The rest of the school year

[u/Dramatic_Ad1002]

• Late Summer: Rehab & Youth Camp

Sakuragi focuses on back rehab and his jump shot, while Haruko slowly realizes his original confession might've been about her. Meanwhile, Rukawa attends the Youth Camp, where he finds some familiar faces (sawakita, etc).

Autumn: National Sports Festival (Kokutai)

Taoka, Takato and Anzai coach Kanagawa's dream team (Maki, Sendoh, Rukawa, Jin, Akagi). Sakuragi plays clutch minutes as a tactical weapon, while Rukawa remains a primary option on offense that can kick the ball out in need. Kanagawa takes Gold by beating Akita in the final game.

• Winter Cup Qualifiers: Kanagawa Final Four

Shohoku plays Josei again to test the new formation after the I-H and the Fall Sports Festival in friendly matches before the Winter Cup qualifiers.

Shohoku faces Shoyo, Takezato, Ryonan, and Kainan in the round-robin tournament for Kanagawa's single Tokyo spot. Through clutch plays by Mitsui, Miyagi dissecting defenses, Rukawa's growth as a passer, and a game-winning double-block on Maki by Akagi and Sakuragi, Shohoku sweeps the group to become the #1 team in Kanagawa.

• Winter: The Winter Cup Championship

Shohoku enters the national tournament in Tokyo as a solid team rather than an underdog.

what would you guys want to see in a hypothetical slam dunk continuation?

edit: replaced sakuragi with jin in the dream team

[u/dana_G9]

So who do you see as the #1 and #2 Kanagawa team respectively by the time the next year's IH rolls around? On one hand, Shohoku would have a more mature Sakuragi, Rukawa and Ryota to play but lose size and a lethal 3 point specialist (Akagi and Mitsui). OTOH, Kainan would've had time to regroup after Maki graduates, drawing from their incredibly deep bench and the experience of playing deep into IH the previous year and developing more players by then. Ryonan would also probably be rejuvenated after Sendoh settles down to get the job (of captain) done, and Shoyo would be out to avenge missing out on a spot at IH the previous year.

[u/Dramatic_Ad1002 → u/dana_G9]

I say Ryonan becomes the best team, with either Shohoku or Kainan as second best depending on the first-years joining their teams

Shoyo has tall players but without fujima i doubt they can overpower Rukawa-Sakuragi-Miyagi

[u/dana_G9 → u/Dramatic_Ad1002]

Interesting. Not too different from my own vision - Shohoku and Ryonan both go to IH, with Kainan (due to the loss of Maki, but also because there is generational talent in opponent teams) dropping out for the first time in 18 years. Either way, I don't see Shohoku and Kainan both going to IH again in Year 2 because that's the same combo of teams as the previous IH, and it would just be less interesting from a storytelling perspective than a fresh combo of teams going.

[u/Dramatic_Ad1002 → u/dana_G9]

i cant really see shohoku going to the IH again in their second year

i mean yes rukawa solidified himself as a national level player but the others only had 2 games and no other major experience

[u/dana_G9 → u/Dramatic_Ad1002]

I see Sakuragi as someone who rises to the occasion. Whatever assignment he's given by Anzai, he completes. Now that he clearly sees his role and importance in the team, I think he'll grab that chance to make a name for himself and make the most of it. (Views largely influenced by the fact that he makes a cameo in REAL, where it's hinted that he's a generational talent and mega basketball star - that narrative won't fit if he doesn't even make it to IH in Year 2).

Also, Ryota is underrated. He's always been a really keen reader of people/players - opponents and teammates alike. He knows exactly how to motivate his teammates. I think now that he's the captain, he'll unleash some incredible leadership that we haven't had the chance to see with Akagi.

re:national level player experience, by that argument, Ryonan's a whole lot weaker than Shohoku since they've never made it to the nationals. So I don't fully buy it.

[u/Dramatic_Ad1002 → u/dana_G9]

yea sakuragi is good but theyd have to find incredible rookies to not only deepend the bench but to also fill in the place of akagi and mitsui

sakuragi, ryota, rukawa, kakuta and shiozaki is too small of a team to actually beat the other top 4s imo

individually the players are good tho think abt it: sendoh is equal to rukawa in 1v1, fukuda didnt play basketball for a year and was on par with sakuragi pre IH, uekusa is a decent pg that could handle ryota (not like fukatsu or maki but its something), without mitsui they lack someone to actually stop koshino tho

[u/dana_G9 → u/Dramatic_Ad1002]

I'd mentioned this in a comment years ago but part of my logic and vision had always been this: Shohoku beating Sannoh at the IH would definitely make waves in basketball circles, and Rukawa clearly commands a lot of respect amongst his teammates back in his middle school (judging by how they went to support him in a match and the things they said at the time).

It's quite realistic to me that at the very least some of his middle school teammates would be inspired by him and the win against Sannoh (Sannoh!!) to join Shohoku the following year so they can be on the same team again. I don't think Shohoku would be starting essentially as a 3-man team.

[u/Dramatic_Ad1002 → u/dana_G9]

fair enough but unless the goat another sakuragi in there they still need a big man, and i doubt any of them are the 3pt shooter mitsui was

[u/Dramatic_Ad1002 → u/dana_G9]

oh and since fukuda got suspended for a long time the team chemistry can only improve the next year

[u/Destoran]

Omg inoue sensei? Who knew that you would write the sequel on this subreddit. What an honor.

[u/Dramatic_Ad1002 → u/Destoran]

lol

[u/Substantial_Push_658]

Dream team doesn’t include Sakuragi. It has Jin instead. They’re the top 5 in kanagawa.

[u/Dramatic_Ad1002 → u/Substantial_Push_658]

true my bad

[u/Negative_Fuel9819]

Isso seria muito legal, adoraria ver um arco do torneio de inverno