TENERIFE (Spain) - The short answer is no.
The instinctive understanding, the mix of complementary strengths, the years of chemistry baked in, the professionalism and winning mentality... it's just all there. The stats back that up as well.
Since returning to the Tenerife lineup from injury, Huertas has 23 assists in four games. And 12 of those were Shermadini buckets, or to put it in a more digestible way, 52 percent of Huertas' assists in the Basketball Champions League since he came back, have been to his big man Shermadini.
For Shermadini, that same stat becomes even more eye-catching: the big Georgian has 14 made field goals in the BCL since his Brazillian point god got back on the floor with him, Hurtas assisted 71.4 percent of those (the other two assists sent him to the free throw line).
That clip above reminds me of Ronnie O'Sullivan playing snooker. Now, I understand that plenty of you reading this don't know who Ronnie O'Sullivan is, and some of you might not even know what snooker is but...
If you do ever get a chance to watch the way he plays that sport, the metronomic rhythm, the precise timing of shots, the genius of making incredibly fine margins in angles look incredibly simple, all of it reminds me of Huertas and Shermadini playing pick-and-roll together.
Here's Ronnie in action for you:
Now watch the Tenerife tandem video back in that clip and picture a cue ball striking the black ball at exactly the right pace and the black ball cannoning off at exactly the right angle towards the pocket. I could even go further with the analogy and say that Huertas was already in position for the next possession before the ball went in, but that would probably be pushing it a bit.
However, if you do know what snooker is and you've ever tried to play it, you will know how hard it is to get even one shot right. It's just as hard to make pick-and-roll look as easy as Tenerife's perfect pair do.
Just to highlight the precision of the partnership, let's jump into a few more clips. Starting off with the first clip in the video below. Look at the unspoken communication going on in the pick-and-roll.
They know each other well enough that they both understand that getting the angle and timing right will force the switch they want and get Shermadini a mismatch in the post. Watch the jab step left from Huertas before seemingly rejecting the screen to the right.
Note that Shermadini knows he hasn't rejected that screen and instinctively hops to the next spot to set the screen and also note that the angle of the screen has now completely changed and Huertas now has his man completely out of position, forcing the switch. It's mastery in action.
The third clip in that video is more snooker from Hertas and Shermadini. Watch it again and pay attention to the angle at which Shermadini approached the screen and the angle that took on the roll. The big Georgian made that look very natural, but the footwork was very deliberate and very difficult to defend 2v2 like Karsiyaka were attempting to do.
The partnership isn't just about the pick-and-roll either. Now that Sasu Salin is no longer with Tenerife, without doubt, the action that is now the trademark of this Txus Vidorreta offense and also the toughest to defend is one that is known as Argentina. Coach Dzikic spoke about it during last year's Final Four and it's and action written for Huertas and Shermadini.
The play always starts with a ball screen for Huertas at the top of the key in transition and then a Flex screen for Shermadini in the paint. The flex screen is where the play gets it's name after Argentinian National Team that was well known for their interpretation of the Flex Offense.
Coming back to what makes that play so tough to guard - it's Huertas making perfect passes and Shermadini ruthlessly finishing in the paint.
In the first clip you see what happens when teams try to defend it by switching, as the defense ends up with a smaller defender trying to stop Shermadini catching the pass (good luck with that). The second clip you see how instinctively they react to each other when Huertas and Shermadini both reject their screens to play a two-man game on one side of the floor.
So, yes, they are the best one-two punch in the BCL and yes, they are both still going strong. If you were hoping to see Huertas and Shermadini slow down, or in fact hoping to see Txus Vidorreta and this Tenerife squad slow down, then think again.
They are still undefeated in the BCL this year whilst sailing through the calm waters of the Regular Season into the Round of 16, collecting 24 straight wins at home in this competition.
They are also third in the Spanish Liga Endesa standings and looking even stronger than ever. And now, when you watch these two masters at work as they steer their ship inevitably to the latter stages of this competition, keep an eye out for the angles and the timing.
It's really not as easy as it looks.