Ranking NBA Players By Height - Part 1

5'9" - Nate Robinson, Denver Nuggets

Robinson dunking against the Heat
Photo by NBA.com

Nate Robinson is one of the smallest players in the league, yet he is very good, proving that size isn't everything. Robinson stepped up last year as a member of the Chicago Bulls, being a solid replacement for the injured superstar point guard, Derrick Rose.

During the Bulls' 2013 playoff run, Robinson averaged 16.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1 steal per game. For a player who was unexpectedly given a starter role, he performed on a very high level. Beside his great skillset, Robinson has other ways to entertain NBA fans. Being 5' 9" he is, surprisingly one of the best dunkers in the league.

The point guard recently signed with the Denver Nuggets where he will play as a backup point guard behind Ty Lawson. In case Lawson is not able to play sometimes, Robinson can take over the starting spot and play well, just like he did it in Chicago.


Next-best : Isaiah Thomas, Sacramento Kings

5' 10" - No players eligible

5' 11" - Ty Lawson, Denver Nuggets

Lawson going up for a layup
Photo by Getty Images

Another Nugget on the list. Ty Lawson is another undersized point guard, but his size doesn't prevent him from being a great player that he is. In his last season, Lawson averaged 16.7 points along with 6.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game. These numbers significantly improved in the postseason where he averaged 21.3 points, 8 assists and 1.7 steals per game in just 6 games.

Since entering the league, Lawson has been constantly improving and it is best reflected in his stats which get better and better every year. Of course, there is still room for improvement and the guard could improve his shot selection. The only stat which has been constantly declining throughout his career is a field goal percentage. In his first season, Ty shot 51.5% from the field, but it went down to 50.3% in his sophomore year. A year later it declined to 48.8% which is still very good, but in his last season Lawson converter only 46.1% of his shots. It is not bad either, but considering that he can do better, he should work on his shot. If he keeps his starter role, which I believe he will, and if he improves his field goal percentage by at least 2%, he could easily average 20 points a game.


Next-best: John Lucas III, Toronto Raptors

6'0" - Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers 

Paul established himself as one of the

best floor generals in the NBA

Photo by AP

Chris Paul is probably the best point guard in the league today. His great vision of the court mixed with scoring and passing ability makes him one of the hardest players to guard and the numbers he posts show that he's right on the top of the league.

Last season Paul almost averaged double-double with assisting and scoring, as he finished the season posting averages of 9.7 assists and 16.9 points per game. Although Paul has never had much success in the postseason, he is only 28 and in his prime. Los Angeles Clippers are a very good team and they might have more success in playoffs next year.  


Next-best: Jameer Nelson, Orlando Magic

6'1" - Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics 

Celtics might start rebuilding around Rondo
Photo by Getty Images

Another easy choice. Rajon Rondo is one of the best playmakers in the league and probably the best player on the Boston Celtics right now. He is a guy who can easily finish a game with a triple-double, let alone a double-double, which he averaged last season. The 27-year-old guard led the league in assists per game last season, with 11.1 dimes per a contest. Beside his assisting, Rondo is also capable of scoring, as he proved when he dropped 44 points on the Heat during the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals.

Last season he averaged 13.7 points per game while making 48.4% of his shots. His free throw shooting (64.5% last season) and 3-point shooting (24% last season) should be improved since both are low for a superstar point guard  like Rondo. Considering that he will have more freedom on the offensive end of the floor next season, we can expect him to improve these numbers. Hopefully he will recover quickly from his injury, and dominate NBA floors sooner than we expect!


Next-best: Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets

6'2" - Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs 

Parker is one of the best European players
in the NBA today
Photo by SLAM Online

The 31-year-old French point guard, who almost won his fourth NBA championship ring, is still one of the best players in the league - I would say that he ranks within ten best players in the NBA today. Last season he posted averages of 20.3 points and 7.6 assists per game, while shooting 52.2% from the field. He stayed consistent during the playoffs last season, but unfortunately for him, he failed to win another championship trophy.

Right now, Tony Parker is representing his country's colors in the Eurobasket 2013, and he is one of the best players there. It seems that he only gets better with age, so it will be interesting to watch him and the San Antonio Spurs next season. Although many people say they are done, I believe they still have fuel in their tanks and they will have another big season.

When it comes to Parker's career, he has an enourmous advantage over other 6'2" players in the league, as well as over many other players. Parker is a 3-time NBA champion and he was an NBA Finals MVP in 2007. During his career he was selected to play in 5 All-Star games and he was selected to a few All-NBA teams.

