AMMAN (Jordan) - The way that Japan's Riku Segawa plays the game is almost surgical. He seems to play at his own pace, or at least a pace where is feels in control.
Accelerating, decelerating, looking for the gaps and seems of which he can take advantage. That's just now the 18-year-old plays. It's as if watching a conductor directing an orchestra.
Now, Segawa is not secretly an aspiring conductor. But he does have a bit of musical background as a pianist. He says that he doesn't think that his skills on the piano have benefitted his skills on the hardwood, but you can help but draw some connection considering the fluidity of how he operates.
The 1.83M (6'0") guard notes that he sometimes he plays - on the piano - the song from the anime film "Weathering with You" (天気の子 or Tenki no ko) as a tune he sometimes plays to calm himself.
And maybe it was the official theme song "Is There Still Anything That Love Can Do" (愛にできることはまだあるかい or Ai ni dekiru koto wa mada aru kai) that has been playing in his head as he has been conducting Japan through the FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2024.
The score of the romantic anime premises what one might still be able to do in a world of despair, and that's what Segawa might have been asking from himself as Japan has gone through the ups and downs of the competition - namely a heartbreaking loss to China in the Group Phase.
"Is there still anything that I can do?" 僕にできることはまだあるかい boku ni dekiru koto wa mada aru kai
is a question asked in the hook of the musical score.
There's obviously some things that he can still do, but whatever he's been doing for Japan is already a lot. 13.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists per game (good for third among all players at this point of the competition), and 2.5 steals per game. Certainly nothing to laugh at.
Still, it would be a fair guess to assume Segawa has been diving into watching film, particularly his own high (and low) lights across the past four games.
Because that's just what he does. Despite naming Kyrie Irving as a player he looks up to ("his style of play, his captivating personality, that's why follow him"), Segawa rarely watches the NBA or even B.LEAGUE games.
"Me is me," he said during content day here in Jordan. "[I'd rather] see my own play, regarding my creativity."
He'd rather devour his own games, because that's how he find out his weaknesses and where he can improve his game. He's just wired like that.
"I would watch bad plays in slow motion, analyze what I could and couldn't do, and practice," he one said in an interview. "Then, suddenly in a game, a new technique may be born."
More likely than not, that's what has set Segawa apart from the playing field. His attention to detail is certainly not how an average teenager processes the game, and it's not too hard to notice - especially when you are the head coach of AKATSUKI JAPAN.
"I'm shocked. At 17, he can play such physical basketball and be calm. He's going to be a good player," said Tom Hovasse when Segawa and Leon Watanabe attended the national team program's first developmental training camp earlier this year in May.
Riku Segawa looks to be on pace to be a great player and one that Hovasse will benefit from having in Japan's talent pool. But if there's any moment where he questions himself "is there still anything that I can do" to stay on course to becoming that player expected of him, all he has to do is open up that game film again and grind during practice as he always does.
FIBA