The Shimane Susanoo Magic, who reached the playoffs in each of their first three seasons, have dropped nine of their first 10 games under new coach Vlasios Vlaikidis.
On Tuesday, leading scorer Thomas Kennedy was released despite averaging 17.1 points per game, which places him just outside the top 10 in the 21-team league. And they now have a major test ahead: The Susanoo Magic travel to play the perennial power Ryukyu Golden Kings (8-2, top record in the Western Conference) this weekend.
In an interview with The Japan Times, Kennedy insisted he's been made the scapegoat for the team's struggles. He also believes Vlaikidis, Zeljko Pavlicevic's successor, who declined to comment on Kennedy's departure when contacted by this newspaper, has failed to plant the seeds for success in Shimane.