It’s a style of play that requires immense athleticism, which, as a new study in the Journal of Anthropology of Sport and Physical Education suggests, can be indirectly measured by looking at the length of a player’s arms. They both play “positionless basketball,” a style of play in which every player moves across the court fluidly, playing multiple different positions at once. Rather, it just shows how incredibly talented he is and reveal how you don’t need to be larger than your opponent to be a great player.The Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics have one thing in common - other than the fact that they’ve both ruthlessly raided the roster of the Cleveland Cavaliers. His dimensions are well below league average. He’s actually quite undersized compared to other points guards, and that includes his wingspan. He’s a great shooter who’s done a lot for the NBA, but he’s not an athletic freak by any means. Final Wordsįew players have impacted the game of basketball as much as Stephen Curry. Though some guards rise up over their defender to shoot, he simply lets the ball go before they can even get into position. On top of that, he’s a pure shooter with a quick release. That combination allows him to get into the key without needing to reach around defenders. The other reason Curry doesn’t need especially long arms is his great body control. He’s more there to bother people rather than contest shots or steal passes. While he does a decent job, and has gotten better over the years, it’s not a big part of his game. That’s because it allows them to do more dribble moves, better control the ball, and shoot creative layups when trying to find ways to score in the paint.Ĭurry never needed an extremely long reach for two reasons. He had to adapt in other ways.Īlmost all top point guards have wingspans that are much longer than their reach. Where small guards with long arms grew up using that as an advantage, Curry didn’t. That’s because all great players adapt to their body. Two inches is a decent amount, but it’s not enough to give him a clear advantage over the 6’6 NBA average.Įven so, Curry continues to be one of the best point guards in the NBA. He stands 6’2 (188 cm) and his wingspan measures 6’4 (193cm). Their reach enables them to contest shots or score tricky baskets that most players wouldn’t be able to hit.Ĭurry is an interesting case because, unlike those two examples, he doesn’t have a long wingspan compared to his body. That discrepancy is the reason so many smaller guards like Chris Paul and Victor Oladipo are able to match up against taller players. If a point has extremely long arms, they have a measurable advantage over their opponents. The same is not true for guards and wings. As such, they cancel each other out when playing down low or around the rim. That’s because the further you get out of the key, the more longer arms help.Īlmost all forwards and centers have an extended reach. A longer wingspan is great for shooting, but it also does wonders for steals, blocks, and rebounds.įor that reason, arm-to-body ratio is important for all NBA players, and it’s especially key for both point guards and shooting guards. No matter how tall a player is, getting a few extra inches on their reach is a big help on both sides of the court.
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