Raptors Cage

Last of a Dying Breed? The Endangerment of the Feisty and Stocky NBA Point Guard

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In the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Point Guard (PG), or Point God [1], has long been held the default leader, the unwritten warrior, and de facto facilitator of the court. Considered the “Coach of the Floor”, PGs shoulder many responsibilities ranging from setting up the offense, to critical communication on defense [2]. Naturally, this suggests they play a pivotal role in determining team performance; as the influence of PGs on the team’s harmony, cohesion, and success is congruent to that of a NFL quarterback [3].

Looking back at the greats of the position; there were many meek, but most were menacing. A common denominator between those intimidating figures was their apparent “Napoleon Complex”. The French dictator, Napoleon Bonaparte, is the namesake of the psychological term. As story goes, one day Napoleon stated to a subordinate, “You may be taller, but I am greater” [4]. His quote soundly signifies that shorter men may compensate behaviorally for shortcomings in stature and sociality [4].

Whether it is that annoying neighbour with the lifted truck, or that coy colleague you cannot stand—we all have faced Napoleons in our lives. Expecting the Napoleon Complex to seep into the NBA would not be farfetched, especially considering that shorter NBA referees officiate games harsher than their taller counterparts [5]. Prototypical PGs are known as notorious nuisances on both ends of the court. From Isaiah Thomas and Gary Payton, to Allen Iverson and Chris Paul; a pestering presence standing at essentially six-feet has historically been a trademark of NBA PGs [6]. In fact, being a 6’9″ PG like Magic Johnson was once an anomaly [7]. Now, it is the standard.

In the last 10 years, there has been more emphasis placed on guards with “size” physically equipped to defend multiple positions on the court. This trend is congruent with the league’s shift towards “positionless” players [6], whereby positionally pigeonholing players has never been more unorthodox. While the average height has decreased at the Center (C) position, the opposite is true for PGs, being the only position getting taller [6]. From 1951-2018, the average height of the PG in the NBA increased from 6’0.2″ to 6’2.8” [6].

Being able to both play and guard one-to-five has never been more sought after in the NBA. Look at the first PG drafted in the last five years; Simmons standing 6’10″ [8], Doncic docking in at 6’7″ [9], and Lamelo Ball measuring 6’8″ [10]. The 2017 first overall pick, Markelle Fultz, and the 2019 second overall pick, Ja Morant, are both listed around 6’4″ [11,12]. Despite falling short of Simmons or Doncic, their height is still above the overall league average [7], with their wingspans (6’9″ for Fultz; 6’7″ for Morant) [11, 12] compensating for their apparent lack of height. Still, no matter how avian-like your wingspan or how monstrous your metacarpals, physical size does not guarantee a big heart on the court.

The Toronto Raptors dynamic backcourt tandem of Kyle Lowry (6’0″) [13] and Fred VanVleet (6’1″) [14]; are increasingly becoming anomalies in the NBA, essentially now residuals of the stubby, stocky, and sizzling PG archetype. As the trend towards slender and lankier PGs continuously grows, this leaves the next generations of Lowrys and VanVleets on the outside looking in. Lowry’s draft stock was virtually unscathed by this fascination with taller PGs, selected by the Memphis Grizzles as the 24th overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft [13].

The same cannot be said for VanVleet however, being no stranger to the tall PG phenomenon. In a draft class highlighted by the towering Simmons heralded as the “Next Lebron” [15]—a stocky PG from Rockford, Illinois, named 2014 National College Athletic Association (NCAA) All-American and 2014-2015 Associated Press’ All-American—VanVleet [16], went undrafted [17].

During that 2016 draft night, VanVleet’s dreams of hearing his name called failed to come to fruition. Adding insult to injury, VanVleet expressed how the experience was an utter embarrassment [17]. Miniature, yet mighty with a mountain-sized chip on his shoulder, VanVleet was determined to harness his struggles into unprecedented success.

VanVleet delivered a speech to friends and family the night he went undrafted.

“Bet on yourself”

After signing his lucrative new deal, VanVleet retweets with money bag emojis an old tweet posted the night he went undrafted.

VanVleet rolled the dice metaphorically and financially, forfeiting six-figure salaries in Europe in order to realize his NBA dreams. His gamble undeniably paid off, as VanVleet resigned with the Raptors to become the highest paid undrafted player in NBA history, signing a four-year, $85 million dollar deal [18].

His gamble undeniably paid off, as VanVleet resigned with the Raptors to become the highest paid undrafted player in NBA history, signing a four-year, $85 million dollar deal [18].


