First of all, i like the pick and the majority of the ppl here seem to like the pick. he's athletic, tall, and can shoot. other than the questionable work ethic and attitude, one concern that i noticed that keeps on popping up is he's short wingspan. personally, i think it might make it harder for him to create seperation on the drive, and probably limit some of his defensive ability. so i am just wondering how much does his short arms bother or concern you?
It's a concern for sure, once I saw his wingspan compared to his height I wasn't as comfortable with him. That being said, I don't see why he can't develop into a Rashard Lewis type of player. We just won't know until we see him on the court.
I think you have to keep in mind he was the 25th overall pick. Expectations should be low. I know he has all the makings of a steal given his athleticism, upside and NBA ready jumper but i'm not going to lose sleep over his wingspan being disappointing. If he develops into a rotation player in his 1st year and beyond we've already hit the jackpot. Wingspan or not.
separation on drives is created moreso by first step and misdirection (getting your man off-balance). sure, it can help on extension to the rim, but if he drives hard, his explosiveness will overcome any percieved length weakness. keep in mind, it's a 6'9" wingspan on a 2/3. that's still very long. on his j, longer arms creates more opportunities for mechanical problems and "lengthens" his release time. defensiveky, yes, longer arms absolutely help. that doesn't mean they are imperative to play good D. positioning, anticipation, and iq are the base of good, sound, fundamental D. anything else is gravy. if he's beating his man to a spot, his arm length is much less of a factor. in fact, I'd rate lateral quickness as THE most important factor defensively - particularly for a perimeter defender. arm length allows for a little less lateral quickness, but should NEVER be seen as a more important attribute. what's the point in a 10' wingspan if you're always out of position?
How many times do I have to tell you people that STANDING REACH is what matters. Donte Greene has a short wingspan because he has a narrow body. His standing reach, on the other hand, is 9'0'', which is long. He's only a single inch shorter than Anthony Randoplh's standing reach while he is a an inch longer than Beasley, 2 inches longer than Love. Donte Greene is long where you need him to be.
i agree, height over the ball handler is greater than having greater wingspan over your defender, b/c the taller you are, the greater vision of the ball you have. when the ball handler releases a shot, its easier to block the shot b/c of the great vision you have on the ball. this is why i'd rather dorsey be a bit taller at the sacrafice of his wingspan being a bit shortened which would mean he would still have the same standing height. this would allow him to have a better vision of the ball which would help him block shots easier
Donte may have a short wingspan for his "height", but it's only an inch below avg for a SF. His standing reach is 3 inches above average.. That's the key. He is a very large small forward. Battier is a great defensive player and has a wingspan of 6'10.5". Donte's wing span is 6'10". Here are are the averages for 34 SF drafted in the top 30, since 1989 SF Position 34 Sample Size 6' 6.54" Avg Ht w/o shoes 217 Avg Wt 6' 11.2" Avg Wingspan 8' 8.8" Avg Standing Reach Donte 6' 8.25" Ht w/o shoes 221 Wt 6' 10" Avg Wingspan 9' 0" Standing Reach He shouldn't have any problem with defense, because of an inch. Battier's 6'10.5" hasn't given him any problems.
eh. I know where you're coming from. longer arms means less airtime for the ball, right? again, its a 6'9 wingspan. that's not short , really. regardless, if he has good hand/eye coordination, good technique, and a long or fast first step, THAT is what's important. magic's wingspan, iirc, wasn't freakishly long. his skills were unquestioned.
he attempted suicide when he was like 12, after his mom died. how the hell does that have anything to do with him playing basketball.
Wingspan is 6'9 right? That means his height:wingspan is nearly Vitruvian. Unfortunately, the NBA has players as short as 6'4 with a wingspan of 6'11 (Dwyane Wade). Well, that makes the wingspan issue easier to swallow, if that's true; but "long where you need him to be"? Defending wing players, he'd still be better off with a wider chest. Greene's shoulders look a lot like Joachim Noah's. There should be concern in how much bulk he can put in that area, which matters if he intends to play inside more.
But Battier's most well known for his smarts. When has it been mentioned that he's a great team defender, not a 1:1 defender?
Donte Greene is a good shooter and he has height. He can jump and his handles are good enough and will get better. The guy has the tools and not tools like Gerald Green, Donte's tools are a lot more mature and organized enough to be applied more better in terms of playing with the big boys in the NBA. That being said I eexpect him to have a decent first year not sure how much playing time he is getting if any because we have a solid veteran core established but I see him being as good as Rudy G a y is when it is all said and done at least.
I wouldn't worry too much about his arm length, becuz he's 6'9" With hops, shooting range (key), quickness, & speed! Plus, I think his shooting release looks faster with his arm length! I also like his shooting mechanics! And would only be a Junior @ Syracuse this season. Terrific potential that must need to be nurtured very well!
