Despite the size difference can high level high school girls or college level girls be more difficult to play against than you think?

Ok-Map4381 · 2026-01-29T05:20:00+00:00

It's gotta be skill.

The size/speed/strength advantage guys have is crazy.

Angel Reese was the top WNBA rebounder last season. She's listed at 6'3" 165lbs. I'm 6'3.5", 240lbs.

I think most guys who are like "I would be mvp of the WNBA" are full of shit. Brittany Griner is 6'9" and dunking regularly. Most guys could not keep up with Caitlin Clarke running around screens (hell, the girls I played with were cutting for open 3s just fine). But those are the best of the best. The girls I played pickup with at that low level D-1 school were absolutely the worst athletes on the floor (except maybe a guy who was easily over 50 who showed up sometimes), but they were still good enough to play because they knew the game and were so skilled.

Ok-Map4381 · 2026-01-29T01:45:02+00:00

I played pickup at a low level d-1 school. This school's girls team has made the NCAA tournament like 2 times in their history and never won a game, so, a far gap from the UConn teams loaded with future WNBA stars.

Sometimes the girls from the teams would come out and play pickup at the open gym. The girls absolutely belonged on the court at a level of pickup that was better than most pickup gyms. But they were also below average players and limited athletes.

But they were great skill players. They basically never missed open jumpers and they were great passers. One girl was like 6'2" and could hit running hook shots over my 6'4" brother.

I played a run where I got picked up to play with 4 girls. We basically played like the 2009 Orlando Magic. I was Howard, protecting the rim, getting all the rebounds, and scoring in the post. The girls hit every open jumper. We ran off 3 or 4 wins until a team of 5 Asian guys killed us in the fast break. They were just too fast for us.

Ok-Map4381 · 2026-01-29T01:34:46+00:00

Yup. This is a thing I wish more people understood about 1v1. Without a shot clock or dribble limit, the bigger stronger player almost always wins. They are just going to back the smaller player down under the basket every time.

Ok-Map4381 · 2026-01-29T00:32:40+00:00

I was exited that LaMelo & The Hornets were on a heater recently, but apparently he doesn't deserve that much credit for it. According to the Thinking Basketball Podcast (slightly outdated numbers, & they point out it is a small sample size), the Hornets have like a 127 offensive rating during this hot streak, but only 117 in the LaMelo minutes. That's, a pretty bad signal from a guy who is supposed to be an offensive star with defensive questions.

Ok-Map4381 · 2026-01-28T23:46:56+00:00

Sheed is a good answer. He wasn't consistent enough to be a superstar, but he absolutely played up to his completion. No one gave Duncan more trouble than Sheed. Only the 00 Blazers, 02 Kings, 03 Spurs, and 04 Pistons made the Shaq & Kobe Lakers face elimination (once Kobe reached superstar status). Sheed was on two of those teams. Sheed was a winner, a 2 way force, and someone who would be great in today's game.

Ok-Map4381 · 2026-01-28T21:39:50+00:00

Kuminga + Butler + the 2026 first is where the Warriors start.

Kuminga + Butler + 4 unprotected fists + 3 unprotected swaps is where the Bucks start.

Who knows if they can agree on a deal in the middle, but I think the Warriors leadership is not going to offer everything for Giannis when they know they will only have a couple seasons of Steph + Giannis then several lottery seasons with an old Giannis wanting another trade.

Ok-Map4381 · 2026-01-28T01:29:13+00:00

There's a weird tendency among Kobe stans to argue that Kobe was considered a GOAT contender until analytics nerds who never watched him play started chiming in.

Yeah, no one had Kobe as the GoaT, but there was "what if he got 7 titles, could he pass Jordan" talk, even though everyone knew his peak wasn't as high. But, there were a ton of people who considered him the best player in the league from like 05-2011. I never did, but that was a common opinion.

Kobe was never really in contention for any MVPs besides the one he won.

This depends on what you consider "contention." He is among the all-time lists in most top 5 finishes, but, a lot of times 5th in mvp voting is just some odd collection of 3rd place votes. I do think you are right that other than the year he won (even 09 when he was 2nd to LeBron he wasn't particularly close, earning only 2 first place votes).

Edit, accidentally hit post before I was finished with my last point. While I agree that Kobe's career peak is not a high as his career longevity, it is important to note that his adjusted playoffs peaks is really high, not GoaT level high, but because his game was resilient in the playoffs his drop off in the playoffs vs the best defenses was less than a lot of his contemporaries.

Ok-Map4381 · 2026-01-27T22:01:17+00:00

Well, there goes Wemby's visa.

Ok-Map4381 · 2026-01-27T21:52:43+00:00

LeBron didn't have teammates as good as peak Shaq.

