With the first round of the 2023-2024 Jeonggwanjang Professional Basketball League underway, the hottest team is undoubtedly Wonju DB. While Busan KCC (2-2), the preseason favorite, has faltered, top contenders Seoul SK (3-3) and Suwon KT (3-3) have also been quiet so far. Of course, these three teams are not at full strength.

That’s why we’ll have to wait to see what they’re really made of until they get stronger reinforcements. Changwon LG and Ulsan Hyundai Mobis, led by the twin coaches Cho Sang-hyun and Cho Dong-hyun, are tied for second place (4-3) with Anyang Jeong, but they don’t have a high win percentage. There is not much separating the second-place team from the last-place Daegu KOGAS, so there is enough room for the standings to fluctuate depending on the team’s winning streak.

In this situation, DB has been uncharacteristically flat. They have won all seven games they have played this season and are undefeated. It’s still early in the season, but the rise of DB, which was initially rated as a mid-tier team, is more than an upset, it’s a rebellion. 보스토토

DB’s seven-game winning streak to start the season is only the fifth in six years (including two eight-game winning streaks) since Seoul SK in 2017-18. For DB itself, it was the first time in 4394 days since the 2011-12 season when it won eight straight games. The phrase “Wonju’s acidity has been restored” has been bandied about among fans, but even so, basketball-mad Wonju fans are thrilled.

“The leadership of new coach Kim Joo-sung, the solid organization, and the good atmosphere of the team, DB is currently showing all the elements of a good team. When a team is on a winning streak, it’s important to keep it going, and in the case of DB, the momentum is definitely on their side. If they maintain their current strength without any unexpected events such as injuries, they are expected to show a power that is not at all inferior to the teams that were called the favorites before the season.”

SPOTV commentator Lee Sang-yoon is also noting DB’s unstoppable rise. He, too, is surprised by the team’s solid performance, which is embarrassing for a team that was initially expected to be a dark horse. When asked by a reporter what DB has changed the most, Lee first pointed to first-option foreign player Dedrick Lawson (26‧201cm).

“It’s not just me, but Lawson has been getting a lot of attention lately as DBs are getting better. As many of you know, he first debuted in the Korean League as a second-option foreign player with Orion, so he didn’t have a lot of playing time. I don’t think his shooting was as good as it is now, but his passing was really good from the beginning, and he had a good reputation among other team officials because he looked out for his teammates’ chances and played selflessly.”

As Lee says, Lawson is a two-option player, but he works with his teammates.