Dionte Burton (192 cm, F) focused on selfless play in practice matches with Goyang Sono.
Busan KCC had a practice match with Sono at the KCC Practice Gymnasium in Mabuk-dong, Yongin, Gyeonggi Province on Wednesday. The result was 91-88. KCC won.
However, the outcome was not that important. The process was important. Notably, Dionte Burton and Tyler Davis (208 cm, C) showed such performances. Both players have to lead KCC.
Davis, however, was unable to play. He had yet to overcome the symptoms of enteritis. So he had to play a practice game alone.
Burton, who was included in the starting lineup, joined Lee Seung-hyun (197cm, F). As Lee Seung-hyun blocked Alan Williams (204cm, C), Burton was able to focus on his attack. He mixed a breakthrough and a kick-out pass, against Jung Hee-jae (196cm, F), his own matchup. In summary, he found an empty shooter well after the breakthrough.
In addition, Burton did not display his natural explosive power from the beginning. He focused on selfless play, including defense rotation, passes, and ball-less movement. He tried to vitalize the capabilities of Korean players. Korean players, including Heo Woong (185 centimeters, G), gradually showed vitality, and KCC narrowed the gap with Sono to 23-27.
Burton stepped on the court in the second quarter as well. However, he stepped on the court with Choi Jun-yong (200cm, F)-Lee Seung-hyun. He could have eased the burden of defense. On the other hand, he could create synergy effect of attack. It was because the colors of the front court line diversified.
Burton also seemed to know the characteristics of players. However, he did not shy away from playing with Allen Williams or DJ Burns (204 cm, C). He seemed to believe in Lee Seung-hyun or Choi Jun-yong’s assistance.
In fact, he effectively blocked either Allen or Burns. He displayed rapid response speed, holding onto defense, and high jumps to complement defense under the basket. Sometimes, he narrowed down the attack radius of Lee Jung-hyun (187 cm, G), the main ball handler of Sono. Burton displayed more wide range of defense and diverse matchups.
Also, when domestic players got excited, Burton claimed to be the voice leader. The phrases “Let’s play” and “Next play” boosted the players’ concentration. Or the phrases “Keep aggressive” instilled confidence in his teammates.
However, there were cases where he resolved the matter by himself. Burton, who inherited pass from his teammates, wore a bunze and succeeded in his jumper. Fans who attended the practice match cheered for him. KCC, which was trailing 37-46, also finished the first half 45-50.
Burton played pass first in the third quarter as well. He hardly played one-on-one. However, he increased his contribution to defense. He put pressure on domestic players by performing high jumps and fast steps. Afterwards, he quickly approached the rim by joining the fastball (trailer). He thus reduced Allen’s physical stamina.
On the other hand, Burton’s athletic ability and energy level stood out in the second half as well. He contributed to KCC with his defensive rebounds, transitions to offense and defense, and ballless movements, which widened the gap with Sono to 66-58 just four minutes before the end of the third quarter.
Burton also blocked Allen one-on-one with one minute and 52 seconds left before the end of the third quarter. To Lee, who tried to block Allen, he said, “I will block him.” He tried to test his defense.
In the fourth quarter, Burton got close to the rim. He scored a second chance point after rebounding from the attack. Ball-less screens also enabled Lee Ho-hyun (182 cm, G) and Hur Woong’s spirits.
Heo Woong and Choi Jun-yong mostly won points. But when domestic players’ attacks slowed down, Burton broke his silence. He poured cold water on Sono with a mid-range jumper following his one-dribble. KCC, which finished the third quarter 72-71, ran 87-79 just three minutes before the game ended.
The Korean players tried to push Burton to the ball in the second half. However, Burton could not easily catch the ball. Even if he caught the ball, he faced several helpers in the center. So Burton had to pull the ball out of the national team, which had to finish off the attack.
Fortunately, Heo Woong fired a wedge plotter 11 seconds before the end of the game. KCC confirmed the victory, and Burton shared the joy of victory with the Korean players. It seemed that he focused on the value of “victory.” 토토사이트
