BBL live on Dyn: The Basketball Bundesliga starts today

The Basketball Bundesliga is starting the new season. The defending champion is once again the big favorite. The table will mostly look strange.

The opening match is a tough one. The Basketball Bundesliga starts the new season this Friday (8 p.m./Dyn) with the duel between double winner Bayern Munich and Fiba Europe Cup champion Niners Chemnitz. The German Press Agency answers the most important questions before the start of the new season.

Who are the favorites?

The defending champions are once again going into the new season as the big favorites. In a dpa survey, the overwhelming majority of coaches named Bayern Munich as the top candidate for the championship. Bayern are relying on world champion coach Gordon Herbert and five players from the German Olympic squad. The Munich team also managed to keep finals MVP Carsen Edwards.

The second German Euroleague club, Alba Berlin, had a difficult time on the transfer market. The Berliners also lost their best player, Johannes Thiemann. Coach Israel González’s squad still seems a bit unbalanced. Many coaches and experts therefore see the Niners Chemnitz with long-time coach Rodrigo Pastore as the number one challenger.

Why are only 17 clubs playing?

For the first time in many years, only 17 clubs are playing in the Bundesliga. Because no club from the Second League Pro A, apart from the Skyliners Frankfurt, met the requirements, there is only one promoted team. Even the wildcard procedure, which has been used frequently in the past, did not produce an 18th representative.

A situation that suits the top clubs Bayern and Alba, because two fewer games also means less pressure. However, the lack of income from the canceled home game is a burden mainly on the smaller clubs. In addition, the table will look crooked for the entire season.

A 17-team league should therefore not become a permanent situation. “The situation is absolutely unsatisfactory. A German professional league needs a clear promotion and relegation system: two go down, two go up,” said BBL managing director Stefan Holz to the trade magazine “BIG”.

Which stars came and which went?

The Basketball Bundesliga remains a passing league for many players. Otis Livingston II, MVP of last season, moved from Würzburg to Galatasaray Istanbul. Tommy Kuhse, star of the surprise team Rasta Vechta, accepted a financially more lucrative offer in Italy. And former NBA star Serge Ibaka moved back to Spain to play for Real Madrid.

However, Bayern managed to keep the best player of the final series in finals MVP Carsen Edwards. The Munich team also brought a world champion in Johannes Voigtmann and another national player in Oscar da Silva back into the league. Overall, the turnover at the clubs was high again. It will be exciting to see who takes on the role of Livingston II or Kuhse.

Who plays internationally?

The Bundesliga is once again represented internationally by a large contingent. In the Euroleague with Bayern Munich and Alba Berlin. In the Eurocup, ratiopharm Ulm and the Veolia Towers Hamburg are competing, in the Champions League the Niners Chemnitz, Fit/One Würzburg Baskets, Rasta Vechta, Telekom Baskets Bonn (qualification), in the Fiba Europe Cup the MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg, Basketball Löwen Braunschweig. The European Northern Basketball League is enriched by the Bamberg Baskets.

Bayern in particular want to finally make it to the playoffs in the Euroleague. In the smaller competitions, the German teams have always shown strong performances recently. Most recently, Chemnitz won the Fiba Europe Cup last season.

Where can I watch the games?

All Bundesliga and BBL Cup matches can be seen live on Dyn. The paid streaming service also has a number of magazine formats dedicated to basketball. Highlights of individual games can also be seen in the sports broadcasts of ARD and ZDF.