Height and 2022 NBA Draft

[Chief00]

Chief thinks the purported de-emphasis of height in the NBA is overstated. Height is still very important. The Top 3 picks were all 6-10 or taller. Granted Bigs are a plus one when they have skills too.

Top 20 NBA Draft Height Categories:
6-10 or over = 7
6-8 = 3
6-6 to 6-7 = 7
6-4 to 6-5 = 3

The Breakdown:

1. 6-10
2. 7-0
3. 6-10
4. 6-8
5. 6-4
6. 6-6
7. 6-6
8. 6-6
9. 6-10
10. 6-5
11. 6-10
12. 6-6
13. 6-10
14. 6-6
15. 6-10
16. 6-6
17. 6-8
18. 6-7
19. 6-8
20. 6-5

 

[TRest]

Now do draft picks by each team’s biggest need.

 

[Chief00]

Now do draft picks by each team’s biggest need.

Interesting analysis, but subjective at team level. But, high level, league wide,height is considered a big need, if you go by who was drafted. Teams feel they need height.

 

[bendm]

But Kofi cockburn would have been a lottery pick in the 2000s. NBA is very clearly prioritizing skill over size. ideally a player is big and skilled but that was always the case. Now skill trumps size every time, as it should.

 

[auror]

Bigs in the lottery have to have offensive perimeter skills. Outside that, you have to be an elite rim protector or have the ability to guard in space to be a 1st rounder.

 

[MDHuskFan]

Chief thinks the purported de-emphasis of height in the NBA is overstated. Height is still very important. The Top 3 picks were all 6-10 or taller. Granted Bigs are a plus one when they have skills too.

Top 20 NBA Draft Height Categories:
6-10 or over = 7
6-8 = 3
6-6 to 6-7 = 7
6-4 to 6-5 = 3

The Breakdown:

1. 6-10
2. 7-0
3. 6-10
4. 6-8
5. 6-4
6. 6-6
7. 6-6
8. 6-6
9. 6-10
10. 6-5
11. 6-10
12. 6-6
13. 6-10
14. 6-6
15. 6-10
16. 6-6
17. 6-8
18. 6-7
19. 6-8
20. 6-5

Now do it by 3pt %.

Size is nice, but skill is the overarching need here

 

[RichZ]

Interesting analysis, but subjective at team level. But, high level, league wide,height is considered a big need, if you go by who was drafted. Teams feel they need height.

The want height that can shoot the three, as that can draw the opponent's height out of the paint.

 

[businesslawyer]

The want height that can shoot the three, as that can draw the opponent's height out of the paint.

Height and big aren’t the same. Coif Cockburn is tall, but he’s a “big.” He is not built to be running around on the perimeter most of the game. The NBA is clearly moving away from “bigs.” The NBA is NOT moving away from tall players. They just want tall players who can play the whole court and shoot from outside,

 

[borninansonia]

Would Willis Reed play in today's NBA?

 

[ucp990411]

Would Willis Reed play in today's NBA?

Willis Reed absolutely would have played and excelled in todays NBA. He was deadly with his 15 ft jumper. I am sure he would have expanded that shot another 10 ft. What about Wes Unseld?

 

[billybud]

Steph Curry, at 6'2"...has shown that a skilled small guy can play. And his 10 rebounds June 10 against the Celtics was maybe as phenomenal as his 43 points.

 

[Palatine]

So if you're 6-4 in the NBA, you're basically a chickpea.

 

[RichZ]

Willis Reed absolutely would have played and excelled in todays NBA. He was deadly with his 15 ft jumper. I am sure he would have expanded that shot another 10 ft. What about Wes Unseld?

Wes was a big, but not a tall. He would still rebound the hell out of the ball, and empower his guards and wings with that full court chest pass the instant he came down with the board. Next to Russel, Wes was my favorite big in the olden days.

 

[Chief00]

Height and big aren’t the same. Coif Cockburn is tall, but he’s a “big.” He is not built to be running around on the perimeter most of the game. The NBA is clearly moving away from “bigs.” The NBA is NOT moving away from tall players. They just want tall players who can play the whole court and shoot from outside,

I agree in the present but the game has always gone in cycles - so at some point a big physical guy will lead his team to the championship and the copy cats will follow as they followed Golden State.

