OT-Dallas Mavericks owner Mark cuban would give Brittney Griner the opportunity to try out for the team.

Submitted by JakefromStateFarm on

in my opinion she looks like a very good player but she doesn't have the athleticism to play in the NBA. your thoughts?is it just a publicity stunt?do you think she could even play D1 mens college ball?

http://espn.go.com/dallas/nba/story/_/id/9127664/mark-cuban-give-brittn…

"If she is the best on the board, I will take her," Cuban said before the Mavs' Tuesday night game against the Los Angeles Lakers. "I've thought about it. I've thought about it already. Would I do it? Right now, I'd lean toward yes, just to see if she can do it. You never know unless you give somebody a chance, and it's not like the likelihood of any late-50s draft pick has a good chance of making it."

 

go16blue

April 2nd, 2013 at 11:51 PM ^

The man knows how to get publicity. Good as Griner is, there's no way she would have a chance at success in the NBA, and any good scout would know that. No way she gets drafted, though I could see a well publicised tryout after the draft.

bluesalt

April 2nd, 2013 at 11:51 PM ^

Cuban likes attention for himself and his team. He also wants a winning team, and if Griner were somehow good enough (I doubt she will be, but she is great), then I don't think he'd be upset if it worked.

That said, I fear the anti-title IX backlash, so I'd rather it didn't happen.

WolvinLA2

April 2nd, 2013 at 11:58 PM ^

Griner is easily one of the best female basketball players I've ever seen.  

That said, she'd get absolutely tosed by McGary, let alone current NBA starters.  There is not a single NBA player she could guard.  She's not big enough to play the 4 or the 5 in the NBA, and she doesn't have any of the tools to play the 3.

MichiganStudent

April 2nd, 2013 at 11:58 PM ^

First, We all know who Mark Cuban is. Secondly, she doesn't even have a chance to play men's division 1. She's a great female player but men's and women's sports are completely different.

ak47

April 3rd, 2013 at 12:19 AM ^

Yeah I'm sure a 6'8 180 pound center with no midrange game who can barely dunk would do great in the nba.  This is clearly a publicity stunt and she clearly would never legitimately be the best player on the mavericks board. Blake mclimans has a better shot of making the nba.

MichiganManOf1961

April 3rd, 2013 at 6:25 AM ^

Apparently quite.  Anyways, I saw a highlight of the #1 basketball recruit in the country at the McDonald's All-American game doing a crazy dunk at the dunk contest.  Anyways, it looked like there were about a dozen girls on the sidelines dressed for the competition.  I was wondering... can these high school girls dunk now, or do they lower the rim, or what?

~Herm

feanor

April 3rd, 2013 at 12:36 AM ^

Obvious publicity stunt is obvious.  No griner would not make a D1 team, shes 6'8" and it is still a "event" when she dunks in game.  A great womens players, but the NBA is way to much about strength and athleticism for a women to ever make it.

TheGhostofYost

April 3rd, 2013 at 12:49 AM ^

This statement from Cuban strikes me as disrespectful.  He knows, as does any casual basketball fan, that she wouldn't have a prayer of making it.  

indywolverine

April 3rd, 2013 at 1:04 AM ^

My mancrush on Mark Cuban aside, I disagree that this is disrespectful on Mark's side. On the other hand, I think you're being disrespectful to Griner in that you think she's completely naive and/or stupid to even want to do this. While I do agree that she does not have a realistic shot, it is her choice to try out, and Mark is simply given her the opportunity to make that choice. History has shown that having men make decisions for women is not always (or ever?) a good idea.

TheGhostofYost

April 3rd, 2013 at 1:08 PM ^

Well if she wants to do it for fun, that's one thing.  It she wants to do it with the intention of making the team, then she is being both naive and stupid.  The Cubes is not simply giving her an opportunity.  When you know someone is going to fail miserably at something, likely in an embarassing fashoin, that's not an opportunity.  It's a publicity stunt.  

Kennyvr1

April 3rd, 2013 at 12:57 AM ^

I coach and train high school girl basketball players some of whom will go on to BCS DI schools and there is absolutely no way she could even have a chance of being any good against men's DI players much less against people in the league. God bless them all but girls basketball is shit on a stick even the good ones. They just move so differently. Point a to point b. not enough wiggle and strength to play with men.

APBlue

April 3rd, 2013 at 6:55 AM ^

You had me at "shit on a stick".   Great post, very funny.  I totally agree.  

I've always likened D1 Women's Basketball to watching a good middle school boys team.  I don't say that to sound harsh.  It's just the way I see it.  

no joke its hoke

April 3rd, 2013 at 7:35 AM ^

Shit on a stick would be better than the 1 womens hoop game i went. i left at half time. the score was 3 to 11. 7 of those total points came off foul shots. granted not all womens/girls bball games are bad,but i never tried another after that.

MightyMatt13

April 3rd, 2013 at 1:37 AM ^

Maybe all you are much more informed about the NBA than I, but I've seen a handful of games in the past....6 years. They don't run the court, defense is nonexistent, and its all just soft (plus noone will want to post her up). She'll obviously sell a few tickets/create a hellova buzz and the draft is weak this year, so why not. Hell she'll cost less, bring in more, and out produce Greg Oden.

APBlue

April 3rd, 2013 at 7:01 AM ^

Wow.  There's so much wrong about your post.  Whether teams run the court is irrelevant.  She is the size of a small forward, but her game has always been that of a center.  She's not strong enough, or quick enough to match up with either.  She would be the biggest defensive liability since...ever.  

You may as well play 4 on 5.  

You say "she would sell a few tickets/create a hellova buzz", then say she would cost less.  Well, why would her agent take any less for her services, if she's a marketing dream?  They wouldn't, so she wouldn't cost any less.  

You're spot on with your Greg Oden comment, though.  

UMgradMSUdad

April 3rd, 2013 at 7:27 AM ^

It's all a publicity stunt, but it might happen.  Cuban could probably get her for the NBA minimum salary, plus some kind of bonus then sit her on the bench and trot her out once every few weeks for the last minute or two of games that are already decided.

He knows she's not athletic enough to play in the NBA, but how often does the last player on the bench ever see action in the NBA anyway?

LSAClassOf2000

April 3rd, 2013 at 8:51 AM ^

""She'd still have to make the team," Cuban said. "I'm not going to carry her just to carry her. I don't think, anyways. But I certainly wouldn't be opposed to giving her the opportunity."

What you said made me read again what Cuban said here. Obviously, at 6'8" and 208 pounds, Griner is not NBA center material by conventional standards and probably does not have the athleticism needed to defend close to the basket like one would want from a center in the league. I have to think that, in a random tryout scenario, her chances of making an NBA team would not be promising necessarily. 

Still, when he said, "I don't think, anyways." in the above quote, it made me wonder if Cuban has actually considered various versions of this rather unique move up to and including having Griner come off the bench somehow regardless. It would be a rather Cuban move, in my opinion. If nothing else, Mark Cuban just made the NBA draft (as well as the Summer Leagues, if it gets this far) an event people will potentially watch if Griner foregoes the WNBA draft, which I believe is later this month