Mike’s Back

And then there were ten….. Almost a roster! Back in the warmth of Singapore Mike Helms arrived this week to commence training with the Slingers. Looking at his 6 foot 1 frame this year round he looks like he has found a few pounds in his time not playing. As stealthy as he is, he still has his explosive prowess around the basket.

Seeing the group training together gives the feeling of a very interesting season ahead. A young group, but a immensely talented group this new batch of Slingers has the potential to mix it with the very best the NBL can throw at them.

Again there will be a dynamic duo of import in Mike Helms and Rod Grizzard a much more formidable pairing compared to last season’s duo in Chandler and Helms. Look to see Grizzard handle the ball this season too as the 203cm frame has the versatility that will prove to be a hard defensive assignment.

A welcome addition to the group and court general for the Singapore National Team is Michael Wong. Making the adjustment to banging away with the big boys has been no problem for Michael. Just in training he has shown he can step up and it will be an interesting season for him as he will get to refine his skills even further.

More to come……

Our Team, Our players, Our Pride.

The Season Ahead….

Well back again after a long absence.

Finally after months of not knowing, the Slingers are glimpsing the first ray of light shining though what was turning out to be the long dark tunnel of the off-season. Going up against challenges seem to be the norm for the NBL’s only asian-based team and moving into the second season has shown no sign of smooth sailing.

For now the Slingers are full steam ahead and working towards making an impact in their second season in the Australian National Basketball League.

With the roster still being finalized the Slingers are shaping up to be as competitive if not better than last season. With the likely return of All-star Mike Helms and the possible addition of a second round NBA draft pick the Slingers should have the firepower to match any offensive package the league has to offer. Not to mention the day in day out, grinding away, work ethic of Ben Knight and the addition of a few familiar faces the Slingers should be on track to make a solid stand this season.

Travelling to Brunei to the 7th annual Brunei Cup invitational, the Slingers will have the least amount of pre-season training than any other team. The nine day tournament will give the team some much needed game play and provide a good platform for the new group to feel each other out and gel as a cohesive unit.

With head coach Gordon Mcleod away on Australian National Team duties and the loss of Dean Vickerman to New Zealand, Assistant Coach Neo Beng Siang will be stepping up to fill the role with NBL Hall of Famer Michael Johnson backing him up.

Traveling on 13 separate trips last year the team struggled to gain some sort of consistency whilst on the road. Showing promise this season with only 8 road trips gives the team less of the long hauls between Singapore and Australia or Singapore and New Zealand. We’ll only have to wait and see if this has an impact on improving the Slingers poor road record.

The next couple of weeks will see some interesting announcements from the Slingers camp as the final touches get put on a roster set to compete in the 2007/08 NBL Championship.

Our Team, Our Players, Our Pride.