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Sharks’ season plan: to reach playoffs
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WITH the 2015-2016 China Basketball Association season set to kick off on October 31, the Shanghai Sharks have already set a goal of reaching the playoffs.
Club owner and president Yao Ming showed up for the team’s preseason press meet at Pudong’s Yuanshen Stadium yesterday. However, he refused to reveal his personal expectations for the team, saying it was the managing team’s job to set a goal.
Head coach Liu Peng later told media that the Sharks’ aim would be to make the playoffs this time following last season’s failure, when the team finished a disappointing 12th among the 20 clubs that make up the CBA league. The Sharks have won two of their three preseason matches. Their season-opener will be against the Zhejiang Golden Bulls on November 1.
“The whole team is looking forward to the first match, bursting with confidence coming into the new season,” said Liu. “We had a high-quality summer training. Our foreign players (AJ Price and Bernard James) are smart and have quickly adjusted into the team.”
American guard Price is the club’s latest signing for the season, alongside former Guangdong Southern Tigers guard Liu Xiaoyu. Also new on the team is Chinese Taipei point guard Lee Hsueh-lin. The newcomers are expected to help strengthen the team’s defense.
“The importance of defense has been enhanced (in the CBA),” Yao said, talking about the new signings. “Liu Xiaoyu is of the right age, and AJ Price is very experienced despite his medium physical condition like height. The criteria (to judge a player) is different between the NBA and the CBA.”
Yao should know, having spent some years with the National Basketball Association’s Houston Rockets.
“I want the team to win more matches, but won’t set a detailed goal for them,” he added.
Ticket sales for the new season have already commenced, with prices ranging from 50 yuan (US$7.9) to 350 yuan for one match, and 1,300 yuan to 3,300 yuan for a season ticket.
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