[S-man10]

(Original post by Iqbal007)
Well in this context, the OP stated 7 foot players, who wouldn't squash them as they'll barely be able to touch them as they'll be at a serious speed disadvantage.

The 2nd part was about how shorter players can do as well as their taller counterpart.
At least read everything

You mean 7 foot player disadvantaged with speed of a small player? The game isn't all fast break and transition offence. I really doubt you have even played basketball from the looks of it.

Boykins and Robinson haven't even come close to doing as well as their taller counterparts. Not even remotely close.

(Original post by Iqbal007)
Being tall also has disadvantage as seen from Yao Ming who can barely keep up with his team mates when attacking and defending.

Are you serious?

[supraman]

(Original post by manchesterunited15)
xotol and john harris?

that would imply you don't know what your talking about, you do realise that

[S-man10]

(Original post by manchesterunited15)
xotol and john harris?

Yep

[Iqbal007]

(Original post by S-man10)
You mean 7 foot player disadvantaged with speed of a small player? The game isn't all fast break and transition offence. I really doubt you have even played basketball from the looks of it.

Boykins and Robinson haven't even come close to doing as well as their taller counterparts. Not even remotely close.



Are you serious?

Your not looking into what the OP said, which I replied to.
Yes. A team of 5 ft 5 players against a team of 7 ft players, in that context a team with shorter players would use it to their advantage who wouldn't.
Does it look like care whether you think I have or not.

What about other people who deemed as "short" in this sport as the OP stated, Steve Nash, even a few you've mentioned.

Have you not seen Yao Ming, much slower at getting back on defence, quite slow on the offence to, but he is a center.

[manchesterunited15]

(Original post by supraman)
that would imply you don't know what your talking about, you do realise that

I've already said in this thread that I don't pretend that I do know I'm talking about, I've barely played basketball in my life and only been watching it cus of the olympics... but everyone knows tall players are at an advantage. And S-man10 seems to agree with that and know what he's talking about so...

[supraman]

(Original post by manchesterunited15)
I've already said in this thread that I don't pretend that I do know I'm talking about, I've barely played basketball in my life and only been watching it cus of the olympics... but everyone knows tall players are at an advantage. And S-man10 seems to agree with that and know what he's talking about so...

firstly what is "tall" in your opinion and "short"..........
its all perspectives, e.g 6 ft 3 is short in terms of the average height, but they still are good, and can be at a advantage over much taller rivals. They'll be better at moving around and speed, etc while the taller counterpart will be stronger on the penetration, etc.

[S-man10]

(Original post by manchesterunited15)
but everyone knows tall players are at an advantage.

Not necessarily. Any team will always pick the guy who produces the result over a taller guy in the same position. There are quite a few players who play a position where they are really short for it but are exceptional at it. Charles Barkley is one I can thin of.

(Original post by Iqbal007)
Your not looking into what the OP said, which I replied to.
Yes. A team of 5 ft 5 players against a team of 7 ft players, in that context a team with shorter players would use it to their advantage who wouldn't.

I have read what the OP has said and xotol and johnharriss have explained his misunderstanding quite well.

Use speed and agility as an advantage? What about defence? 7ft players posting up on them?

What about other people who deemed as "short" in this sport as the OP stated, Steve Nash, even a few you've mentioned.

Steve Nash is 6'3 which isn't exactly short

Who did I mention again?

Have you not seen Yao Ming, much slower at getting back on defence, quite slow on the offence to, but he is a center.

Similar thing could be said for Shaq.

[Iqbal007]

(Original post by S-man10)
I have read what the OP has said and xotol and johnharriss have explained his misunderstanding quite well.

Use speed and agility as an advantage? What about defence? 7ft players posting up on them?

Steve Nash is 6'3 which isn't exactly short

Who did I mention again?

Similar thing could be said for Shaq.

You can trust me, we had one of the smallest players, another team Brixton did as well but they were amazing on offence.
Defence is a bit harder for them, but they work when trying to get the offensive charge foul.

Well in terms of basketball they would be short, we shouldn't compare their heights to standard population one. And my mistake forget that.

Shaq definitely did get slower in the later part of his game, he should have stayed at Lakers

[manchesterunited15]

(Original post by S-man10)
Not necessarily. Any team will always pick the guy who produces the result over a taller guy in the same position. There are quite a few players who play a position where they are really short for it but are exceptional at it. Charles Barkley is one I can thin of.

Yeah but I mean if there's 2 technically equal players the tall one will be better simply because of the extra reach that the height gives him for interceptions etc...

[manchesterunited15]

(Original post by supraman)
firstly what is "tall" in your opinion and "short"..........
its all perspectives, e.g 6 ft 3 is short in terms of the average height, but they still are good, and can be at a advantage over much taller rivals. They'll be better at moving around and speed, etc while the taller counterpart will be stronger on the penetration, etc.

