Scouting Report: Hong Kong

Qualification: Placed fourth in the 2013 EABA Tournament, beating Mongolia, but losing to China, South Korea, and Japan.

Last FIBA Asia Appearance: 2007 – 3 wins & 4 losses – Beat Syria, UAE, and Kuwait, but lost to Taiwan, South Korea, China, and Indonesia.

Roster:

Name, Age, Height, Position

Lee Ki, 26, 5’10″, Guard

Duncan Reid, 24, 6’9″, Center

Lam Man Chun, 26, 6’1″, Guard/Forward

Lau Tsz Lai, 23, 6’1″, Guard

Li Kim Wong, 29, 6’1″, Guard

Chan Siu Wing, 21, 5’11″, Guard

Lau Tung Leung, 25, 6’10″, Center

Chan Yik Lun, 26, 6’3″, Forward

Fong Shing Yee, 30, 6’3″, Forward

Wong Chun Wai, 28, 6’5″, Forward

Szeto Wai Kit, 26, 6’5″, Center/Forward

Key Players:

1. Duncan Reid – The half-Canadian big man wasn’t able to really put up big numbers in the 2013 EABA tournament, but he will still see a lot of burn when Hong Kong takes on Japan and Qatar in Group B. He’ll probably get his behind handed to him by JR Sakuragi and Yasseen Ismail Musa, but the important thing is he will gain valuable experience for Hong Kong’s future wars. What he really needs to work on, however, is his footwork and timing on the boards.

2. Lee Ki – When Lee Ki shoots the basketball, you can be forgiven for mistaking him for a Korean. Lights out. That’s what he is. In HKG’s first two games in the 2013 EABA tournament, Lee hit 4 triples against the mainland Chinese and duplicated that feat against Mongolia. Without top gunners Poon Chi Ho, Lo Yi Ting, and Liang Man Hung, coach Kwong Wai Cheung will really have to rely on Lee to spark the perimeter game of the Hong Kongers (yes, that’s their demonym).

Point of Interest:

Welcome back – In their last FIBA Asia tourney, which was held in Tokushima, Japan way back in 2007, Hong Kong had a respectable 3-4 slate, with impressive wins over Michael Madanly’s Syria, the UAE, and Kuwait. With a host of new and young players in the lineup, HKG is certainly not looking to snare Ws this year, but they want to just build up for the next few years when the FIBA Asia format undergoes a total overhaul.

Tournament Outlook: The Hong Kongers will be hard-pressed to match their previous FIBA Asia tournament record as they will be severe underdogs in their first five games. I expect them to go 0-5 after two rounds and have a tough time even against the Saudis. In short, the cellar welcomes back Team Hong Kong. – Rappler.com