Didn't see anyone talking about it. Several OSU & UT fans on other boards have speculated about Blake Griffin's real height & wether he'd get physically manhandled at the next level ("Every NBA team has guys as big, strong & athletic...", etc), so I looked up this year's & previous NBA combine numbers. I only included the big men who've had success in the NBA (except for Greg Oden, plus locals Taj Gray & Sheldon Williams just for the heck of it). _______________No Shoes__Shoes___________Bench____No Step___Max Name_______________Ht_____Ht____Weight___Reps_____ Vertical___Vertical Blake Griffin_________6-8.5___6-10.0___248_____22________32.0____35.5 Luke Harangody_____6-6.25___6-8.0___240_____23________27.0____31.0 Tyler Hansborough___6-8.25__6-9.5____234_____18________27.5____34.0 DeJuan Blair________6-5.25___6-6.5___277______18_______26.0____33.0 2008 Michael Beasley_____6-7.0___6-8.25____239_____19_______30.0____35.0 Kevin Love_________6-7.75__6-9.5_____255_____18_______29.5____35.0 2007 Greg Oden________6-11.0___7-0.0_____257_____NA_______32.0_____34.0 2006 Lamrcus Aldridge___6-10.0___6-11.25___234______8_______26.5_____34.0 Tyrus Thomas______6-7.25___6-8.25___217______8_______34.0_____39.5 Rudy Gay__________6-7.0____6-8.0____222______9_______33.0_____40.5 Sheldon Williams____6-7.5____6-8.5____258_____25_______29.0_____33.5 Paul Millsap________6-6.25___6-7.25___258_____15_______28.5_____32.5 Taj Gray__________6-7.25___6-8.5_____231____10________28.5____33.0 2005 Andrew Bogut______6-11.0__7-0.25____251_____13_______27.5____33.5 David Lee_________6-7.75___6-9.0____229_____14_______30.5_____32.5 Charlie Villanueva___6-9.0____6-9.5____237_____11_______26.0_____31.0 2004 Dwight Howard_____6-9.0____6-10.25___240_____7________30.5____35.5 2003 Chris Bosh________6-10.25___6-11.5____225_____9________30.5____33.0 2002 Amare Stoudemire__6-8.5____6-10.0____233_____12________32.0___35.5 Carlos Boozer_____6-7.75____6-9.5_____258_____13________26.5___28.5 Don't really see all those dozens of monsters that are bigger, stronger & jump higher that some think there are in the NBA right now, lol. Let me know if you'd like to see data on someone I left off & I'll add it (can only go back to the 2002 draft though). I probably left out somebody good.
OK, so that didn't look as good as when I posted it on another board. Here's another way to look at it: NAME________No Shoes Height______('09 NBA PPG, RPG) Andrew Bogut_____6-11.0_________ (11.7 PPG, 10.3 RPG) Greg Oden________6-11.0_________ ( 8.9 PPG, 7.0 RPG) Chris Bosh________6-10.25________(22.7 PPG, 10.0 RPG) Lamrcus Aldridge___6-10.0_________(18.1 PPG, 7.5 RPG) Troy Murphy_______6-9.75________(14.3 PPG, 11.8 RPG) Charlie Villanueva___6-9.0_________(16.2 PPG, 6.7 RPG) Dwight Howard_____6-9.0_________(20.6 PPG, 13.8 RPG) Emeka Okafor______6-8.75________(13.2 PPG, 10.1 RPG) BLAKE GRIFFIN_____6-8.5_________( ---------- ) Amare Stoudemire__6-8.5_________(21.4 PPG, 8.1 RPG) David West________6-8.25________(21.0 PPG, 8.5 RPG) Tyler Hansborough__6-8.25________( ----------- ) Carlos Boozer______6-7.75________(16.2 PPG, 10.4 RPG) David Lee_________6-7.75________(16.0 PPG, 11.7 RPG) Kevin Love________6-7.75________(11.1 PPG, 9.1 RPG) Sheldon Williams___6-7.5__________(4.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG) Taj Gray__________6-7.25________( ------------- ) Tyrus Thomas_____6-7.25________(10.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG) Michael Beasley____6-7.0_________(13.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG) Rudy Gay_________6-7.0_________(18.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG) Paul Millsap_______6-6.25________(13.5 PPG, 8.6 RPG) Luke Harangody____6-6.25________( -------------- ) DeJuan Blair_______6-5.25________( --------------- ) And more to come, but you get the idea. Blake measurables matchup just fine with successful NBA Big men.
