It is that time of the year again… All major basketball leagues are in full action and the scenery is ideal for fans, being able to watch competitive games from everywhere around the world.
Although in Europe the main interest is in domestic and international European leagues, along with the traditional frenzy about NBA, there is also a rising trend for competitions in other continents, such as Oceania and Asia, which have been witnessing a steady growth during the last few years.
NBL has exported native players, like Josh Giddey and Jock Landale, to NBA this summer, after the successful campaign of US guard/forward, Jae’Sean Tate, with Houston Rockets last year, coming straight from Sydney Kings. At the same time, the league’s new imports are quite impressive, including famous players (Matthew Dellavedova, Peyton Siva, Antonius Cleveland, Todd Withers, Michael Frazier II, RJ Hunter etc.), who undoubtedly boost the competitiveness and status of NBL teams.
Also, in Far East, there is more than CBA itself. Japanese B League has been developing quickly, attracting quality players from Europe and USA and there is KBL, the S. Korean league, which is the main topic of today’s article.
A lot can be said about the evolution of S. Korean basketball throughout the years. One should bear in mind that the NT was a powerhouse during the 80s and early 90s and there is strong basketball tradition in the country. However, the domestic league had not always been a … source of attraction. The height restrictions (in favor of native players), some rather outdated rules (like having a mini draft procedure for foreign players and no free agency for some years) and other factors, did not allow the league to grow.
All these changed the last few years (apart from having up to one foreign player in the lineup) and KBL has become a favorable destination thereafter, especially for US players. The teams showed great adaptability and managed to improve, by developing local players and strengthening their rosters with quality big men as well.
Last season was a huge success for the teams’ scouting departments, considering that players like Jared Sullinger, Yante Maten, Henry Sims, Johnathan Motley, Dedric Lawson, Shawn Long, Tyrique Jones, John Egbunu, Isaiah Hicks, Earl Clarke and others, joined the league, following the likes of Jameel Warney and Cady Lallane. The clubs’ know-how, in finding and developing some of those big men is evident, as many of them continue to shine in their rookie season in Europe (Motley, Jones, Egbunu and Lawson).
Last year there was no Marcus Foster or Josh Gray in the league, not even Jordan Howard… The trend in recruiting, during the last two-three seasons, is that teams’ front offices choose to bolster their front lines, with power forwards or centers who can score on the move or with their back to the basket and dominate on the boards. This is why players like Warney, Ratliffe, Motley and the KBL Finals MVP and champion, with Anyang KGC, Jared Sullinger, shined. Most of the teams also opted to use a backup foreign player with similar playing style, in order to build more solid chemistry and this proved to be a wise decision.
On the contrary, clubs like DB Promy or Seoul Samsung Thunders, with different philosophy, had to proceed in changes. For example, Justin Knox’s good face up game and 1vs1 ability was missing when Jones (an athletic p’n’r center, who could not create shots for himself) was in the court. The same applied for Thunders, where both Jessie Govan and Kennedy Meeks did not provide easy points and versatile all-around game, as Hicks did.
Last season is history though and our intention is to provide you an insight about the new KBL, which started with style and some interesting games already. 2021-22 season also introduces many new faces with great career behind them, like Andrew Nicholson, Omari Spellman and Miroslav Raduljica.
In the first games of this year’s marathon race, we are witnessing the rise of KT Sonicboom, which leads the table with a 4 – 1 record. The arrival of Cady Lallane, who is averaging 14.8 pts and 9.6 reb, gave the team a 2-way center, who can influence the game in more ways, compared to Cliff Alexander. In addition, Sonicboom’s other import, Mike Myers (29 – 2.06), coming from Ukraine’s Prometey, seems to be the perfect fit for the back up position. Also, youngster Yoongi Ha is lighting up the league already. KT Sonicboom has been playing with high confidence in the first games, recording 4 easy wins in a row, after the defeat in the first game by DB Promy.
DB Promy, with the iconic head coach Sang-Bum Lee, for a 5th straight season at its helm, has started well with a 3 – 1 record and the league’s best defense (conceding 72.2 pts per game). Yante Maten remained at the roster and despite his short-term injury, he will be once again the team’s leader. His back up, Lennard Freeman (26 – 2.03), after a 3-year spell in Europe, is the team’s revelation until now, averaging double-double figures (10.3 pts and 11.8 reb – 3rd in the league) and providing depth in the front line. This year DB Promy is competitive and its campaign is expected to be more successful than last year, with a minimum goal of reaching 2nd position in the RS, which leads to the P/O semi-finals.
