# 2017–18 Slovenian Basketball League

The 2017–18 Slovenian Basketball League, also known as Liga Nova KBM due to sponsorship reasons, was the 27th season of the Premier A Slovenian Basketball League. Olimpija are the defending champions.

## Format

The number of teams was reduced from 12 to only 10 for the 2017–18 season.

### Regular season

In the first phase, ten teams competed in a home-and-away round-robin series (18 games total). All teams advanced from the regular season to one of two postseason stages, depending on their league position.

### Second phase

The top eight teams from the regular season advanced to the championship phase. These teams started the second phase from scratch, with no results carrying over from the regular season. Each team played a total of 14 games in this phase; as in the regular season, a home-and-away round-robin was used.
The top four teams at the end of this stage advanced to the semifinals, conducted as a best-of-three playoff. The semifinal winners advanced to the best-of-five championship finals, with the winners being crowned league champion.

#### Playouts

The bottom two teams entered a home-and-away round-robin mini-league with the first, second, third, and fourth-placed teams from the second division, with the two teams finishing on top of the mini-league taking up a place in the next year's 1. A SKL.

## Teams

Ilirija was promoted as the winner of the 2016–17 Second League. The team from Ljubljana replaced Terme Olimia Podčetrtek, LTH Castings and Portorož, which finished in the last three positions in the 2016–17 season.

### Venues and locations

| Club | Location | Venue | Capacity |
| Helios Suns | Domžale | Komunalni center Hall | 2,500 |
| Hopsi | Polzela | ŠD Polzela | 1,800 |
| Krka | Novo Mesto | ŠD Leona Štuklja | 2,500 |
| Ilirija | Ljubljana | Tivoli Hall | 4,000 |
| Petrol Olimpija | Ljubljana | Arena Stožice | 12,500 |
| Rogaška | Rogaška Slatina | ŠD Rogaška Slatina | 800 |
| Šenčur | Šenčur | ŠD Šenčur | 800 |
| Sixt Primorska | Koper | OŠ Koper Hall | 660 |
| Šentjur | Šentjur | Dvorana OŠ Hruševec | 700 |
| Zlatorog Laško | Laško | Tri Lilije Hall | 2,500 |
* Teams that played in the 2017–18 Adriatic League
* Teams that played in the 2017–18 Adriatic League Second Division
* Teams that played in the 2017–18 Alpe Adria Cup

### Personnel and kits

| Team | President | Coach | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
| Helios Suns | David Kubala | Jovan Beader | Jure Močnik | Spalding | Helios |
| Hopsi Polzela | Igor Pungartnik | Boštjan Kuhar | Uroš Godler | Macron | – |
| Ilirija | Edvard Reven | Saša Dončić | Adnan Sarajlić | Spalding | - |
| Krka | Brane Kastelec | Simon Petrov | Dalibor Djapa | Žolna Šport | Krka |
| Petrol Olimpija | Tomaž Berločnik | Zoran Martič | Domen Lorbek | Macron | Petrol |
| Rogaška | Kristijan Novak | Damjan Novaković | Miha Fon | Nike | – |
| Sixt Primorska | Bojan Čad | Jurica Golemac | Nebojša Joksimović | Errea | Sixt |
| Šenčur | Janko Sekne | Rade Mijanović | Smiljan Pavič | Macron | Gorenjska gradbena družba |
| Šentjur | Iztok Špan | Jakša Vulić | Tomaž Bolčina | Luanvi | - |
| Zlatorog Laško | Miro Firm | Aleš Pipan | Miloš Miljković | Spalding | Pivovarna Laško |

### Managerial changes

| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
| Sixt Primorska | Aleksander Sekulić | End of contract | – | Pre-season | Jurica Golemac | 26 May 2017 |
| Šenčur | Gregor Vodenik | End of contract | – | Pre-season | Rade Mijanović | 17 May 2017 |
| Šentjur | Jurica Golemac | End of contract | – | Pre-season | Andrej Žakelj | 26 May 2017 |
| Helios Suns | Dejan Cikić | End of interim spell | - | Pre-season | Jovan Beader | 8 May 2017 |
| Šentjur | Andrej Žakelj | Mutual consent | 26 December 2017 | 9th (3–7) | Jakša Vulić | 27 December 2017 |
| Petrol Olimpija | Gašper Okorn | Mutual consent | 8 Januar 2018 | 2nd (7–5) | Zoran Martič | 8 Januar 2018 |

