2017–18 Basketball Bundesliga

Basketball Bundesliga
Basketball Bundesliga
Season	2017–18
Dates	29 September 2017 – 17 June 2018
Teams	18
Regular season
Top seed	Bayern Munich
Season MVP	Luke Sikma
Relegated	Rockets; Tigers Tübingen
Finals
Champions	Bayern Munich (4th title)
Runners-up	Alba Berlin
Semifinalists	Brose Bamberg; MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg
Finals MVP	Danilo Barthel
Statistical leaders
Points
Points	Philip Scrubb
Rebounds	John Bryant
Assists	Jared Jordan
Records
Average attendance	4,205
Seasons
	← 2016–17 2018–19 →

The 2017–18 Basketball Bundesliga, known as the easyCredit BBL for sponsorship reasons, was the 52nd season of the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL), the top-tier level of professional club basketball in Germany. The defending champion was Brose Bamberg. The regular season started on 29 September 2017 and ended 1 May 2018.

Bayern Munich won their fourth title and qualified for the 2018–19 EuroLeague.^[1]

Notable occurrences

For the first time in BBL history, two windows for FIBA national team play were planned in which the competition stopped. These were in November 2017 and February 2018.^[2]
A number of nine teams participated in European club competitions this season, the highest number ever in German basketball history.^[3]

Teams

Location of teams in 2017–18 Basketball Bundesliga

Promotion and relegation

Relegated from BBL

Rasta Vechta and Phoenix Hagen were relegated from the BBL after the 2016–17 season, as they finished in the last two places.

Promoted from ProA

Mitteldeutscher BC and Rockets got promoted from the 2016–17 ProA.^[4]^[5]

Arenas and locations

Team	City	Arena	Capacity^[6]
Brose Bamberg	Bamberg	Brose Arena	6,150
Medi Bayreuth	Bayreuth	Oberfrankenhalle	4,000
Alba Berlin	Berlin	Mercedes-Benz Arena	14,500
Telekom Baskets Bonn	Bonn	Telekom Dome	6,000
Löwen Braunschweig	Braunschweig	Volkswagen Halle	6,600
Eisbären Bremerhaven	Bremerhaven	Bremerhaven Stadthalle	4,050
Skyliners Frankfurt	Frankfurt	Fraport Arena	5,002
Gießen 46ers	Gießen	Sporthalle Gießen-Ost	4,003
BG Göttingen	Göttingen	Sparkassen Arena	3,447
Rockets^[a]	Erfurt	Messe Erfurt	3,236
Science City Jena	Jena	Sparkassen-Arena	3,000
MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg	Ludwigsburg	MHP-Arena	5,300
Mitteldeutscher BC	Weißenfels	Stadthalle Weißenfels	3,000
Bayern Munich	Munich	Audi Dome	6,700
EWE Baskets Oldenburg	Oldenburg	Große EWE Arena	6,069
Tigers Tübingen	Tübingen	Paul Horn-Arena	3,132
ratiopharm Ulm	Ulm	Arena Ulm/Neu-Ulm	6,000
s.Oliver Würzburg	Würzburg	s.Oliver Arena	3,140

Regular season

In the regular season, teams played against each other two times home-and-away in a round-robin format. The first eight teams advanced to the playoffs. The last two placed teams were relegated to the ProA for next season. The regular season started on 29 September 2017 and concluded 1 May 2018.

Standings

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Bayern Munich	34	31	3	3011	2573	+438	62	Playoffs
2	Alba Berlin	34	29	5	3044	2540	+504	58
3	MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg	34	26	8	2932	2574	+358	52
4	Brose Bamberg	34	22	12	2789	2594	+195	44
5	Telekom Baskets Bonn	34	21	13	2815	2667	+148	42^[b]
6	Medi Bayreuth	34	21	13	2849	2756	+93	42^[b]
7	EWE Baskets Oldenburg	34	21	13	2922	2822	+100	42^[b]
8	Fraport Skyliners	34	20	14	2649	2614	+35	40
9	s.Oliver Würzburg	34	19	15	2690	2578	+112	38
10	ratiopharm Ulm	34	16	18	2748	2775	−27	32^[c]
11	Gießen 46ers	34	16	18	2949	3016	−67	32^[c]
12	Basketball Löwen Braunschweig	34	14	20	2527	2741	−214	28^[d]
13	Science City Jena	34	14	20	2677	2790	−113	28^[d]
14	BG Göttingen	34	10	24	2684	2980	−296	20^[e]
15	Mitteldeutscher BC	34	10	24	2748	2957	−209	20^[e]
16	Eisbären Bremerhaven	34	8	26	2647	2857	−210	16
17	Rockets (R)	34	7	27	2566	2914	−348	14	Relegation to ProA
18	Tigers Tübingen (R)	34	1	33	2525	3024	−499	2	Relegation to ProA

