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Melbourne United’s signing of former NBA guard Cole Anthony is the latest blockbuster move in what has become a frightening off-season for the rest of the NBL, and it leaves one unavoidable question hanging over the competition.

Should we just hand them the championship now?

It might sound like an overreaction, but when you step back and look at what United has assembled over the past few months, it’s difficult to remember an Australian basketball club putting together an off-season this impressive.

Anthony is just the latest piece of a roster that already looked capable of winning a title before he ever signed on the dotted line, with the first domino being Australian basketball royalty Joe Ingles.

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One of Australia’s greatest ever basketballers decided to return home after an extraordinary NBA career, instantly bringing elite experience, leadership and one of the best basketball minds the country has ever produced.

Then Melbourne secured Sam Waardenburg, one of the NBL’s most sought-after big men and a player entering the prime of his career after establishing himself as one of the competition’s premier frontcourt players.

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If not for injuries in recent seasons, Waardenburg had a legitimate shot at becoming arguably the best forward in the league, with a unique combination of shooting, size and athleticism that was showcased through more than a few highlight-reel dunks.

If that isn’t enough, former Cleveland NBA draft pick Luke Travers also committed to returning home after another stint pursuing his NBA dream, giving United another genuine two-way weapon capable of impacting games at both ends of the floor.

Filling out the roster, there have also been several high-level glue pieces signed that have largely gone under the radar, including Sean Macdonald to strengthen the guard rotation and Josh Oduro to add further size inside.

And now comes Anthony. A player many basketball fans will tell you could easily still be playing in the NBA not just this season, but for several more. And we’re not talking about a garbage-time bench player who plays a handful of minutes each night.

Anthony has consistently shown the ability to score at NBA level, start games when required and thrive as a high-minute bench contributor capable of putting points on the board in a hurry.

This isn’t simply another import signing, this is a former NBA first-round draft pick with six seasons in the world’s best league arriving in the NBL at just 26 years of age.

He has proven he can score, create for teammates and take over games, and while his NBA journey didn’t unfold exactly as many expected, players with his résumé simply don’t become available to Australian clubs very often.

What makes Melbourne’s roster even scarier isn’t just the names though, it’s how well everything appears to fit together that is quite incredible.

Waardenburg is skilled enough inside and outside to play alongside virtually anyone. Players like Travers and Ingles thrive as all-round basketballers and teammates, capable of contributing enormously without needing a high volume of shots, which perfectly complements not only Cole Anthony but also Melbourne’s long-time scoring machine, Chris Goulding.

Goulding remains one of the competition’s elite shooters and could thrive with the quality of looks he is likely to receive in this current United lineup.

Another mainstay is Shea Ili, one of the NBL’s premier perimeter defenders which again, it’s exactly the type of role player a roster loaded with offensive stars requires, and when combined with Travers, United now possesses arguably the best defensive wing pairing in the competition.

Even role players Kyle Bowen and Fabian Krslovic had significant moments last season and remain on the bench, providing amazing depth heading into the new campaign.

There simply aren’t many weaknesses and, unlike some ‘super teams’, there won’t need to be major adjustments or sacrifices to anyone’s game. Such has been the efficiency and intelligence of Melbourne United’s recruitment throughout this off-season.

Of course, basketball isn’t played on paper.

Super teams don’t always become championship teams. Chemistry takes time to build, expectations can become a burden and injuries have derailed countless title favourites before opening night has even arrived, but United have dominated the off-season it in a way perhaps no NBL team has before.

That isn’t to say there won’t be challengers. Defending champions Sydney will rightly believe they can go back-to-back, while Adelaide has assembled another talented roster capable of making another deep championship run with both teams having MVP’s in Kendrick Davis and Bryce Cotton.

The problem is when you compare those rosters side by side with Melbourne’s, it’s incredibly difficult to find an area where United doesn’t have the edge.

The talent is there, the depth is there, the experience is there and, perhaps most importantly, every piece appears to fit together naturally. On paper at least, no one else looks capable of matching what Melbourne has assembled.

Does that guarantee they’ll lift the trophy? Absolutely not.

But if they don’t, it will be one of the biggest disappointments in recent NBL history.

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