[The8thDeadlySinParticipant]

I hate hearing this “He is too short to play ________ fulltime.” For some of you senior postsers, you may remember that I wrote an article on the importance of an inch for an NBA player. I know and understand that every inch is important but to say that you are too small is dumb.. This is going to sound like a rant, probably is a rant, so if you dont want that, stop reading.

Look at these dumb heght expectations:

PGs need to be between 6’1 and 6’5.. If you are smaller than 6’1, you are considered short.. If you are above 6’5, you will most likely be considered a “combo” guard, meaning you are a PG/SG hybrid.

SGs need to be between 6’5 and 6’7. For some reason, a SG that is 6’4 or less is incapable of being a starting SG of high quality. If you are over 6’7, you are most likely going to be expected to play some SF.

SFs have the some size versatility but are typically between 6’6 and 6’10. 6’5 and under, you will be said to be very small for your spot and over 6’10, they will try to classify you as a “faceup PF.” There arent very many undersized SFs becuse they are called SGs and the bigger ones are called PFs..

PFs are between 6’10 and 6’11. For some stupid reason, any bigger and you have to play center wheater it fits you or not.. And anyone under 6’9 is considered short..

As a center, you cant be too tall but if your not 7′, you are short..

The NBA is full of players that break these misconceptions.. Does being taller help?? YES!! Does being 6’3 mean that you cant be a full-time SG?? HELL NO!!!! I am going to list guys that are small for their spots but do a great job, regardless of their lack of height.

PGs
Chris Paul is 6′ tall.. Some say he is the best PG in the league.
Isaiah Thomas is 5’9. He is one of the most promising young PGs in the league.
Earl Boynkins is 5’5. He has always been productive and is looking for playing time at almost 40.
Ty Lawson is 6′. He is having a career year and some could say he is the Nuggets best player.
Kemba Walker is 6′. Looks like a stud PG for the next 10 years.

SGs
OJ Mayo is 6’4. Back to his days of averaging close to 20 points a game.
Jason Terry is 6’3. Has always been a super effective SG.
Nate Robinson is 5’9. One of the most explosive scorers in the NBA.
Eric Gordon is 6’3. Before his trade and injury, he was close to 20 points a game.
Tony Allen is 6’3. Probably the best guard defender in the NBA.
Monta Ellis is 6’3. One of the most unguardabe players in the league.

PFs
Paul Milsap is 6’7. Amazing rebounder and a staple of the Utah Franchise.
Carlos Boozer is 6’8. Has been close to 20 and 10 for his career.
Kevin Love is 6’8. He lead the league in rebounding and had a 30 point 30 rebound game last year.
Patrick Patterson is 6’8. He looks to have a long career ahead of him as a starter.
David West is 6’8. He has een close to 20 and 10 for his career.

Cs
Chuck Hayse is 6’5. He was the starting center for the Rockets a couple years ago when they won 22 games in a row.
Amare Stoudamire is 6’9. He was the starting center for the best Suns team in recent memory.
Kendrik Perkns is 6’9. Probably the best M2M defensive center in the league.
Al Hortford is 6’9. Has been a 18 and 10 player for his career. ROY runner up.
Jason Maxiell is 6’7. He has been a great defender his whole career while not a starter, a great player.

There are more in the NBA right now and tons more in the history of the game..

Being short makes it a little harder but not even close to impossible.. Never say that someone cant play because they are short..

Other players short for thier spot:
Jae Crowder – SF
Josh Selby – SG
Jimmer Fredette – SG
Boobie Gibson – SG
Louis Scola – PF
Matt Bonner – C
Dejuan Blair – PF

[JMIKE is a Grizz fanParticipant]

I went to the lakers grizz game a month ago sat close to the bench 6’8 Rudy Gay 6’11 Dwight howard is no difference

[The8thDeadlySinParticipant]

I’ve seen that with alot of people. I wonder if it is because people grow after their rookie year but are never remeasured or becuse somehow, people lie about their height..

I remember when Ben Wallace was playing with Lebron James, James was taller even though he was listed at 6’8 and Wallace at 6’9.

Kevin Garnett was way taller than Perkins and Garnett is listed at 6’10 and Perkins at 6’9.

[tli232]

I don’t know if it’s just me, but I feel like in the early/ mid 2000’s teams were trying to go after guys who were too tall. For example: Andrea Bargnani is essentially a 7 foot shooting guard. 

Over the last few years, undersized guys have really proved doubters wrong. Maybe GMs will stop drooling over huge guys who are "too big" to effectively play their true position.

 

 

[The8thDeadlySinParticipant]

IMO, there is only 1 position that it really would help to be extreemly tall for your spot and that is PG..

Lebron, as a rookie, was essentially a 6’8 PG and was very hard to deal with.
Magic Johnson, well, you know..
I wonder all the time what Shaun Livingston would have been without that horrific injury.
Scottie Pippen was alot like a 6’8 PG.

As far as all other positions, being tall is an advantage but, like your example with Bargs, it can also hurt your game if you are expected to play C when your game is SG..

[The8thDeadlySinParticipant]

If you will remember the Lebron example, their lineup, for a while was something like this:

PG: Lary Huges – really their SG
SG: Shasha Pavlovlic – their other SG
SF: Lebron – PG..

They were hard to guard because other teams had to choose where to put their PG, usually around 6’1. Guard the 6’6 Hughs, the 6’6 Sasha, or the 6’8 Lebron..

