After a short absence, Indonesia will be represented again in the ASEAN Basketball League. The CLS Knights might be a new team but they have veterans in their roster to help aide them in their rookie year.
The Knights will be led World imports Duke Crews and Brian Williams who have both played in the league before. Crews averaged 18 points and 7.8 rebounds while Williams normed a double-double with 15.6 points and 12.2 rebounds per game.
Crews is a banger who’s unafraid of mixing it up in the shaded area. Although he can nail the occasional three, he does most of his damage with post-up plays and putbacks. Williams on the other end is a more polished offensive player although Crews is the better defender. The chemistry between the two will very important as the level of the Knights’ bigs takes a huge dip after them.
CLS also hired ABL journeyman Fred Goldstein who will be playing for his third team in as many years in the upcoming season.
After stints with Hi-Tech Bangkok City and the Westports Malaysia Dragons, the Thai-American will be bringing his high scoring ways to Indonesia. The guard averaged 16.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game in his ABL career.
Goldstein can light it up at any given point but the problem for him with his first two teams was his efficiency. He can score 30 points but he might need 30 shots to get there. The Knights will need him to pick and choose when he’ll attack and play within the system to maximize the damage that he’ll be creating.
CLS also backed their imports with some of the best players that the country has to offer.
Long viewed as the face of Indonesia basketball, Mario Wuysang will provide veteran leadership for the team along with intelligent quarterbacking. His poise in big game situations has been proven on every level of basketball and, although he may be getting up there in years, he remains to be a a threat from all spots on the floor because of his savvy. The ABL Local MVP in the 2010-11 season is out to prove that he is capable of reclaiming his old throne.
The Knights also employed one of the best three-point shooters in the archipelago in Sandy Kurniawan.
CLS is eager to show the vast improvement of Indonesia basketball as they enter the ABL and they have stacked their lineup with talented and hard-working players to give them a fighting chance. The last teams from Indonesia to join the ABL did not fare too well in their last season but the Knights are hoping to turn things around.
CLS Knights Indonesia 2017-2018 Opening Day Roster
Jersey No. | Name | Player Category | Height | Weight | DOB |
1 | FREDDIE LISH | Heritage Import | 5’10” | 161 lbs | 18-Aug-88 |
5 | MARIO WUYSANG | Local | 5’9″ | 168 lbs | 05-May-79 |
6 | DUKE CREWS | World Import | 6’8″ | 234 lbs | 20-Jan-88 |
8 | A. A. NGURAH WISNU | Local | 5’11” | 163 lbs | 08-Jul-90 |
9 | SANDY KURNIAWAN | Local | 6’3″ | 150 lbs | 16-Feb-86 |
10 | FEBRI UTOMO | Local | 5’11” | 185 lbs | 08-Feb-85 |
11 | ARIF HIDAYAT | Local | 5’10” | 157 lbs | 13-Oct-91 |
13 | KALEB RAMOT GEMILANG | Local | 6’0″ | 203 lbs | 30-May-91 |
15 | JAN MISAEL PANAGAN | Local | 5’10” | 172 lbs | 13-Jan-91 |
16 | FIRMAN DWI NUGROHO | Local | 6’8″ | 225 lbs | 16-Oct-90 |
17 | KATON ADJIE BASKORO | Local | 6’0″ | 181 lbs | 03-Jun-94 |
24 | MOH. SARONI | Local | 6’6″ | 225 lbs | 24-Oct-96 |
27 | BIMA RISKI ARDIANSYAH | Local | 6’0″ | 187 lbs | 27-Apr-90 |
33 | BRIAN WILLIAMS | World Import | 6’10” | 276 lbs | 10-Aug-87 |