Source: Beko BBL
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head; 3) Points difference; 4) Points scored.
(R) Relegated
Notes:

^ Rockets Gotha started the season as "Oettinger Rockets", named after its main sponsor Oettinger Brauerei. However, from January 2018 the main sponsor left and the club would be simply known as "Rockets".^[7]
^ ^a ^b ^c Bonn 6 Pts; Bayreuth 4 Pts; Oldenburg 2 Pts
^ ^a ^b Ulm 174–165 Gießen
^ ^a ^b Braunschweig 154–151 Jena
^ ^a ^b Göttingen 185–174 MBC

Results

Home \ Away	BAM	BAY	BER	BON	BRA	BRE	FRA	GIE	GOT	JEN	LUD	MBC	MUN	OET	OLD	TUB	ULM	WUR
Brose Bamberg	—	88–73	75–77	83–65	82–55	79–74	75–67	87–84	100–61	80–71	80–73	103–66	63–71	85–80	95–82	97–63	80–77	70–67
Medi Bayreuth	85–75	—	83–76	97–85	84–62	84–74	69–62	96–75	86–83	75–88	70–73	82–74	77–86	93–72	98–102	85–71	88–75	86–80
Alba Berlin	81–75	100–68	—	90–69	88–81	64–66	106–69	88–66	98–71	100–67	96–86	91–71	70–80	95–61	91–83	99–63	102–73	80–76
Telekom Baskets Bonn	106–69	85–82	76–84	—	87–56	75–86	75–79	83–78	82–70	102–80	105–109	84–91	72–83	79–73	90–68	89–80	86–74	78–75
Löwen Braunschweig	68–94	75–100	62–72	73–76	—	81–68	77–74	85–96	91–86	69–68	67–74	71–63	82–91	82–68	99–88	94–77	80–73	73–71
Eisbären Bremerhaven	76–83	99–103	85–99	73–89	72–65	—	69–81	87–74	74–77	72–80	77–98	79–82	83–85	80–74	80–90	78–73	82–89	80–72
Fraport Skyliners	83–72	72–68	90–84	76–81	78–71	95–69	—	70–86	88–80	67–65	81–88	83–67	83–87	90–82	93–82	90–63	75–89	78–72
Gießen 46ers	96–105	107–96	102–87	80–86	84–79	89–73	83–59	—	102–111	84–60	98–118	107–99	53–87	71–96	95–99	110–98	70–84	80–86
BG Göttingen	105–98	70–93	69–88	65–91	75–79	81–78	95–92	78–94	—	86–60	62–88	96–90	72–78	75–88	85–93	95–75	84–94	81–74
Science City Jena	85–68	107–90	89–99	73–69	83–85	90–68	70–82	86–65	103–92	—	64–78	61–75	78–85	85–81	74–83	74–69	92–87	79–81
MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg	91–74	78–47	67–86	87–78	72–59	92–69	79–62	81–83	93–61	91–62	—	99–77	73–90	94–54	90–86	88–79	89–54	87–77
Mitteldeutscher BC	74–76	80–93	80–89	61–87	84–78	98–90	93–96	97–102	84–89	94–100	81–92	—	77–95	82–69	71–72	93–88	80–69	78–86
Bayern Munich	77–68	96–88	72–91	78–50	111–53	98–95	72–60	107–83	91–77	101–78	91–71	111–91	—	102–80	95–74	84–72	100–95	76–84
Rockets	64–92	65–82	68–98	70–93	87–92	98–90	56–77	81–90	74–63	97–101	72–89	70–74	59–98	—	74–94	100–82	79–81	85–77
EWE Baskets Oldenburg	81–74	88–89	81–88	82–86	86–84	85–73	74–90	98–82	97–75	79–69	79–87	86–84	100–77	88–68	—	83–75	94–83	61–75
Tigers Tübingen	73–81	77–87	75–125	75–84	69–77	75–87	57–65	83–106	80–67	64–91	75–93	99–100	72–87	83–90	61–92	—	74–81	57–73
ratiopharm Ulm	67–90	74–84	68–72	87–94	88–77	85–77	77–78	90–95	89–65	87–72	84–77	93–76	75–89	78–62	70–87	95–82	—	72–69
s.Oliver Baskets	76–73	82–68	76–90	80–78	72–45	74–64	81–64	96–79	95–82	85–72	94–87	71–61	74–80	79–69	84–86	84–69	74–91	—

Source: BBL
Legend: Blue = home team win; Red = away team win.
Matches with lighter background shading were decided after overtime.

