Familiar names expected to dominate new KBL season
By Yoon Chul
As the journey to determine Korea’s new basketball champions starts today, experts predict that the KCC Egis, KT SonicBoom and Dongbu Promy will dominate the six-month season.
The Egis will start the defense of their title at home in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, against the SK Knights.
Their best weapons are their height and offense. The Egis’ average rebounds and score per game were No. 1 among the 10 teams last season with 35.4 boards and 82.5 points.
In Ha Seung-jin they have the tallest Korean in the Korean Basketball League (KBL). The 2.21-meter center collected 8.5 rebounds per game on average. In addition, Ha also creates space for his teammates.
But Egis manager Hur Jae always needs back-up for Ha, as he finds it difficult to run the full 40 minutes.
Ha Jae-pil provided cover last year but has had to leave the squad to complete his mandatory military service.
To make matters worse, rising star Kang Byung-hyun, who averaged 11.9 points is also absent for the same reason.
Hur is eager to finish first in the regular season but realistically, winning the championship series could be an easier prospect.
Meanwhile, the SonicBoom, last year’s regular season champions are looking to go one better and emerge victorious in the playoffs.
Cho Sung-min and Park Sang-oh are proven three-point shooters and Charles Rhodes provides height under the rim.
SonicBoom manager Jun Chang-jin, who last season showed strong leadership by pulling the team up to second in the 2009-2010 campaign from last place the year before, has worked hard with his players to overcome their overall lack of height.
The Promy, which lost to the Egis in the championship series, are well organized with a choking defense, but they need to improve on offense.
Anyang KGC is seen by insiders as a possible dark horse.
Reliable guards Yang Hee-jong, Kim Tae-sul are back having completed their military service and national team forward Oh Se-keun is a promising rookie.
Rather than a major personnel change the Orions have moved home, now representing Goyang instead of Daegu.
The biggest change ahead of the 54-game season is that teams are only allowed one import player. Last season they were allowed two although only one could be on the court at a time.