Would Michael Jordan dominate the AFL?

[Falchoon]

Given Jordan's attitude. All you would have had to tell him at 18 is that he cant do it. And no doubt about he would go on to dominate the sport like never before. Never tell Michael Jordan he cant do it.

Which example should we follow through on, baseball or golf?

 

[mdc]

yes the NBA has some pretty specialised athletes

speacilised? as in they're especially good at basketball?

Despite being taller? what has that got to do with athleticism? that's my whole point, you don't get extra athletic points for being taller.

Obviously...but if you're more athletic than anyone else in the entire league (as Jordan would be), and you also happen to be 6"6, it tends to be a pretty lethal combo.

That's why Franklin is so effective, and as others have said, he would be below average athletically for an NBA basketballer.

 

[Sole]

NBA athletes are the best ATHLETES in the world. There is no way that AFL players would stack up in any regard, except for endurance. Tallish point guards and shooting guards would be playing CHB/CHF. The thing is that they would kill players like Lynch, Fevola and Kosi for speed, strength and co-ordination. They probably wouldn't be able to kick very well, but if they had been playing from a young age, there is no doubt that they would be able to. They would bring phenomenal athletic attributes, things that can't be taught. Skills can be taught.

 

[Falchoon]

speacilised? as in they're especially good at basketball?

Olympic volleyballers have bigger verticals than Olympic basketballers, vis a vis they are more athletic.

Soccer goalkeepers are quicker at diving to their left

 

[mdc]

Olympic volleyballers have bigger verticals than Olympic basketballers, vis a vis they are more athletic.

Soccer goalkeepers are quicker at diving to their left

Oh, that's your argument.

Well, NBA players would beat AFL players at vertical, horizontal and diagonal movement. There is literally nothing that AFL players do better other than run 3km time trials.

 

[Falchoon]

Oh, that's your argument.

Well, NBA players would beat AFL players at vertical, horizontal and diagonal movement. There is literally nothing that AFL players do better other than run 3km time trials.

You're kidding yourself.

Here's a question, the world game is soccer, probably the one sport that anyone of any height can play equally (set pieces aside) of the top 5 European leagues there are only 3 players outside of goalkeepers (5) that are 198cm (6'6") or taller.

Why is that?

Here's a clue, horizontal, diagonal, straight.

 

[Spluff]

You're kidding yourself.

Here's a question, the world game is soccer, probably the one sport that anyone of any height can play equally (set pieces aside) of the top 5 European leagues there are only 3 players outside of goalkeepers (5) that are 198cm (6'6") or taller.

Why is that?

Here's a clue, horizontal, diagonal, straight.

Exactly - the fact that a huge NBA player could easily outmaneuver the relatively smaller AFL players speaks volumes about their athletic ability.

 

[TheBloods]

What is your argument? That NBA basketballers are only good at their sport because they're tall and they'd be no good at any other sport?

 

[Falchoon]

What is your argument? That NBA basketballers are only good at their sport because they're tall and they'd be no good at any other sport?

That an above average athlete playing in the NBA is deemed to be an athletic god because of the average stiff he's up against.

 

[TheBloods]

That an above average athlete playing in the NBA is deemed to be an athletic god because of the average stiff he's up against.

For that argument to hold true most NBA players must be just average stiffs in your view.

 

[Falchoon]

For that argument to hold true most NBA players must be just average stiffs in your view.

Hellooooo

 

[TheBloods]

Hellooooo

Just wanting to clarify. So your argument that NBA players are just a bunch of average stiffs and picked only for their height is based on a few examples picked from hundreds of NBA players?

 

[Falchoon]

Just wanting to clarify. So your argument that NBA players are just a bunch of average stiffs and picked only for their height is based on a few examples picked from hundreds of NBA players?

no..

 

[mdc]

Here's a question, the world game is soccer, probably the one sport that anyone of any height can play equally (set pieces aside) of the top 5 European leagues there are only 3 players outside of goalkeepers (5) that are 198cm (6'6") or taller.

Why is that?

Because soccer is purely a skill sport, and height is actually a detriment, as maneuvering the ball with long legs is a lot harder than doing so with short legs.

It's not the sport that "anyone of any height can play equally at all". It's a sport that favours shorter people.

Seriously, you couldn't be more off with this basketball players are stiffs business.

 

[TheBloods]

no..

Actually that's all I can see you've argued.

 

[footylover18]

Put some of these NBA freaks on a wing and watch them dominate. Obviously their kicking wouldn't be up to scratch but their speed over short distances, leaping ability and good hands would ensure they'd have some value. The issues would primarily be:

1) kicking
2) endurance
3) game smarts

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Can see both sides to this argument.

FOR: Along with Gaelic Football, basketballers possess the skill-set that most readily translates to AFL. This is evident by how many elite footballers have been ex-basketballers. Jordan's size would translate him into being big for a key position player or around average for a ruckman. His athleticism when he was at his peak (late 80s-early 90s), would be unmatched in the AFL. I would back him to have the endurance to play in the AFL, maybe 75% at chf-ff and 25% in the ruck. Kicking would obviously need work, but he is a natural athlete and I'd back him to have the motor skills and desire to master the skill. Anyone who has seen 'Air Time' would remember him throwing a gridiron ball 65 yards as a dare.

AGAINST: I have played plenty of both sports and there have been heaps of times when I've thought my rig was in reasonable nick, from being in the middle of footy pre-season, but when I run around in a basketball game with some mates, I'm absolutely spent after five minutes. Or vice versa. Different types of fitness. The physicality would be something an NBA player would have to get used to, as well. As Mike Tyson once said "Everyone has a plan, until they get hit."

Also, if it was that easy to make a natural athlete an AFL player, Daniel Bandy would have been one of the greatest players the game has ever seen.

