The Goyang Sono Sky Gunners announced on the 23rd that they signed a contract with center Janelle Stokes (30) who played in the NBA and CBA.
Sono suffered greatly last season due to foreign player issues. He couldn’t accompany Jarrod Jones and Anthony Bennett for a long time, and spent the entire season with a total of five foreign players. In the end, he ended the season alone due to Dahuan Summers’ injury.
As a result, Kim focused his efforts on selecting foreign players ahead of the upcoming season. He selected Allen Williams, who played for the Brooklyn Nets, as one option, while recruiting Janelle Stokes from her recent business trip to the U.S.
Based on his career history, Stokes is quite brilliant for a foreign player with two KBL options. He has experience sweeping the NBA G League regular season and final MVP, and was named the best defense player and All Star. He also had 22 points and 11 rebounds on average in all of the CBA leagues in China, where he played for three seasons.
However, there is a gap in practice as he leaves the professional stage for the film business at the end of the 2019-2020 season. It is a pretty good option if you can show your original skills, but the key is how far you can raise your physical condition.
Coach Kim Seung-ki is also aware of this. However, he had confidence in selecting players through interviews after going through testing in person in the U.S. As the team has two options, it is somewhat less burdensome than just one.
“I’m not free from worries, but I chose it based on my physical experience. I think I could have made a mistake like last year if I hadn’t seen my physical performance, but this year I went to the U.S. to see the athlete myself. If I exercise enough, I think I will be okay, if not in my prime,” Kim said in a telephone interview on Sunday.
“I talked to him and he said that there was a gap for the film production, but he always didn’t leave the basketball. He said that it wouldn’t be difficult to play basketball because he worked out steadily. I don’t think there will be a big problem, and I think everything that can come out of his two-option skills, if not his past appearance,” he added.
Sono has recruited many players through the free agency and transfer market, and filled the roster spot much stronger than before. Stokes, who is fit and weighs 201 centimeters to 115 kilograms, expects strength and defense to withstand inside. Among the KBL foreign players for the next season, there are many power-type players who have strength under the basket.
“He is a strong player. We expect strength and defense to hold on from within. He was physically strong. Rather than being a very good shot player, I thought it would be appropriate for our team to use strength from within, handle him well, and secure rebounds well. The team has been reinforced to the other side, but despite (Jung) Hee-jae on the inside, it is not easy and it is not an traditional center position alone. That’s why we picked both foreign players who have strength in inside.”
In addition, he said, “We have strengthened our position as No. 3 and considered that we are a little weak in areas that can hold us under the basket, so we picked both players. Stokes will do well inside, and I think we have a lot of strong foreign players like Kofi Coburn in defense. I think he will be able to hold on to those players’ defense.”
Although Stokes has no experience playing in the KBL, he is close to experienced players and is expected to help him adjust to the situation. He is close with Didrick Lawson, who worked with Kim in the past. In an interview with SONO, Stokes also mentioned that Lawson recommended him to go to Korea.
“It was (Didrick) Lawson’s neighborhood brother. (Laughs) (Jannell) Stokes’ brother is close to Lawson. Seeing him, he seemed to be very close to him,” Kim said with a smile.토토사이트 추천
During his business trip to the U.S., Kim reportedly met not only Stokes’ contract but also Alan Williams, who informed him of the contract first. There was a difference in the process from last season when he was looking for a foreign player later than other clubs.
“I went to the U.S. and met Alan Williams. The important thing is my knee, but he told me not to worry. I even watched him work out. This time, I met both of them and told them that I would pick one, and they actually did. The company and the general manager helped me, so I was able to meet and pick both of them. I met and talked to Williams and Stokes in person, and they have a very good personality. Everything I wanted came true,” Kim said, expressing his gratitude.