IT: If I were 6'5 I'd be the best in the world

[RingsDontLie]

So he's saying he would be as good as Durant? Doubtful. Durant shoots better than both Lebron and Isiah. That's why he is the beast basketball player right now.

[SashaTheMachine]

[jayjaypimpson]

Alls I know is that people need to chill with the "midget" stuff. Wasn't funny the first time and isn't funny the 3,456,873,233th time. People are all jelly that they're the same height as Isaiah and don't have a millionth of the skill he has so they try to put him down with stupid names and ****. Kind of like people with full heads of hair mocking LeBron hairline...always sounds petty and immature.

Maybe Isaiah wouldn't be the best in the world but he would still be elite. No denying that.

If people get off only calling the average height dude in the NBA a midget, whatver

it's stupid, but whatever

reminds me of when Jeff Van Gundy would call Nate Robinson "lil Nate"..... meanwhile, dude is your size, Jeff

[anish23]

If I was Black, 6-6, as athletic as LeBron James, had Kobe's Work Ethic, Michael Jordan's desire to win, Vince Carter's hops, Curry's range, Laval Ball's DNA, Shaq's size, Dirk's Fadeaway, Tony Allen's defense and Greg Popovich's basketball brain, I'd be the best in the world. And it's not just me thinking that, the world would think that.

[Tim Reynolds]

I can get him saying that even if he makes the proper defensive move, people will say he's weak defensively because of his height, and it's not fair.

Problem is, that's the reality of life. One major reason Durant is so special is because he shoots so we'll at his size. Why is that special? Because that means he can shoot over most people in the world even if they jump to contest it, and that helps him be so historically efficient.
Thomas just can't physically impair the vision of a jump shot from pretty much any forward, and some guards, which limits the defensive options you have for him.

I'm only 6', and I salivate when I'm on the court and I get guarded by someone his size. I also know how frustrating it is to have to score on someone much taller then you and you just have to put in way more effort then usual.

I can't imagine how an NBA player whose average height is 6'6" feels when they get a chance to take IT on. There is only so much you can do when you have a significant height disadvantage. I can't say I watch enough of him to see if his reputation of a bad defender comes from lack of effort/positioning, or simply because players can score over him.

If it's the former it's all on him, height doesn't matter. If it's the latter, then you just accept your limitations and ride on your strengths. No need to worry if your in position and contesting properly without fouling. His role is to score; let other players fill in the defensive roles, because it's a team. It's not like the defensive stud Jae Crowder is coming out there and dropping 30 every night, leading the league in fourth quarter points.

[Beffiosa]

This guy is an idiot. If he was taller, his muscle fibers would be longer and therefore, he would be slower. The range of his center of gravity would increase, and he would have a harder time controlling his body.

There's a reason why there are no 5'6" and above guys on the US Olympic mens gymnastics team. Tall guys aren't coordinated enough to do the routines.

So he's an idiot for saying that the things he is able to do at his size would be magnified if he didn't have such height limitations in a sport in which height matters? You fans always find ways to sh*t on athletes any chance you get don't you?

"Longer muscle fibers" never make anyone slower. Contraction of rapid movement, activation and synchronization of motor units does not decrease with height. In fact, rate of force development would be greater because taller individuals usually have the potential for greater maximal and limit strength. High inertia during turnover, and high energy cost might be a limiting factor if he was taller, but he'll most like has advantages that are unique to being taller. Its tough making the NBA at 5'9 if he's even that tall.

Yes, there are reasons why there are no 5'6 and above guys are on the US Olympic men's gymnastics team,and slow-rate musculoskeletal and bone development due to extreme psychological and physical stress from intense training from the age of probably 5 until their late teens or early 20s are the main reason. The fact that gymnasts have late growth after they have retired would conclude that they are short because they are gymnasts, not that they are gymnasts because they are short.