lockstock
Years ago

Best player(s) you have played against/for, & why?

Interested to hear people's stories about the best player they have played with and against... I'll start.

Brad Newley is the best I played against. His combination of height, quickness, good hands, hops and ability were like nothing I'd seen before. I was impressed by how easily he moved around the court. One year later he got drafted...

Jacob Holmes was a nightmare to guard. Surprisingly super-quick first step, which isn't obvious watching from the outside. Could go left, right, pull up or dunk in your face (just ask Scotty Burt).

Finally, Willie Joseph was the most gifted passer, and probably basketballer I played with. I've never played with anyone as close to being as good of a passer as that guy. He saw openings and passes 2 seconds before anyone else did, and he found you open when you didn't even know you were. Freak.

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pwned  
Years ago

played against julian khazzouh and jeff dowdell and played with tyson demos, dan jackson and SOJ. Khazzouh was suprisingly soft when i played against him in 2006.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

plyed against this guy the other week ... Jarrad Hurley... not athletic but he copuld fake the fuck out of anyone!

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MACDUB  
Years ago

played against Jerry Smith from Uni of Louisville..fast as ****

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skip  
Years ago

Dan Clausen back in the 90's in social ball at Angle Vale. Old and slow but never missed.

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Played with Ray Shirley in the early 80s. Reckon he hit me in the face twice in the first few minutes with passes threaded through gaps that didn't exist! He told me " when you least expect it, expect it" or words to that affect. Also played on a pasty faced non athletic guy that I was rapt when the coach said he
was my assignment for the night. 40 points later I was introduced to Andrew Gaze!!!

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Young Gun  
Years ago

Played one off season in the Brisbane A Grade comp. Got to play with & against Andre Moore in a training session. This was after Andre played for the Bullets & before he played as an Aussie for Cairns. I set a back pick on him & got crunched :)

Best player I've played with would probably be Grant Rillie (brother of John). Scored 11 points in the last minute to get our team to draw a game that we were destined to lose by double digits.

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Dinga  
Years ago

Played against the big Bogey man at u/20 championships and he flat out dominated. Relentless competitor and intimidating.
As a junior best player I played against would have been David Florence from the tigers. He was athletic, could score lots of different ways and a great competitor.
Senior level best was easily Jason Dix. The guy coupd flat out play and everytime we played him he killed us. Very versatile player unlucky not to play national league in my opinion.

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BJF  
Years ago

I have been privileged to play against some legends of Australian hoops

Rob Rose in his prime was the toughest I had to guard.

When I say guard more like, stand there and let him do what ever he liked.

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DB5  
Years ago

Nowhere near the level of you lads but, played for Al Green @ TV, and with him in a few social games @ MARS.
Like lockstock said about Willie Jo, he could just see passes where there had no right to be one! Even telling you where to cut so the defense could hear, and still hitting you on the money!

Would have loved to been good enough for it not to be social ball I was on his team though haha.

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Neers  
Years ago

Played against Al Green when I was 17 playing in Div 2 seniors back in the day. Think when he was with Torrens Valley.
HE still had it and he didnt shut up all game, awesome experience.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Dinga, I could be wrong but I think Dix was looked at several times by the Sixers and other teams but he was very unlucky with injuries at the wrong times?

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DJ Rod  
Years ago

Brad Davidson!

tough, quick, smart, shooter and sharp ELBOWS!

luv u ratboy!

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thedoctor  
Years ago

Re: Dix - my understanding is that he was offered a bench spot in the NBL and it didn't make sense financially as he earned more in the finance industry.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Played against Rhys Carter in a mixed social basketball match about 6 months ago at Unley - I think his gf was a regular player out there.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

thedoctoe - thanks! have always wondered why Dix never played NBL. has to been one of the best ABA players in Australia not to play NBL or pro ball of any level.

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thedoctor  
Years ago

That's my understanding, I think from posts on here a few years ago.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

scott pendlebury and patty mills

scott pendlebury was a better junior than patty, had size, athleticism and a sweet stroke, best shooter i have ever played against.

patty mills was/is ridiculously quick but was always undersized as a junior, i guess turned out to be a good player!

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David Smith  
Years ago

Best player I played against was that Aaron Rice Williams bloke. (Ricey I think people call him)

He was slow and kinda goofyish, but the main issue was because he didnt know what he doing neither did I so each time he had the ball he fumbled his way through a move and most times nearly scored.

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LC  
Years ago

Playing against the Smith twins in U18's when they were in the Nunawading junior days was a pretty tough ask!

Currently trying to guard Ivan Platenik in Division 1 social ball at Nunawading is near impossible.

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orbit  
Years ago

Hey prisoner of gravity was that with Bulleen? I'm a Bulleen veteran also & me & all the boys have Ray Shirley up there as the freakiest import to play there!! He was amazing in his prime!!

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fstos  
Years ago

Played in Wollongong at a time when all Hawks Nbl players also played in the top domestic comp, so was lucky enough to get to play against the likes of Norman Taylor, Alphonse Hammond, Gordie Macleod, Gregg Hubbard, Rod & Terry Johnson, Justin Withers, Don Bickett, Jim Slake, Jim Bateman, Ray Borner, Leorando Drake, all of whom obviously kicked my arse.
The best of those because he always played as hard as he could was Gordie.

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Beantown  
Years ago

Played social ball against Rashad Tucker last year. Doubt he noticed I was on the court though :-P

... 5'9 is a little short to bother his shot!

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Beantown  
Years ago

Played social ball against Rashad Tucker last year. Doubt he noticed I was on the court though :-P

... 5'9 is a little short to bother his shot!

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orbit  
Years ago

When Brian Vaughns got cut from Geelong in 1990 He came & played for us & my god could he hoop!! Great fella too.
A 14 year old Sam Mckinnon dunked on me at a local comp in Greensborough & was always gonna be a special athlete.
Terry Johnson was at times totally unstoppable. If he'd had Rods discipline he would have been Australias point guard. I saw him once slam dunk a missed free throw on Ray Borner. Supurb athlete!
Gary Favarro in the late 80's was as tough as they come - Played for St. Kilda in NBL.

Nice thread lockstock, it takes me back...

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Ricey  
Years ago

yeah... got a mention... sweet... in your face thomas mckenzie!

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Yes Orbit it was with Bulleen. Came down from the country where I was considered a freak because I could touch the backboard! First night at training and i thought "shit I'm seriously out of my depth here" Have some great memories of some late night "one on one " challenges after a few quiet beers in Petes bar at Albert Park. Memory can be a tricky thing but I can't remember too many taking on Ray!

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Dinga  
Years ago

Billy Fikes. Just to add to the old school flavour. My first game I got postered by him from an off the back board alley.

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DB5  
Years ago

Dinga, I think everyone who played against Billy copped that mate.

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orbit  
Years ago

Bruce Blair was another beauty in the seabl. 6ft 8 & could play. Tried out with Hobart but suprisingly didnt make it.Had 38 in a final against Ballarat Miners (when Westover coached) in a 'Jordan' like display!!

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lockstock  
Years ago

Cheers Orbit!

Yeah Billy was a freak athletically. I took a charge against him one day when he was charging through the lane. BIG mistake.

I remember playing 1 v 1 against Todd Matthews at Forestville when I was about 15 and him 17 or 18. Him and Andy Purgasz who was same age as Toddy. Damn both of those boys could ball. 11-0 everytime pretty much. Toddy the quickest hands and handles I've seen.

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