Analyzing Wing Span and Body Type
By: Dan Barto, Director of Player Development at The Basketball Academy and PTC
The word wingspan is one that is overused during the process of evaluating talent. On the court the word is under appreciated if the coaching eye understands the relationship between extremity control, body type and skill development.
For the average fan it is easy to say, "Look how long Dwight Howard's arms are, no wonder he blocks so many shots." There are obviously great advantages to having long arms versus having short arms in the game of basketball but some of the most gifted passes tend to have wingspans that are below average
When I say body type, I mean long term body type. A player may look ectomorphic but actually be mesomorphic when they reach full maturity. Between mesomorphic, ectomorphic, and endomorphic players the wingspan can be productive or counterproductive. An above average wingspan is going to take a player’s center of gravity and stability points and stretches them.
The measurement classification is a wingspan length around your vertical height is average. Anything 2 inches over your height "means you have the ability to play bigger than your height. (If you are 6'6 and have a 6'8 wingspan you could in theory compete against 6'8 players.)
I have seen and individually worked out players in person that have ridiculous wingspan differentials and have noticed one extremely under looked aspect of evaluating wingspan.
Players with a 2+ differential and are endomorphic versus mesomorphic, meaning they are heavy set with very powerful lower body but not freaky athletes tend to posses touch around the basket, touch from the perimeter even though it is more of a set shot and tend to be able to root or move players to rebound the basketball. Their changes of speed, hesitations, counters and screening ability tend to be better than their counter parts. These guys are shot and post contesters not shot blockers even though they get the statistical credit. These types of guards are ball pokers and bumpers in the open court. The combination of strength and power also attract the refs on a frequent basis.
Players with a 2+ differential and are mesomorphic (long thin athletic) tend to have a hitch in their shot and free throw, not that they do not go in but they tend to have a hitch. They also are better shot blockers and second jumpers and "open" rebounders, meaning if both players are equal distance they can pounce quicker to cover the space. They also tend to be very rigid ball handlers but great straight line sprinters. Their pivots, shot fakes, counters and jab series are not pretty to watch with an analytical eye.
Players with a 2+ differentials and are ectomorphic tend to have very little offensive skills outside of catch and shoot and close basket layins or dunks. These tend to be the guys that teams say as soon as they gain weight they will improve. No they will be bigger and no more effective. These players tend to constantly be injured and the combination of length and lack of strength make them very poor defenders across the board.
So next time you are analyzing talent watch for the way wingspan affects the players play. I will be back with multiple examples and am looking for multiple anomalies. These analyses are made based on full maturity however in youth development I will argue that this type of analysis allow for better technique adjustments. Understanding what a bodies physical tendencies, strengths and weaknesses can allow a coach to better develop skills at a young age.
On a side note I would like to point out that Kid Rock's new song "Blue Jeans and a Rosary" is going to be a huge hit over the coming months and possibly one of the all time great sing in your car songs.
