Lay Off Britney? (Front Page Story)

[DukeGirl4ever]

I would say she has absolutely no shot to play in the NBA. She's not quick enough, strong enough, or skilled enough.

The first two I agree with whole-heartedly. The last one...not so much. Sure she had about 4 inches on most of her opponents, but you don't score 23 ppg without having skill. And that's not to mention the double and triple teams she faced night in and night out.

Louisville seemed like one of the few teams to figure her out.

That being said, I would be SHOCKED if this actually pans out. Gotta love Mark Cuban - always finding a way to stir the pot.

[InSpades]

I think a woman in the NBA "in our lifetime" (as Shane said) is still a stretch but I think he's right that if a woman makes it that it will be a guard. The one thing women can do just as good as men on a basketball court is shoot the ball. Griner dominates women's b-ball because she is bigger and more athletic, but she'd lose that edge immediately playing against men. A woman who can really shoot the ball would still maintain that edge. Obviously it would be significantly more difficult to get off those shots but... the talent would at least translate.

Who was the best free throw shooter in college basketball this year? If you guessed a male then you guessed wrong .

[TruBlu]

Britney Griner has about as much chance of playing in the NBA as a bicycle does winning the Daytona 500.

There have been lots of advances in doping.

[oldnavy]

I think a woman in the NBA "in our lifetime" (as Shane said) is still a stretch but I think he's right that if a woman makes it that it will be a guard. The one thing women can do just as good as men on a basketball court is shoot the ball. Griner dominates women's b-ball because she is bigger and more athletic, but she'd lose that edge immediately playing against men. A woman who can really shoot the ball would still maintain that edge. Obviously it would be significantly more difficult to get off those shots but... the talent would at least translate.

Who was the best free throw shooter in college basketball this year? If you guessed a male then you guessed wrong .

It's not even the same ball...

[Turtleboy]

Let's take Lance Thomas, a player close to Griner in size, who we all know very well, and put him on Baylor's team instead of Griner. Would anyone have come within 50 points of them? And it has taken him years of hard work to get a sniff of the NBA.

[oldnavy]

Let's take Lance Thomas, a player close to Griner in size, who we all know very well, and put him on Baylor's team instead of Griner. Would anyone have come within 50 points of them? And it has taken him years of hard work to get a sniff of the NBA.

Except Lance is what, 60 pounds heavier than Griner? Funny they don't list weight on the Baylor roster...

[luburch]

I think a woman in the NBA "in our lifetime" (as Shane said) is still a stretch but I think he's right that if a woman makes it that it will be a guard. The one thing women can do just as good as men on a basketball court is shoot the ball. Griner dominates women's b-ball because she is bigger and more athletic, but she'd lose that edge immediately playing against men. A woman who can really shoot the ball would still maintain that edge. Obviously it would be significantly more difficult to get off those shots but... the talent would at least translate.

Who was the best free throw shooter in college basketball this year? If you guessed a male then you guessed wrong .

I disagree with this. Women tend to have set shots and take longer to shoot then men. They also use a lighter ball and shoot from closer in.

[Turtleboy]

Except Lance is what, 60 pounds heavier than Griner? Funny they don't list weight on the Baylor roster...

He was about 220 when he played at Duke. 210 or so when he began. Griner has to be 200 or so. Close enough for a decent comparison, considering that players who are less skilled and/or less dedicated than Lance don't make the league at all.

My overall point is that if she were in fact an NBA level talent she would have been a totally overwhelming force in college basketball, while what she really is is the first really tall female player with pretty good skills and average athleticism, and she dominated accordingly.

Edit : USA Basketball lists her at 208 lbs.

[InSpades]

I disagree with this. Women tend to have set shots and take longer to shoot then men. They also use a lighter ball and shoot from closer in.

The women's free throw line is closer than the men's free throw line? The difference in weight is very small. The difference in diameter is about 1/3rd of an inch.

The best women's FT shooter this year hit 95.5% of her shots (169 out of 177, so it wasn't a small sample or anything). Do you really think she'd be much worse with a men's ball?

[moonpie23]

my wife certainly does NOT like hearing me say that she (brittney) could never play in the nba and that the guys are bigger, stronger, faster, more skilled, can jump higher and defend better. she doesn't like that...


she REALLY doesn't like it when i say you could take any of the top high school boys' team and beat baylor's women's team 100 out of 100 games....that's when she says the conversation isn't helping....

don't shoot the messenger...

