The Sendai 89ers have relied on the stellar contributions of several players en route to six straight wins to open the new season.
Credit longtime point guard Takehiko Shimura and irreplaceable forward Wendell White along with several newcomers for setting the tone.
Third-year bench boss Shuto Kawachi's club and the Niigata Albirex BB share the Eastern Conference lead entering the fourth week of the 2015-16 campaign, the bj-league's 11th and final season.