Singapore Gone From NBL But Looking to Play In Asia

The Slingers had a two year roar in the NBL.

I'm not sure when this story grew legs but it is happening. The Singapore Slingers will not play in the NBL in season 2008/09.

What I'm hearing though is all player contracts will be honoured and the club is trying to play 15 exhibition games in Singapore in the upcoming months.

I'm not sure what playing exhibition games will do for a franchise without a league but I do not know the Singapore market at all.

This concept is interesting but knowing Bob Turner he must have something in the pipeline. Maybe the Slingers will join an Asian league? Would the Chinese CBA look at a team from Singapore?

I'm sure there is more to this story to come out over the next few days. I will do my best to keep you guys in the loop as it happens.

From now and until the Olympics roll around I'm going to give my scouting report on each member of the Boomers.

David Andersen

Performing in his second Olympics Andersen will be looking to have a massive Games. He has proved himself in Europe and the NBA would not shell out enough to get his services, so Andersen will be looking to prove that he is worth every penny he is paid.

strengths: May have the most well rounded offensive game of any of our interior players. Andersen will go close to leading the team in scoring. He can score his points by banging down low and going to his turn around "J" or stepping out to about fifteen feet.

He is also quite comfortable trailing the play or stepping out to three and knocking it down. Hopefully this option does not become a steady diet but his ability to stretch the defense should help create space down low for Andrew Bogut to operate.

Maybe Andersen's biggest strength is his offensive rebounding ability. He truly has a nose for the ball and gets himself easy second chance points or extra possessions for his team. This stat can really help get a team over the line in a tight game.

weakness: If he has to chase a perimeter orientated four around, this is not his game. Andersen can play some solid low post defense and helps and talks it up great on on-ball screens. He and Bogut need to "eat glass" for the Boomers to reach the medal rounds, so Andersen needs to hit the D glass with the venom he does at the offensive end.

overall: Andersen needs to have a monster Olympics for the Aussies to do well. He has an offensive game to match the best in the world at his position. How he and Bogut work together will be key.

If Andersen has a huge Games, the Boomers could play themselves into a medal game while the NBA will be begging for him to come and play.

Articles:

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"It's a good feeling, it's cool, it's a new step for me," Low said yesterday afternoon, just hours after landing in Honolulu on a flight from Salt Lake City. "I made a good decision. I'm excited to go." Words from Derrick Low, the Sydney Spirits new import. Courtesy of the Honolulu Advertiser.

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The Spirit show the kids of Armidale some skills but forget to tell the newspaper they are not the Razorbacks anymore.

Spain get by Argentina, again.

Latvian and Warriors centre Andris Biedrins set to sign a six year extension.

Australian Opals belt Brazil, 99-62 (boxscore coming), in Wollongong tonight.

Check out this latest Corey "Homicide" Williams video.

When Something Just Eats At You

I didn't agree with this at the time and still don't, but the Pigs are dead.

"The Spirit are a relatively new team to the NBL and they have had some success; however, they have never won the grand final. Being a new member to the team; what do you think needs to be done to win a championship and how are you going to help achieve that?" A question asked by Nick Thomas of http://www.nbl.com.au/ when interviewing import David Gruber.

This question has been eating away at me all day for some reason so I will be interested to see what you the reader thinks as well. (So post a comment if you wish.)

At first read I thought it was my lack of sleep over the past few days (I've been rising at 4.45am to co host a radio breakfast show. 4TO is the station if you wanted to know.) that was clouding my brain, but the more I think about it the more it eats at me.

Nick Thomas, the Sydney Spirit (and even that is questionable at the moment) are a brand new team and have absolutely no success to talk about. They have no history as a club, so how have they had success as a club?

Your right in saying they have never won a grand final but they have never been in one either, unlike the Pigs that played in two during their ten year existence.

The Razorbacks are dead and buried. The moment the Spirit was formed the history book on the Pigs was closed.

If I'm Gruber, I'm saying it is fantastic to be a foundation member of a new team and I hope the Sydney public support their team.

If you want to unite the Sydney people you cannot continue to refer back to the Razorback days. You need to move on and call it what it is.

Although I don't agree with this "merger" you have to call it a fresh start otherwise Kings fans will get sick and tired of hearing about the Pig days.

I could talk about this topic for hours but I would give you all a headache, including myself, so I will end this ranting and raving for now.

Mr Thomas and everyone else, the Pigs are dead, so we all need to move on!

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Tasmanian coach wins award.

NZNBL player admits to "blazing up".

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