Hoops

Vote: Top five players in NBL's 40 year history

Some Big names there:

I reckon
Grace
Gaze
Loggins

pick themselves.

So hard to choose the front-court, so many great big men there.

I went with Crawford purely for his longevity, even though he'd struggle in today's league.
And Mark Davis.

Herb McEachin

I picked:

Grace
Gaze
Loggins
Ronaldson
Crawford

Gaze the only auto include. Ronaldson the controversial one but he is the games record holder and a winner where ever he went.

Oops sorry I thought D-Train only played one season.

SpatialJam error has his games split over 2 separate entries - McClain and Mcclain

McClain 105 games over 5 seasons - Sydney 91-93, Gold Coast 96 (only 6 games), Brisbane 97

Spatial Jam has McClain down for sub-100 games, so three season?

"I know only one season probably rules him out but should James Ennis get a mention? He was a stud and he surely is the only guy to get a multi year NBA deal after a stint in the NBL."

McClain a 1 year star? WTF?

If Dwayne Mclain is included, given he is a one year star, shouldn't we also include other imports that had significant impacts in their short tenure?

Chris Williams
Rashad Tucker
Scottie Wilbekin
James Ennis

"Would I be right in saying Corey Williams is the only MVP not in the list from like 1983-2010!? Ironic he didnt make the top 5 list ha"

I believe Paul Rogers also won an MVP.

How come Jim Havrilla and Wayne Womack were not on the list?

Gaze, Heal, Loggins, Copeland (Just cause he was my hero growing up), Ricky Grace for sure

@ anon; not because of Grace individually, but purely because he was a Wildcat. ;)

Gaze
Loggins
Vlahov
Martin
Cal Bruton

40 years is a long time and a lot of current NBL fans were not around way back then. Sadly I am an NBL tragic and have been there for the full trip. Top 5 is way too hard. I would therefore just provide the following names for consideration (in no particular order):
Rocky Smith - Ken Richardson - Andrew Gaze - Brett Maher - Leroy Loggins - Robbie Cadee - Phil Smyth - Mark Bradtke - Andrew Vlahov - Glenn Saville - Andy Campbell. There are probably another group of players that could be named, but, it will always be a subjective and personal selection.

You make a fine point

Very interesting list, all talented and all worthy of a mention. My Top 5 were:

Gaze - 7 x MVP - auto lockin. He can't coach, but he could play
Davis - He had a presence on court no-one could deny
Rose - 2 x MVP
Grace
Maher

Second 5....
Saville - just for pure persistence and determination - 563 games is a lot of lost Saturday nights. "Hey Glenn, your grandma's turning 100 of Saturday night" "Sorry grandma, playing basketball....."
Bradtke
Vlahov
Cal Bruton
Anstey - another Gaze, he can't coach, but he could play

Gaze was the only one I found easy. Pains me to include Grace but too hard not to, then Loggins, Heal, and Anstey. I'd probably change 3 of those guys if you asked me again tomorrow, though.

Gaze
Rose
Loggins
Davis
Bradtke

I favoured players who played a lot in the NBL rather than were excellent for a brief period. This is a team about the 40 years of the league, so I felt like games and bulk stats were reasonable indicators of their ability and contribution.

I put Gaze in straight away. Surely unanimous. Then it was immediately more difficult. Soon added Loggins, then a while after that, Bradtke. After that, there were Davis and Crawford as elite PFs and a bunch of very qualified guards - Grace, Maher, DMac, Smyth, Heal, etc. I saw a lot more of Davis so picked him over Crawford. Then went with a hometown call of Maher. As a 36ers fan in the Maher era, you had pretty extreme confidence in him making the right play at the right time, hitting the big shots, etc. For hundreds of games too.

For me

Grace
Gaze
Crawford
Fisher
Loggins

Anstey
Crawford
Loggins
Gaze
Jackson

Anyone who watched Mark Davis play his first 10 years in the league would struggle to leave him out. What an awesome player. It was a shame to see him go down with that dislocated shoulder in the 94 semis (and with it went the 94 title too).

gaze
davis
bradtke
loggins
smythe

Holy crap indeed Isaac - this is hard to choose. I wish they had a top 10 instead! We're all going to be influenced by who we support and who we saw play the most often.

That said I've gone with 5 guards who I saw plenty of!

Gaze
Maher
Grace
Dmac
Rose

Loggins probably deserves a spot but I didn't see him play as much as the others so he misses my list.

Love some of the pics of the players too - especially old school Bradtke!

Grace
Gaze
Rose
Loggins
Crawford

If you only play 1 season here and you don't even win MVP that season then I don't think you're worthy.

In all seriousness, where does Martin Catalini rank here? You can say he is the best ever Taipan (because he did it over a number of seasons), in front of Wilbekin (who would probably have taken top spot if he played a couple more years) and Chris Burgess.

I feel like The Cat is in the conversation as one of the best scorers we've ever seen in the league

-Gaze
-Smythe
-Bradke
-Davis
-Loggins

Grace
Gaze
Loggins
Crawford
Davis

Patrick Mills
Al Harrington
Hakim Warrick
Steve Blake
Stephen Jackson

Where is Mark Worthington?

Gaze
Maher
Loggins
Rose
Anstey

Andrew Gaze
Ricky Grace
Russell Hinder
Robert Rose
Drew Williamson

I went
1. Grace
2. Gaze
3. Rose (only because Rachad Tucker wasn't available :p )
4. Crawford
5. Bradtke

Rob Rose could certainly put a team on his back. I rewatched some old footage recently and was blown away.

Why is David Stiff in this list?

For me
Maher
Gaze
Rose
Mark Davis
Bradtke

just checked the time nbl is on tonight and tomorrow...1~3am!!! oh yeah with a replay on tuesday and wednesday 10~12. who the hell be watching that!