## Regular season
### Standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Sixt Primorska | 18 | 13 | 5 | 1411 | 1332 | +79 | 31 | Qualification to championship group |
| 2 | Rogaška | 18 | 11 | 7 | 1322 | 1345 | −23 | 29 | Qualification to championship group |
| 3 | Petrol Olimpija | 18 | 10 | 8 | 1459 | 1373 | +86 | 28 | Qualification to championship group |
| 4 | Šenčur | 18 | 10 | 8 | 1370 | 1376 | −6 | 28 | Qualification to championship group |
| 5 | Helios Suns | 18 | 10 | 8 | 1405 | 1358 | +47 | 28 | Qualification to championship group |
| 6 | Ilirija | 18 | 9 | 9 | 1395 | 1432 | −37 | 27 | Qualification to championship group |
| 7 | Krka | 18 | 9 | 9 | 1457 | 1452 | +5 | 27 | Qualification to championship group |
| 8 | Šentjur | 18 | 7 | 11 | 1360 | 1479 | −119 | 25 | Qualification to championship group |
| 9 | Hopsi Polzela | 18 | 6 | 12 | 1402 | 1384 | +18 | 24 | Qualification to relegation group |
| 10 | Zlatorog Laško | 18 | 5 | 13 | 1337 | 1387 | −50 | 23 | Qualification to relegation group |

## Second stage
### Championship group

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Petrol Olimpija | 14 | 12 | 2 | 1153 | 992 | +161 | 26 | Qualification to playoffs |
| 2 | Sixt Primorska | 14 | 10 | 4 | 1083 | 1037 | +46 | 24 | Qualification to playoffs |
| 3 | Krka | 14 | 9 | 5 | 1177 | 1062 | +115 | 23 | Qualification to playoffs |
| 4 | Rogaška | 14 | 7 | 7 | 1036 | 1012 | +24 | 21 | Qualification to playoffs |
| 5 | Helios Suns | 14 | 7 | 7 | 1100 | 1090 | +10 | 21 | |
| 6 | Šenčur GGD | 14 | 5 | 9 | 1048 | 1166 | −118 | 19 | |
| 7 | Ilirija | 14 | 4 | 10 | 1056 | 1138 | −82 | 18 | |
| 8 | Šentjur | 14 | 2 | 12 | 956 | 1112 | −156 | 16 | |

### Relegation group

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Relegation |
| 1 | Hopsi Polzela (O) | 10 | 8 | 2 | 909 | 771 | +138 | 18 | |
| 2 | Zlatorog Laško (O) | 10 | 8 | 2 | 823 | 695 | +128 | 18 | |
| 3 | Terme Olimia Podčetrtek | 10 | 6 | 4 | 784 | 790 | −6 | 16 | Relegation |
| 4 | Mesarija Prunk Sežana | 10 | 4 | 6 | 794 | 808 | −14 | 14 | Relegation |
| 5 | LHT Castings | 10 | 3 | 7 | 796 | 879 | −83 | 13 | Relegation |
| 6 | Celje | 10 | 1 | 9 | 708 | 871 | −163 | 11 | Relegation |

## Playoffs

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| Petrol Olimpija | Petrol Olimpija | Petrol Olimpija | Petrol Olimpija | 92 | 73 |
| Rogaška | Rogaška | Rogaška | Rogaška | 79 | 67 | | | | | | |
| Rogaška | Rogaška | Rogaška | Rogaška | 79 | 67 | Petrol Olimpija | 90 | 78 | 67 | 89 | 95 |
| | | | | | | Krka | 69 | 80 | 83 | 79 | 90 |
| Sixt Primorska | Sixt Primorska | Sixt Primorska | 88 | 61 | 72 | Krka | 69 | 80 | 83 | 79 | 90 |
| Krka | Krka | Krka | 71 | 75 | 74 | | | | | | |

## Awards
### Regular Season MVP

* Smiljan Pavič (Šenčur)

### Season MVP

* Smiljan Pavič (Šenčur)

### Finals MVP

* Devin Oliver (Petrol Olimpija)

### Weekly MVP
## Statistical leaders

| Performance Index Rating Pos Player Club PIR 1 Smiljan Pavič Šenčur 19.63 2 Marjan Čakarun Sixt Primorska 19.18 3 Blaž Mahkovic Helios Suns 19.06 | Points Pos Player Club PPG 1 Blaž Mahkovic Helios Suns 18.97 2 Miloš Pešić Šentjur 17.55 3 Dino Murić Šenčur 16.53 |
| Rebounds Pos Player Club RPG 1 Dino Murić Šenčur 8.27 2 Shawn King Sixt Primorska 8.21 3 Smiljan Pavič Šenčur 8.20 | Assists Pos Player Club APG 1 Žan Mark Šiško Ilirija 7.03 2 Nejc Barič Zlatorog Laško 5.89 3 Jure Močnik Helios Suns 5.79 |

## Clubs in European competitions

| Team | Competition | Progress | Ref |
| Petrol Olimpija | Champions League | Regular season | |