[luburch]

The women's free throw line is closer than the men's free throw line? The difference in weight is very small. The difference in diameter is about 1/3rd of an inch.

The best women's FT shooter this year hit 95.5% of her shots (169 out of 177, so it wasn't a small sample or anything). Do you really think she'd be much worse with a men's ball?

The free throw line is the same, but I've watched a 65 year old man hit 25 straight free throws. Does that mean he could play in the NBA too? A free throw, as you well know, is an uncontested shot. The majority of a woman's shots would not be uncontested.

Also, I would like for you to go shoot a women's ball for an hour and then switch to a men's ball and tell me there's not a significant difference.

[oldnavy]

The women's free throw line is closer than the men's free throw line? The difference in weight is very small. The difference in diameter is about 1/3rd of an inch.

The best women's FT shooter this year hit 95.5% of her shots (169 out of 177, so it wasn't a small sample or anything). Do you really think she'd be much worse with a men's ball?

The women's ball is 28.5 inches, men's 29.5. Not sure how a woman would do shooting FT's with a man's ball, but the point is mute unless the NBA implements a designated FT shooter.

Take it to the bank, NO WOMAN CAN PLAY IN THE NBA... THE VAST, VAST MAJORITY OF DIV I MEN NEVER MAKE IT.

It is a pipe dream.

[InSpades]

The free throw line is the same, but I've watched a 65 year old man hit 25 straight free throws. Does that mean he could play in the NBA too? A free throw, as you well know, is an uncontested shot. The majority of a woman's shots would not be uncontested.

Also, I would like for you to go shoot a women's ball for an hour and then switch to a men's ball and tell me there's not a significant difference.

I never said a 65 year old man could play in the NBA (or a woman for that matter). I merely said that women can shoot about as good as men (some obviously, not all). Are you arguing this or not?

There was a men's college game where they started playing the game w/ a women's ball. Apparently the difference isn't as much as you think or someone surely would have noticed sooner (they got to 7 minutes).

Shane apparently thinks a woman will play in the NBA, and I guess anything is possible. I wouldn't bet on it.

Do you think Alana made them use a women's ball when she played pickup with the guys?

The biggest difference between playing w/ a men's or women's ball is probably that you are used to one more than the other. The women's ball is obviously easier to shoot, but I doubt the difference is that huge. If you can shoot 95% w/ a woman's ball I bet you can get pretty close to that with a men's ball.

[Tappan Zee Devil]

He was about 220 when he played at Duke. 210 or so when he began. Griner has to be 200 or so. Close enough for a decent comparison, considering that players who are less skilled and/or less dedicated than Lance don't make the league at all.

My overall point is that if she were in fact an NBA level talent she would have been a totally overwhelming force in college basketball, while what she really is is the first really tall female player with pretty good skills and average athleticism, and she dominated accordingly.

Edit : USA Basketball lists her at 208 lbs.

Hmm - I saw a segment on Griner where they said she was 185 lbs. Maybe flattering her.

[oldnavy]

I never said a 65 year old man could play in the NBA (or a woman for that matter). I merely said that women can shoot about as good as men (some obviously, not all). Are you arguing this or not?

There was a men's college game where they started playing the game w/ a women's ball. Apparently the difference isn't as much as you think or someone surely would have noticed sooner (they got to 7 minutes).

Shane apparently thinks a woman will play in the NBA, and I guess anything is possible. I wouldn't bet on it.

Do you think Alana made them use a women's ball when she played pickup with the guys?

The biggest difference between playing w/ a men's or women's ball is probably that you are used to one more than the other. The women's ball is obviously easier to shoot, but I doubt the difference is that huge. If you can shoot 95% w/ a woman's ball I bet you can get pretty close to that with a men's ball.

1st - This is difficult to believe (not saying it isn't true), but the difference is significant between the men's and women's basketball... I have grabbed the wrong ball in the gym and noticed immediately.

2nd - With practice I am sure you are right.

I am sure that there are women who are better ball handlers than most men, better FT shooters than the average man, know the game better, but the issue is a woman playing (all aspects of the game) in the NBA. It is not going to happen unless it is a publicity stunt, like the midget Chicago White Socs baseball player who went to bat back in the 30's or 40's.

