Pauian Archiland coaches and players vowed to defend their title for a second straight year as the Super Basketball League (SBL) season tips off in Taoyuan this weekend, with the seven teams bracing to play 155 games to reach the playoffs in April.
Archiland head coach Ben Metcalf said his team would face many challenges in the 2018-2019 campaign and would need to make adjustments, but would continue to rely on same core players who helped them win last season’s championship.
Among the tough challenges is a new rule that allows each team to have two foreign players, Metcalf said at yesterday’s launch event.
“We will have more combinations to play in the game, but it also poses more complications for integrating the lineup and how to fit it all together to play the style that is most suitable for our team,” he said.
SBL secretary-general Lee Yi-chung said the new rule should make the season the most exciting one in league history, adding that the news has brought many fans to watch warm-up games over the past few weeks, as many of the new faces played in the NBA.
Lee said the league is leveling the playing field by stipulating that each team’s foreign players have less than a combined height of 405cm and a salary cap of NT$928,025 per month.
Although both imports can be starters, they are limited to a total of six quarters, meaning that two quarters per game would only have one foreigner playing, including the pivotal fourth quarter, Lee added.
The biggest names coming to the SBL this year are the Dacin Tigers’ O.J. Mayo, who played in the NBA for eight seasons, the Bank of Taiwan’s Greg Smith, who played five seasons in the NBA, and the Fubon Braves’ Daniel Orton, who played three NBA seasons.
Mayo told reporters that looks forward to playing in the SBL.
“It will be very exciting season for me, playing for the first time in Taiwan,” Mayo said. “This is a new experience for me and I will have to learn new things, but I will pick up my game to help the team to win the title... I have played against Greg Smith and Daniel Orton in the NBA, so it will be great to face them and do battle here in the SBL.”
Mayo said that his goal this year is to remain healthy and not get injured, adding that it is crucial for him to get his team into the playoffs while showing his shooting, blocking and rebounding abilities.
Taiwan Beer has filled out their lineup with Edvinas Seskus of Lithuania and Ihor Zaytsev of Ukraine, while Yulon Luxgen have signed Terry Thomas of the US and Sani Sakaini, the first Palestinian player in the SBL.
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