Next-best:  Jeff Teague, Atlanta Hawks

 6'3" - Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder 

Westbrook going up high!
Photo by Getty Images

Russell Westbrook is, in my opinion, the most athletic point guard in the NBA. His speed, quickness, agility and vertical leap are just incredible, and mixed with his ball-handling, passing and scoring skills, they make Westbrook one of the top ten NBA players in the league right now. Although his shot selection needs a big improvement, Westbrook managed to score 23.2 points per game last season. He also added 7.4 assists and 5.2 rebounds to his averages, showing that he is a versatile player, who can do many things on the court.

During the playoffs last season, everyone saw how valuable Westbrook is to his team. After he went down with the injury, the Oklahoma City Thunder couldn't reach the conference finals again, let alone NBA finals. We will see how well Westbrook will perform after the injury, but I'm sure he'll completely recover and remain as athletic as he has been so far.


Next-best:  Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

6'4" - Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat 

Despite many injuries he faced throughout

his career, Wade is still one of the most

prolific players in the league.

Photo by NBA.com

Like Tony Parker, Dwyane Wade is a 3-time NBA Champion and has 1 Finals MVP award. Last season Wade won his third championship ring, although he underperformed during most of the postseason games as a result of his numerous injuries. That resulted in Wade averaging only 15.9 points per game in the playoffs, but he still redeemed himself with a few great games in the finals against the Spurs. During the regular season, Wade averaged 21.2 points on 52.1% shooting. He also added averages of 5 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.9 steals per game.

If he manages to stay out of injury trouble, Dwyane Wade could dominate his opponents with an ease once again and lift his scoring averages. Wade will turn 32 next season, so that will be another problem for the superstar guard. However, I'm sure he will perform well if he stay healthy throughout the season. Considering the Heat are on their 3-peat mission, they will need Wade to play very well since the mission is anything but easy.
 

  Next-best:  John Wall, Washington Wizards

Playoff Time 2013: Ty Lawson

For the past several seasons Denver Nuggets Coach George Karl as urged his point guard Ty Lawson to take control of the team and become a leader. He proved he could do that in the regular season leading the Nuggets to 50+ wins and the #3 seed in the Western Conference. He was instrumental in beating opposing teams in the West such as the Grizzlies, Clippers and OKC. While those are great accomplishments TY will now be tested for real and will need to pick up the intensity.

If you look at Lawson's statistics compared to last season they aren't that much different. He has become much better at controlling the flow of the offense and getting the ball where he wants to go. Whether its a Pick and roll with Kenneth Fareid or penetrating the middle to kick out  to guys like Corey Brewer or Iguadola on the Perimeter Ty is getting it done for the Nuggets this season.

As the Playoffs begin later on Today the Denver Nuggets embark on a crucial playoff run. They are the third seed in the West and Lawson has said they could win the west if they just take care of their business. This Nuggets team has all the ingredients to become a champion. They score the ball better than anybody the league. They also rebound just about better than everybody else in the league as well thanks in large part to Kenneth Faried. If the Nuggets Can put a banner up at the Pepsi Center then that would be historic for a franchise that has never tasted that particular level of success. David Thompson, Alex English, Dikembe Mutombo and not Even Carmelo Anthony Delivered a championship to the city of Denver.

Before the Nuggets worry about banners they got to worry about passing their 1st round test-The Golden State Warriors. Like the Nuggets the Warriors score the basketball in the upper echelon of the league ranking at 7 averaging 101.2 points per game. Lawson's matchup Steph Curry has looked like an MVP for stretches of the season and has played the best basketball of his career. Lawson has to buckle down defensively and make sure Steph doesn't under any circumstance get hot from the outside because that will be the death of the Nuggets. It's going to be an exciting series between the two teams but the the team that buckles down better will take this series.

How far can the Nuggets go?

The playoffs begin today April 20th as Ty Lawson and the Denver Nuggets take on Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.

Playoff Time 2013: Stephen Curry

When playing the game of basketball some people got to work to become great and for some it’s just genetics, for Stephen Curry shooting seems to be genetic. As we know he is the son of Charlotte Hornets All-Time leading Scorer Dell Curry. He comes from a family of shooters and isn't afraid of the big lights he grew up shooting in NBA Arenas in Charlotte, Toronto and everywhere else between. He showed the NBA world on National television that he is big time when he dropped 54 points in Madison Square Garden in a game against the Knicks earlier this season. Steph showed us what he is capable of this season when fully healthy.

