BG, you have to know there is pressure when you take on the NT coach job.
Im not here to point fingers. Japan lost some close games. We played Austrialia close. We also played Macau close.
Every season at the beginning of NT, I would send out an email telling the manager what i think should be managed on each player.
It takes about an hour or so, but with in 24 hours, i have usually heard from most of the managers. These mail means that they are aware of the fact that the manager of the NT team is paying attention to the training.
When you see guys pop in what you requested, that means the manager is taking your request into consideration.
I think the miss here is a communcation miss. There are good japanese players out there. When a guy is ANY NT team, he is getting trained. Believe it. A little communication means he is being trained in a way to help the team.
As my guy is right now, he is suitable as a reserve pg/sg/sf against LI teams and could even be used as a starter/backup depending on gameshape/situation. With NT, the game to game management is even MORE critical with a small country like Japan.
When you know a LI is coming, you gotta makes those emails telling guys to train that inside D. When you know Run and Gun is coming, same for outside D. NT Japan is weak at Center, everybody knows that. But our personnel works in situations for Princeton, Patient, Inside/Outside Isolation etc. On your defense however, you dont know the tendencies of Japanese players.
No one wants Okita because he will shoot 35 times a game even with good players on the court with him.
In your defense, i say you need some time to really get a feel for the talent NT Japan has. Now, we dont have farm teams, but most NT players arent in Japan either.
My advice to you, reach out more. Anaylze where your best players are getting beat and ask their owners to address that.
Look at the players that are your reserves. Tell their managers what your plan is for them and how certain training could help reach their potential.
Somebody let me a hold a no. 2 pencil cause they testin' me.