hoopie
Years ago

Best ever NBL guard combo?

Since we're in the 40th anniversary year, I started wondering about who the best guard pairing was in that time.

Based on stats, probably Gaze + Copeland would get my nod.

However, based on impact on the game and the ability to make the rest of the team better, it might be different. I remember that Phil Smyth, Ricky Grace and the Brutons were dominant at various times, but cannot remember who they were paired with.

I'm sure there are many others I've forgotten, so ... go for it.

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Dome Rat  
Years ago

Maher and Mee

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Very Old  
Years ago

hard to go past 3 NBL championships (83,84, 88) with Smyth and McEachin, Herb played some small forward as well.

IMHO
1) multiple seasons,
2) NBL Championships,
3) and flexibility to fill all 1,2 and 3 spots if required if going small ball ( but always the 1)

should form part of this discussion.

good post topic

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Manu Fieldel  
Years ago

Scooter Sherrill and whoever his 2-guard was

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Dumb and dumber

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Jerry Everett and Mike Johnson

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Harvey & Le Fleur

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D2  
Years ago

Best ever NBL guard combo?

Gaze/ Copeland/ McDonald

For a pair, I think you'd still have to give it to Gaze and Copeland

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Lisch & Cadee

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Teys and Larkins

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Is Teys the crappest ever NBL captain? I can't think of a worse one.

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Anon  
Years ago

Ubaka and Dorsey?

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Beantown  
Years ago

Green and Pearce for ultra offence!

Maher and Mee was one of the best duos of all time.

Martin and Lisch and Ware and Goulding from more recent times.

Grace, Rucker and D-Mac were amazing players, but I can't recall any great back-court partners that they had (excluding the 2000s Tigers where D-Mac joined Gaze/ Copeland). Pearce was on the 94 Giants, but was well past his best by then. Guys like Shanahan, Ellis, Leader weren't really outstanding players. I can't remember all the guys they played with though!

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Anonymous  
Years ago

White and Demos.

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UseTaHoop  
Years ago

Green and Pearce were great scorers, but lacked in both defence and ball handling. It worked for that run n gun style of play though.

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Beantown  
Years ago

Green had plenty of handles - he was the NBL's version of Westbrook back in the mid-80s!

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Hoopie  
Years ago

What position did Rob Rose play? If guard, who did he play alongside?

Iirc he was a very useful player

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Very Old  
Years ago

Guys , I assume we want them to have played together at a time when they were/could both dominate the opposition's direct numbers, if you have a 1 and a 2/3 killing the league, you generally have some titles, or at least several GF series .


AA+
Maher and Farley in 04/05
Penney and Bruton in 09/10

B-
Lisch and Penney in 15/16 - I think martin made them both better though

Holt and Goulding in 15/16

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Very Old  
Years ago

Rose and Mee played together in 1996 for canberra. THAT was apairing that should have dominated - but ?

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McBlurter  
Years ago

Longevity would be Gaze/Copeland for sure

McDonald played with Jason Smith for Titans didn't he?

Also in 1996 along Jensen who made boomers for Atlanta. Jensen's 1995 for Falcons and 96 for Giants were spectacular years.

Heal/Burton.

Keogh/D-Train.



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Anonymous  
Years ago

Grace, Rucker and D-Mac were amazing players, but I can't recall any great back-court partners that they had (excluding the 2000s Tigers where D-Mac joined Gaze/ Copeland). Pearce was on the 94 Giants, but was well past his best by then. Guys like Shanahan, Ellis, Leader weren't really outstanding players. I can't remember all the guys they played with though!


Thinking the same thing. They played with some strong front courts, and successful role players.

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koberulz  
Years ago

Off the top of my head Grace had Harvey for a couple of years, and Rucker had Rillie at West Sydney.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Stewart back in the day is the SG I remember alongside Grace.

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paul  
Years ago

Just throwing a few out there:

Green + Pearce
Gaze + Copeland
Grace + Lichti (for a limited time only)
Mee + Maher
Maher + Farley
Bruton + Smith
DMac + Thomas
Bruton + Penney (defence sold separately)
Martin + Lisch
Jackson + Bruton (playoff edition)
Ware + Goulding
Randle + Lisch

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LV  
Years ago

There have been plenty of great backcourts but I'll focus on Melbourne.

Apart from the obvious favourite of Gaze/Copeland,

Dmac/DT in 05-06 and 06-07. DMac slowed down a little in his last season in 2007, but in that first year they were an awesome combo.

And Ware/Goulding.

Apart from DT, D-Mac also played with Jason Smith from 1998-99 to 2001-02.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Too easy.....Rocky Smith and Danny Morseu.

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Hoopie  
Years ago

Smith and Morseu? Based on ...?

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Smith based on the fact that he averaged 30+ over a two season period....back in 40 minute games, and without a 3 point line. He was a pure shooter and probably would have averaged 34 ppg easily if there had been a 3 point line. Morseu was an 17/5/5 player over that period as well and an aussie representative. The only debate is whether Danny was a 2 or a 3, but as a combination......very hard to argue. Good topic.

And also based on the fact that they made the saints the dominant team in Australian in 79 and 80.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

"And also based on the fact that they made the saints the dominant team in Australian in 79 and 80."

Which really counts against them.

The question put by the OP is "Best Ever"
Dominating in a backyard league of suburban teams doesn't really count.

There were a lot of standouts in the 80's due mostly to the disparity in quality.

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Very Old  
Years ago

"And also based on the fact that they made the saints the dominant team in Australian in 79 and 80."

Robbie Cadee was the saints starting point guard in '79. Danny played SF

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AD  
Years ago

A more interesting question might be "who is the 2nd best?"
If Gaze had shared the back-court with a succession of local hacks, it might be different, but as it is, its Gaze & Copeland, period.
Even in his own right Copeland ranks as one of the all-time greats, and put them together, for over 400 games, and its game over.

But there's a bit of competition for that 2nd spot! :-)

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