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