Got until June 2nd to show that they are viable I believe and are not allowed to negotiate with players unitl after that date.
Looks like they are screwed. If this is the case, Rick Burton should be given a long walk off a short jetty for blindly letting them into the NBL with obviously little or no research done to see if they were a long term financial and viable entity.

If they do fold. Would going after Knight be a possibilty as a 2nd PF? Or would the points not allow it?

Get him instead of the second import, then see what happens with Newley IMO, but I'm not sure that the club think it's workable?

Burton would let anyone in with $1m for the license - all that press for the expansion into Singapore and then zip to show for it.

Can't see how they have much chance to be honest.

Burton was always going to let an Asian team into the league regardless of long term sustainability. One of his goals was to expand into Asia. He can now add that to his CV as expanding the NBL into Asia regardless of the long term effect.

How about a Port Morseby franchise - What do you guys reckon???...

Singapore failed - but by all accounts the culture there is not so sport-oriented - it`s money-oriented... so no great surprise... But - i think before a leap like this is made, a proper due process and due dilligence must be made - it makes the NBL just look like a joke - assuming the rumors are true (and on the face of it if they are not - then we are in Bizzarro World)...

Yeah it doesnt sound good at all for the future of the Slingers.

It just amazes me why when we already have teams struggling here that there was a need to expand. Surely the league would have been better off supporting the already existing teams and making sure they were all viable for the long term before running off and starting up a brand new team overseas!

I'd rather see Manute and his Sudanese crew play in the NBL before a Port Moresby team was entered. At least we know they would be financial as they pay their players in cattle, goats and dung beetles. Getting to Australia by boat could be the only problem. Be a bitch to schedule.

Reading the above there seems to be some misunderstandings. To say that people in Singapore are not interested in sport but just in money is not correct. The papers are full of English soccer , NBA gets plenty of coverage and so too many local leagues and sports events. It depends largely on the product on offer.

The Slingers clearly has a long term problem to find a major sponsor. Short term someone needs to release some money so that the identified players can be signed and maybe having a deadline will help.

why not move the team to play half games in Singapore and half out of say Darwin.

Cuts down traveling time which would not be a great draw card in recruiting and also diversifies the fan base and potential sponsors

TR - ROFLMAO!!!... If i was giving them out that would be a basketball right there...

The reason (or one of the main ones - that i have been made to believe!!!) is because Singaporeans (much like their close cousins - the Chinese) LOVE A FLUTTER (therefore my theory potentially still holds)... It could be two flies on the wall - as to which one will fly off first - wouldn`t matter... So the fact that football and NBA are in the media doesn`t nessecarily indicate an appreciation of sport as we would see it...

Attendance at local football games in Singapore doubled when it was announced they were allowed to bet on the games....

Sounds like a good marketing idea - bets at the venue on all the types of things that Centrebet offers for NBL games - first scorer, high scorer from a pack, margin, most threes from two opponents, etc.

Phizzer , possibly you are correct but if so then maybe its time for some product development .

You CAN market it, there is a product and there is a demand. But the devil is in the details....

Phizzer since you obviously know the details what are they ....

Agree there is a demand but product development is still needed if you want more local people on board.

Define "product development"? The product is basketball, Singapore doesn't need to develop basketball, needs to develop people's perception of basketball as entertainment. Slingers need to be in schools, in shopping malls, running clinics, meetings kids and adults, convincing them of entertainment value of a Slinger NBL game.

Basically, any Slingers player needs to understand their role in marketing, not just rock up and play. They need to be passionate off court about getting people to watch. Not sure last season's group of players achieved that or understood they their team relied in getting bums on seats and they couldn't just leave that up to the management to achieve and for them to just play good basketball.

Phizzer - you might be right... but if it`s ingrained in their culture/psyche - then you are somewhat stuffed... that said though - basketball and soccer have taken off in mainland China - but of course that`s because after years and years of govenment sponsored development (it hasn`t ALL been underhanded!)/doping/cheating pograms - they finally have some clout if not globally - then at the very least regionally - everyone loves a winner... Singapore has none of this - and it`s a bit too much to expect it...

Sounds like the Slingers are going to be the Euro-Disneyland of the NBL, great idea in theory but no planning and bugger all research is going to see it sink.

Clearly the NBL has to expect that just because something works in Australia (kind of), it doesnt mean it will take in other cultures. I agree, i think portraying basketball as entertainment rather than sport is a great idea, yet if the franchise is already marketed incorrectly it may be a case of planning your attack after the fight.

Maybe they should employ the players at casinos between fixtures, free publicity!

Good points Phizzer ! I agree to a large extend with you.

Many wanted to come and play ball and believed they should be superstars who sat on their bums while the promotion was " someone elses job". Some of these players are now back in Australia with new clubs or playing in Europe.....

Interesting enough, Singapore about to open an "integrated resort" which is PC speak for casino. Maybe Slingers could have their home games from there!

US culture is still "cool" in Singapore, Mike Helms as poster boy was good idea, small guard, quick and determined, many locals could relate to him.

And if "Defence wins Games" is who I think it is, you would know better than most about the attitude of the players.....

Basketball CAN work in Singapore. Needs more targeted promotion and marketing, more "buy-in" from players concerned, realising they are ambassadors and salesman, not just ball players.

And hey, as far as start up teams, did better than most on the court.

brilliant TR, only problem is the teams ariving on boats will end up playing in the NBA (Nahru basketball Assoc)..or the NBA (US)

Wonder how many potentially great Australians there are out there?

very dissapointed if the slingers were to fold! players obviously didnt enjoy the change in culture, hopefully the issues can be sorted but not looking promising at this stage. They attracted a good roster in there debut season and played in a fantastic facility but just doesnt seem to be working, but lets wait and see what the outcome is first!

Phizzer... You sunk my battleship!

Whats Aaron Trahair's situation?