Japanese JBL / BJ-League 2011-2012 Season

[makotosing]

wow.. they got 19 teams..
many players to select from for national team..

[CKR13]

wow.. they got 19 teams..
many players to select from for national team..

It should have been twenty but the Tokyo Apache shut their operations for the 2011-2012 Season and the sale of the franchise is in limbo as Evolution Capital Management is quite undecided on how to proceed on selling the team despite two factions vying for the franchise.

Currently there are two players from the BJ-League that are on the Japanese National Team Pool:

Atsuya Ota (Hamamatsu Phoenix Higashimikawa)
Takumi Ishizaki (Shimane Susanoo Magic)

Note that both are former JBL Players. The Japanese Basketball Association did not bother the home grown talents from the BJ-League like Kazuya Hatano, Masahiro Oguchi and Kensuke Tanaka.

[CKR13]

Niigata Albirex hires new coach

The Niigata Albirex have announced that former Niigata import Matt Garrison is the team's new head coach. Garrison is the second coach in the franchise history after Masaya Hirose, who was coaching the team since 2000 and when Niigata was still playing in the JBL.

Garrison last played for Niigata in the 2008-2009 BJ-League season before his retirement as a player.

[CKR13]

Ryukyu Golden Kings

The Ryukyu Golden Kings have re-signed versatile forward Anthony McHenry to a one year contract. McHenry was named to the BJ-League First Team 2011 on the last conference.

The Golden Kings also confirmed that negotiations are underway to re-signing guards Tsubasa Yonamine and Naoto Kosuge as well as import Jeff Newton; a four time BJ-League champion.

[makotosing]

the JBL is higher than the BJ league?

how many teams in JBL?
these two leagues will not merge?

[CKR13]

the JBL is higher than the BJ league?

how many teams in JBL?
these two leagues will not merge?

I presume "Higher" means better overall? Answer is No. JBL has better local talents who is the core of the National Team. JBL stars like Kawamura, the Takeuchi twins etc. But as many as pointed out, the competition is regressing. Point Guards don't average even 5 Assists per game and JR Sakuargi, the JBL 2010-2011 MVP leads the league in assists with 3.2 assists per game.

The BJ-League teams, on the other hand rely heavily on the five imports allowed per team and three can be fielded simultaneously; where just a small number of teams like Hamamatsu, Okinawa-Ryukyu, Shimane, Osaka and Saitama have local players that can actually contribute.

The JBL has eight teams:

Panasonic Trians
Toshiba Brave Thunders
Toyota Alvark
Link Tochigi Brex
Aishin SeaHorses
Basketball Club Hokkaido
Hitachi SunRockers
Mitsubishi Diamond Dolphins

For the past four years there have been proposals by a committee from the JBA about a possible merger between the JBL and BJ-League, which forms the "Super Japanese Basketball League". But the proposals collapsed immediately due to lack of concrete plans like charter, league organization and financials.

A self imposed spring of 2013 deadline has been set but it is looking like a merger is not feasible within the coming years as the BJ-League is also set to welcome five more teams for the 2015-2016 BJ-League Season.

[CKR13]

Coaching hires

The Kyoto Hannaryz (BJ-League) have announced that Sendai 89ers head coach Honoo Hamaguchi as the team's new head coach. Hamaguchi spent six years with Sendai until last season where the 89ers have terminated all live contracts due to financial problems after the March 11 earthquake.


Meanwhile, the Shinshu Brave Warriors have hired Motofumi Aoki as the first ever coach of the franchise. Aoki previously having coached Takamatsu and Tokyo on previous seasons.

[CKR13]

NBA Players in the BJ-League

With the NBA Lockout in full effect, I am intrigued by the possibility of the BJ-League signing NBA Players or former ones like that of middle tier ones down to the 12th man.

It will be a great boost for publicity for those BJ-League teams and the BJ-League itself in general. Last year, Saitama had Satterfield while Tokyo enlisted Robert Swift and NBA bound Jeremy Tyler.

Let's see if the BJ-League Teams can lure NBA Players to play as the highest salary an import can receive is ¥3 million. I would love to see McGrady going the Marbury way of playing in Asia. Guys like Eddy Curry or Adam Morrison can be serviceable as well.

[CKR13]

B-Corsairs aiming to make a splash

Yokohama B-Corsairs have signed Senegalese center Pape Mour Faye.

Left to Right: Pape Mour Faye, Kenji Yamada, Masayuki Kabaya and Takeshi Hotta

Not a bad core. All veterans that can contribute right away.

[Mojado]

With the NBA Lockout in full effect, I am intrigued by the possibility of the BJ-League signing NBA Players or former ones like that of middle tier ones down to the 12th man.

It will be a great boost for publicity for those BJ-League teams and the BJ-League itself in general. Last year, Saitama had Satterfield while Tokyo enlisted Robert Swift and NBA bound Jeremy Tyler.

Let's see if the BJ-League Teams can lure NBA Players to play as the highest salary an import can receive is ¥3 million. I would love to see McGrady going the Marbury way of playing in Asia. Guys like Eddy Curry or Adam Morrison can be serviceable as well.

Satterfield and Swift are mega-wash-outs...Swift even left the D-League...these guys are not comparable with current NBA-players at all. They wouldnt even play in Europe in the lower ties.
Tyler sucked in Israel. BJ League's import players are weaker compared to the ones in the JBL. I don't see any NBA-player going for the BJ League in the next months. Even Morrison or Curry wont be going to Japan. Maybe China.

[makotosing]

what are the restrictions, rules as to the five imports? are they all american/european?

[makotosing]

what is the format for its play offs? is it like the nba?

[CKR13]

what are the restrictions, rules as to the five imports? are they all american/european?

Each team is allowed a maximum of five imports. The BJ-League has Asian, European and American imports.

what is the format for its play offs? is it like the nba?

[makotosing]

so the top 4 teams of each division will advance to the playoff 1 vs 4, 2 vs 3..

[CKR13]

Oita HeatDevils finds new head coach

Oita's veteran player Yukinori Suzuki have announced his retirement as a player and was promoted to head coach.