After losing back-to-back games in his first two seasons as head coach of professional basketball’s Goyang Sono, Kim Seung-ki sees more hope than disappointment, saying the team will get better every game and every season.

The Sono lost 79-90 at home to Seoul SK on Nov. 24, their second straight defeat since the start of the 2023-2024 season, following an 89-110 opening game against Wonju DB on Nov. 22.

Sono is new to the professional basketball league this season.

The Goyang Sono Skygunners are the reborn team of Sono International, which acquired the Goyang Orion and started last season after the team was suspended for unpaid wages.

The team inherited the existing Day One squad, including head coach Kim Seung-ki, and was criticized for being far from a top-tier team before the season, and the opening two games were not as easy as expected.

One of the biggest worries for coach Kim Seung-ki is that the team’s centerpiece, forward Jeon Sung-hyun, and key guard Lee Jung-hyun, have not returned to form after attending the Hangzhou Asian Games.

On the day, Jeon exploded for 27 points and Lee had a much better performance than the previous game with 15 points and eight assists, which somewhat washed away Kim’s concerns, but the team was unable to overcome the seesaw game against ‘favorite’ SK and lost for the second straight game at home.

After the game, Kim said, “The players decided to fight to the death, just like last season, but as you can see, it’s not enough. We outplayed them in every aspect,” he said with a rueful smile.

“We tried to stay with SK until the end, but our concentration dropped, and it became difficult because we were just playing runners,” Kim said, adding, “I thought (Lee) Jung-hyun would do something at the end, but it didn’t work out.”

However, Kim had guided a team in a similar situation last season to a fourth-place playoff finish.

“We don’t have good players. It’s not easy to get good results this season with this group,” Kim said, which is why his words are considered “sickening.

“Today was better than the last game, and the next game will be better. We will practice so that even one player can get better,” he said, emphasizing that “the situation is difficult, but we will do our best to get back on our feet.”

“I’m sorry for the fans, but even if we don’t make it to the playoffs, it will be the last time this season,” he vowed. 파워볼분석