Playoffs

All three rounds of the playoffs are played in a best-of-five format, with the higher seeded team playing the first, third and fifth game at home.

Quarterfinals 5–19 May			Semifinals 20–31 May			Finals 3–16 June

1	Bayern Munich	3

8	Fraport Skyliners	2
			1	Bayern Munich	3

			4	Brose Bamberg	1
4	Brose Bamberg	3

5	Telekom Baskets Bonn	0
						1	Bayern Munich	3

						2	Alba Berlin	2
2	Alba Berlin	3

7	EWE Baskets Oldenburg	2
			2	Alba Berlin	3

			3	MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg	0
3	MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg	3

6	Medi Bayreuth	0

Awards and statistics

Major award winners

Award	Player	Club
Most Valuable Player	Luke Sikma^[8]	Alba Berlin
Finals MVP	Danilo Barthel	Bayern Munich
Top Scorer	Philip Scrubb	Fraport Skyliners
Best Offensive Player	Philip Scrubb	Fraport Skyliners
Best Defender	Thomas Walkup	Riesen Ludwigsburg
Most Effective Player	John Bryant	Gießen 46ers
Most Effective Player	Robin Benzing	s.Oliver Würzburg
Best German Young Player	Andreas Obst	Rockets
Coach of the Year	Aíto García Reneses	Alba Berlin

Statistical leaders

Category	Player	Club	Average
Points	Philip Scrubb	Fraport Skyliners	18.3
Rebounds	John Bryant	Gießen 46ers	10.6
Assists	Jared Jordan	Walter Tigers Tübingen	6.4
Steals	Retin Obasohan	Rockets	2.0
Blocks	Julian Gamble	Telekom Baskets Bonn	1.8
Turnovers	Tai Webster	Fraport Skyliners	3.4

All-Star Game

The 2018 BBL All-Star Game was played in the Lokhalle in Göttingen on 13 January 2018. Team International won the game 145–132 over Team National.^[9] Peyton Siva was named Most Valuable Player of the game.

**Team National**^[10]
Pos	Player	Team	Selections
Starters
G	Per Günther	ratiopharm Ulm	7
G	Maodo Lô	Brose Bamberg	2
F	Robin Benzing	s.Oliver Würzburg	5
F	Danilo Barthel	Bayern Munich	5
C	Andreas Seiferth	Medi Bayreuth	3
Reserves
G	Dominic Lockhart	Göttingen	1
G	İsmet Akpınar	ratiopharm Ulm	1
G	Maurice Stuckey	s.Oliver Würzburg	3
F	T.J. DiLeo	Telekom Baskets Bonn	1
F	Andreas Obst	Rockets Gotha	1
F	Johannes Thiemann	MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg	2
C	Maik Zirbes	Bayern Munich
G	Joshiko Saibou^REP	Alba Berlin	1
F	Yorman Polas Bartolo^REP	Telekom Baskets Bonn	1
Head coach	Dirk Bauermann	s.Oliver Würzburg	4

**Team International^[11]**
Pos	Player	Team	Selections
Starters
G	Peyton Siva	Alba Berlin	1
G	Trey Lewis	ratiopharm Ulm	2
F	Rickey Paulding	EWE Baskets Oldenburg	7
F	Assem Marei	Medi Bayreuth	1
C	Devin Booker	Bayern Munich	1
Reserves
G	Thomas Walkup	MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg	1
G	Nate Linhart	Medi Bayreuth	1
G	Jared Cunningham	Bayern Munich	1
F	Josh Mayo	Telekom Baskets Bonn	2
F	Michael Stockton	Göttingen	1
C	Scott Eatherton	Löwen Braunschweig	1
C	Luke Sikma	Alba Berlin	1
Head coach	Raoul Korner	Medi Bayreuth	2

Injured player.
REP Player selected as replacement.

Clubs in European competitions

Team	Competition	Progress	Ref
Brose Bamberg	EuroLeague	12th qualified
ratiopharm Ulm	EuroCup	Regular season	^[12]
Bayern Munich		Semifinals
Alba Berlin		Top 16
EWE Baskets Oldenburg	Champions League	Round of 16	^[13]
medi bayreuth		Quarterfinals
Telekom Baskets Bonn		Regular season
MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg		Fourth place
s.Oliver Würzburg	FIBA Europe Cup	First qualifying round	^[14]