The Osaka Evessa were in dire straits at this time a season ago, losers of 19 of 24 games before the All-Star break. Then Bill Cartwright arrived and did a remarkable job leading the team's reclamation project. The ex-Chicago Bulls bench boss went 17-11 in a short, memorable stint in charge.
This season, new head coach Shunsuke Todo's club has had its share of ups and downs. The Evessa won their first six games, then dropped eight straight. They are 3-7 in their past 10 games.
At 11-17 overall (4-10 on the road), Osaka could certainly qualify for postseason play, especially considering the fact that only three Western Conference teams have winning records — Ryukyu (23-3), Kyoto (19-11) and Hamamatsu (17-11).