun-il, 31, to a four-year, $450 million first-year contract.
The Hyundai Mobis big men include Ham Ji-hoon, Jang Jae-seok, and Kim Hyun-min. They also brought in Kim Jun-il. We need to organize traffic. Cho Dong-hyun (47), the head coach of Hyundai Mobis, emphasized that it was a choice for the future. Ham Ji-hoon, who has been playing for the Hyundai Mobis since 2007, is looking toward the future. He’s competitive, but he can’t play a lot of minutes. Kim Jun-il could be his replacement in the long run. Cho said, “(Ham) suffered from a back injury last season. He used to recover in a week, but now it takes more than a month.” “He said he couldn’t play the fifth game of the quarterfinals because of back pain. I told him that it could be his last game, so let’s do it. I took painkillers and played Game 5. After the game, I held my back.”
Kim entered the pro ranks in 2014 with the second overall pick. His offense was outstanding. But he also had his flaws. In 2021, he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon. After a long rehabilitation, he returned last season. Coach Cho Dong-hyun said, “I thought he was competitive enough after coming back from a major injury. I’m just going to look at the advantages and utilize them.”
He also considered the fact that there are no big men who stand out among university students. “We discussed it with the coaches. There are no outstanding big men among college students. Guards are currently being developed by the team. But big men are different. If Ji-hoon retires and we try to bring him back, we might not have the right players. It was a choice to prepare for the future.”
The effect of bringing in Kim Jun-il also extends to foreign players. Coach Cho Dong-hyun sees different styles of players. This is because they can utilize two Korean big men at the same time. “With Jun-il joining us, we have a lot more options. We can play with two Korean big men. We’re looking at foreign players, but we’re also looking at styles that can help the guards.”