Holding the "sole top spot," yet "We are absolutely not a powerhouse team"... Head coach Kim Sang-sik: "We must always maintain a sense of crisis" [Jamsil on-site]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Head coach Kim Sang-sik of Seoul Samsung, who is currently running away with the sole top spot in the standings, expressed his determination to secure a victory against Suwon KT while thoroughly maintaining a sense of crisis, after shaking off the regret of a recent comeback loss.

Samsung and KT faced each other at 7 p.m. on the 9th at Seoul Jamsil Student Gymnasium in Round 2 of the 2026~2027 KCC Pro Basketball regular season.

Samsung, which had remained in last place for five consecutive seasons, has firmly secured its position as the sole leader with a record of 10 wins and 2 losses since Head coach Kim Sang-sik took over, achieving the first-ever perfect record in Round 1 in KBL history. In their first matchup in Round 1, they had also defeated KT 81-76, signaling the start of a nine-game winning streak.

However, their winning streak was briefly interrupted by a painful comeback loss in their most recent game against Wonju DB. Speaking to reporters before the game, Head coach Kim Sang-sik said, "It feels like not just me, but the players were running around until the game ended." He added, "We should have played our usual style, but we were pushed around by the opponent. Since it was a comeback loss after we were winning, rather than simply losing, we must definitely fill in our shortcomings."

He continued, "Samsung is absolutely not a perfect powerhouse team that can keep winning indefinitely. We have held up well so far, but since we do not know when things might fall apart, I always urge the players not to let down their guard against the sense of crisis until the very end," emphasizing, "We are most wary of the fact that we could be overturned in an instant."

Regarding the fact that Samsung landed at the 7th pick in the lottery for the 2026 KBL Rookie Draft held that afternoon, he expressed both regret and anticipation. Head coach Kim smiled and said, "This time, we were unable to strengthen our roster with a lottery pick." He then added, "I had secretly been hoping while watching the lottery with the coaches. Since we had not been able to reinforce the team early on, I wanted to fill that gap through the draft, but it was unfortunate. Nevertheless, we will carefully analyze the situation with the scouting team and coaching staff to select a good player who best fits our team at our pick."

Regarding the necessary positions, he stated, "Samsung needs players in all positions, whether center, forward, or guard," adding, "We will not limit ourselves to specific positions but will draft resources that perfectly fit the team."

He also revealed a tailored defensive strategy against the 2nd-on-2 attacks of KT's foreign duo, Paris Bass and Trae Porter, as KT has recently won three consecutive games to even their record at 6 wins and 6 losses.

Head coach Kim said, "We have thoroughly prepared not only for the connection between the two players but also for lob passes that come out of 2-on-2 games involving Kang Sung-wook." He resolved, "The current KT is a completely different team from when we met in their first game in Round 1. Their performance has improved significantly, and their 2-on-2 play is extremely powerful. Since we have prepared various defensive tactics, we will respond appropriately according to the game situation."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original