Well in general I'd consider 6 foot 1 tall and 5 foot 7 short, but for basketball more like 6 6 to be tall and 6 to be short. Even that 6 6 is under the average for the NBa though so I guess that's not that tall.

[Xotol]

(Original post by supraman)
firstly what is "tall" in your opinion and "short"..........
its all perspectives, e.g 6 ft 3 is short in terms of the average height, but they still are good, and can be at a advantage over much taller rivals. They'll be better at moving around and speed, etc while the taller counterpart will be stronger on the penetration, etc.

Penetration is usually done by athletic players since they can blow by players more easily. If you take a look at the basketball positions, the power forward and centre (i.e. the tallest people) are usually positioned either under the basket to score from the low post and collect rebounds, or they come out and set a pick & roll.

Incidentally, the best penetrating players in the league are probably Lebron James, Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook; the former because he is a complete freak of nature and creates a mismatch with anybody guarding him (either too strong or too fast) and the latter two because they are ultra athletic and can blow past players in their sleep.

With regards to the actual point of the discussion, I agree that it depends on what the OP is talking about. Undeniably, the average height in the NBA > average height in American since <6 ft players are usually too weak & small to defend positional counterparts and are useless at rebounding. However, in the NBA, you generally need a good mix of height and strength on the court for all 5 positions. Over the course of NBA history though, the position that has the most depth of greatest players is probably the centre (Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neil & Hakeem Olajuwon) since the tallest players are at a huge advantage if they can play the game properly by: developing post moves, rebounding and patrolling the paint with their length and strength. Also, the best PG in history - Magic Johnson - was 6 ft 9 (which is incredibly unusual for a floor general); he was the best passer in history because of the insane angles of passing he could create with his length. Recently, however, with a lack of big big men (Dwight Howard being the best right now but paling in comparison to the five I mentioned previously), the game is starting to become more athletic.

I might have gone overboard with the basketball history lesson. The point is though: height does matter but it isn't the be all and end all. Chris Paul and Allen Iverson (both 6 ft) should end the discussion there and then.

[S-man10]

(Original post by Iqbal007)
You can trust me, we had one of the smallest players, another team Brixton did as well but they were amazing on offence.
Defence is a bit harder for them, but they work when trying to get the offensive charge foul.

Everyone will use their skill set to their advantage. But a 5'5 players speed and agility will be completely shadowed by a 7 footers physical presence. So advantage, not at all really.

Well in terms of basketball they would be short, we shouldn't compare their heights to standard population one. And my mistake forget that.

You made the mistake of mentioning Steve Nash. No one would ever mention Nash's height as an advantage or disadvantage. Also, OP seems to be indicating that being tall is an advantage compared to standard population heights. Also, Basketball players tend to have extraordinary limbs especially their wing span and hand size (Rajon Rondo is one)

[S-man10]

(Original post by manchesterunited15)
Yeah but I mean if there's 2 technically equal players the tall one will be better simply because of the extra reach that the height gives him for interceptions etc...

This is an idealisation, but unfortunately, the reality is completely different so the point is moot. Having said that, the taller player isn't going to be better and isn't necessarily going to be selected.

[Xotol]

(Original post by manchesterunited15)
Well in general I'd consider 6 foot 1 tall and 5 foot 7 short, but for basketball more like 6 6 to be tall and 6 to be short. Even that 6 6 is under the average for the NBa though so I guess that's not that tall.

I'd consider:

short: < 6 ft 4 (point guard/shooting guard)
Average: 6 ft 4 - 6 ft 9 (shooting guard/small forward/power forward)
Tall: > 6 ft 9 (power forward/centre)

You do, of course, get some outliers, e.g. Magic Johnson (6 ft 9 - point guard), Charles Barkley (6 ft 6 - power forward). Both are two of the greatest to play the game incidentally.

[Iqbal007]

(Original post by S-man10)
Everyone will use their skill set to their advantage. But a 5'5 players speed and agility will be completely shadowed by a 7 footers physical presence. So advantage, not at all really.



You made the mistake of mentioning Steve Nash. No one would ever mention Nash's height as an advantage or disadvantage. Also, OP seems to be indicating that being tall is an advantage compared to standard population heights. Also, Basketball players tend to have extraordinary limbs especially their wing span and hand size (Rajon Rondo is one)

It depends entirely on how those players use there own advantages to be fair, physical presence can be by passed on offence quite easily, while on defence they would have to take the hit everytime through offensive fouls, it would be hard once there in the key.

No, i mentioned him as in the NBA he is short but he has still made an impact in the NBA as a very good player.
Well it wasn't clear :/
Of course many do, don't forget that most also have a strong athletic ability.

