Head coach Cho Dong-hyun talks about the newest addition to the team, Aluma.

The Ulsan Hyundai Mobis have been a powerhouse in the KBL in the past. They have won seven regular season titles and seven championships. Both are league records.

However, in recent years, they have failed to make it to the top four playoffs. With their sights set on the heights, Hyundai Mobis signed Kebe Aluma (206 cm, F) in the offseason.

Aluma is a different kind of player than their other foreign player, Gage Prim (205 cm, C). Prim averaged 18.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 27 minutes last season. While he was a force under the basket, his outside game was somewhat lacking. He attempted just 0.2 three-pointers per game, shooting just 30%.

Aluma, on the other hand, is a great outside scorer. He’s also an excellent passer with the ability to find his teammates. Aluma arrived in Korea on June 6 and has been working out with the Hyundai Mobis players.

Hyundai Mobis head coach Cho Dong-hyun said, “In college, Aluma was a three. But in Japan, he was more like a No. 4. He was thinner in the past. But the way I want him to be is the way he was in Japan. I want him to play like a No. 4,” he said of Aluma.

“Aluma is a player who knows how to play basketball. He’s not in great shape yet, but he tries to find his teammates and can play outside. He can drive to the basket and shoot from long range.”

There was a downside. As Cho said, Aluma has played a lot of minutes as a forward, not a big man. He can defend the perimeter, but there are questions about his perimeter defense.토토사이트

“He’s not very strong,” Cho said. So I’m worried about his perimeter defense. But we have a lot of big men with good perimeter defense. We just need to play with them. (Jang) Jae-seok and (Kim) Jun-il know that. There will be times when a Korean player on our team will block a foreign player. And vice versa, there will be times when the opponent’s domestic player will block Aluma.”

“If he plays with (Choi) Jin-soo, the spacing will be really good. Conversely, a ‘triple tower’ with Aluma watching the forwards is also possible. He’s a versatile and good player, so we’ll have a lot of different combinations,” Cho said, foreshadowing Aluma’s versatility.

“Prim is still young and can play a lot. So can Aluma. It will be important to control their playing time. It will depend on the situation and physical condition.”

Hyundai Mobis is led by Jang Jae-seok (204 cm, C), Ham Ji-hoon (198 cm, F), and Kim Jun-il (201 cm, C), and also has Shin Min-seok (197 cm, F) and Choi Jin-soo (203 cm, F). Add Aluma to the mix, and Hyundai Mobis has a diverse lineup of big men to choose from. That’s why we’re looking forward to next season.