Japanese JBL / BJ-League 2011-2012 Season

[CKR13]

The JBL hopes to have a stellar season after its halted 2010-2011 season due to the March 11 quake. While the BJ-League opens the year with an unprecedented 20 Team League.

The BJ-League is set to welcome the four new expansion teams on their first season of play. The Shinshu Brave Warriors, Chiba Jets, Iwate Big Bulls and Yokohama B-Corsairs are all set to take action.

Shinshu Brave Warriors



Chiba Jets



Iwate Big Bulls



Yokohama B-Corsairs

While the three BJ-League teams, Tokyo Apache, Saitama Broncos and the Sendai 89ers who cut their 2010-2011 season short, have confirmed their return.

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Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix head coach Kazuo Nakamura, after piloting the franchise to two consecutive championships, has accepted the coaching helm with the Northern Akita Happinets.

Nakamura will fill in the void left by former Akita head coach Bob Pierce.

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The Niigata Albirex have announced that they will not renew the contract of head coach Masaya Hirose. Hirose has been the coach of Niigata for eleven years; including when Niigata were still in the JBL.

[CKR13]

Eastern Conference

Iwate Big Bulls
Akita Northern Happinets
Sendai 89ERS
Niigata Albirex BB
Toyama Grouses
Shinshu Brave Warriors
Saitama Broncos
Chiba Jets
Tokyo Apache
Yokohama B-Corsairs
Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix


Western Conference

Shiga Lakestars
Kyoto Hannaryz
Osaka Evessa
Shimane Susano Magic
Takamatsu Five Arrows
Rising Fukuoka
Oita Heat Devils
Miyazaki Shining Suns
Ryukyu Golden Kings

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Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix has promoted assistant coach Ryuji Kawai as the new head coach.

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Link Tochigi Brex guards Masaharu Kataoka and Narito Namizato have signed up for training with the Emerald City Basketball Academy (Seattle, WA) with both being free agents.

[ARNOLDFINI]

Who is the Favorite for the BJ league new members?

[CKR13]

I say the Chiba Jets and Iwate Big Bulls. Chiba acquired the BJ-League's 2011 Most Improved Player in Kensuke Tanaka while Iwate's head coach, Vlasios Vlaikidis could do wonders for the expansion team.

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The Oita HeatDevils announced that they have raised ¥80 Million and still needs ¥45 million to secure the organization's overall target budget of ¥125 million. Team Representatives stated that if the organization does not meet their budget, the team's 2011-2012 campaign could face difficulties in launching.

The HeatDevils are currenlty encouraging fans and business sponsors to pledge financial support.

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The veteran star of Basketball Club Hokkaido Takehiko Orimo, has been named as the President and CEO of Hokkaido. Orimo's retirement as a player has been in the news but Orimo has yet to confirm that he will retire.

In July 08, 2011 there will be a Public Offering for Investors and Groups who are interested to invest with the team. Small businesses in Sapporo have reportedly submitted their Letter of Intent.

[CKR13]

Shiga Lakestars' Big Three are free agents: Mikey Marshall, Lamar Rice and Gary Hamilton. The three were splendid last season and currently, their signing status is yet unknown.

The three could re-sign or could all be playing elsewhere next season.

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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]

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]

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.

[StreetFlavour]

Check this awesome highlight video from Kyle Swanston with the Akita Northern Happinets from the BJ League:

http://youtu.be/KhneH2hkcOs?hd=1