The NBA season has already started, but players that signed on to play in China during the lockout are still there due to a Chinese league policy preventing players from leaving upon the lockout's conclusion. The lockout is obviously been over for a while, but players like former Denver Nuggets guard J.R. Smith are being forced to wait until the Chinese season is over to return to the NBA.
According to Smith's Twitter feed, he expects his season in China to end in March, but he notes that it could happen earlier if the team struggles. Smith, currently playing for the Zhejiang Golden Bulls, was named the Chinese league's international player of the week during his second week with the team.
Zhejiang is currently 9-6 on the year, one of the better teams in the league. Smith's current teammates include former Connecticut star Josh Boone, who left the NBA after the 2009-2010 season.
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