# 2017–18 Chinese Basketball Association season

The 2017–18 CBA season was the 23rd season of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). The regular season was initially scheduled to begin on Saturday, October 21, 2017, with the Guangdong Southern Tigers hosting the Shenzhen Leopards, but later rescheduled to Saturday, October 28, 2017, with the defending champion Xinjiang Flying Tigers hosting the Jilin Northeast Tigers. The regular season ended on Sunday, February 11, 2018, and the playoffs begin on Saturday, March 3, 2018.
In this season, the playoffs were expanded from eight to ten teams.

## Team changes

Two teams relocated and one of those teams was renamed ahead of the season.

### City changes

* The Jiangsu Dragons relocated out of Nanjing and will play the majority of their home games in Suzhou with several contests hosted in Changzhou.

### Name changes

* The Jiangsu Tongxi Monkey Kings moved from Changzhou to Nanjing and changed their name to the Nanjing Monkey Kings on September 29, 2017.

## Venues

| Team | Home city | Arena | Capacity |
| Bayi Rockets | Ningbo | Beilun Gymnasium | 6500 |
| Beijing Ducks | Beijing | Cadillac Arena | 18,000 |
| Beijing Ducks | Beijing | Shougang Basketball Center | 6000 |
| Beikong Fly Dragons | Beijing | Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium | 6300 |
| Fujian Sturgeons | Jinjiang | Zuchang Gymnasium | 6,000 |
| Guangdong Southern Tigers | Dongguan | Nissan Sports Centre | 14,730 |
| Guangzhou Long-Lions | Guangzhou | Tianhe Gymnasium | 8628 |
| Guangzhou Long-Lions | Foshan | Nanhai Gymnasium | 4000 |
| Jiangsu Dragons | Suzhou | Suzhou Industrial Park Sports Center | 13,000 |
| Jiangsu Dragons | Suzhou | Suzhou Sports Center Gymnasium | N/A |
| Jiangsu Dragons | Changzhou | Changzhou Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium | 6,200 |
| Jilin Northeast Tigers | Changchun | Changchun Gymnasium | 4,299 |
| Liaoning Flying Leopards | Benxi | Benxi Gymnasium | 4,500 |
| Nanjing Monkey Kings | Nanjing | Nanjing Youth Olympic Sports Park | 22,000 |
| Nanjing Monkey Kings | Nanjing | Jiangning Sports Center Gymnasium | 5,500 |
| Qingdao Eagles | Qingdao | Guoxin Gymnasium | 12,500 |
| Qingdao Eagles | Qingdao | Gymnasium of Ocean University of China | 4145 |
| Shandong Golden Stars | Jinan | Shandong Arena | 8,800 |
| Shanghai Sharks | Shanghai | Pudong Yuanshen Gymnasium | 5,000 |
| Shanxi Brave Dragons | Taiyuan | Shanxi Sports Centre Gymnasium | 8000 |
| Shenzhen Leopards | Shenzhen | Shenzhen Dayun Arena | 18,000 |
| Shenzhen Leopards | Shenzhen | Bao'an Gymnasium | 8188 |
| Shenzhen Leopards | Zhongshan | Zhongshan Gymnasium | 5000 |
| Sichuan Blue Whales | Chengdu | Sichuan Provincial Gymnasium | 9,200 |
| Tianjin Gold Lions | Tianjin | Dongli Gymnasium | 5630 |
| Xinjiang Flying Tigers | Ürümqi | Hongshan Arena | 3,800 |
| Zhejiang Golden Bulls | Hangzhou | Binjiang Gymnasium | 6000 |
| Zhejiang Guangsha Lions | Hangzhou | Hangzhou Gymnasium | 5,136 |

## Draft

The 2017 CBA Draft, the third edition of the CBA draft, took place on 2017 August 2. 11 players were selected in the draft.
| Rnd. | Pick | Player | Nationality | Team | School / club team |
| 1 | 1 | Chen Ying-chun | Chinese Taipei | Guangzhou Long-Lions | Liberty University (United States) |
| 1 | 2 | Chou Yi-hsiang | Chinese Taipei | Nanjing Monkey Kings | Dacin Tigers (Chinese Taipei) |
| 1 | 3 | Duncan Reid | Hong Kong | Zhejiang Golden Bulls | SCAA (Hong Kong) |
| 1 | 4 | Yang Kai | China | Fujian Sturgeons | Hunan Yongsheng |
| 1 | 5 | Zhang Jin | China | Jilin Northeast Tigers | Liaoning Flying Leopards Youth |
| 1 | 6 | Ban Duo | China | Shanxi Brave Dragons | Tsinghua University |
| 1 | 7 | Liu Hongbo | China | Qingdao Eagles | Peking University |
| 1 | 8 | Liu Lei | China | Jiangsu Dragons | Tsinghua University |
| 2 | 1 | Qiao Wenhan | China | Nanjing Monkey Kings | Luoyang Zhonghe |
| 2 | 2 | Wang Zixu | China | Beikong Fly Dragons | Guangzhou Long-Lions Youth |
| 2 | 3 | Wang Yuyao | China | Shenzhen Leopards | Shenzhen Leopards Youth |

## Foreign players policy

All teams except the Bayi Rockets can have two foreign players. The bottom 4 teams from the previous season (except Bayi) have the additional right to sign an extra Asian player.