His backcourt henchmen, Lowry, also cashed in on his last deal, inking a three-year, $100 million dollar contract [19]. In October 2019, Lowry’s contract was extended until the 2020-2021, signing a one-year, $31 million dollar deal to make him the highest earning Raptor [20]. His road to the “bag” was rocky and windy, with his early career marred by underperformance, fluctuating playing time, and constant trade rumors [21].

Unfortunately, tales of resiliency like VanVleet’s and Lowry’s are far and few in the NBA. They are even especially more limited for PGs deemed stature deficient or size limited. As positionless players continue to increasingly feed the fascination of NBA executives and coaches, players like VanVleet and Lowry are becoming less appealing. That makes them apart of a generation that might potentially be the last of its sort. Napoleon Complex or not––whatever transgressions or turmoil VanVleet and Lowry may have endured–– they transformed their pains into passion that stumbled into supreme success (Need I remind you?) and wealth. If VanVleet and Lowry represent the last of a dying breed of feisty and stubby PGs; every Raptor fan should take solace that both these underdogs play in their yard, and not in another.

References
[1] Favale, D. (2017, October 03). The Argument for Every Top-5 Point Guard as NBA’s Point God. Retrieved from https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2386843-the-argument-for-every-top-5-point-guard-as-nbas-point-god
[2] The Point Guard Basketball Mentality: 15 “Must Have” Traits. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.youthhoops101.com/point-guard-basketball.html
[3] Hansen, N. (2017, October 03). Comparing NFL Quarterbacks to NBA Point Guards. Retrieved from https://bleacherreport.com/articles/794556
[4] Knapen, J. E., Blaker, N. M., & Vugt, M. V. (2018). The Napoleon Complex: When Shorter Men Take More. Psychological Science, 29(7), 1134-1144. doi:10.1177/0956797618772822
[5] Rodenberg, R., & Gift, P. (2014). Napoleon Complex: Height Bias Among National Basketball Association Referees. Retrieved from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1527002514535168
[6] Ghasemzadeh, M. H. (2015, May 09). UC Berkeley, School of Information Sports Analytics. Retrieved from https://blogs.ischool.berkeley.edu/sportsanalytics/evolution-of-players-in-nba-draft-from-1987-to-2014/
[7] What Is the NBA Average Height In the NBA By Position? (2020, October 28). Retrieved from https://www.fantasybasketball101.com/nba-average-height/
[8] Ben Simmons DraftExpress Profile: Stats, Comparisons, and Outlook. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Ben-Simmons-61928/
[9] Luka Doncic. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1629029/
[10] LaMelo Ball. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1630163/career/
[11] Markelle Fultz DraftExpress Profile: Stats, Comparisons, and Outlook. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Markelle-Fultz-90302/
[12] 2019 NBA Draft prospect profile: Ja Morant. (2019, May 08). Retrieved from https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/wizards/2019-nba-draft-prospect-profile-ja-morant
[13] Kyle Lowry Stats. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/lowryky01.html
[14] Fred VanVleet Stats. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/v/vanvlfr01.html
[15] Greenberg, M. (2015). Greeny: Ben Simmons is the next LeBron – ESPN Video. Retrieved from https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/14211094
[16] Associated Press. (2014, November 03). AP reveals preseason All-Americans. Retrieved from https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/11814949/marcus-paige-jahlil-okafor-montrezl-harrell-head-ap-preseason-team
[17] Cohen, B. (2020, November 18). The Undrafted, $100 Million NBA Player. Retrieved from https://www.wsj.com/articles/fred-vanvleet-nba-draft-free-agency-11605671067
[18] Eldridge, T. (2020, November 21). From undrafted to an $85 million man, Fred VanVleet’s bet on himself pays off big. Retrieved from https://www.kansas.com/sports/college/wichita-state/article247342159.html –> bet on yourself
[19] Zillgitt, J., & Amick, S. (2017, July 02). Kyle Lowry agrees to three-year deal with Raptors that could reach $100 million. Retrieved from https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2017/07/02/kyle-lowry-toronto-raptors-agree-three-year-100-million-deal/446991001/
[20] Wojnarowski, A. (2019, October 07). Raptors guard Kyle Lowry gets 1-year, $31M extension. Retrieved from https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/27790276/raptors-guard-kyle-lowry-gets-1-year-31m-extension
[21] Murphy, D. (2017, August 21). How Kyle Lowry’s Improvement Is Fueling Toronto Raptors. Retrieved from https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2023860-how-kyle-lowrys-improvement-is-fueling-toronto-raptors



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