This season was a great one for the Warriors Steph Curry stayed Healthy, Harrison Barnes Developed and the team won 47 games and became one of the more exciting teams to watch. A big part of that was the health of the kid from Davidson. Many people forgot how talented he was and began to question his toughness after all the struggles to stay on the court.

For the first time in his career Curry enters the playoffs-where careers are made. The Warriors are a young and exciting team but how far can he take them and can he elevate his game to become elite. Stephen Curry showed everybody that he is a cerebral player in the regular season and that he isn’t afraid of big shots, this is going to be a big test of Steph’s intensity as we all know the playoffs are a whole different animal from the regular season.

The Warriors enter the Playoffs as the #6 seed in the Western Conference and face a Denver Nuggets team similar in playing style to them. Pace control will be a big thing in this series and Steph will have to outplay his opponent on the other end being Ty Lawson. If the Warriors can get out in transition and let Curry play off the ball and get some good looks coming off of screens then he is in a good position to do some damage this series.

When the Golden State Warriors got new owners they promised that this franchise would return to championship form. Legends like Chris Mullen, Nate Thurmond, Rick Barry and Wilt Chamberlain all made they’re mark in warrior uniforms, Will Stephen Curry be able to leave one even greater and lead the Warriors to become NBA Champions?  It’s all on him when the games on the line.

The NBA Playoffs begin April 20^th as Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors take on Ty Lawson and the #3 seed Denver Nuggets.

Change Clothes

The upcoming NBA Season is around the corner and lately Ive been seeing a plethora of teams making alterations to there uniforms. Some Great and not so great either  way the new uniforms look to add some more flares to what I and many others anticipate as a great basketball season.

Brooklyn Nets

Since the day they stepped
foot in The league New Jersey the Nets have always played second fiddle to the Knicks. They were like that awkward stepchild few people liked. Owner Mikhail Prokorov and Rapper Jay-z are doing there very best to take over NYC and culturally build an untouchable brand of basketball. Brooklyn has completely rebranded from last year from the Jerseys,City,Arena and roster. Signing the likes Of Joe Johnson, Deron Williams and Gerald Wallace The Nets are trying to make the word “Brooklyn” on the front of those jersey’s mean something when they take the floor at the Barclay center. These Jerseys are a huge upgrade over the dull Red, white and Navy jerseys they sported in Newark last year. Black and White are colors that represent toughness and in all honesty they make what was once an uncool team cool again.

Charlotte Bobcats

Last season my hometown team came off the worst season in NBA History at 7-59. They made some alterations to the threads this year. On the home Jersey they took the “Bob” out of Bobcats and now it just reads “Cats” in a baby blue font paying homage to UNC. The road uniforms are my favorite’s  on  it has a navy base minus the battleship gray pinstripes in a smaller font it reads “Charlotte” it has a much cleaner feel to it. The jersey’s are part of a new identity that the team is trying to forge with new head coach Mike Dunlap. The team improved it’s roster adding Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Jeffery Taylor through the draft along with veterans like Ben Gordon, Ramon Sessions and Brendan Haywood. The team looks to be tougher, faster and stronger then last year and as they continue to improve they will look good in the new uni’s those get a thumbs up.

Denver Nuggets

Of all the teams New Jersey’s this season this one is by far my favorite. It features a yellow base which is weird for the Nuggets because that color has always been an outline and never the base of a jersey. Then it Pays homage to the 80’s Alex English era of basketball with the Denver skyline along the rocky mountains. These Jersey’s although they are alternate’s and will only be worn 17 times this year get a 10 out of 10 thumbs up. It looks to be an exciting year of basketball in the city of Denver this year. Ty Lawson during the unveiling of the new jersey boldy proclaimed his team as “The team to beat” in the western conference. I’m definetly rooting for Ty and the Nuggets and look forward to watching them play in the new swagged out jersey’s

New York Knicks

Of all the jersey’s that made changes this offseason the Knicks made the least amount any changes to the jersey’s. They Basically took out any black outlines they once had in the jersey’s. it looks more like the team’s jerseys from the Walter Frazier days I guess that’s what they were going for. In my humble opinion though I feel like they just wanted a revenue stream to combat what the nets did.

San Antonio Spurs

I really don’t like these because when you have won multiple championships and are known as a dynasty in basketball why mess with something great seriously. I’m so happy these are alternates.