thoughts?

Need more talent. One more standout would really help. They've got another guy - Fitzgerald or something? And another QLD guy?

40ppg each? I'd reckon that Helms will get 20ppg, maybe more if he gets to play the 2 but they need him at the 1 right now.

Grizzard should get 20-25. That's 40.

I reckon Janev is capable of 15 - even if it's just on triples.

Cameron should get at least 10 on his size alone.

and Knight can get you 15.

That's already 80 points as a team, without even including bench contributions.

IF trahair is actually staying, he'll get you 10ppg off the bench.

And I think we may see at least one more aussie big added if they can find one somewhere. maybe even look at some bigs from the NZBL, like aussie Andrew Rice or kiwi Miles Pearce - both players with NBL experience. maybe even 3-4 man Adrian Majstrovich, who is also unsigned.

Chris Cameron should not be starting in the NBL. Janev was always very big headed and very poor attitude - may have changed.
Couldn't see them within 20 of the top teams.

Thrahair is not coming so at this stage the Slingers are trialing Hayden Allen from New Zealand . It only a trial though and personal view is that they will find another player in the coming weeks.

There are 3 Singaporean , the same 2 from last year plus Michael Wong.

At the moment they are likely to start Helms, Grizzard, Knight, Cameron and Janev.

They are still working on an exellent PG from either China and if not possible then a player from the Phillipines who most likely will start so Grizzard can move to SF.

Grizzard looks like he can play 1, 2,3,and even 4. Very good ball control. Helms is a bit rusty but keen to play .

Fitzgeral could be a big surprise even at NBL level . Do not underestimate his ability to score. He has played 1, 2, and 3 but is likely to be a back up 2 or 3 at this stage.

The team may be young and lack experience but the team spirit seems much better than last year.

Just in case someone goes looking at the results from their training camp in brunei . In this tournament they are not allowed to have more than one import on court at the same time so nobody has yet seen the combination of Helms and Grizzard in action.

that's a terrible rule. i am starting to come around to the idea of mike helms sharing the backcourt with grizzard...they can both handle the rock and do plenty with it.

will this chinese point guard count as an import?

cameron will be the 5 though, and knight the 4, janev the 3 in this lineup...cameron is 270lbs.

Milky , I think they will be allowed to have 3 imports.

Many of the players on the team can player multiple positions. Only a few like Shane McDonald are fixed in one position . By the way Shane made a good impression in his first match in brunei.

Looking at the team Gordie can maybe come up with lot of alternatives so of which we may not know at this stage . no doubt he will have to take some risk as the NBL experience is not there but then again it is not like Janev of Fitzgeral has not played basketball before !

Players and positions looks like
Helms 2 , 1
Grizzard , 2, 3, 1
Knight 4, 5
Cameron 5
Janev 3, 4 , 5 ? doubt it
Fitzgerald 3, 1, 2
McDonald 1
Pakman 4,
Koon 2,
Wong 2
Import to come 1,
Australian/NZ to come 5, 4 or alternatively a very strong defensive cross guard type player.

but why would they be allowed three imports?

i personally think that any asian players should count as naturalised players for singapore. that's how we'll expand into asia further.

i like the slingers, but i wonder why the nbl felt the need to create their own asian franchise. the safest way to expand would have been to bring maybe 2 already established asian teams (eg. from china, korea) into the league, and then work from there.

Milky , agree it would possibly have been much better to pick established team from China and Phillipines ( or if Singapore wanted to play in a league maybe they should have joined the Chinese League first ? ) but that is all history now ...remember NBL is a part time hobby for rich business people or entrepreneurs who are prepared to try something new.. I think we just have to accept the fact of today and see if the Slingers can make some impact this year . At least they seem to be trying and they are giving some young players a chance to play NBL.

i understand that they are giving guys a go...i'm a sydney lad and i struggle to support the Sydney Boomers and can't support a team based in Sydney's West which isn't very much like Sydney at all. so i just like the slingers cos no one else goes for em.

but will they succeed by just getting aussie guys to play for them? i'm sure that wasn't the point of expanding into asia. that's why phillipines and chinese players should not count as imports. that way they can really be an asia team.

but hey, go slingers

Milky I agree with you and so would most spectators . The 2 import rule was, as far as I know mainly implemented to give young oz /nz players an opportunity something which I think is fair as long as the game was purely an australian game - but now maybe better to allow teams to select player based on their level of capability ( so no big paying US or European player ) than on where they were born. let us see how they go !

i think that the 2 import rule is fine for most teams. if they are allowed to have an asian-born import, then that is a good initiative by the nbl, and should be developed further.

first and foremost, Australian players should be the leagu'e priority, so the 2 import rule should not change...there should never be mroe than 2 imports on an australian team. but the slingers are an asian team, so further asian players is not an issue.

is the gun asian import by any chance chinese gun liu wei?

There is a lot of speculation about who the player could be but nothing firm yet . I am sure the Slingers will announce quickly if they can get someone of high quality.

How on earth has Chris Cameron got a game for a NBL team?
Chris Cameron shouldn't even be playing for a under 12 girls team. dead set tool! Attitude sucks and got no skills!

Don't be a hater - the guy deserves a chance. Let's see how he goes.

Let tell all our basketball friends to come every games to support our own Singapore Slingers.

I think we should scout player in China to add into
the team. I have watched Grizzard play in US, he play aggressive and that what we want to see in the team.

Do we have a Singapore Slingers crazy fan club here ?

Go Singapore Slinger