Former NBA No. 1 overall pick Anthony Bennett will likely make his debut with the Kaohsiung Steelers in Taiwan’s professional P. LEAGUE+ this weekend.
The Kaohsiung club has promoted the 2.03-meter Bennett’s arrival to Taiwan with much fanfare, highlighting his social media presence and hyping up his anticipated matchup against Canadian compatriot 2.26-meter Sim Bhullar of the Hsinchu JKO Lioneers.
On Thursday, however, the Steelers said Bennett will be on the team’s roster for their game against the Lioneers in Hsinchu on Saturday but did not guarantee he will play.
Bennett was the talk of the NBA when he was selected first overall in the 2013 draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, while Bhullar went undrafted in 2014 but later joined the Sacramento Kings.
In an Instagram post, Bennett admitted Bhullar had a big height advantage but said the strategy will be to keep him out of the paint.
“Good luck, stay healthy. Hope you can catch your breath, because we’re going to run,” Bennett said in a message to Bhullar.
The Steelers are fifth in the six team P. LEAGUE+ with a 4-9 record, while the Lioneers are fourth at 7-6.
Formosa Taishin Dreamers sign Stefan Jankovic: The P. LEAGUE+’s Formosa Taishin Dreamers have signed Serbian-Canadian Stefan Jankovic, the club announced Wednesday.
The 28-year-old 2.11-meter big man is currently in Taiwan and undergoing mandatory quarantine, the Dreamers said in a statement.
Jankovic has played for clubs in the NBA G League, Serbia, Greece, Turkey, and Belarus. He averaged 10 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in the 2021-2022 season of the VTB UNITED LEAGUE in Belarus with Tsmoki-Minsk.
Dreamers General Manager Jonathan Han (???) said Jankovic is an excellent center who shoots well from beyond the arc.
“In addition to being a good defender, he brings some firepower on the offensive end. I believe he can quickly fit into the team’s small-ball style of play,” Han said.
Jankovic was also eager to join the Dreamers, who lead the league with an 8-4 record, saying he has been watching the team’s games while in quarantine.
Manny Harris signs with Steelers: The Steelers have signed former NBA player Corperryale L’Adorable “Manny” Harris, the club announced Wednesday.
The 32-year-old 1.96-meter shooting guard arrived in Taiwan in the second half of last month and is currently undergoing mandatory quarantine, the Steelers said, and he is expected to be out of quarantine next week.
He logged 93 games in the NBA for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Dallas Mavericks between 2010 and 2017, and has since played in Europe and Asia.
Harris had an impressive 2020-2021 season with the Shandong Heroes (now rebranded as the Shandong Hi-Speed Kirin) of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), averaging 22.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4 assists per game.
Harris joined AEK Athens in the Greek Basket League in July 2021 but left in October and has been out of the game since.
Branden Dawson returns to U.S.: Branden Dawson has parted ways with the Lioneers due to family obligations, the club said Tuesday.
Dawson asked that his contract be terminated so that he could return to the United States to be with his family, the club said.
The 2.00-meter forward joined the Lioneers in February 2021 during the P.LEAGUE+’s inaugural season and averaged 21.1 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in seven games.
During the current season, he had averaged 16.9 points, 14.4 rebounds, and 1.7 assists.
The Lioneers thanked Dawson for his effort with the team and said they would be willing to have him back next season.
Dawson thanked the fans for their support in a recorded video on a Lioneers social media account and explained that he had a “family issue” to attend to.
P. LEAGUE+ and T1 LEAGUE upcoming games: The P. LEAGUE+’s Taoyuan Pilots will host the Dreamers on Saturday, the Taipei Fubon Braves on Sunday, and the New Taipei Kings on Tuesday, while the Lioneers will host the Steelers Saturday and the Kings Sunday.
The T1 LEAGUE will see the New Taipei CTBC DEA host the TaiwanBeer HeroBears on Friday, the Taichung Wagor Suns on Saturday, and the Kaohsiung Aquas on Sunday, while the HeroBears will host the Tainan TSG GhostHawks on Saturday and the Taoyuan Leopards on Sunday.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel