THE Asean Basketball League (ABL) rolls up the curtains for four new squads when it opens its new season on November 17.
Hong Kong Eastern will defend its title against league mainstays Westports Malaysia Dragons, Singapore Slingers, Saigon Heat and Alab Pilipinas.
But four new teams—Formosa Dreamers (Taiwan), Nanhai Long Lions (China), CLS Knight (Indonesia) and Mono Vampire Basketball Club (Thailand)—will try to make their impact.
The eighth season starts with the Nanhai Long Lions hosting the Singapore Slingers.
All teams are allowed to parade two world and two heritage imports each. They will be divided into three groups and will play a total of 20 games.
The top 2 teams in the elimination round will advance to the semifinals, while the third to sixth placers will compete in the quarterfinals.
The first two rounds of the playoffs will be a best-of-three series, while the Finals will be a race-to-three contest.
CLS Knights Indonesia is one of the oldest basketball club in the field, while the Mono Vampires, only established in 2014, are expected to out up a good fight after finishing fifth in the recent Fiba Asia Champions Cup.