OT-Dallas Mavericks owner Mark cuban would give Brittney Griner the opportunity to try out for the team.
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."
swatted back in your face will feel all that different from a women's ball.
ya, total publicity stunt. Cuban knows how to work the media though thats for sure
At what level do you think she could compete with men? I think she'd be a decent HS boys basketball player, bordering on good at that level (in your average high school conference). Thoughts?
Cool Starry Bra: I worked with a girl out of college who played soccer at Indiana, so a good athlete in her own right. She honestly thought Lisa Leslie (the best in the wnba at the time) could compete with Shaq, she lost her mind and refused to discuss it, she was that adament. The great thing was, it was the week after Anika played in that PGA event and really struggled, and if there was ever a sport where the physical difference might, just might be mitigated a little, it's golf.
Understand I have great respect for these women athletes and am well aware that Griner and NCAA d1 players would run me out of the gym.
would have to see her in person and up close to render an opinion on that. I do think that the opnions expressed in this thread are a little overboard. This is not your grandfather's women's basketball. These girls are strong, quick, and incredibly athletic.
...but, Lebron James, Kevin Durant, et al are not your grandfather's professional basketball player.
is not your grandfather's tennis player.
Michelle Wie drives the ball as far as Dustin Johnson.
Just sayin.
Michelle Wie drives the ball as far as Dustin Johnson.
Just sayin.
2012 LPGA TOUR DRIVING - DISTANCE
..... 10. Michelle Wie 268.59
2012 PGA TOUR DRIVING - DISTANCE
..... 3. Dustin Johnson 310.212
It's not even close. Michelle Wie isn't terribly close to being the longest current hitter on the LPGA Tour; not sure why you chose her for your fallacy. It might not have been so bad, had you selected Brittany Lincicome, who is widely regarded as the longest hitter on the LPGA Tour (276) or last year's one-time statistical freak Tamie Durdin (291). But you chose Michelle Wie. Who does not hit the ball as far as Dustin Johnson, not even close. Bubba Watson is at 315 oh by the way.
She definitely would have started on my high school basketball team, which wasn't a bad team. Our center was a skinny 6-5 guy who wasn't especially athletic, and our best player was an equally skinny 6-3 forward who was also on the tennis team. D3 is obviously a cut above that but I think she would at least be in the rotation for a D3 team.
For all practical purposes, I'd say she's a 6'8" version of Manute Bol. So... yeah.
The only player in NBA history to block more shots than he scored.
But yes, you're correct...in the NBA she's as big as LeBron James, a small forward.
Cuban is just trying to be politcally correct in saying that he would take her IF she was good enough. She's not.
In fact, Maya Moore and Diana Taurasi would've had better shots and they're only 6'0". That's a small PG in the NBA.
Yes, agreed. I think the most realistic way a woman could make an NBA roster is at PG. It's unlikely, but at least it wouldn't be impossible.
As good as Griner is she would get mauled in the NBA. The only woman I have ever seen who could hold her own would be Cheryl Miller. She was a great athlete, big, and could flat out play.
If she didn't have long hair I don't think anyone would know she was female. Also, she has an adam's apple and the voice of a man.
In hockey, the line seems to be the best women in the world can compete with an above-average high school team. I could see that being pretty similar in other sports as well.
If a chick was posting up a dude it would probably look weird and/or funny.
When I was a Sophmore in college-- at the time I was a 6'0, 240 Lbs or so-- and I was playing a pick up game. Now, just sizing up the team, i figured I was the fourth best player-- I have a pretty good turn around jump shot and I commit to playing D-- and I was insulted when I was put on the girl on the other team. She was about 5'9" and in shape. Well, I was able to defend her easily (though I was out of shape and she did break away a few times). She ran the point, and usually it was enough to keep a wide base and keep one arm up-- there was absolutely no chance she was going to shoot over me. A couple of times I nearly trapped her on my own when she tride to get around me from the corner (am am not sure how, but it seemed like no matter which one of us had the ball, we were always in the corner). I will give her credit though-- that girl could pass like woah.
The reason I bring this up is because I found out two months later that she won second team all conference as a point gaurd. Our team is in the Atlatic Sun, so its not like the level of competition was too high, but then again I was an out of shape guy with pretty slow feet and no experience in organized basketball who was able to easily check a pretty good college girls basketball player. And while Griner is probably 10 times as good as this girl was, LeBron James is 1,576 times better at basketball than I am (all numbers arrived at scientifically).
Where do you find pick up games where the 6 foot, 240 pound guy is the POINT GUARD? Those are some big dudes you play with.
"If she's the best player on the board" then the draft now has 35 rounds.
On a serious note there is no way for a woman to be physically strong enough to compete in the NBA post, but I don't see any reason a woman would be physically incapable of filling a Steve Kerr/Zack Novak type role. Nothing about hitting open jump shots seems to require superhuman strength.
She would get absolutely destroyed. That NFL tryout for that kicker went really well.
somewhere between an above average high school player (no where near great) and possibly a low D3 rotational player
as a poster said above Blake is 1000x the nba prospect she is
I forget which year it was, but the us women's soccer team (a team i do love) when it still had mia hamm and was easily the best in the world warmed up for the world cup by playing uva's FRESHMAN soccer team... and lost
but just barely and she's 6'8" i.e. she's not athletic. She'd get mega pwned