# 2015–16 Dutch Basketball League

The 2015–16 Dutch Basketball League season was the 56th season of the Dutch Basketball League, the highest professional basketball league in the Netherlands. The seasons started on October 6, 2015 and ended May 27, 2016. The defending champion was SPM Shoeters Den Bosch. Donar won its fifth national title, after beating Landstede 1–4 in the Final.

## Import players

Each team was allowed to play with a maximum of four foreign players, according to DBL regulations.
| Team | Players | Players | Players | Players |
| Aris Leeuwarden | Javier Duren | Joe O'Shea | Josiah Heath | Ali Fraser |
| Apollo Amsterdam | | | | |
| Donar | Lance Jeter | Chase Fieler | Dražen Bubnić | Will Sullivan |
| SPM Shoeters Den Bosch | Dejan Kravić | | | |
| Challenge Sports Rotterdam | La'Shard Anderson | Sergio De Randamie | | |
| Zorg en Zekerheid Leiden | Cashmere Wright | Marquise Simmons | | |
| Landstede Basketbal | Ricardo Glenn | Tyson Hinz | Grant Gibbs | Steve McWhorter |
| BSW | Thomas Dreesen | | | |

## Teams

On June 18, 2015, it was announced that all teams from the 2014–15 season would return.
| Club | Location | Venue | Capacity |
| Apollo Amsterdam | Amsterdam | Apollohal | 1,500 |
| Donar | Groningen | MartiniPlaza | 4,350 |
| SPM Shoeters Den Bosch | 's-Hertogenbosch | Maaspoort Sports and Events | 2,800 |
| BSW | Weert | Sporthal Boshoven | Un­known |
| Landstede | Zwolle | Landstede Sportcentrum | 1,200 |
| Zorg en Zekerheid Leiden | Leiden | Vijf Meihal | 2,000 |
| Aris Leeuwarden | Leeuwarden | Kalverdijkje | 1,700 |
| Challenge Sports Rotterdam | Rotterdam | Topsportcentrum | 1,000 |

### Personnel and kits

| Team | Coach | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
| Apollo Amsterdam | Patrick Faijdherbe | Peak | – |
| Aris Leeuwarden | Michael Schuurs | Jako | Univé |
| BSW | Pascal Meurs | Spalding | – |
| Challenge Sports Rotterdam | Armand Salomon | Peak | Challenge Sports |
| Donar | Erik Braal | Burned | Mini |
| Landstede | Herman van den Belt | Hummel | Landstede |
| SPM Shoeters Den Bosch | Sam Jones | Joma | SPM Shoes & Boots |
| Zorg en Zekerheid Leiden | Eddy Casteels | Panzeri Sport | Zorg & Zekerheid |
* ^ Note Schuurs: Klaas Stoppels took over from Schuurs in February 2016, after Schuurs had medical reasons to sit down the rest of the season.

### Managerial changes

| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
| Aris Leeuwarden | Tom Simpson | End of contract | – | Pre-season | Michael Schuurs | 23 May 2015 |
| Donar | Ivica Skelin | End of contract | – | Pre-season | Erik Braal | 21 June 2015 |
| BC Apollo Amsterdam | Jaanus Liivak | End of contract | – | Pre-season | Patrick Faijdherbe | 9 June 2015 |
| BSW | Niels Vorenhout | End of contract | – | Pre-season | Pascal Meurs | 17 July 2015 |
| Aris Leeuwarden | Michael Schuurs | Health issues | 26 February 2016 | 6th | Klaas Stoppels | 26 February 2016 |