[brevity]

There have been quite a few comments since I revived this thread, and some of you are making the same mistake as the rest of the sports world. You're thinking short-term and asking the wrong question. The question you should be asking is based on Shane's statement: "Will a woman ever play in the NBA?"

For the record, I agree with those of you who don't think Brittney Griner can make the jump to the NBA. Her height and physique give her a unique skill set in the women's game, which will serve her well in the WNBA. She'll be a star, and this talk about the NBA helps that, to the extent that it does not disrupt her WNBA career. That said, her skill set does not translate to the men's game. People are focusing on her because of her height, but she's not a very good example of a player with crossover potential.

I don't know if we've seen a good example in the women's game just yet, but like Shane, I think she exists or will exist. Put yourself in the place of some kind of NBA scout who is interested in making this gender crossover happen. What you're looking for, essentially, is the girls' version of Anthony Davis. Someone who develops her fundamentals as a guard and then sprouts in height as a late bloomer until she's a forward. She's about 6-foot-3, give or take an inch, and plays in girls' high school and women's college programs tall and talented enough to let her stay in the backcourt, or at least the perimeter. This kind of coddling makes her used to playing with other stars, and so she ends up doing a lot of grunt work to let them shine. She is a glue girl. For her pro career, she would do fine in the WNBA, if she wanted. But she could also pursue the NBA if she were willing to take the risk. Given the circumstances, and the salary disparity between leagues, I think she would.

Undrafted, she starts in the NBA summer league, impresses a few basketball people and a ton of corporate people, and gets a roster spot on a team with a coach and personnel mostly willing to keep an open mind. This garners her a lot of media attention, and she will say the right things when needed. The season starts, with her deep on the bench, but she makes the most of limited (garbage) minutes. Maybe she gets more playing time, maybe not. But she acquits herself well, gets along with her teammates, and has a serviceable rookie season. The team wins a few more games, which they can attribute to her directly (her play adds to their depth) or indirectly (her presence gives them increased media attention and fan support). No reason why she can't stick around.

Does she dominate? Probably not. Does she earn a salary and survive in the league? Absolutely. As usual, Shane is operating on a different mental level than the rest of us. We just have to try and catch up.

[InSpades]

1st - This is difficult to believe (not saying it isn't true), but the difference is significant between the men's and women's basketball... I have grabbed the wrong ball in the gym and noticed immediately.

2nd - With practice I am sure you are right.

I am sure that there are women who are better ball handlers than most men, better FT shooters than the average man, know the game better, but the issue is a woman playing (all aspects of the game) in the NBA. It is not going to happen unless it is a publicity stunt, like the midget Chicago White Socs baseball player who went to bat back in the 30's or 40's.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketb...n=ncaab-293522

I think it probably won't even happen, but I wouldn't rule it out as impossible. Not that long ago people thought women couldn't run a marathon and now the women's marathon is only 12 minutes off the men's record. There's women that can shoot well enough to play in the NBA. There's women that are fast enough to play in the NBA. There's women that are strong enough to play in the NBA (they may be on something). Maybe one day a woman will have a combination of all these things. Odds are against it but it's possible.

[subzero02]

If a woman plays in the NBA she'll likely be a point guard with incredible shooting and passing skills... There's also a good chance that she'll average a triple double in college(or close to it)

[ricks68]

IMHO, the best candidate for a mythical NBA career would have been Cynthia Cooper.

ricks

[Double DD]

I think it probably won't even happen, but I wouldn't rule it out as impossible. Not that long ago people thought women couldn't run a marathon and now the women's marathon is only 12 minutes off the men's record.

The fastest marathon time by a woman in the world last year wouldn't even have ranked in the top 1000 for men.

There's women that can shoot well enough to play in the NBA. There's women that are fast enough to play in the NBA. There's women that are strong enough to play in the NBA (they may be on something). Maybe one day a woman will have a combination of all these things. Odds are against it but it's possible.

There might be women who can shoot free throws as well as or better than NBA players but I'm not buying that there are women who can shoot from the floor at a NBA level. Or that there are women as fast and strong as NBA players. Elite female sprinters tend to put up times equivalent to the fastest 14 year old boys. Give one of them a basketball and they'd still be slower than a lot of college guards, let alone those in the NBA.