[skate1385Participant]

Allen Iverson was 6″0 as a SG and was one the best that ever play the game was the M.V.P in the league. height no matter when you got heat for the game.

[Lebron’s HairlineParticipant]

All of those guys you listed have things you can’t see on a stat sheet: and that’s heart and hustle. Chris Paul easily plays with the most heart than anyone in the league, and Paul Millsap has a good career based on the fact that he hustles and doesn’t take plays off

[Cavaliers420Participant]

Allen Iverson.

[LerinErinParticipant]

I started a thread where I said a friend of mine is convinced that tall players can NOT be good rebounders. I still think that being too tall to rebound is ridiculous. I agree that a short player ala Barkley can be a monster rebounder but flat out refuse to believe the only reason Yao was a so so rebounder was his height.

Commenting on an above post, Bill Simmons swears that he attended a Laker pre season game where Gasol and Howard were side by side and he swearsGasol was at least 2 inches taller that Howard. He thought probably Howard was. 6 9 and Gasol a tad over 7 feet.

I honestly wish all player were measured barefoot and measurements in shoes were never published.

[TallmanNYCParticipant]

Yeah, Wilt Chamberlain and Russell really struggled with that rebounding thing. Your friend is being silly. However, he does have a small point in that without foot speed it is hard to cover enough ground to grab enough rebounds to lead the league. Some of the taller players can play in this game without foot speed and they lose out in rebounding to shorter quicker guy like Faried. A guy like Howard (who is 6. 9″ tops without shoes) has both size and speed.

[Tongue-Out-Like-23Participant]

Like they say… Positions were created so basketball novices can better understand the game.

Look at the Heat, they play with a non-traditional defensive-minded PG (Chalmers), an undersized combo-guard (Dwyane Wade), a cornerman point forward (LeBron), a legit small-forward playing power-forward (Battier) and a face-up power forward playing center (Bosh) and they still won the title.

I don’t believe that positions are necessary, all you need are guys that can defend other players. If a 6’2 SG (Avery Bradley) can defend 2 guards, why not play him full-time at the 2 guard?

If you have a 5 man line-up that works, I don’t care if you have 5 small forwards out there. Winning is winning.

[SiggyParticipant]

Just looking at height is completely pointless. You have to look at the entire physical package to determine if the player will be at a physical disadvantage in the NBA.
Players don’t shoot basketballs, contest shots, or get in passing lanes using their heads.
Eric Gordon isn’t just 6’3. He’s 6’3 with a 6’9 wingspan, a 40 inch vert, elite straight line explosiveness and a powerfully built 225+lb frame (when healthy).
Millsap isn’t just a 6’7 PF. He has a 7’2 wingspan, very good body strength and the mobility of a SF.

Specific dimensions aren’t mandatory, but they are desired… and for good reason. Longer, taller, more athletic players cover ground more easily and faster than players with “lesser” dimensions. If skill is even b/t 2 players, the longer, taller, more athletic player has more potential than the other player.

[lalailaParticipant]

and that’s why Bennett has to be top5 pick..

p.s. i understand everything but just don’t give us wrong players heights to impress, Boozer Love Patterson all are 6’9 Horford is 6’10 Amare also..

[The8thDeadlySinParticipant]

Numbers get changed as they play.. Guys don’t get release red so we have to go on what they were listed when they came into the league, not what they changed it to later.

[TallmanNYCParticipant]

Height doesn’t matter, wing span and standing reach is what counts. And even then, it doesn’t really matter if you don’t have game. NBA scouts do get too easily impressed by height and too turned off by lack of size. I say just look at production and look at standing reach way down the list.

[sheltwon3Participant]

Tony Allen is 6’3′????

[YurpleHazEParticipant]

Lmaoo some of these heights are clearly exagerated…

[The8thDeadlySinParticipant]

Which ones?

[HotSnotParticipant]

The NFL goes through this process every year during their combine and draft. Its easy to fall in love with a players physical stats.

A player who runs a 4.3 40 yard dash…will probably go in the first round
B player who runs a 4.5 40 yard dash… may risk not going in the first 3 rounds.

In the real world that .2 second difference can be easily negated by game anticipation and the understanding of play development. However, those 2 player qualities are virtually impossible to quantify short of watching game film and then asking the player what their mind set was as the play unfolds.

The .2 difference in 40 times equates to a real world advantage of about 2 yards at the end of the of the run…not taking into account a pusuing players reach which further narrows the advantage. How often does a straight line 4 second sprint occur during the course of an NFL game anyways?

In bastketball, this concept is applicable in athletic testing.

A player is 6ft8 240 pounds with a 40 inch vert.
B player is 6ft6 220 pounds with a 35 inch vert.

When fighting for rebounding position the B player can negate every physical advantage the A player has by being more intune with play development, shot anticipation and finally with a solid “box out”.

In reality, although physical gifts are important, the true measure of a quality player is skill level and understanding/anticipation of the play before it develops. How often does a 5 inch vertical advantage benefit a player who is typically more then 12 inches away from prime rebounding realestate?

So as to the posters “rant”… He is correct. Tradional heights in regards to a players playing position are signifigantly overvalued.

[The8thDeadlySinParticipant]

Thanks man!

[TheLastWordParticipant]

Wingspan, standing reach, vertical, and even weight are all critical components to your position. Wingspan is critical for wings for defense, steals, and finishing. Standing reach and vertical are the key ingredients of a good shot blocker. Standing reach and weight (blocking out) tend to be most important for rebounding.

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