### Rules Chart

The rules for using foreign players in each game are described in this chart:
| # | Facing other teams | Facing Bayi Rockets |
| Chinese players+ | No Limit | No Limit |
| Asian players++ | No Limit | 4 quarters collectively+++ |
| International players | 6 quarters collectively+++ | 4 quarters collectively+++ |
+ Including players from Hong Kong and Taiwan.
++ If a team waives its right to sign an extra Asian player, it may use its 2 foreign players for 7 quarters collectively.
+++ Only 1 allowed in the 4th quarter.

### Import chart

This is the full list of international players who competed in the CBA during the 2017-18 season.
| Team | Player 1 | Player 2 | Asian Player | Replaced During Season |
| Bayi Rockets | – | – | – | – |
| Beijing Ducks | Aaron Jackson | Justin Hamilton | – | Marcus Thornton Randolph Morris (DNP) |
| Beikong Fly Dragons | Stephon Marbury | Shavlik Randolph | Wael Arakji | Zaid Abbas |
| Fujian Sturgeons | Russ Smith | Mike Harris | – | - |
| Guangdong Southern Tigers | Donald Sloan | Andrew Nicholson | – | Edwin Jackson Darius Morris |
| Guangzhou Long-Lions | Kyle Fogg | Tyler Hansbrough | Sani Sakakini | Semaj Christon |
| Jiangsu Dragons | MarShon Brooks | Miroslav Raduljica | – | Jabari Brown |
| Jilin Northeast Tigers | Von Wafer | Carl Landry | – | – |
| Liaoning Flying Leopards | Lester Hudson | Brandon Bass | – | – |
| Nanjing Monkey Kings | Jeremy Pargo | JJ Hickson | Samad Nikkhah Bahrami | Dominique Jones |
| Qingdao Eagles | Jonathan Gibson | James Mays | – | Terrence Jones Maciej Lampe |
| Shandong Golden Stars | Ty Lawson | Donatas Motiejūnas | – | – |
| Shanghai Sharks | Jimmer Fredette | Nick Minnerath | – | – |
| Shanxi Brave Dragons | Willie Warren | Luis Scola | – | Brandon Jennings |
| Shenzhen Leopards | Tyrese Rice | Jared Sullinger | – | Keith Langford |
| Sichuan Blue Whales | Ike Diogu | Hamed Haddadi | – | Jamaal Franklin |
| Tianjin Gold Lions | Eugene Jeter | Derrick Williams | – | Eli Holman |
| Xinjiang Flying Tigers | Darius Adams | Andray Blatche | – | Shawn Long Augusto Lima |
| Zhejiang Golden Bulls | Sonny Weems | Arinze Onuaku | – | Jarnell Stokes |
| Zhejiang Lions | Courtney Fortson | Ioannis Bourousis | – | – |

## Regular Season Standings

| # | 2017–18 CBA season | 2017–18 CBA season | 2017–18 CBA season | 2017–18 CBA season | 2017–18 CBA season | 2017–18 CBA season |
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | Pts | Tiebreaker |
| 1 | Zhejiang Lions | 31 | 7 | .816 | 69 | |
| 2 | Liaoning Flying Leopards | 29 | 9 | .763 | 67 | |
| 3 | Guangdong Southern Tigers | 28 | 10 | .737 | 66 | |
| 4 | Shandong Golden Stars | 27 | 11 | .711 | 65 | |
| 5 | Jiangsu Dragons | 26 | 12 | .684 | 64 | |
| 6 | Xinjiang Flying Tigers | 25 | 13 | .658 | 63 | XJ 3-1 BJ 2-2 SZ 1-3 |
| 7 | Beijing Ducks | 25 | 13 | .658 | 63 | XJ 3-1 BJ 2-2 SZ 1-3 |
| 8 | Shenzhen Leopards | 25 | 13 | .658 | 63 | XJ 3-1 BJ 2-2 SZ 1-3 |
| 9 | Guangzhou Long-Lions | 21 | 17 | .553 | 59 | |
| 10 | Shanghai Sharks | 20 | 18 | .526 | 58 | SH 1-1 (SH 200-187 ZJ) |
| 11 | Zhejiang Golden Bulls | 20 | 18 | .526 | 58 | SH 1-1 (SH 200-187 ZJ) |
| 12 | Beikong Fly Dragons | 18 | 20 | .474 | 56 | |
| 13 | Fujian Sturgeons | 16 | 22 | .421 | 54 | FJ 1-1 (FJ 241-224 SX) |
| 14 | Shanxi Brave Dragons | 16 | 22 | .421 | 54 | FJ 1-1 (FJ 241-224 SX) |
| 15 | Nanjing Monkey King | 15 | 23 | .395 | 53 | |
| 16 | Qingdao Eagles | 11 | 27 | .289 | 49 | |
| 17 | Jilin Northeast Tigers | 8 | 30 | .211 | 46 | JL 3-1 TJ 2-2 SC 1-3 |
| 18 | Tianjin Gold Lions | 8 | 30 | .211 | 46 | JL 3-1 TJ 2-2 SC 1-3 |
| 19 | Sichuan Blue Whales | 8 | 30 | .211 | 46 | JL 3-1 TJ 2-2 SC 1-3 |
| 20 | Bayi Rockets | 3 | 35 | .079 | 41 | |
Key to colors :
* Top 6 teams advance to the Playoffs
* 7th-10th teams advance to the pre-elimination Playoffs

