It's absurd to expect the Osaka Evessa to perform at the same level without injured do-it-all leader Lynn Washington, the well-known two-time MVP and famous No. 44 jersey.
On Thursday, in Osaka's bj-league series opener against the Chiba Jets, the Evessa's performance was, well, far from brilliant. Coach Ryan Blackwell's team played a sloppy, incomplete game and lost its third in a row, falling 75-59.
Power forward Jamel Staten, who also wears jersey No. 44, had a game-changing outing for Chiba, finishing with 18 points, a career-high 24 rebounds, six steals and two blocked shots.