Should just lock thread if we can't ask questions.

SGOAT

It doesn't have quite the same ring.

Don't know why the OP started a whole new thread?

Just to hate on Mills?

Gees

What has Gaze done at the highest level (NBA)?

Mills is way superior than Gaze.

So is Bogut, Baynes and Ben.

Todd Maker is back.

Here's a hint anons, if you think that 1+1 = 11, maybe get your mummy to check your posts first.

Applying a label such as "GOAT" requires an actual understanding of the game, and actual observation of the players concerned, rather than simply regurgitating some stat you heard at your club's quiz night.

Also need to understand how different World Basketball is now.
In 1988, Australia finished 4th at the Olympics.
Which may sound similar to Rio, except that in those days World Basketball was basically USA, Soviets, and Yugoslavia.
In 1995 when Gaze was in his prime, the NBL Champions beat the Euroleague champions.

Mills is 3~4 times the player Gaze was, and even as a Boomer outshines him, and that's with at least one more Olympics to go.

If your question is who is our greatest ever Scorer, or maybe even greatest ever SG, then sure it's Gaze. But he wouldn't even be in the top 3 for GOAT.

Not an anon, but yikes.

Gaze in his prime was a much better player than Patty Mills ever was. I'm sure Patty himself would admit that. Just because Gaze was never given an opportunity to do so in the NBA doesn't mean he wouldn't have starred if so.

Gaze in his prime was on Drazen Petrovic levels of greatness both elite scorers who couldn't be stopped at the Olympic/WC level and it took Petrovic a few years in the NBA before they finally gave him an opportunity and he was a star there too when they finally did.

Keep in mind back in their days foreign born players were treated poorly in the NBA Petrovic for instance was never even an all-star in the NBA despite the fact he was clearly one of the better players in the league, Gaze never got a fair go with Washington (even then he was a 11 year pro) and was way past his prime with the Spurs in the late 90's.

Gaze in his 40+ppg NBL prime would've done some serious damage in the NBA if given the opportunity to play and a team tailored their offence around him.

Saying someone is the greatest of all time is so subjective and you need to take into account your own confidence in the athlete and in basketball terms when Drewey of Patty are in foul trouble would you want to sit them out for several minutes or play through it?

I am more than happy to have Gaze as our #1 and hope that Patty keeps doing his thing and make it impossible to seperate them.

It wasn't that long ago that there was a post on here where Heal was getting some support for being better than Mills.

They are both undoubted legends in our beloved sport and if they got statues (I know Loggins has one outside of Brisbane Entertainment Centre) then all power to them. We have got so much joy from them putting on a Boomers jersey and Long long may it continue with Mills career.

I also want to add that Baynes has had a far better career for the Boomers than I expected from him when he first represented us, he's been a massive contributor and he'd have left a gaping hole in the front court had he not developed quite like he did.

D2.0 said, "In 1995 when Gaze was in his prime, the NBL Champions beat the Euroleague champions."

Can you give some more information on this, because it really is a big deal that should be talked about? I vaguely remember Wildcats playing & winning in Europe. Google is just not giving me any answers.

Also, it was interesting hearing LaMelo Ball saying the NBL is the second best league after the NBA, which is totally not true.

It was the third place playoff in the McDonald's Cup. Real Madrid rested quite a few players ahead of their season opener while the Wildcats bounced back from losing to Houston in the semi-final and got the W.

I think if we're talking about GOAT Boomers, we're talking specifically about Boomers careers and not NBA or NBL. In this conversation Patty Mills clearly is firmly in second spot. Both Gaze and Mills have led scoring at major international competition. Both have been instrumental at bringing Australia equal best finishes (4th), although Gaze happened to do it a couple more times than Mills.

Given the consistency and longevity of Gaze, Mills 'may' always be in second place but there is one thing that can quickly make Mills the GOAT - winning Australia's first ever medal. If Mills continue in his current form and the Boomers win a medal this year, Mills will upend Gaze as the GOAT.

Yeah talking strictly on Boomers achievements, Gaze is still clearly number one, but Mills has a real chance to join the conversation, especially if we start having team success.

As far as club careers go, I have no doubt Gaze would have had a good NBA career in the current environment. There's more roster spots, more focus on international talent and more focus on shooting the long ball. His ability to be comfortable as a creator or off ball would have made him a valuable player.

Loving what Patty brings to the Boomers on and off the court. The chemistry in the team is evident and his leadership has to be a part of that.
Kind of hesitant to speak ill of Gaze, given his fine record, contribution to the game and i think he is an all round nice guy, but for those of us old enough to remember, his effort was pretty much all at one end, which was out of kilter for the Boomers of his time. The team thrived on toughness, which was mostly driven by the big men, who may have lacked the skill and athletism of todays group, but who set the tone for toughness. Gaze had the benefit of an offence that was constructed for him (esp when his Dad coached) and to say he was questionable on defense would be very polite.
Patty can create for himself and his teammates and his contribution to Australian basketball has some years left, before it can be assessed.

The top 2 are clear. Anything beneath that is hard to define. 3rd could go to anyone from Ingles to Vlahov, Bradtke to Heal.

Nostraballmus respectfully suggests that our proud Boomers history runs back to prior your basketball viewing lifetimes.

Both Ian Davies and Eddie Palubinskas before him set the standard for great international Boomers.

Davies played for the Australian team at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, where Australia finished eighth, and at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, where Australia finished seventh. Davies was the top scorer in the 1980 Olympics, scoring 209 points in 7 games, at an average of 29.3 per game. Davies also represented Australia in the 1982 World Championships in Colombia and 1986 World Championships in Spain. He scored the second most total points in the 1982 tournament (187), at an average of 23.4 per game.

After being the second leading scorer in the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Palubinskas was the top overall scorer in 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. He set three Olympic scoring records in Montreal, including the record for most points scored in a single Olympics (269), which was broken by Brazilian Oscar Schmidt during the 1988 Summer Olympics.The most points he scored in one game was 48 against Mexico in overtime. Note - this is 48 in one game, and pre-3 point line.

Nostraballmus suggests that between Gaze, Mills, Davies and Palubinskas you have your top 4.

I know you'll disgaree

I like your thinking, nostrils

"Nostraballmus suggests that between Gaze, Mills, Davies and Palubinskas you have your top 4."

Hard to argue too much with this. Perhaps the only argument would be at the other end of the floor, but it's hard to think of a two-way player who has made as big an impact as these guys at multiple tournaments.

Thanks Paul. Perth beating Real Madrid sounds quite impressive.

I still remember watching it on 10 Perth, it's just a shame we were handed the NBA side of the draw. The Wildcats have something the Boomers have yet to win - an international medal!