## Playoffs

The 2018 CBA Playoffs began on 3 March 2018. Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round. Teams with home court advantage are shown in italics.
| First round | First round | First round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| | | | 1 | Zhejiang Lions | 3 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Shenzhen Leopards | 2 | 8 | Shenzhen Leopards | 2 | | | | | | |
| 9 | Guangzhou Long-Lions | 0 | | | | 1 | Zhejiang Lions | 4 | | | |
| | | | | | | 4 | Shandong Golden Stars | 3 | | | |
| | | | 4 | Shandong Golden Stars | 3 | | | | | | |
| | | | 5 | Jiangsu Dragons | 0 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | 1 | Zhejiang Lions | 0 |
| | | | | | | | | | 2 | Liaoning Flying Leopards | 4 |
| | | | 2 | Liaoning Flying Leopards | 3 | | | | | | |
| 7 | Beijing Ducks | 2 | 7 | Beijing Ducks | 1 | | | | | | |
| 10 | Shanghai Sharks | 1 | | | | 2 | Liaoning Flying Leopards | 4 | | | |
| | | | | | | 3 | Guangdong Southern Tigers | 1 | | | |
| | | | 3 | Guangdong Southern Tigers | 3 | | | | | | |
| | | | 6 | Xinjiang Flying Tigers | 1 | | | | | | |

## Statistics
### Individual statistic leaders

| Category | Player | Team | Statistic |
| Points per game | Ding Yanyuhang (Domestic Player) Darius Adams (International Player) | Shandong Golden Stars Xinjiang Flying Tigers | 28.0 40.1 |
| Rebounds per game | Yi Jianlian (Domestic Player) Jared Sullinger (International Player) | Guangdong Southern Tigers Shenzhen Leopards | 13.3 16.7 |
| Assists per game | Zeng Lingxu (Domestic Player) Courtney Fortson (International Player) | Shanxi Brave Dragons Zhejiang Lions | 7.6 12.0 |
| Steals per game | Wu Qian (Domestic Player) Darius Adams (International Player) | Zhejiang Golden Bulls Xinjiang Flying Tigers | 2.2 2.7 |
| Blocks per game | Zhang Zhaoxu (Domestic Player) Justin Hamilton (International Player) | Shanghai Sharks Beijing Ducks | 2.2 1.8 |

## Awards
### Players of the Week

The following players were named the Players of the Week.
| Week | Domestic Player of the Week | International Player of the Week |
| October 28–November 5 | Yi Jianlian (Guangdong Southern Tigers) (1/3) | Jared Sullinger (Shenzhen Leopards) (1/3) |
| November 7–12 | Ding Yanyuhang (Shandong Golden Stars) (1/1) | Jimmer Fredette (Shanghai Sharks) (1/1) |
| November 14–17 | Hu Jinqiu (Zhejiang Lions) (1/5) | Eli Holman (Tianjin Gold Lions) (1/1) |
| November 29–December 10 | Hu Jinqiu (Zhejiang Lions) (2/5) | Jared Sullinger (Shenzhen Leopards) (2/3) |
| December 12–17 | Hu Jinqiu (Zhejiang Lions) (3/5) | Courtney Fortson (Zhejiang Lions) (1/2) |
| December 19–24 | Hu Jinqiu (Zhejiang Lions) (4/5) | Russ Smith (Fujian Sturgeons) (1/1) |
| December 26–31 | Hu Jinqiu (Zhejiang Lions) (5/5) | Courtney Fortson (Zhejiang Lions) (2/2) |
| January 2–11 | Han Dejun (Liaoning Flying Leopards) (1/1) | Darius Adams (Xinjiang Flying Tigers) (1/3) |
| January 16–21 | Yi Jianlian (Guangdong Southern Tigers) (2/3) | Jared Sullinger (Shenzhen Leopards) (3/3) |
| January 23–28 | Yi Jianlian (Guangdong Southern Tigers) (3/3) | Darius Adams (Xinjiang Flying Tigers) (2/3) |
| January 30–February 4 | Wang Zhelin (Fujian Sturgeons) (1/2) | Donatas Motiejūnas (Shandong Golden Stars) (1/1) |
| February 6–11 | Wang Zhelin (Fujian Sturgeons) (2/2) | Darius Adams (Xinjiang Flying Tigers) (3/3) |

### Young Player of the Month

The following players were named the Young Player of the Month.
| Month | Young Player of the Month |
| October/November | Zhao Rui (Guangdong Southern Tigers) (1/1) |
| December | Gao Shiyan (Jilin Northeast Tigers) (1/1) |
| January/February | Hu Jinqiu (Zhejiang Lions) (1/1) |