Singapore Slingers Team Preview: Who is the fifth starting Slinger?

Story by Koh Yizhe and Jan Lin/Red Sports. Photos by Les Tan/Red Sports.

After four pre-season matches, the Singapore Slingers lineup is starting to take shape for the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) season tipping off today.

Kyle Jeffers, Al Vergara, Marcus Ng and Michael LeBlanc have been brought in to strengthen the team, and they have impressed during the pre-season matches. There's no doubt they will start in the Slingers’ all-important first ABL match against the Brunei Barracudas.

This is pretty much what we expected, but the question is, who will be the fifth player? It will definitely be a local as there has been no announcement made about a fifth foreign player.

#10 Hong Wei Jian, 24 years old

Hong Wei Jian is the only Singaporean to start all four pre-season games, but his performance in the last match left much to be desired after contributing only two points while giving the ball away four times. On top of that, he injured his right hand after a collision with Steven Khoo which left him with a classic case of good news and bad news.

The good news is that there isn't a fracture as initially feared. However, the bad news is that the swelling hasn't subsided and his right is almost twice the size of his left hand after a week.

His chances of starting the game may be affected but he personally believes he can still play.

"After a week of going to SSC for massages, it feels better, but there is a still a lot of swelling and a bruise is starting to form. However, I don't think it would affect my performance as I have been training all week with no problems. I am able to play on Sunday, but if I get hacked on my wrist, it could get worse," he said.

"This injury will affect me mentally more than anything, but not so much physically."

He was also visibly exciting about the fact that the match is going to be shown on ESPN.

"Did you know the match is going to be on ESPN? Although it probably wouldn't affect our performance, but we have that ‘feel good’ feeling. Hopefully more fans will come down because they want to be on TV!"

With last week's local starter not 100% match fit, will there be a change in the starting line-up? Maybe this is a chance for the other local players to show what they can offer to the team?

#11 Michael Wong, 30 years old

A direct replacement for Wei Jian could be Michael Wong, but the 30-year-old teacher from Hwa Chong Institution has yet to prove his worth to the coach.

Despite a solid performance in the first pre-season game against Coca-Cola Tigers when he scored 10 points in over 23 minutes of play, he has failed to impress since then.

"Its pretty tough juggling both being a professional basketball player and a teacher," shared Michael. "There are days when I have to work quite late and when I come over for training, I’m not full of energy. Then when I get back home, I don't really have ample rest because I have to wake up very early in the morning."

His inability to impress with the court-time time he has had so far might have diminished the prospects of a starting slot for him, but Michael definitely brings experience and maturity to the team during crunch time as an effective substitution.

“One of the things that has kept me going besides my passion for the game is being a role model for those who may have always wanted to do this (balancing being a professional athlete and having a full-time job),” concluded the man who has taken the road less travelled by.

#5 Wong Wei Long, 21 years old

Since the start of the pre-season, a local player that has improved is Wong Wei Long.

Although constantly in the shadow of Al Vergara, Wei Long is desperate to prove his worth with whatever limited time he has on the court.

In the comeback against San Miguel, Wong Wei Long only scored five points, but his vision and ball movement showed great progress since his first game against the Smart Gilas Pilipinas. He also started the fourth quarter and led his team at a crucial time in cutting San Miguel’s lead.

"I was raring to go after sitting on the bench for so long. So when the coach put me on, I tried my best to win every ball with plenty of energy," reflected Wei Long after the match.

Always looking for ways to improve his game and finding avenues to help the team seems to be this 21-year-old National Service (NS) boy's sense of motivation.

"Each of us has role models to look up to and learn from," shared Wei Long "For me, it is Al Vergara. He is the first choice point guard and there is a lot to learn from him about his vision and passing. His ball handling is also far superior to mine - the difference is like heaven and hell!"

"Of course, it would take hard work on my part to reach that level," added Wei Long, "and I'll have to impress whenever I am on court to gain the coach’s confidence. I also hope to contribute more to the team with both points and vision."

So much hunger can felt be from this passionate young player – it will be hard for coach Frank Arsego to ignore this fact for much longer.

#13 Steven Khoo, 24 years old

Yet another player that has to balance service to his country and professional basketball is Steven Khoo.

But unlike Wei Long, who just started NS, Steven only has 31 more days till he can become a full-time Slinger!

"I'll have to prove to the coach what I can do on the court. I don't think I have reached my best yet because of the lack of rest. After work, I have to train so I don't get enough rest time," said the towering forward, "but once I get out of NS, it will be Slingers all the way. With the focus, I believe I'll get much better then."

We definitely haven't seen much from Steven or the potential he possesses. It might be some time before we see him as a starting player.

#15 Pathman Matialakan, 29 years old

Another possible replacement for Wei Jian would be Pathman Matialakan.

A powerful forward or centre by nature, his playing style and roles is a contrast with the more agile and active Wei Jian.

With his physical presence rather unsettling for his opponents, much of the scoring responsibility falls on his shoulders. He is expected to at least score in double digits to take some of the pressure off the foreigners.

However, during the pre-season, he hasn't always been able to do that.

He started relatively well with a nine points and six boards performance in the first match and did one better with 10 points in the next. But he hit a snag in the third match against Ginebra with a mere two points.

After a talk with the coaching staff where he was told to be "more assertive and demand the ball", he bounced back and had his best pre-season game with 13 points and four rebounds.

When asked about the start of the ABL and how such a big stage might affect his performance, Pathman remarked: "I am trying not to think so much about the occasion or the height of the opponents we will face. I want to concentrate on my own performance instead of all the little details that might derail me."

"That might be hard with ESPN coming in to telecast our much. It doesn't get any bigger than ESPN as they are the ‘worldwide leader in sports’, but I can't be thinking about it. I have to get myself prepared and focus on the victory on Sunday."

Much has also been said about the possibility of him being handed the captaincy. But of course, that’s a secret. If he is, however, it might increase his chances of being in the starting five.

#2 Desmond Oh, 23 years old

There is no doubt about the defensive abilities of Desmond Oh. During his last match against San Miguel, he ran around the court like a man out to prove something. And proved something he did, as it was his defensive contribution that eventually won them the match.

Desmond Oh played tenacious defence on San Miguel's Dondon Hontiveros after the latter got free for 13 of his 18 points in the 3rd quarter.

"We won because of our teamwork and defence, and we also shut their shooters down,” said Desmond after the match. “When I was on the floor, I concentrated on my defence. My role was to man-mark their #7 (Hontiveros)."

All his teammates sang his praises for him after the match.

"I don't like to single out players from the team, but I believe Desmond (Oh) played very well, especially in defense!" commented Michael LeBlanc.

"Desmond (Oh) was great in defense," analysed Wei Long "But he lacks confidence on the offensive front."

Indeed, this is a cause for concern for both Desmond and team coaching staff. Even he admits that he is a defense player and the coach uses him solely for defensive reasons.

"Defense is my focus and it’s the area that I work on in training," said Desmond, clearly a man of little words. "I'll have to learn to work on my offense and shooting. I have to take the opportunities to shoot when they present themselves to me."

It will take a lot more work on his offense before he has any chance to be in the starting five.

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