Behind them, there are three teams sharing the same record (3 – 2), SK Knights, Goyang Orions and Seoul Samsung Thunders. The Knights’ roster includes for 3rd season in a row, Jameel Warney, the most familiar and probably best US player of the league, who is averaging 24.3 pts and 11.3 reb. The team is off to a good start, having by far the best offense (91.8 pts per game), with one road win (in 3 away games) and two home wins. The main point of concern seems to be the condition of veteran Leon Williams, who cannot provide bench scoring, as Nick Minnerath used to do.
Goyang Orions did a good job in replacing their last season’s MVP Dedric Lawson, with Murphy Holloway and keeping Dae-Sung Lee, the main offensive weapon from outside, a 2-way guard with presence in G League in the past. However, the arrival of Raduljica from CBA has proved to be a rather poor decision, considering his age and lack of athleticism. The Serbian center is averaging 9.2 pts and 6 reb per game, not being able to dominate inside the paint and trying to score mainly from the perimeter.
The Thunders had a poor campaign last year, but their good start, gives them hope that they can at least reach a Top-6 position. Isiah Hicks remained for another season and is one of the league’s top scorers with 22 pts per game. His great face up game and his athletic tools make him difficult to guard and his cooperation with the team’s new PG, Si-Rae Kim (he played in Sakers last year), is very productive! The S. Korean guard is a vital part of the team’s success until now, averaging 9.4 ast per game (league’s leader) and being the floor general Thunders needed so much. Daniel Ochefu, the team’s other import, may not be so talented, but he can provide some quality minutes, scoring in the post and grabbing rebounds.
The Elephants have been transformed to Daegu Pegasus and are very ambitious. The addition of Andrew Nicholson was the move of the season for KBL. However, his injury did not allow the team to capitalize more wins in the first games and the 50% winning percentage (3 – 3) seems to be rather satisfactory. His back up, Cliff Alexander, is a strong F/C, who can score close to the basket, but he does not have the overall quality to replace him in the long-run.
KCC Egis and Anyang KGC are sharing the 7th position in the league table. KCC, last season’s finalists, retained Ratliffe in their roster and added 32-yrs old veteran, Latavious Williams. The team is not as “fresh” as last year and tends to become predictable. The loss of Tyler Davis, due to injury, proved to be crucial last year and KCC is missing his dominance inside the paint. The signs are not good for the team until now and a replacement to Williams may be examined in the upcoming weeks. KCC lacks offensive quality, compared to other teams and someone like Chris McCullough, for example, could be a useful addition.
KGC, the reigning champions, won the trophy last year against all odds. The key point was the mid-season acquisition of Jared Sullinger, who became instantly the team’s leader. KGC did not manage to lure him with a new contract, but his replacement, Omari Spellman, may have the same impact, after his recovery from an early season injury. There is no doubt about his quality and talent, yet he will need to be consistent offensively and in good shape overall in order to help his team reach to a back-2-back title! Remaining at the top can be tougher than reaching it…
LG Sakers have been underperforming again, after some poor displays in the last two seasons, which resulted to a 10th and 9th place in RS respectively. Assem Marei is an all-around center with 2-way profile, who can become as impactful as Lallane in the long-term, however the rest of the team lacks offensive quality. LG started with 3 home losses and little help from bench players, before winning Elephants away with an emphatic 73 – 92 result. Kwan-Hee Lee continues to be very influential in the back-court, averaging 13.6 pts and 3.6 ast per game, but he needs to improve his shooting efficiency, recording just 35.6% in FGs.
The league’s biggest disappointment until now is Ulsan Moebis Phoebus, a title-contender all previous years and the champion of 2018 – 19 season (also a holder of three-peat titles from 2013 to 2015). The dominant presence of Shawn Long is missing, along with his offensive skills, either close to the basket, or outside the 3-pt line. The high expectations, following the signing of Rashawn Thomas, a forward with nice Euro career, are not justified. He is averaging 11 pts and 6 reb per game, not providing the numbers expected. Earl Clarke may be an offensive weapon from inside and outside, but his defensive effort is minimum. Ulsan has the 2nd worst defense (conceding 86 pts per game) and unless there is improvement on this area of the game, it is possible that the team will not fulfill its goals.
This was a KBL’s breakdown up to the games of 21/10/2021. The league has a long way ahead (54 games totally) and much can change, as last season proved to us. So, fasten your seatbelts and just enjoy the ride!!!
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