 

[Falchoon]

Here's a fun comparison; Brennan and Natunui hold the draft camp record for vertical leap at roughly 40". In the NBA pre-draft camp since 2000, there have been roughly 40-50 players who have eclipsed a 40" vertical. This is despite the players being taller on average.

AFL players would be superior endurance athletes, on average, but they'd get blown away in any other regard.

Now let's ignore that NBA players are generally drafted at approx 21 y.o versus 17 y.o for AFL players here are the best sprint times from the 2 same year draft camps.

3/4 court sprint ie 21.4875m

Mike Conley Jr 		3.09
Rodney Stuckey 		3.11
Dominic James 		3.11
Dustin Salisbery 		3.12
D.J. Strawberry 		3.14
Al Thornton 		3.16
Thaddeus Young 		3.19
Aaron Brooks 		3.20
Corey Brewer 		3.22

20m sprint

Gourdis		2.83
Gaertner		2.88
Hinkley		2.88
Grant		2.89
Whitecross		2.91
Joseph		2.91
Pears		2.92
Dangerfield		2.92
Jacky		2.93
Zaharakis		2.94

Now obviously the NBA players run an extra metre and a half so we need to use assumptions, Carl Lewis for example at 20m would be running at 10m/s so we can very conservatively estimate the top AFL draftees will be doing 8m/s ie 1 metre will take .125seconds. (12 sec 100m)

So the top 8 quickest times at the AFL draft camp are quicker than the NBA draft camps 2nd quickest over 20m.


and then you have your NBA 7 footer

These 2 both played solid minutes in the season just gone

Spencer Hawes 3.51
Aaron Gray 3.70

so for every 21m an NBA stiff like Aaron Gray covers David Zaharakis is approaching 30m.

So there is one regard they don't blow AFL players away in, what else have you got that shoots down the biomechanics of 6'7"+ athletes?

 

[Falchoon]

Because soccer is purely a skill sport, and height is actually a detriment, as maneuvering the ball with long legs is a lot harder than doing so with short legs.

It's not the sport that "anyone of any height can play equally at all". It's a sport that favours shorter people.

Seriously, you couldn't be more off with this basketball players are stiffs business.

so people with longer legs are not as dexterous yet I'm supposed to believe they have better agility?

okayyyyy


It's not that the advantage in being taller (headed balls) is over ridden by a physiological inability to repeat sprint efforts over 90 minutes? There's a good reason Crouch is one of those over 198cm.

 

[mdc]

You've chosen an extraordinarily slow year there Falchoon.

For example, the following year, 15 players recorded a time faster than Conley's 3.09, including 2 sub-3 times.

 

[mdc]

so people with longer legs are not as dexterous yet I'm supposed to believe they have better agility?

okayyyyy

I'm not arguing that 6"8 NBA players are always more agile than 5"10 AFL players.

I'm arguing if you took players of similar heights, NBA players are athletically superior.

No-one is advocating that Jordan would come in and play as a ruck-rover. But if you compare his athleticism to AFL players of similar height, it would be a joke.

It's not that the advantage in being taller (headed balls) is over ridden by a biomechanical inability to repeat sprint efforts over 90 minutes? There's a good reason Crouch is one of those over 198cm.

How tall is the best sprinter in the world?

 

[tcwaters]

I'm not sure if anyone has brought it up, but LeBron (and AI) played Gridion at school, and from the footage I've seen, they we're f***ing good.

Fast, strong, agile, etc.

Can't see why ballers wouldn't make it playing AFL.

 

[JatzCracker]

Now let's ignore that NBA players are generally drafted at approx 21 y.o versus 17 y.o for AFL players here are the best sprint times from the 2 same year draft camps.

3/4 court sprint ie 21.4875m

Mike Conley Jr         3.09
Rodney Stuckey         3.11
Dominic James         3.11
Dustin Salisbery         3.12
D.J. Strawberry         3.14
[B]Al Thornton         3.16[/B]
Thaddeus Young         3.19
Aaron Brooks         3.20
Corey Brewer         3.22

20m sprint

Gourdis        2.83
Gaertner        2.88
Hinkley        2.88
Grant        2.89
Whitecross        2.91
Joseph        2.91
Pears        2.92
Dangerfield        2.92
Jacky        2.93
[B]Zaharakis        2.94[/B]

Now obviously the NBA players run an extra metre and a half so we need to use assumptions, Carl Lewis for example at 20m would be running at 10m/s so we can very conservatively estimate the top AFL draftees will be doing 8m/s ie 1 metre will take .125seconds. (12 sec 100m)

So the top 8 quickest times at the AFL draft camp are quicker than the NBA draft camps 2nd quickest over 20m.


and then you have your NBA 7 footer

These 2 both played solid minutes in the season just gone

Spencer Hawes 3.51
Aaron Gray 3.70

so for every 21m an NBA stiff like Aaron Gray covers David Zaharakis is approaching 30m.

So there is one regard they don't blow AFL players away in, what else have you got that shoots down the biomechanics of 6'7"+ athletes?

So a 6'8" 100kg Al Thornton being about as fast as 6" 75kg Zaharakis proves your point?

 

[TheBloods]

So the top 8 quickest times at the AFL draft camp are quicker than the NBA draft camps 2nd quickest over 20m.

Huh?

8th place AFL player = 2.92 over 20m

= 3.14 for 21.4875m

= 5th place for NBA players

There is a lot more than just outright speed.

Have a look at players like Franklin and Goodes, but a few cm taller, or imagine a Cyril Rioli who is 20cm taller. This is what many of the top NBA players would be like, and people drool over those AFL players.

 

[Falchoon]

I'm arguing if you took players of similar heights, NBA players are athletically superior.

I'd agree with that