NAME________With Shoes Height___('09 NBA PPG, RPG) Andrew Bogut_____7-0.25_______ (11.7 PPG, 10.3 RPG) Greg Oden________7-0.0________( 8.9 PPG, 7.0 RPG) Chris Bosh________6-11.5_______(22.7 PPG, 10.0 RPG) Lamrcus Aldridge___6-11.25______(18.1 PPG, 7.5 RPG) Troy Murphy_______6-11.0_______(14.3 PPG, 11.8 RPG) Dwight Howard_____6-10.25______(20.6 PPG, 13.8 RPG) BLAKE GRIFFIN_____6-10.0_______( ---------- ) Emeka Okafor______6-10.0_______(13.2 PPG, 10.1 RPG) Amare Stoudemire__6-10.0_______(21.4 PPG, 8.1 RPG) Charlie Villanueva___6-9.5_______(16.2 PPG, 6.7 RPG) Kevin Love________6-9.5________(11.1 PPG, 9.1 RPG) Tyler Hansborough__6-9.5_______( ----------- ) Carlos Boozer______6-9.5________(16.2 PPG, 10.4 RPG) David West________6-9.25_______(21.0 PPG, 8.5 RPG) David Lee_________6-9.0________(16.0 PPG, 11.7 RPG) Sheldon Williams___6-8.5________(4.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG) Taj Gray__________6-8.5________( ------------- ) Tyrus Thomas_____6-8.25_______(10.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG) Michael Beasley____6-8.25_______(13.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG) Rudy Gay_________6-8.0________(18.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG) Luke Harangody____6-8.0________( -------------- ) Paul Millsap_______6-7.25________(13.5 PPG, 8.6 RPG) DeJuan Blair_______6-6.5________( --------------- )
NAME__________Bench Reps___('09 NBA PPG, RPG) Sheldon Williams______25______(4.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG) Luke Harangody______23______( -------------- ) BLAKE GRIFFIN_______22_____( ---------- ) Emeka Okafor________22_____(13.2 PPG, 10.1 RPG) Michael Beasley______19_____(13.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG) Kevin Love__________18______(11.1 PPG, 9.1 RPG) Tyler Hansborough____18_____( ----------- ) DeJuan Blair_________18______( --------------- ) Paul Millsap__________15_____(13.5 PPG, 8.6 RPG) David Lee___________14______(16.0 PPG, 11.7 RPG) Andrew Bogut________13____ (11.7 PPG, 10.3 RPG) Carlos Boozer_________13_____(16.2 PPG, 10.4 RPG) Amare Stoudemire_____12____(21.4 PPG, 8.1 RPG) David West___________11____(21.0 PPG, 8.5 RPG) Troy Murphy_________11_____(14.3 PPG, 11.8 RPG) Charlie Villanueva______11____(16.2 PPG, 6.7 RPG) Taj Gray_____________10____( ------------- ) Rudy Gay_____________9____(18.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG) Chris Bosh____________9___(22.7 PPG, 10.0 RPG) Lamrcus Aldridge_______8__(18.1 PPG, 7.5 RPG) Tyrus Thomas_________8___(10.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG) Dwight Howard________7___(20.6 PPG, 13.8 RPG) Greg Oden___________NA____( 8.9 PPG, 7.0 RPG)
When I looked at this list I only saw three guys I felt were more athletic than Blake Griffin...Tyrus Thomas, Amare Stoudemire, and Dwight Howard. I didn't count Rudy Gay since he is a SF. It stayed pretty much like that when just looking at their verticals. Howard didn't do as well and Stoudemire did the exact same, but they also had just came straight from high school. But yeah, I do agree with you. I just don't see how people who paid attention could think otherwise. I'm not saying they don't say this. I'm just saying it doesn't make sense.
Tyrus is more athletic, but he doesn't do the types of things that Blake does. He's not a finisher in traffic. He blocks tons of shots and plays weakside help D. His jumper might be better than Blake's but that isn't anything that professional practice won't take care of.
