I wonder if the regular season MVPs ranked 1st and 2nd are indeed correct. They should return the MVP to Kahl Tamayo.

Seoul SK suffered a two-game losing streak at home against Changwon LG in the 2024-25 KCC professional basketball championship series. After a complete defeat of 66-75 in the first game, SK also lost the second game in a close match, 71-76.

Now the two teams will face off in games 3 and 4 in Changwon starting on the 9th. SK is at risk of finishing the season with four consecutive losses if they cannot rebound. LG is just two wins away from their first championship title.

Once a duo, now reduced to 'cat punch': Ahn Young-jun and Kim Sun-hyung

The biggest reason is the simultaneous slump of domestic player duo Ahn Young-jun and Kim Sun-hyung. The two players, who finished 1st and 2nd in the regular season MVP voting, have been thoroughly erased by Kahl Tamayo and Yang Jun-seok.

SK ranks 2nd with an average of 79.4 points in the regular season. However, in the championship series, they are limited to 68.5 points. This indicates that LG is performing well defensively. In particular, the slump of SK's duo Ahn Young-jun and Kim Sun-hyung is at a serious level.

Ahn Young-jun recorded an average of 14.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in the regular season, earning his first MVP award. His performance has halved in the playoffs. Ahn Young-jun averages 8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists.

In particular, his shooting touch is at its worst. Ahn Young-jun has a three-point shooting percentage of 23.3%, a field goal percentage of 30.2%, and a free throw percentage of 56.3%, with all records being low. The entire SK team is experiencing a severe shooting slump, with Ahn Young-jun at the center.

Signs began to show from the semifinals. Ahn Young-jun did not perform well except for scoring 18 points in the second game against KT. He recorded 3 points in the first game, 2 points in the third game, and 5 points in the fourth game. In the championship series, he has scored 11 points in the first game and 9 points in the second game.

That said, he has not handled the defense properly either. Ahn Young-jun's matchup with Moon Jung-hyun, primarily from KT, was better as Moon averaged 8.8 points and 6.8 rebounds. Ahn Young-jun scored only 7 points with a shooting percentage of 28.1%.

In the championship series, Jeong In-deok made key shots at crucial moments. Head coach Jeon Hee-cheol instructed Ahn Young-jun to defend against Kahl Tamayo as his critical strategy for the second game. Ahn Young-jun committed 3 fouls and had to sit out after just 3 minutes in the first quarter. He could not implement the strategy prepared by the coach and lost. Tamayo exploded for 24 points in the first game and 27 points in the second game, emerging as a strong MVP candidate.

Has 'Flash Sun' aged? Championship series three-point shooting percentage at 8.3%

Kim Sun-hyung's slump is also painful. Kim Sun-hyung has now become a 37-year-old veteran. He has a significant physical burden against Heo Hoon in the semifinals and Yang Jun-seok in the championship.

Since the third game against KT in the semifinals, Kim Sun-hyung's scoring ability has fallen sharply. He scored 5 points in the third game, 6 points in the fourth game, 7 points in the first game of the championship, and 10 points in the second game, showing poor performance. His recent average score over the last four games is 7 points.

As the physical burden increases, Kim Sun-hyung's shooting percentage is rapidly declining. Looking at his three-point shooting over the last four games, he shot 1/9 in the third game against KT, 2/6 in the fourth game, 1/5 in the first game of the championship, and 0/7 in the second game. He attempted 27 shots and made only 4, resulting in a shooting percentage of 14.8%.

To alleviate Kim Sun-hyung's defensive burden, head coach Jeon Hee-cheol deployed a small lineup using Kim Tae-hoon as a starter in the second game. He also utilized Gomez for the first time in the series, who contributed with 19 points.

In a tight situation in the second half, Kim Sun-hyung succeeded in a breakthrough against the defender. However, he failed a crucial layup in the decisive moments of the fourth quarter. A play that one could not imagine during his peak has occurred.

Kim Sun-hyung is struggling with an average of 8.5 points in the championship series. A field goal percentage of 32% and a three-point shooting percentage of 8.3% are at a serious level.

Combined annual salary of 1.1 billion won… Is it worth it?

After the defeat in the second game, head coach Jeon Hee-cheol noted regarding Ahn Young-jun's slump, "It's the coach’s fault for not developing players. The players might think the coach isn’t giving them options. There could be discontent. I told Young-jun, 'Would any coach give many chances to the current Ahn Young-jun?' It's up to the player. The opponent is tight in defense. It's because I lack the ability to create opportunities for them. Right now, I'm doing my best."

Former coach expressed disappointment about Kim Sun-hyung, saying, "If Sun-hyung had just made his layups, we could have easily progressed. Things don't go as planned. His condition lately has been poor. The coach has to bear it all."

This season, Ahn Young-jun earns an annual salary of 500 million won, while Kim Sun-hyung earns 600 million won. This is the amount when all incentives are received. In contrast, LG's Yang Jun-seok earns 130 million won, and Jeong In-deok earns 110 million won. Even considering their years of experience, the salary difference is too significant compared to their performances. The salaries of players from both teams need to be adjusted.

In the end, professionals must prove themselves through performance and receive compensation through their salaries. Based on their performances so far, Ahn Young-jun and Kim Sun-hyung do not deserve to receive high salaries. If they feel wronged, they must prove their worth in the remaining series.

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