With three new foreign players in place, the Shanghai Sharks are all geared up for the 2023-24 Chinese Basketball Association season which starts next month.
The three newcomers are all from the United States – point guard Tremont Waters, shooting guard Billy Baron, and power forward DJ Wilson.
Waters was drafted in the second round of the 2019 National Basketball Association draft by the Boston Celtics. With a Puerto Rican descent, he played for the Puerto Rico national team at the 2023 World Cup. The 26-year-old was with another CBA team, the Guangdong Southern Tigers, for the 2023-24 season before joining the Sharks.
Wilson, 29. was drafted 17th overall in the 2017 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, where he spent four seasons before being traded to the Houston Rockets in 2021.
The 33-year-old Baron was a member of Team USA at the 2017 FIBA AmeriCup, where he won a gold medal, though he was not given much time on court.
The Shanghai Sharks are ready for the new season.
The CBA has adjusted its rules over the use of foreign players for the new season. Two foreign players from each team are allowed on court at the same time during the first three quarters. In the fourth quarter, only one foreign player is allowed per team.
Last season, only one foreign player from each team was allowed on court in each quarter.
"A lot of CBA teams will give more playing time to foreign players in the new season," said Sharks head coach Liu Peng.
Foreign players will be given more time on court in the new CBA season.
"Waters played well at the Paris Olympic Games. The other two also have good defense, rebound and three-pointer data. Hope they can help the team improve," he added.
The club is yet to announce its fourth foreign player, Nigerian center John Egbunu who played for CBA team Ningbo last season. Egbunu is expected to join the team after the season starts. Apart from foreigners, a few more young academy players have been drafted into the first team.
The Sharks finished sixth in the 12-team league last season. With an average age of 23.3 years, the Sharks are one of the youngest teams in the CBA. Fourteen of its 18 registered players are born after 2000.
Shanghai Sharks head coach Liu Peng takes questions from the media.
"We will seek more innovative methods in training to improve the players' techniques," said Liu. "To maintain the top six position and strive for a higher ranking is our goal for the new season."
"The new foreign players' quick counterattack and pick-and-roll capabilities are what the team needs," said center Wang Zhelin.
"As for senior players like me, we will try to avoid injury, and pass on our experience to the younger teammates."
The Sharks' season opener is scheduled on October 13, when they take on Beijing in the capital.
Sharks center Wang Zhelin greets fans.
