Basketball has always had a supersize obsession.
The tallest kid on the playground gets picked first in pick-up ball. Announcers harp on players’ measurables. Team rosters generously dole out a few extra inches. Seven-footers who couldn’t tell a post move from a postman earn millions for their ability to stand tall and do nothing.
But despite the NBA’s love affair with height, the big man is a dying breed in professional hoops.
The successes of past legends like Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlain, Shaquille O’Neal, David Robinson and perhaps the best center in history, Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon, has romanticized the notion of the NBA big man in an era where hitting the three-ball and stretching the floor for aggressive point guards is becoming the calling card of the overgrown. The concept of the punishing presence on the low block lives on, even as talent dries up and the modern game moves in a different direction.
The fact is, kids growing up today don’t want to be battling under the glass for offensive rebounds, backing down an opponent in the paint, or practicing that up-and-under move for hours in a deserted gym. Their role models are KG and Kevin Durant, not Moses Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. It’s a copycat league these kids are living in, fed by SportsCenter Top 10, SLAM magazine and highlight reels. Casual basketball fans don’t want to buttery jumpers banking off the glass. They want big dunks, big blocks and daggers from behind the arc. Shoe deals require swag, and swag ain’t jab steps and power dribbles. Young players have worked out that’s what sells, so that’s what they mold themselves after.
So in a game full of tall shooters and dunkers who can’t play defense, where does a serious fan of the game get their low-post fix? That’s right: the undersized grafters. The vertically challenged fours and fives. The little guys with big spirits who disappear amid a sea of bodies and somehow come up with the board. These guys might not be the largest men on the floor, but they’re not afraid to put a body on someone and go to work. There are a bunch of these guys in the NBA, but here are a few of my favorites:
Dejuan “Dancing” Blair: Dallas Mavericks PF, 6-foot-7, 265 pounds
How many of y’all remember Blair’s 20-20 performance in the All-Star Rookie-Sophomore game? Didn’t think so. At some point between his debut season and last year’s run to the Finals, Blair’s San Antonio career morphed from promising prospect to bench-warming expert. But sometimes a change of scenery is all a player needs to recapture that old fire, and everyone’s favorite undersized, ACL-less power forward is averaging career highs in points and rebounds.
Chuck “Chuckwagon” Hayes: Sacramento Kings PF/C, 6-foot-6, 240 pounds
Traded to a team featuring Demarcus Cousins, there isn’t as much scope for Hayes to demonstrate his formidable heart and home-making skills on defense. There was a time, however, when this short spark plug started at the five for the Houston Rockets and had to guard giants like Dwight Howard for 30-plus minutes a game. Nothing spectacular about his game (just try finding a highlight video and you’ll see what I mean), but he’s got a nose for cleaning the glass and frustrating opposing bigs.
Jared “Sully” Sullinger: Boston Celtics PF, 6-foot-8, 260 pounds
A classic example of the flattering roster measurements, Sully is probably closer to 6-foot-6 and maybe 15 pounds lighter than his listed weight. The Ohio State product has helped the surprising Celtics get in the paint and grab boards, fighting for every inch under the rim and blossoming quickly into one of my favorite gritty young NBA bigs. Keep an eye on this guy as he continues to grow with Boston’s young frontcourt.
On the Glass with Thomas and Tyree 