The Shanghai Shark team has set a target of getting into the playoffs in the new season of the Chinese Basketball Association league, which will commence later this year.

The Sharks finished 12th in the 20-team league last season and failed to advance to the playoffs for the second consecutive year. The Shanghai-based basketball club is owned by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and eight-time NBA All-Star Yao Ming.

Like Us on Facebook

"It's a basic target that the club must achieve!" Sharks head coach Liu Peng said. The team's bench boss told the media on Wednesday that they have already begun their summer training, and some significant adjustments have been made in its coaching set-up.

According to Shanghai Daily, six-time National Basketball League Coach of the Year Brian Goorjian of the United States has been named the new assistant coach of the Sharks.

Goorjian, 62, is the most successful coach in the history of Australian basketball. He has won six NBL championships titles, including a three-peat in 2003, 2004 and 2005 when he was coaching the Sydney Kings.

He joined the Chinese team Dongguan Leopards in the CBA in 2009 and became the assistant coach of Guangdong Southern Tigers last season. He led the Jianlian Yi-led team to a CBA playoffs semifinals finish in the 2015-16 season. Goorjian is also the China's national team technical adviser.

"We got connected to Goorjian when looking for new foreign players," Liu said. "He is extremely experienced and Sharks is a young team that needs experience."

The veteran bench tactician has been in China for almost a decade and has said he was looking forward to working with Yao's team.

"It's a young team with a young coach, and these are exciting times for them," the American coach said. "I want to help Yao and the team to move towards the playoffs.

TagsShanghai Sharks, Yao Ming, brian goorjian, CBA News, chinese basketball association, cbs playoffs