phil smyth

Newley

Why do we even need to debate this, VOZZO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brendan Teys would be up there for sure.
Captain Courageous.
Played the least minutes ever for a Captain but was always up for some trash talk and whinging when he hit the court.
What a great basketballer.

Career wise, has to be Joe Ingles

This Mudronja bloke obviously

Jo Hill is a great call. I'm shocked it came from Anon

Ingles whilst good, got lucky with nba international now. Would have liked to seen Maher and Gaze there in primes.

how bout a starting 5 for S.A. all- time.


1. smyth
2. maher
3. ingles
4. newley
5. bradkte.

can anyone name another states all star 5.

WA ALL STAR 5.

1. CJ BRUTON
2.
3. CATTALINI
4. VLAHOV
5. LONGLEY

DO YOU PUT ELLIS IN THE 2 OR JAMES HARVEY OR AM I MISSING SOMEONE ?

"best'- now there is a well defined standard to measure with.

I'd like a few 'best's but

IMHO Its hard to go past Phil Smyth, in the late 70's early eighties there were not the same linkages worldwide that there are now, or even that there were in the 90's.

Number of NBA teams in

1974 - 17 - with almost zero non-us players

2010 - 30 - with a goodly number of non-USA players

Smyth was recognized by opposition coaches as one of the top 3 point guards in the (Non-USA pro) world at either a world champs or an Olympics ( I forget which).

Its not possible to compare even the skills of players in differing eras - as the best always work to be the best, and to a large extent are actually constrained to only becoming as good as required to dominate their era, given stronger competition would the have been better - almost certainly - but how much is totally unknown - enough to still dominate ? ?

and skills and standards change over time. Dunks were illegal in some leagues in the 60's

and length of career is no better, health care , full-time players and physiotherapy - ice baths - stretching - hyperbaric chambers ?? ....

I watches Smyth doing fairly effortless, elbow-high to the rim, dunks in the warm ups of the 19(76/77/78 ? (all i know is Ken edict was sturt's import) ) new years carnival at Swan Hill (playing against a team of the best 5 Vic USA imports + robbie cadee) -

In that game he came from the OTHERSIDE of the zone to block a bill palmer (6'8') jump shot - after the ball had left bill's hands - in that game - But by 1982 with st kilda in the NBL for his first season - his ankles were 80% shot and could not jump that high anymore.

this is physically equivalent to Bret Maher blocking Cattalini in (say) the 90's.

I watched Maher as he went through his 3 years full time at the AIS as a point guard to Armfields shooting guard. How good would Werner Linde been with that 3 years to start his career with ?

Will be interseting to read other's reasonings .
:)

I think CJ was 3 when he came to OZ, I think Ken was a little older :) , but I agree , some sandgropers would claim öwnership"of almost anything ;)

Älso , the soviet block was clearly professional (all employed by the state to play basketball), - I also don't think most the core players of some of central Europe , Germany etc were really "amateurs".
but clearly not as well resourced as today's professionals

Maher just ahead of Willie Farley

That SA 5 should look more like,
Smyth
Maher
Ingles
Bradtke
Rogers

No offence to Newly.

Erin Phillips on the female side

Born in Victoria

cannot believe you would question c.j bruton not being a western Australian. he arrived when he was 3 . dumb ass comment to compare with ken Richardson.

what about andy blicivas

Forgot the man from Frankganistan Ryan Broekhoff