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Size Matters: How NBA Players With Height Earn More Money
Nick Crain | 1/8/23
The modern NBA is mostly positionless as players across the league are asked to be more versatile than ever. As this trend continues to emerge as a part of the game, size is becoming more important than ever.
The days of having significant success as a 6-foot-1 guard are quickly fading. There’s still “shorter” players in the league that find ways to be great – but for the most part, the top athletes in the NBA are tall for their traditional position.
Most of the taller players of the past were dominant because they were able to use their size to bully defenses in the paint, but today this size is fluid among all positions. We’ve got jumbo guards and point forwards that result in the tallest players on the floor often bringing the ball up the floor or facilitating the offense on certain teams.
Many of the top players around the league are over 6-foot-8 as the game continues to trend in this direction.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Nikola Jokic
What’s incredible about Jokic is that he’s arguably the most skilled player in the league, but plays center. He’s a legitimate offensive hub with the skill to shoot from deep and generate more assists than nearly any point guard across the league. In the modern NBA, having a guy like Jokic allows you to play unique lineups without a traditional lead guard on the floor at times and still be effective on offense.
Joel Embiid
Again, size matters, but it’s also what you’re able to do with it. Embiid is nearly always the biggest guy on the floor, but has evolved as a perimeter scorer while also having the ability to dominate the paint. When we think about size leading to dominance, Embiid fits the mold perfectly.
Kevin Durant
Durant will go down as one of the most pure scorers in the NBA. Not only does he have a smooth jumper and the moves to create for himself at all three levels, but he’s also 6-foot-11. This allows him to rise above anyone defending him. Guards and most wings are too small to slow him down, while centers don’t have the speed to stay in front of him. This is yet another example of size being key in the NBA.
Luka Doncic
The next NBA great, Doncic is doing things we’ve never seen before. At 6-foot-8, you might assume he’s a wing or forward based on his size alone. Instead, he’s a natural lead guard that can pass the ball better than anyone in the league. A lethal scorer and triple-double threat, size at the guard spot is as prevalent as it’s ever been.
Zion Williamson
Williamson is an interesting study as it relates to size. He’s nowhere near a 7-footer, but is able to have a ton of success against the tallest players in the league. This is due to his mass and strength, along with touch around the rim. He’s also an explosive leaper that can finish over anyone.
Jayson Tatum
At 6-foot-8, Tatum plays four positions on any given night. When he’s running the offense, this means he’s a jumbo guard that’s a mismatch for opposing defenses. The theme with these elite NBA players with height is that there’s no good way to slow them down. Unless the team he’s going up against has a similar star that fits this mold, Tatum always has the advantage.