[Suwon on-site] What does age have to do with leading… Coach Moon Kyung-un offers realistic advice to second-year guard Kang Sung-wook: "Four players move at the snap of one of your fingers"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

What Suwon KT head coach Moon Kyung-un emphasized for second-year pro guard Kang Sung-wook was not simple statistics, but a sense of responsibility as the "true number one."

KT lost 80-96 to Ulsan Hyundai Mobis in a home game at the Suwon KT Sonicboom Arena on the 18th in the 2026~2027 KCC Pro Basketball League.

With this loss, KT fell into a three-game losing streak, bringing their record to 3 wins and 4 losses. Paris Bass scored 31 points, and Tray Porter recorded 15 points and 11 rebounds, but they could not prevent the team's defeat.

Still, there was a welcome sight. Kang Sung-wook, who had been somewhat sluggish early in the season, regained his vitality for once.

Kang played 26 minutes and 31 seconds, recording 12 points, 5 assists, and 2 steals. After the game, Coach Moon welcomed the performance, saying, "At least Sung-wook has returned with a lively demeanor."

Kang was one of the biggest gains KT discovered last season. In his first pro season, he appeared in 38 games, averaging 27 minutes and 19 seconds on the court, while recording 11.3 points, 4.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game.

He did not miss the opportunity that came suddenly, immediately establishing himself as a key guard resource for KT.

Coach Moon described the situation at the time as "lucky." With gaps in the guard rotation due to injuries such as Kim Sun-hyung's, Kang Sung-wook was essentially the only player who could fill those spots. Coach Moon evaluated that Kang properly responded to the sudden opportunity and had a good first season.

Recognized for his performance, he also made the roster for the Kang Seong-uk-eun (CEO) team. In the process of preparing for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, he was consistently called up to the national team and gained experience in international matches. Although he was not ultimately included in the Asian Games entry list, experiencing the national team and the international stage was certainly a valuable asset for a young player.

However, there were regrets from the perspective of his club team. Coach Moon frankly stated, "There may be pros and cons to going to the national team, but looking at it in hindsight, I think he should not have gone."

The reason was that ahead of his second pro year, he needed to refine his role and game management style with his club team starting from the off-season, but due to the national team schedule, he could not properly go through KT's training.

Coach Moon explained, "From the off-season, you need to feel 'this is what being a pro tastes like, this is my role,' but he went straight to the national team," adding, "We were unable to conduct proper training with him at the team even once."

In that situation, his second season began. As the head coach had worried, Kang's start was not as smooth as last season. Naturally, question marks followed regarding the "second-year jinx" and "growing pains."

However, Coach Moon's thinking was slightly different. He said, "Aren't growing pains the pain that comes after growth? I do not yet consider Kang Sung-wook to have grown."

That said, he did not overinterpret Kang's slump. Coach Moon stated, "I do not think he has fallen this much," adding, "He showed such a good form last season. Based on that, we just need to proceed step by step."

He continued, "Coincidentally, Miguel Ogun is doing well from the start. It would be good if Kang Sung-wook grows more until Kim Sun-hyung returns from injury, but I am not being greedy," showing his belief that "It is enough if he just delivers the performance he showed last season. As his career and experience accumulate, I think he will naturally grow."

When asked whether Kang was getting impatient, Coach Moon answered, "No, he is not."

Instead, he emphasized that Kang needs to work harder and study more.

In particular, Coach Moon believed that age cannot be used as an excuse for a point guard. He firmly stated, "You must show your game performance, but a guard cannot fail to lead just because they are young. The number one position is not resolved that way."

He then emphasized, "Even if you are young, once you enter the court, four players move at the snap of one of your fingers, and four players move with one of your words or plays," adding, "You must first gain belief and trust in that. Only then can you become a true point guard who knows how to lead."

This meant that simply scoring and racking up many assists does not make one a good point guard.

Conversely, even if individual statistics are somewhat lower, if one can properly lead the entire team on the court, they can be a significant strength.

While stating that "making outside shots well and providing many assists is also a basic ability for a guard," Coach Moon explained, "Leading means leading when it is time to lead, helping when it is time to help, pushing when it is time to push, and stopping when it is time to stop."

He then instructed that "Kang Sung-wook needs to become a bit more solid."

Fortunately, Kang showed signs of a turnaround in the game against Hyundai Mobis. Although the team lost, he recorded 12 points and 5 assists, regaining his lively demeanor for once.

The expected return time for veteran guard Kim Sun-hyung is around December. If Kang Sung-wook recovers the performance he showed last season by then and elevates the "leading ability" emphasized by Coach Moon to another level, he is projected to be a great strength for KT.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original