Two games where one side's structure is intact and the other's isn't quite what the name suggests. At La Bombonera, Boca have a rested first-choice side and no midweek game, against a Unión team that has struggled to create chances away from home. In Busan, the KBL opener pits a KCC side that lost the two forwards who won them last season's title against an LG side that kept its system and coach together.
Boca (Friday 21:30 in Argentina, 09:30 KST Saturday) are on a 15-game unbeaten run in all competitions, and their Sudamericana semi against Vasco is still two weeks away. They last played on 28 Sep, so there's no reason to rotate. The previews have Paredes, Ascacibar and Milton Delgado together in midfield. At home Boca have been hard to break down: three home wins in their last ten games with one goal conceded, and all four of their draws in that stretch came on the road.
Unión come in after two straight defeats that broke a three-game winning run. Away from Santa Fe they've been thin going forward: about 0.8 expected goals at Talleres while giving up more than two, and under 0.2 at San Lorenzo. They have conceded in every one of their last ten games.
The KBL season opens at Sajik at 14:00 KST. KCC are the defending champions, but Song Kyo-chang has moved to Osaka Evessa in Japan and Choi Jun-yong has left to try the NBA. KCC also haven't signed an Asian-quota player yet. The Heo brothers and Shawn Long are still there and Lewis King is new, but the wing depth that carried the title run is gone.
The preseason cup told a similar story. KCC lost both of their home games: 82-88 to LG and 67-80 to KoGas.
LG are the opposite case. Asem Marei is still anchoring the paint, coach Cho Sang-hyun's defence is intact, and new import Archie Goodwin had 18 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists against KCC in that cup game. These two have met ten times recently, and LG won nine of them under the same two coaches. The price on this one still reads like home court and the champions' label, not the roster KCC actually have now.
