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thabeet has no vertical haha.......that is why Thabeet didn't participate in the athletic test at the combine....because he is slow, weak, and can't jump hahah....No way was Thabeet's agent going to let him ruin his draft stock by flunking the athletics test.
i looked the the combine results. I think you're referring to the max vertical reach column. but doesn't that mean how high they can touch off one step? it doesn't take into account off one foot or with a running start does it? i could be wrong. people who got close tho were...
BJ Mullins - 11 ft 11.5 in
Damion James - 11 ft 11 in
Derrick Brown - 11 ft 11 in
That even Dwight Howard looked as if he would not be able to dunk on a 12 foot rim according to the tests and he obviously can very easily. I would not put that much stock into those max vert reach things, as I do not even think the combine testing is without its flaws. Do players get to warm up? I think they only get so many chances to jump and I think it is just a rough estimate of where they are. Some examples are closer than others, but I think some change over time and development, others dip when they stop worrying about trying to impress GMs at the combine/injuries and some are just ridiculous (like Monta Ellis, Kevin Durant, there are others). It may be true according to these results, but put some of these guys near a 12 foot hoop and lets see if they can touch the rim. My guess, there would be a few that could do it.
I think you are right. I think they get a running start and they hit their hand on that thing which has those little seperated, rectangular strips. If you hit it, they rotate away and it shows exactly how high a guy's hand got. Now, a guy like BJ Mullens would probably work on his vertical a bit since he is still young and improve that by a few inches.
That being said, that Dwight Howard dunk was impressive when I look back but at the time I wasn't exactly blown away. Of course, that whole dunk contest was disgustingly stupid. Howard would have gotten a 50 if he would have walked up to the judges and &$#%#&@! in their mouths. I wouldn't even call it "rigged" because it was so blatantly obvious that no matter what dunks they did, Dwight Howard and Nate Robinson were going into the finals. You know, it's a shame that the NBA can't figure out how to make the dunk contest relevant again. When you watch the highlights of Jordan's career, his dunk contest dunks are a HUGE part of his "legend". Do you think that when Dwight Howard retires we are all going to look back FONDLY from when he had Nate Robinson's nuts in his face when they were both dressed up like kids on Halloween? I don't think I will.
I was pretty sure when they say maximum vertical that means you get a running start. Yeah at the time I wasn't that impressed with Howards dunk on that 12" rim either but now I am impressed. I agree that dunk contest was stupid. The judges are biased. For example: I thought Gerald Green had some awesome dunks 2 years ago but he didn't get the deserved credit for it because I guess he isn't a well known popular star.
Not a single player in this years draft can touch a 12 foot rim. This makes the dunk that Dwight Howard did in the dunk contest on the 12 foot rim that much more impressive.