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Jalen Williams following the Thunder's NBA Cup quarterfinal win vs. the Suns: "Winning is never boring. There was a time when some players on our team were getting blown out. I'm not going to name names, but we lost by 70. I think some guys have it in the...

280,453 views • 8 months ago •via X (Twitter)

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Full conference interview by Yuki Ishikawa, back to Japan (2/2) -Normally, after the end of the national team season, Ishikawa returns to Italy and plays in the Italian league, but this year he'll be back in Japan next month, this time wearing the club's uniform and competing in front of Japanese fans. With that in mind, how committed will you be to improving yourself this time? Yuki: I'll return to Italy first to get back in shape. Since I'm leaving early this time, I have some time, so I think I'll be in good shape. I think I'll be able to show a different side of myself than I do with the national team, so first of all, since my national team season is over, I'll prepare hard for my experience with Perugia in Italy. -This tournament isn't just for Japan, but also for Brazil, who lost to Serbia today. It seems like there were a lot of surprises in this tournament. What do you feel while playing? Yuki: It's different than usual and it's about the power of the world. This time, Bulgaria beat Germany and Slovenia, Belgium beat Italy, Serbia beat Brazil, and Finland beat France. -What do you mean? Yuki: I think the rankings are just numbers. On the other hand, why do lower-ranked teams win? Personally, I think it's the same for Finland, Bulgaria, Belgium, and I think it's the same for Serbia, but when you look at overseas teams, like Italy, Poland, and Portugal, they're mostly made up of players who are active in Poland and Italy. I have the feeling that the matches are in the preparation stage, so I think the players who play abroad, and especially the key players among them, really show their strength when the national teams of each country meet to play. For Turkey, Mandiraci, who played well in our match, plays for Piacenza, and his opponent, Lagumdžija, plays for Lube. Looking at these, you can see that there are many players who have steadily improved their skills abroad. The players who compete abroad are very strong, and I had the feeling they were the cornerstone of the team. -So, what's the big difference? Yuki: In Italy, players of different nationalities compete, and in Poland, players of different nationalities compete too. So, if you look at it from that perspective, well, at this stage it's just me and Otsuka, so I feel like there's a slight difference. -Looking back at the WCH results, what do you think were the determining factors? Yuki: As for the matches we lost, I think we weren't able to play our style of volleyball. As for not being able to play well, I think, in practice and in the freshmen matches, there were many things that didn't go well, and for that reason there were concerns, and I think we weren't able to give our best. Also, I think mental preparation is necessary to play well in important matches like these, and I think that's the most important thing, both for the team and for individuals. I think I haven't reached that point yet, yes. -You mentioned some concerns, but what was your biggest concern? Y: Even though we won two matches against Bulgaria, in terms of content, it wasn't a very good match in some ways. I wouldn't say we played 100% as usual, and against Italy we played a good match, but I wouldn't say we played 100% of our volleyball. So, I think from that point on, we lost sight of what we needed to do. -Miyaura was a starter, and I think you've played a lot this season, but what kind of season has it been for you? Yuki: As for this WCH, I was really disappointed with the result, and as for my performance, it's not that I'm disappointed, but I felt like I wasn't able to give my best. I have no choice but to look forward, so I think I need to build on this experience. I played every VNL match, and there were some things that went well, so I'll use them to boost my confidence. As for the things I didn't do well, or the areas that need improvement, I'd like to continue improving next season in preparation for the national team.

joey, in hiatus 📴

26,604 views • 10 months ago