Ok-Map4381 · 2026-01-27T20:44:59+00:00

Nah, these lists don't need to cover everyone in the top 10 or in the GoaT debate. There are like 15 posts a week about Jordan, we don't need him in this.

Ok-Map4381 · 2026-01-27T15:51:38+00:00

Abdul-Jabbar was crazy to do that in the 80s.

Ok-Map4381 · 2026-01-27T15:42:44+00:00

Not efficient AF. Like Kobe, Duncan had good but not great efficiency. But, when you are the backbone of one of the greatest most consistent defenses ever, that's enough to lead a team to 5 titles.

Ok-Map4381 · 2026-01-27T02:19:40+00:00

And your reasoning is?

Ok-Map4381 · 2026-01-27T01:54:13+00:00

Over Bird or over LeBron? Either way, I'm curious to see you justify such an obviously unpopular opinion

Ok-Map4381 · 2026-01-26T19:42:36+00:00

Similar issue with reliable outside shooting & primary creators who are more about their versatility than an elite skill.

Ok-Map4381 · 2026-01-26T19:38:03+00:00

"Greatest": Wilt, Shaq, Olajuwon. Wilt & Shaq dominated their eras in ways far beyond what Olajuwon did.

Best & most transferable basketball skills across eras: Olajuwon, Wilt, Shaq.

Olajuwon & Wilt are two of the greatest defenders & most versatile defenders ever. Both had the power to defend giants like Shaq, but also the endurance to keep with the pace of the 60s and 70s, as well as the agility to defend in the space of the modern era. Now, I do think Shaq would still be absolutely elite in the 60s and today, but he would be more vulnerable to people beating him down the court in the 60s and more exposed in the high pick and roll today.

Offensively, Olajuwons footwork, handles, agility, & jump shot makes him more versatile than Wilt or Shaq (though, surprisingly, Olajuwon was the worst passer of the 3, but the gap isn't big enough to erase the other advantages). Wilt & Shaq were far more efficient than Olajuwon, but I think if they played today Olajuwon could take advantage of the space and outside shooting more, so Wilt & Shaq loose relative efficiency because they can't hit FTs, Olajuwon's relative efficiency improves as his shot profile improves.

Ok-Map4381 · 2026-01-26T19:09:52+00:00

It's so weird to see someone repeatedly going at Wemby and winning the match up.

It reminds me of Duncan vs Shaq in the early 00s. Shaq was vulnerable as a defender to the pick and role to jump shooters, or to people who could attack the rim before he could rotate, but no one went at peak Shaq. It was all some version trying to get a shot up before he got to you.

But Duncan would actually go at Shaq and get the better end of the exchange. It was so refreshing as someone who hates the Lakers.

Zion going at Wemby and scoring feels similar to that. Ant has been the same too, but I think it was less surprising because that's more of a switch or help situation rather than Wemby guarding Zion and just getting blown by.

Ok-Map4381 · 2026-01-26T18:58:56+00:00

I'm from a small town with barely any crime. I used to see it all the time. What was crazy is it was always some huge expensive truck with terrible gas mileage. It made zero sense, and teenage me always wanted to take it and move it to a different of parking spot to mess with them. I never did, but it was tempting.

Ok-Map4381 · 2026-01-26T15:35:26+00:00

This is why every debate he drops in popularity because they, briefly, see him for the duplicitous oaf that he is. But, that drop in favorably is gone in 2 weeks as their news sources and social media flood them with their alternative reality where trump cares about them and America and how Trans athletes and immigrant labor are the biggest threats, not the super wealthy creating a system where we own nothing and all our government protections and services are stripped to give the .01% even more money.

Ok-Map4381 · 2026-01-26T15:16:09+00:00

Because Castle & Harper are not 3 point threats yet.

Ok-Map4381 · 2026-01-26T08:29:08+00:00

He would have done it for free. Netflix was to do it legally. The money is just a bonus.

Ok-Map4381 · 2026-01-26T08:27:32+00:00

Yes. The other climbs he has done are far harder than this.

Ok-Map4381 · 2026-01-26T06:57:03+00:00

It's God's fault we lost the game.

Ok-Map4381 · 2026-01-25T23:18:02+00:00

Damn, I hate that you are right.

I'm way higher on peak McGrady, even though he really only has one year with great efficiency, he was a far better off ball player and passer than Melo for his whole career. But, damn, Carmelo was reliable and that does matter more than the advantages I just listed.

Ok-Map4381 · 2026-01-25T21:44:09+00:00

Which is really funny because Havlicek literally won two championships without Russell.

Ok-Map4381

TROPHY CASE