 

[HuskyHawk]

The best defenses are switching rather than fighting around screens. In order to run that defense, you can't have many short, slightly built guys. 6'4-6'9 switchable guys who can all guard in space and shoot. Preferably with some strength and ability to rebound. It's essentially the same thing UConn is looking for. It helped Martin get drafted, he can step right in to that scheme.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Size is very important for a guard. The days of going 6'2 and 6'4 in the backcourt are over.

But likewise, the days of going 6'9, 6'11, 7'0 in the frontcourt, with at most 1 of those 3 guys capable of making an outside shot, are over.

In summary, skill is a prerequisite, and within that group of skilled guys, height is preferred. But height without skill doesn't interest anybody. I doubt Andre Drummond would even be a first round pick this year.

 

[ucp990411]

Wes was a big, but not a tall. He would still rebound the hell out of the ball, and empower his guards and wings with that full court chest pass the instant he came down with the board. Next to Russel, Wes was my favorite big in the olden days.

Best outlet passer ever

 

[Lefty2one]

Chief thinks the purported de-emphasis of height in the NBA is overstated. Height is still very important. The Top 3 picks were all 6-10 or taller. Granted Bigs are a plus one when they have skills too.

The top three picks all have perimeter skills and all three can shoot. It also happened to be a terrible point guard class.

Just last year the first two picks were 6'6" and under. The year before that picks #1 and #3 were 6'7" or under.

 

[HuskyHawk]

The top three picks all have perimeter skills and all three can shoot. It also happened to be a terrible point guard class.

Just last year the first two picks were 6'6" and under. The year before that picks #1 and #3 were 6'7" or under.

The point is (or should be), nobody under 6'4" on that list of top 20. The change is that short guys have a really hard time in the NBA now. Not impossible, but for many teams they won't fit the scheme playing more than limited minutes.

 

[auror]

The point is (or should be), nobody under 6'4" on that list of top 20. The change is that short guys have a really hard time in the NBA now. Not impossible, but for many teams they won't fit the scheme playing more than limited minutes.

Sharife Cooper and Kennedy Chandler are the most recent examples of short PGs getting de-prioritized.

 

[borninansonia]

Would Tiny Archibald play in today's NBA?

 

[Nostical]

You're right about size mattering. And just wait till next year, when this 6'10'' guy who can shoot threes from downtown enters the '23 draft.

Ousmane N’Diaye Another “low floor/extremely high ceiling” prospect. When he was still 15 years old his performance in Hungary was more than enough for him to be on NBA radars. N’Diaye is 6’ 10” with long arms and elite movement for a player his size. He’s extremely nimble, can change direction and navigate through traffic like a guard. He is both excellent at creating space to shoot and excellent at knocking down threes from very long range. What he still needs to develop is the ability to make the shots he creates for himself. But his exceptional shooting on spot-up looks is very encouraging and connecting those two abilities would be a massive development.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Would Tiny Archibald play in today's NBA?

Of course. He’s a legend. Not every team switches on picks. The challenge as I see it is that the number of teams where having a short PG isn’t a liability is simply reduced. Guys like Tiny and Iverson would kick ass in any era.

I am really interested to see what Hurley does on defense. UConn almost never switched. We rotated and fought through or around screens. The hard hedge is a big part of that. Hurley now has a roster that would allow him to defend the way the Celtics do. That roster is even harder to build in college, and yet we have it. If he changes to a switching defense, I can see Clingan playing more and Sanogo really being a defensive force In the paint.

 

[Chief00]

As long as Chief has been involved in basketball the three things you need to run are good team defense, a rebounder/outlet stud, and a point guard who can push it. Now we are being told 2 of the 3 attributes are outdated.
Chief does marvel at Golden State in their half court offense, however while it is not in style now, a running team that can put their opponents back on their heals in disarray should still be at a premium. Some team will do that again and be very successful at it. It would put even more pressure on the defense than it did in the brillant Calhoun era. Against a running team whoever gets back first on defense has to collapse to the middle to stop the ball being pushed by the pg. That would leave 3 point shooters open with excellent looks.

 

[huskypantz]

But Kofi cockburn would have been a lottery pick in the 2000s. NBA is very clearly prioritizing skill over size. ideally a player is big and skilled but that was always the case. Now skill trumps size every time, as it should.

Unless you’re under 6’4”……..