It was the stuff of dreams last season when the Singapore Slingers made it into the National Basketball League’s (NBL) playoffs in their maiden season. And now with the 07/08 season scheduled to tip off on Sep 19 against the Melbourne Tigers at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, the Slingers will certainly be more than ready, having added an international flavour to their line-up, providing them with a greater punch, and perhaps, a more attractive style of play as well.

The team has been successful in retaining the services of top scorer Mike Helms and captain Ben Knight but acknowledged that last season’s squad lacked the physical presence on the boards. Thus, the team has duly added 3 new players in the form of American Rod Grizzard, Macedonian Blagoj Janev, and Australian Chris Cameron to its roster to shore up that department.

Coach Gordon McLeod explained that besides addressing the problem posed from last season, the trio, who are all above 2m in height, also provide the necessary versatility and youth that is in line with the Slingers ambitions. He added that with youth on his team’s side, it would allow them “to play a style of play that is up tempo, aggressive in defence” and also provide them with the opportunities to “run at [opponents] at every chance”.

This season the Slingers are aiming to replicate the success of 06/07 by qualifying for the playoffs yet again, albeit this time with more wins under their belt. And the key to the team’s chances this season will undoubtedly be Grizzard who comes with quite an impressive resume. The American was picked by NBA basketball legend Michael Jordan as a second round pick for the Washington Wizards in the 2002 NBA draft.While he eventually failed to make the cut, the small forward has played for 4 years in the European leagues and was a key member for Hungarian side Atomeromu SE, which culminated in a championship medal in the 05/06 season.

Coach McLeod also asserted that Grizzard will be a key player for the Slingers as the latter is also able to “play on the perimeter with his athleticism” despite his role predominantly as a small forward. And he added that the Slingers were “looking for Rod to give us another dimension” against the opposition this season.

When the UrbanWire asked Grizzard why he decided to switch from the European leagues to the Slingers, the American explained that he felt that he needed a change in environment after being in Europe since 2004, he added that the move was a “great experience as I wanted to see how basketball is played in Singapore”. And he’s already full of praise of the team, admitting that the Slinger’s pre-season training regime is probably the best that he has undergone so far.

Nonetheless, he’s recognised the weight entrusted on his shoulders when he said, “I just wanna be one of the key guys [and] help this team get off the ground.” And he’s certainly a team player as he shrugged off any estimates of the stats he might garner this season saying, “I’m not a statistical person…I just wanna make sure we win, play good and look good.”

The Local Flavour

Granted with the Slingers aiming to qualify for the playoffs yet again, along with the addition of the 3 new players, many critics would write off locals, Koh Meng Koon and Pathman Matialakan’s chances of getting sufficient time on the court.

But coach McLeod insisted that it wouldn’t be the case as the Slingers are focused in developing local talents and are even looking to add another local, Michael Wong, to their roster. He also explained that no place in the team was guaranteed, rather every player’s chances at earning court time would depend on how he fared in training. He said, “These guys know that to get court time they’ll have to earn them [in training].”

Additionally the Singaporeans will benefit from this year’s reduced 12-man roster as Coach McLeod revealed that besides all of them being present for home games, at least one of them will travel with the team during road trips.

Grizzard certainly the local players the thumbs up when he said, “They’re a great group of guys, they push me hard and make me improve…they’ll get better and we’ll get better as we go along.”

Managing Director Bob Turner drawing from his past experiences as a coach certainly sees the value in helping to develop more players from Singapore to truly be worthy of a place in the roster. He said, “It’s like when I was in Sydney coaching the Kings, we wanted players from Sydney and we would do everything possible to help”. In their efforts to promote the sport to youngsters, the Slingers have made 220 school visits and organised a 6-week long basketball course called Singahoop with the Basketball Association of Singapore (BAS).

So with the Singapore Slingers set to offer a potent and attractive brand of play this season, basketball fans might want to make their way down to the Singapore Indoor Stadium to see some top quality basketball.

For more information regarding the fixture list, you can go to www.singaporeslingers.com

Singapore Slingers Matches

Venue: Singapore Indoor Stadium
Ticket Prices: Balcony seats-$6, Gallery Seats-$12 for adult, $6 for concession, Premium Seats-$16 for adult, $12 for concession.

*Tickets purchased through Singapore Slingers Office-No Booking Fee
*Tickets purchased through SISTIC-subject to $1 booking fee per ticket.