The 2018–19 Dutch Basketball League (DBL) was the 59th season of the Dutch Basketball League, the highest professional basketball league in the Netherlands. The regular season started on 6 October 2018 and ended 30 April 2019. The best eight teams qualify for the playoffs which start on 2 May 2019. Donar was the defending champion.
The season saw Landstede Zwolle win its first domestic championship, after defeating defending champions Donar in the finals.
Format Due to the increase of teams from nine to ten, the format for the DBL season was changed. The eight highest-placed teams during the regular season qualify for the play-offs, while the two last-placed teams are eliminated. In the quarter-finals, a best-of-three series is played. In the semi-finals, a best-of-five series is played. The finals are decided through a best-of-seven series.
Teams
On 3 May 2018, the DBL officially announced the Dutch Windmills would make their debut in the upcoming season. Forward Lease Rotterdam changed its name to Feyenoord Basketball, as the team became a part of the multi-sports club of association football club Feyenoord.
Despite reaching the semi-finals of the NBB Cup and being in the fifth place in the DBL, Windmills struggled with financial problems throughout the season. In December 2018, Windmills was refused entrance to its home arena due to its payment arrears. On 10 April 2019, it was announced that Windmills would withdraw from the DBL. Its results in the second half of the competition were scrapped by the DBL.
Arenas and locations {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Club ! Location ! Venue ! Capacity |- | Apollo Amsterdam || Amsterdam || Apollohal || align=center | 1,500 |- | Aris Leeuwarden || Leeuwarden || Kalverdijkje || align=center | 1,700 |- | BAL || Weert || Sporthal Boshoven || align=center | 1,000 |- | Den Helder Suns || Den Helder || Sporthal Sportlaan || align=center |1,000 |- | Donar || Groningen || MartiniPlaza || align=center | 4,350 |- | Dutch Windmills || Dordrecht || Sporthal de Boulevard || align=center |1,100 |- | Feyenoord || Rotterdam || Topsportcentrum || align=center | 1,000 |- | Landstede || Zwolle || Landstede Sportcentrum || align=center | 1,200 |- | New Heroes || 's-Hertogenbosch || Maaspoort || align=center | 2,800 |- | ZZ Leiden || Leiden || Vijf Meihal || align=center | 2,000
Personnel and sponsorship Team Head coach Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor Apollo Amsterdam Patrick Faijdherbe Dimeo van der Horst Adidas Paul Meijering Aris Leeuwarden Anne van Dijk (interim) David Michaels Jako Friezon BAL Radenko Varagić Daan Rosenmuller Spalding – Den Helder Suns Peter van Noord Tom Koopman Burned – Donar Erik Braal Jason Dourisseau Macron Hepro Kunststof Kozijnen Dutch Windmills Geert Hammink Alec Wintering – PyrOil Feyenoord Jan Stalman (interim) Ties Theeuwkens Adidas Autohaag Zeeuw Landstede Herman van den Belt Nigel van Oostrum Burned Landstede New Heroes Ivica Skelin Stefan Wessels Burned New Heroes ZZ Leiden Rolf Franke Mohamed Kherrazi Peak Zorg en Zekerheid
Coaching changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointment ZZ Leiden Paul Vervaeck End of contract Pre-season Rolf Franke Feyenoord Armand Salomon End of contract Richard den Os New Heroes Silvano Poropat Mutual consent Ivica Skelin Feyenoord Richard den Os Resigned 8th (7–19) Jan Stalman (interim) Aris Leeuwarden Tony van den Bosch Signed with Okapi Aalstar 8th (9–22) Anne van Dijk (interim)
Players Foreign players In 2017, league policy was changed and the number of allowed foreign players per team was increased from 4 to 5. Additional was the restriction that a team is not allowed to have five foreign players on the court at the same time. Club Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Player 4 Player 5 Left during season Apollo Amsterdam Aris Leeuwarden Nick Masterson David Michaels Griffin Kinney Deividas Kumelis Darian Anderson Jonathan Williams BAL Tony Washington Den Helder Suns Alex Laurent Steve Harris Thibault Vanderhaegen Lavone Holland Donar Drago Pašalić Lance Jeter Teddy Gipson Grant Sitton LaRon Dendy Jordan CallahanPoint guard Jordan Callahan tekent bij Donar Jobi Wall Dutch Windmills Shavon Coleman Bennett Koch Ryan Richardson LaVonte Dority Alec Wintering Feyenoord Justin Gordon Emanuele Montaguti Trevor Setty La'Shard Anderson Marius Mwendanga Landstede Noah Dahlman Sherron Dorsey-Walker Kaza Kajami-Keane Kayel Locke Franko House New Heroes Jonathon Williams Keshun Sherrill Payton Henson Vernon Taylor Steven Cook Darrell Davis Torian Graham ZZ Leiden Kenneth Simms Clayton Vette Maurice Watson Jr. Darius Thompson Sergio De Randamie
Notable transactions Transactions including players who have won a DBL award, were named to an All-DBL Team or were DBL All-Stars. Date Player From To 14 June 2018 Jessey Voorn ZZ Leiden New Heroes 25 November 2018 Lance Jeter Pieno žvaigždės Donar
Notable retirements Player Date Team Playing career Notable honors Tjoe de Paula 19 April 2018 Den Helder Suns 2001–2018 2x DBL champion DBL Rookie of the Year Kees Akerboom Jr. 31 May 2018 New Heroes 2001–2018 11x DBL All-Star3x DBL champion
Regular season League table
Results
Note: Dutch Windmills withdrew from the tournament during the third round. Only matches of the two first rounds would count for the league table.
Playoffs Bracket
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Finals
Final standings The final standings are based upon performance in the playoffs.
Awards Award Player Team Most Valuable Player Darius Thompson ZZ Leiden Playoffs MVP Kaza Kajami-Keane Landstede Zwolle Statistical Player of the Year Darius Thompson ZZ Leiden Defensive Player of the Year Mohamed Kherrazi ZZ Leiden Coach of the Year Rolf Franke ZZ Leiden MVP U23 Rienk Mast Donar Most Improved Player Rienk Mast Donar Sixth Man of the Year Sergio De Randamie ZZ Leiden Rookie of the Year Boy van Vliet Den Helder Suns
Dutch clubs in European competitions Team Competition Progress Donar Champions League Second qualifying roundFIBA Europe Cup Round of 16 New Heroes Den Bosch Regular season ZZ Leiden Round of 16
See also 2018–19 NBB Cup 2018 Dutch Basketball Supercup
References