MANGILAO (Guam) - Yudai Nishida was already prepared for a weekend to rest his body for when the his Japan B.League team, SeaHorses Mikawa, returned to action.
He said that he was already "completely in off-duty mode" and then the call-up came on the morning of November 13 to join the training camp.
"I think that there is no perfect player and I still have to improve more. The feeling 'to improve more' is what keeps me moving."
That might have been one of the best moves called by AKATSUKI JAPAN and coach Tom Hovasse as Nishida was essential to them clinching FIBA Asia Cup 2025 qualification with another window sweep.
Across two games this window, Nishida averaged 21.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game but more importantly, he drilled 13 three-pointers - 7 against Mongolia and 6 against Guam - on only 18 attempts. And whether it was the four three-pointer barrage in the fourth quarter against Mongolia or the clutch dagger against Guam, Japan were more than happy to have Nishida there to knock them down.
Yes, he was almost not called up even for training camp.
"He's great," said Hovasse of Nishida. "I'm going to be completely honest here, he wasn’t going to be invited to this camp. I was going to look at younger guys because I already know what he does."
Then the injury bug hit the training camp and suddenly, Hovasse had to look for a familiar option, particularly someone who could fill in the small forward spot.
"Kai [Toews] had a little injury, Josh [Hawkinson] has a little injury, people just had injuries and all of the sudden, the players with experience just went down.
"I think at one point we had two players, Mako[to Hiejima] and [Yuki] Togashi were the only two that had experience in camp."
So in came Nishida, who Hovasse says is usually a combo guard. Against Mongolia, he plugged in as a 3 and not only shot the lights out, but also locked down on defense to shed a new light on what more he could bring to the table.
"It was a different situation for him and I think he enjoyed it," said Hovasse. "He didn’t have to bring up the ball as much and he just started knocking down his shots and I was really, really happy for him. And the way he rebounded was amazing."
Plug and play is usually how it's been for Yudai Nishida with AKATSUKI JAPAN. He's always been a high-level scorer ever since with the youth national teams from U16 Asia Cup 2015 to U18 Asia Cup 2016 to U19 World Cup 2017.
Then he made his senior national team debut to start the World Cup 2023 Qualifiers, playing in all windows, and has since been a key part of the teams playing in the Asia Cup 2022 and World Cup 2023.
With the senior team, he hasn't had many moments as the "star" of the team - until now, but he's been there, ready to produce when called upon. Especially since being a part of Hovasse's system, Nishida is a player who can be relied on.
"I think I understand Coach Tom’s basketball quite well," said Nishida, back in early 2023.
"He's always on my radar," said Hovasse. "I'm always watching him."
"His on-ball defense is spectacular and he’s a tough kid."
Still, Nishida expects more from himself. Being a regular in the national team rotation is great, but there's no doubt that he wants more.
"I didn't want to be called up only when there were injuries or positions were not available, and I didn't want to be thought of as such," said Nishida after the Mongolia game, noting he was pleased with how he's been able to respond to the expectations in this window.
It's not a surprising mindset coming from the 25-year-old who has played for as long as he can remember.
"My father used to play basketball, so basketball was close to me from when I was little," he said. "When I was young, I would follow my father to his practice and remember playing basketball. There was a basket at home, and I enjoyed shooting. The feeling when I make a shot was what got me into the game."
That feeling must be addictive, since Nishida has continued to keep making shots and scoring points for Japan. He's scored 171 points for Japan up until this most recent game and there will certainly be more to come.
"I just continue to improve and do better. I think that there is no perfect player and I still have to improve more."
"The feeling 'to improve more' is what keeps me moving."
FIBA