[Knockwurst]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Of course he doesn't start. Basketball is a game of finesse, agility, strength and above all conditioning. Going up and down the court for forty minutes is no joke, and an above average athletic thirty year old is not going to make it, without superior conditioning. Think Chris Dudley or even Shaun Bradley, who has above average skills and good conditioning and even though he's only 7'6, someone only 6" taller with average athletic ability is not going to cut it. Now if our hypothetical person is 9'6 350 pounds -- now that's a more difficult question.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah but dudley and bradley were of below average ability physically compared to like a 5'8" dude. This dude is 6" taller AND can move like he's a 5'8" dude. Plus, if he has any motivation, getting up and down the court will be really really easy. Like take anyone who runs alot and put them out on a bball court and they will have NO problem running around....

He would obv start....motivation and such would be key as to superstar or not.

Yugoslav

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't know where you are getting this comparison with the athletic ability of a 5'8" guy. OP said slightly above average athletic ability. To me that means the equivalent of playing pick up basketball on weekends and being slightly above average in ability. It's not above average ability of a NBA player. And it's above average ability of a person his size not someone 5'8".

Bradley and Bol had far above average athletic ability. In college Bradley was a top scorer and went in the first round of the draft -- one of the first two picks if I remember correctly. But he couldn't reach the same level of success in the NBA, because of the strength, quickness and agility of players much smaller than him.

btw, going up and down the court for forty minutes requires top level conditioning. Something our hypothetical schlub may aquire but doesn't have yet, and until he has it, he doesn't play more than 10 minutes a game if he plays at all.

I'm guessing the people who say the schlub would start have never played even on a high school basketball. And the reason I say this is because people who have played a lot know that height is a factor but not even close to the dominant factor in the game.

Charles Barkley, perhaps the greatest offensive rebounder in the game was 6'6". Wes Unseld and Willis Reed two of the best centers in the game were both under 6'9". Bill Russell perhaps the best shot blocker and all around defensive player in the game was 6'9".

Speed beats height every time.