[georgekwok]

Basketball is a sport that's entertaining, fun to watch. Like those who have commented above me, it's just not fun to watch 5'5 players unless they have incredible hops. It'll just be a sissy fight. Sorry for being blunt.

Yea short guys may be fast and agile...but generally 6'4 - 6'9 players are almost as agile as them. So short guys would be no match against these players. Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Lebron James, Kevin Durant, etc. You guys forgot about Tracy McGrady? Oh how about the King of 3 Pointers: Ray Allen? 6'5. Reggie Miller, 2nd in 3 pointers: 6'7. Tall players can't shoot? What?

If the average height is 6'7 in the NBA, I don't think people under the height of 5'5 would be advantaged over taller players at all. This is the elite. Players are agile AND tall. Get used to it. I don't see what the argument is about. THEY'RE IN THE NBA FOR A REASON.

One more comparison: I'm listed 6'2 in my basketball team. I'd play as center in school, but I can play small forward or shooting guard (kinda versatile). But do you think I can play point guard? The NBA on a completely different level. If you're not a good 6'4 ball handler with good court vision, if you're not a good 6'5-6'8 3-point go-to guy, if you're not 6'10-7'0 who can create your own shot in the paint with reasonably good handles, you can go do something else. That's my situation. I'm one of the tallest people in my school basketball team. But comparing with the NBA, I'd be one of the shortest. There's simply no comparison.

Summary: unless you're an anomaly, you CAN'T play in the NBA if you're 5'5. Basketball is a sport to be watched as well, not just played. I'd go cry in a corner if I see a couple of 5'5 players slapping each other on court.

[manchesterunited15]

(Original post by georgekwok)
Basketball is a sport that's entertaining, fun to watch. Like those who have commented above me, it's just not fun to watch 5'5 players unless they have incredible hops. It'll just be a sissy fight. Sorry for being blunt.

Yea short guys may be fast and agile...but generally 6'4 - 6'9 players are almost as agile as them. So short guys would be no match against these players. Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Lebron James, Kevin Durant, etc. You guys forgot about Tracy McGrady? Oh how about the King of 3 Pointers: Ray Allen? 6'5. Reggie Miller, 2nd in 3 pointers: 6'7. Tall players can't shoot? What?

If the average height is 6'7 in the NBA, I don't think people under the height of 5'5 would be advantaged over taller players at all. This is the elite. Players are agile AND tall. Get used to it. I don't see what the argument is about. THEY'RE IN THE NBA FOR A REASON.

One more comparison: I'm listed 6'2 in my basketball team. I'd play as center in school, but I can play small forward or shooting guard (kinda versatile). But do you think I can play point guard? The NBA on a completely different level. If you're not a good 6'4 ball handler with good court vision, if you're not a good 6'5-6'8 3-point go-to guy, if you're not 6'10-7'0 who can create your own shot in the paint with reasonably good handles, you can go do something else. That's my situation. I'm one of the tallest people in my school basketball team. But comparing with the NBA, I'd be one of the shortest. There's simply no comparison.

Summary: unless you're an anomaly, you CAN'T play in the NBA if you're 5'5. Basketball is a sport to be watched as well, not just played. I'd go cry in a corner if I see a couple of 5'5 players slapping each other on court.

They do judo for under 60kg in the olympics.

[Stilo]

No one mentions Allen Iverson in a conversation about little guys dominating in the league?

Also, having 'height' classes in a team sport is pointless.

[Intriguing Alias]

(Original post by manchesterunited15)
They do judo for under 60kg in the olympics.

But judo's already **** to watch.

Anyway, whilst I see what you mean I just can't see how it would work. Fighting sports need to split into weight categories because being heavier brings an almost definite advantage. Also, basketball is a team sport that requires players of different heights (ideally) so it'd be much harder to get height categories right.

Furthermore, it just doesn't seem comparable to the fighting sports. Extra height is certainly not a guaranteed advantage in basketball - so to assume people who are shorter should be in a different category is pretty insulting. Also there's the issue of it turning into an entirely different game, with certain moves being simply out of reach.

[NR09]

(Original post by S-man10)
Kevin Durant and Dirk Nowitzki and andrea Bargani to name a few


Lebron James



Ben Wallace, Joel Anthony

If you actually read the OP you would realise that he is referring to 7 foot plus as "tall" and short as being well under 6 foot. So instead of trying to act like a smart arse why don't you actually read peoples posts in context?

And Lebron James isn't a point guard, he is a small forward who can also play power forward. You obviously don't know that much yourself when you're getting the position of the most famous player in the world wrong.

And Ben Wallace and Joel Anthony were both listed as 2.06m (6"9), although short for a centre, isn't relevant to the OP's question.

So next time you try and waltz in as the cocky know-it-all at least makes sure the points your trying to make are both factually correct and relevant to the discussion.