After watching his team succumb to a cruising Melborne Tigers outfit, Sydney Spirit coach Rob Beveridge proclaimed the Tigers' starting five were perhaps the greatest NBL quintet of all-time.
''That is arguably the best starting five in the history of the NBL, right there,'' Beveridge said.
''When you got three MVPs on the floor, that's a pretty special group out there tonight.''
''I felt at times they cruised…they didn't get out of third gear.''
Ere, Anstey, Mackinnon, Barlow and Grizzard; not the best, but certainly in the mix with the greats.
Ten NBL championships, three Olympians, two NBL MVPS, one NBL scoring champion, an NBA draftee and a NBA Summer Leaguer.
It's a formidable and imposing list of credentials, but never the less, it's just a list and games aren't won on paper, look at the USC Trojans in the 2005 Rose Bowl and the New England Patriots in the 2008 Superbowl for examples.
Having been a member of the great South East Melbourne Magic and recent Brisbane Bullets teams Sam Mackinnon was quick to echo those sentiments.
''We look pretty good on paper, but there's been a few teams (in history) that looked good on paper,'' he said.
''It's a big call, whether or not we are (the greatest), who knows?"
These Tigers are just five dudes, three frontcourt players, a swingman and a shooting guard, but who is driving this thing?
They're missing the most important component of a basketball team; the point guard.
Despite not turning the ball over, Barlow appeared shaky at time and uncomfortable in the playmaking role during the Tigers season opener.
Barlow was clearly drawn away from his natural strengths as a slashing and floating wing player.
The type of player whose attacking punch is greatly magnified by the presence of a gifted point guard such as Darryl McDonald or Ricky Grace, who both belonged to legendary lineups.
Even at 43 D-mac helped last year's Tigers get the job done of claiming the NBL title, crushing a disgustingly loaded Sydney Kings team that lost just three games in the regular season (4-4 in the post season).
Of course D-Mac is retired, he used up every ounce of his serviceable basketball life, we're not asking to see him play again, it's just he illustrates the significance of quality playmaking, because I'd take a 40-plus D-Mac over most point guards in the league any day.
D-Mac was one of the most creative and talented floor generals in the game, who evokes thoughts of wizardry and genius when in possession.
On the other hand, Barlow is an athlete, far from a tactical mastermind.
The same guy that mistakenly held the ball in dying moments of regulation with the scores tied in game two of the 2006 NBL grand final series.
Is this the solution for directing the Tigers' offence? It seems like a waste to have so much talent on the floor without being able to fully extract their attacking venom.
So before this Tiger's team truly becomes one of the greatest, perhaps one of these scoring beasts should assume the role of sixth man and let someone manage the ball.
