This is always fun. Remember when Michael Beasley measured out at 6'7", or when Kevin Durant couldn't even bang out one rep benching 185 lb? (Click here for all he measurements).
The measurement that is sure to garner a ton of attention came from Blake Griffin. It wasn't his size, as he checked in at 6'8.5" without shoes and 6'10" with shoes. It was his length - his wingspan was just 6'11.5" and his standing reach was only 8'9" (by comparison, Tyreke Evans had a standing reach of 8'8"). From Draft Express:
His standing reach and wingspan are both far below average for a power forward, which likely helps explain why he is such an unimposing defender and shot-blocker. In fact, amongst the 42 power forwards in our database who were selected as top-15 picks, Griffin is just a quarter of an inch from ranking dead last in the wingspan category, and an inch from ranking dead last in standing reach. Yikes.Chase Budinger is another guy whose length could end up hurting him. Standing 6'6.25" without shoes, C-Bud has a wingspan of just 6'7" and a standing reach of 8'5". Again, probably helps to explain why he struggled a bit as a defender despite being a great athlete.
There were eight guys whose measurements may end up helping them on draft day: Jeff Teague (6'0.25", wingspan 6'7.5"), Jerel McNeal (6'1.5", 6'7.25" wingspan), Tyreke Evans (6'4", 6'11.25" wingspan, 8'8" standing reach), Gerald Henderson (6'4", 6'10.25" wingspan), James Harden (6'4", 6'10.75" wingspan, 8'7.5" standing reach), DeJuan Blair (6'5.25", 7'2" wingspan, 8'10.5"), Jeff Adrien (6'5.25", 7'2" wingspan, 8'11.5" standing reach), Taj Gibson (6'8.5", 7'4" wingspan, 9'1" standing reach), and Austin Daye (6'9.75", 7'2.75" wingspan).
Other notable measurements: Luke Harangody and DeJuan Blair both looked like they have been working very hard on their bodies - 'Gody checked in at 240 lb while Blair has dropped 40 lbs and weighed in at 275 lb. On the other end of the spectrum, Austin Daye weighed just 192 lb and Taj Gibson was just 214 lb.
For more analysis, check out Draft Express, NBADraft.net, and Chad Ford.
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2 comments:
is blake griffin gonna be bad?
No, the measurements don't usually mean all that much. But Griffin wasn't a great defender at Oklahoma, and a lot of people speculated that it was because Capel wanted him to save his energy for the offensive end. This just adds fuel to the fire that he won't be a great defender in the NBA.
He'd have to have one arm cut off to not be the #1 pick.
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