Is Ainge Drafting position less players

[saltlover]

So if Smart is 6-2 with no shoes, then AB is really 6' with no shoes, IT is 5-6, Crowder is 6-4? You can't pick on one player to measured without shoes, and all other players with shoes.

So I guess Lebron is 6-6.

The NBA measures player with shoes on, because that's how they play.

 Nope.  I do all heights shoes off, just like when you were growing up at the doctors office shoes off.

 Bradley is 6'2"
 Smarts      6'2"
 Rozier.      6'1"
 Thomas.  5' 8.75"

Yeah, but then you need to subtract 1.5-2 inches off everyone they're guarding also.  They're not guarding 6-5 and 6-6 players, they're guarding 6-3 and 6-4 players.  It's really moot.  Our backcourt's size is not remotely the problem with this team.

[KG Living Legend]

 It is a problem that we have four guys with point guard bodies that all are best suited to play off guard.

[PhoSita]

Given that Ainge's end game is to really build value through trades (essentially the "One Red Paperclip" of the NBA), it's not a bad plan.  At some point the end game has to be to consolidate some of these guys into more talented (and perhaps more conventional) players.

Good point.  The plan may work if other teams really like the positional versatility of our role players (an attribute that is increasingly coveted in today's game).

On the other hand, if our players lack an obvious defining characteristic that other teams think would allow them to thrive in any situation -- i.e. if other teams don't think our guys would be as good for them as they are for us -- it could be a problem.

Put another way -- not everybody likes undersized / unathletic power forwards and undersized combo guards.  Drafting guys that don't fit the mold is a bit of a double edged sword.  Seems like it might be better for adding supporting players to your own team, as opposed to compiling trade assets.

[number_n9ne]

So if Smart is 6-2 with no shoes, then AB is really 6' with no shoes, IT is 5-6, Crowder is 6-4? You can't pick on one player to measured without shoes, and all other players with shoes.

So I guess Lebron is 6-6.

The NBA measures player with shoes on, because that's how they play.

 Bradley is 6'2"
 Smarts      6'2"
 Rozier.      6'1"
 Thomas.  5' 8.75"

Yeah, but then you need to subtract 1.5-2 inches off everyone they're guarding also.  They're not guarding 6-5 and 6-6 players, they're guarding 6-3 and 6-4 players.  It's really moot.  Our backcourt's size is not remotely the problem with this team.

2015 All-Star Guard's Heights Via DraftExpress
(some players do not have combine measurements so this is slightly off)

Russell Westbrook - 6'2.25
John Wall - 6'2.75
Kyrie Irving - 6'1.25
Kyle Lowry - 6'1
Stephen Curry - 6'2
Damian Lillard - 6'1.25
Jeff Teague - 6'.25
Chris Paul - 5'11.25
Jimmy Butler - 6'6
Kyle Korver - 6'6.25
Dwyane Wade - 6'3.25
Kobe Bryant - 6'6
Klay Thompson - 6'5.75
James Harden - 6'4

Average = 6'2.24

Yes there are a few bigger guards like Thompson, Harden, and Butler but I think you are wildly overreacting. Considering the average is skewed because I only have NBA measurements for a couple of players and not combine height w/o shoes, I'd say the average is closer to 6'1.50.

[number_n9ne]

Given that Ainge's end game is to really build value through trades (essentially the "One Red Paperclip" of the NBA), it's not a bad plan.  At some point the end game has to be to consolidate some of these guys into more talented (and perhaps more conventional) players.

Good point.  The plan may work if other teams really like the positional versatility of our role players (an attribute that is increasingly coveted in today's game).

On the other hand, if our players lack an obvious defining characteristic that other teams think would allow them to thrive in any situation -- i.e. if other teams don't think our guys would be as good for them as they are for us -- it could be a problem.

Put another way -- not everybody likes undersized / unathletic power forwards and undersized combo guards.  Drafting guys that don't fit the mold is a bit of a double edged sword.  Seems like it might be better for adding supporting players to your own team, as opposed to compiling trade assets.

This makes sense, but I feel like the NBA as a whole is trending towards a postionless style of basketball. And trades don't happen unless a team thinks a player will be good for them. Melo is a star player, but would he fit on the C's? Probably not. So we wouldn't trade for him. I feel like that applies to all trade situations.

And I think with the exception of Thomas, our guards aren't undersized. 

[PhoSita]

Using average player height is nice and all, but it overlooks the fact that we don't really care so much about our guards getting taken advantage of by the average NBA player.  We care about how they fare against the most dangerous offensive players.  Those guys tend to be 6'3'', 6'4''.

I think Smart and Bradley are plenty big enough to handle most point guards, regardless, but do give up some height covering bigger shooting guards (think Klay Thompson, Kyle Korver, Wes Matthews, Demar Derozan etc), which makes a difference, though not a gigantic one.

[aingeforthree]

Ainge is drafting the best player available, no matter the position.  And he's doing one helluva job so far.

Love the youth and assets on this roster.  He can go a lot of different ways.

[number_n9ne]

Using average player height is nice and all, but it overlooks the fact that we don't really care so much about our guards getting taken advantage of by the average NBA player.  We care about how they fare against the most dangerous offensive players.  Those guys tend to be 6'3'', 6'4''.

I think Smart and Bradley are plenty big enough to handle most point guards, regardless, but do give up some height covering bigger shooting guards (think Klay Thompson, Kyle Korver, Wes Matthews, Demar Derozan etc), which makes a difference, though not a gigantic one.

It's definitely an advantage in those situations. But I feel like to get real down on our own players and try to make them the exception when really they are the norm is wrong. Thompson, Korver, Matthews, DeRozan and Butler would be exceptions to the norm, which is what I was trying to point out. Not every team gets a 6'6 sg just like not every team gets a low post beast or defensive anchor.

Both Bradley and Smart are average height w/o shoes (which shouldn't even matter, they don't play barefoot. I was just trying to point out to KG Living Legend that if you take away other guards shoes too they are all about the same height with a few exceptions).