## Regular season
### Standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Landstede | 28 | 22 | 6 | 2202 | 1909 | +293 | 44 | Qualification to semi-finals |
| 2 | ZZ Leiden | 28 | 22 | 6 | 2150 | 1844 | +306 | 44 | Qualification to semi-finals |
| 3 | Donar | 28 | 21 | 7 | 2316 | 1917 | +399 | 42 | Qualification to quarter-finals |
| 4 | SPM Shoeters Den Bosch | 28 | 16 | 12 | 2128 | 2003 | +125 | 32 | Qualification to quarter-finals |
| 5 | Apollo Amsterdam | 28 | 10 | 18 | 1938 | 2102 | −164 | 20 | Qualification to quarter-finals |
| 6 | Challenge Sports Rotterdam | 28 | 9 | 19 | 2039 | 2201 | −162 | 18 | Qualification to quarter-finals |
| 7 | Aris Leeuwarden | 28 | 9 | 19 | 2023 | 2290 | −267 | 18 | |
| 8 | BSW | 28 | 3 | 25 | 1864 | 2394 | −530 | 6 | |

## Playoffs

| Quarterfinals 21–23 April | Quarterfinals 21–23 April | Quarterfinals 21–23 April | Semifinals 30 April–12 May | Semifinals 30 April–12 May | Semifinals 30 April–12 May | Finals 17–27 May | Finals 17–27 May | Finals 17–27 May |
| | | | 1 | Landstede | 4 | | | |
| 4 | SPM Shoeters Den Bosch | 2 | 4 | SPM Shoeters Den Bosch | 2 | | | |
| 5 | Apollo Amsterdam | 0 | | | | 1 | Landstede | 1 |
| | | | | | | 3 | Donar | 4 |
| | | | 2 | ZZ Leiden | 2 | | | |
| 3 | Donar | 2 | 3 | Donar | 4 | | | |
| 6 | Challenge Sports Rotterdam | 0 | | | | | | |

## Final standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | Qualification |
| 1 | Donar (C, O) | 42 | 31 | 11 | Qualification to Champions League qualifying rounds |
| 2 | Landstede | 39 | 27 | 12 | |
| 3 | ZZ Leiden | 34 | 24 | 10 | |
| 4 | SPM Shoeters Den Bosch | 34 | 18 | 16 | |
| 5 | Apollo Amsterdam | 30 | 10 | 20 | |
| 6 | Challenge Sports Rotterdam | 30 | 9 | 21 | |
| 7 | Aris Leeuwarden | 28 | 9 | 19 | |
| 8 | BSW | 28 | 3 | 25 | |

## Awards

The award winners were announced on April 16.
* Player and team awards for the 2015–16 season
* Most Valuable Player
* Worthy de Jong − ZZ Leiden
* Ross Bekkering − Donar
* Grant Gibbs − Landstede Basketbal
* Playoffs MVP
* Lance Jeter − Donar
* Defensive Player of the Year
* Mohamed Kherrazi − ZZ Leiden
* Coach of the Year
* Herman van den Belt − Landstede Basketbal
* DBL MVP Under 23
* Maarten Bouwknecht − SPM Shoeters Den Bosch
* Statistical Player of the Year
* Ross Bekkering − Donar
* Sixth Man of the Year
* Rogier Jansen − ZZ Leiden
* Rookie of the Year
* Freek Vos − Landstede Basketbal
* Most Improved Player
* Grant Gibbs − Landstede Basketbal

## Statistical leaders

To be included a player had to have played at least 70% of his teams number of games.
| Efficiency Pos Player Club PIR 1 Ross Bekkering Donar 21.3 2 Lance Jeter Donar 18.9 3 Tyson Hinz Landstede 18.9 | Points Pos Player Club PPG 1 Javier Duren Aris Leeuwarden 17.7 2 Worthy de Jong ZZ Leiden 17.2 3 Thomas Dreesen BS Weert 16.7 |
| Rebounds Pos Player Club RPG 1 Ross Bekkering Donar 10.5 2 Ricardo Glenn Landstede 9.5 3 Dejan Kravic SPM Shoeters 9.4 | Assists Pos Player Club APG 1 Nigel Van Oostrum Aris Leeuwarden 8.1 2 Aron Royé Apollo Amsterdam 4.5 3 Leon Williams SPM Shoeters 4.0 |