By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
With the advent of talented rookies and a change with all foreign players who had played until last season, the 2007-08 Korean Basketball League (KBL) season is one where it is much more difficult to pick a team or two that will contend for the title.
But the KCC Egis and the Dongbu Promy, who each have a native big man _ 2.07-meter center Seo Jang-hoon and forward Kim Joo-sung, who is 2 centimeters shorter than Seo _ have slight edges over the rest of the teams because of a policy change regarding imported players.
Before the season, the league and all 10 teams decided to return to the tryout and draft system to select imported players to prevent their salaries from skyrocketing due to under-the-table money.
As a result, each team did not sign their foreign players, most of who are from the United States.
The three-time KBL champion Egis, who stayed at the bottom of last season's standings, acquired the former Samsung Thunders center in free agency, releasing their franchise star point guard Lee Sang-min as a reward player from Seo's free agent deal.
The KBL's free agent rule stipulates that if a team signs a free agent ranked inside the top 20 in salary, it should pay his former team a reward player and 100 percent of his salary or 300 percent of the player's money.
Along with Seo, the Jeonju-based team added speedy point guard Lim Jae-hyun as a free agent to add with 10-year pro Choo Seung-gyun to form a perfect lineup, filled by 2.05-meter Brandon Crump and 1.93-meter Jason Robinson.
The Egis also boast their strong bench, composed of 2.05-meter forward Jung Hoon and guard Shin Dong-han, who can contribute to the team turning around this season.
The Promy, who topped the league in 2003 and 2005, have returned without any departure of last season's key players, including the forward, Kim, who signed a 680 million won free agent contract.
Nigerian-born Reggie Okosa will form twin towers with Kim, instead of Jameel Watkins, who teamed up with the Korean giants for three years. Newcomers, center Kim Bong-soo out of Myongji University and former Yonsei University forward Lee Kwang-jae, are expected to impress their boss and team.
Last season's runner-up KTF MagicWings have solved their problem of a lack of perimeter shooters by signing forward Yang Hee-seung, who put up 15.83 points per game last season for the KT& G Kites, and Cho Dong-hyun's return from military service should also help deepen the bench.
The SK Knights and the Daegu Orions, who have changed their skippers before the season, are also in contention.
No. 1 draft pick Kim Tae-sul and swingman Bang Sung-yoon are expected to showcase the prowess they displayed while at Yonsei University, gunning for the Knights' first playoff appearance in five years.
Former star player Lee Choong-hee came back to the managing job, after leading the LG Sakers eight years ago.
The Orions, who have played in the playoffs for six straight seasons, are the only team to win all two of their exhibition games.