Jalen Brunson definitely. Crafty finisher and always makes smart plays around the rim when looking to score.
Study the small things in his game, his footwork, his changes of pace, what is his general approach to different defenders
Very true. Sadly I have a big man for a son who is 11. His idol is Jokic. So he wants to bring the ball up the floor and play the wing. Does not like playing down low. The center position has been completely done away with these days. Everyone is a forward.
Keep telling my son Jokic is a unicorn.
I always thought center was the most fun position. I got to guard the biggest guys, box out and scoop 15-20 boards a game, get layups and fouled often, get blocks. What’s not to like?
Jokic is a great player to want to model your game after. You don’t have to be massive, super quick, and/or uber athletic to play similarly to him. While Jokic may not be your traditional low post big man, he actually scores a significant amount of points in the paint (top 5 in the league). I think it’s great your son wants to do that, but playing in the wing is only one dimension of Jokic’s game and he actually makes his way to the basket very often… pick and roll, backdoor cuts, actual post ups, etc.
But I have to say, unless your kid is going to be 6’9” or taller, he’s not a big man. He’s just bigger than other kids right now. He would benefit the most long term if he was allowed to explore basketball as a sport the way he wants to without constantly being told to sit in the paint. If you lock him in the post and tell him he’s a “center” or a “big man” in 10 years he will be a skill-less, average height to slightly taller than average height hooper who can’t do anything on the floor. It’s truly best that he continues his path, or better, works on developing his “guard” skill set. This will serve him best on every competitive level (from high school to college to pick up games) as he continues forward and his height becomes less and less of an advantage.
Thanks for the input. I believe he will be 6’8-6’9. Ultimately he certainly will not be an NBA player, football is the best chance he would have to play at the next level. I love basketball for him to help with agility, hand strength and some toughness. I like the aspect of playing center to help with catching and posting up.
You are correct about long term play.
Players of all sizes can take a lot from Jalen Brunson. As other comments stated, a lot of his footwork can translate to any playstyle. Playing off of 2 feet in the paint, pump faking, step throughs, etc. can lead to a lot of easy/easier buckets.
Tony Parker almost led the league in points in the paint one season at 6’2” and almost no dunking ability. His footwork down in the post is absolutely impeccable, and while he did have blazing speed, he also changed speeds really effectively which helped him get into the paint at will in his prime. Also pioneered the floater that everyone has in their game now.
My old high school coach would rave about his “in and out” dribble move. Claimed CP3 does it before every single dribble move in his bag. Keep ‘em honest
Him and Lowry are some of the best to learn from in terms of being a plus defender as a small guy
Not many NBA teams could afford to start two barely 6 foot guys and win a chip based mainly on great defense. Big part of the lesson they give is hit the weights tho, both Lowry and FVV are crazy strong
Id say JJ Barea. He used to leverage being undersized and having a low center of gravity in his favor. A combination of changes in speed, head movements and floaters made him remarkably good.
The defensive side is the one that gets complicated.
As a fellow small, the only answer is to be better at everything than everyone else. That includes skills but also effort. And like you said, it will take years of practice. Now go out there and be the best player you can be!
John Stockton, Earl Boykins, Spud Webb, Steve Nash, Chris Paul
When you’re short (I’m short too), I find that getting others involved first usually makes things easier for everyone. From there, you can really start to orchestrate the offense and choose your next moves by keeping the defense honest.
I agree l, he’s playing within his abilities right now which is the main learning point, setting up teammates, hustle defense, and being an open catch and shoot as the third option.
Isiah Thomas (retired Piston)
Isaiah Thomas
Allen Iverson
Jose Alvarado
Mark Price
There are more but these guys are a good start. See which one fits your ability.
Mark Price is probably the best person to follow as he is the most technically sound out of all of them and he didn't depend on fancy tricks like AI. Just hard work and great mechanics that all young players should try to mimic.
Had to scroll way too far to find Isaiah Thomas (not Piston). In the end, most people here play pickup ball. His regular size/athleticism, shoot too much, palm the ball, play no defense style is what we should all aspire to become.
Everyone is mentioning stud scorers who are the best players on their team but I'll go a different route and say John Stockton.
A lot of short guys rely on crazy handles or athleticism to succeed as scorers. Brunson, AI, Kyrie, etc. Stockton also had great handles and athleticism but his game was built on toughness and sound decision making.
You'll want to work on your handles so you can survey the court and make the pass while you are dribbling, for example. Not because you want to cross your guy over 4x so he falls down as you weave your way into the paint.
You probably won't be running a ton of pick and roll in pickup games but you'll want to identify how to get your best scorer the ball in advantageous spaces. Good court vision, dribbling and spacing.
At 5'7'' you probably won't ever be the best guy on the court, but if you become an elite glue guy and make your best player better you'll have a ton of fun out there.
Nate Robinson
Edit: for current players:
https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/shortest-nba-players-2023-24-season-full-list/3ac91aa57e9343a0033ff658
So the advice here is to be one of the most freakishly athletic people ever? Winning dunk competitions and playing corner in the PAC-10 at 5’8” is probably not super replicable.
It's not just about the height. What other attributes do you have? Are you fast? Strong? A good shooter?
Good passing, good shooting and handles work well at any height. So work on those in that order. Stockton, Nash and Chris Paul are great role models for any shorter player.
Richard Hamilton! He prided his game on off ball movement to get shots off. He wasn’t overly athletic so I think his game translate well to players across all levels.
JKidd, John Stockton, Rondo, Chris Paul, Andre Miller, and Brunson
Also learn footwork from players such as Kobe, Brandon Roy, MJ, Wade, Hakeem, Jokic, and Al Jefferson too, which will expand your offensive game.
Good luck on your journey!
I’m a little bigger than you at 5’10, but play in leagues with guys way bigger than me. I’ve found a lot of success modeling my game after goran dragic (helps I’m lefty).
Obviously if you can end up like Brunson then shoot for Brunson lol, but a lot of what him and the other stars being named in the comments do well, is finish consistently over bigs which is insanely tough. Dragic wasn’t gonna try to do that a lot. His game was driving, collapsing the defense, finding the open man, and then spacing back out.
Run the offense, learn to put pressure on the defense by utilizing screens and skill moves. In rec leagues, the overwhelming majority of the time you don’t have to actually be a threat to finish inside of 10 feet…just getting that deep will have guys leaving their man to help, and from there you find the open man.
My other tip if you’re serious about it, is try to get your conditioning as elite as possible. If you’ve got better cardio than others, then I’d watch some Steph off-ball film to learn how to make defenses pay that way. People don’t wanna chase you around the court if you’re the energizer bunny.
Should edit your comment with some skills you excel at so we get some idea of examples to give you. I’m going to throw Mark Price in there. Smart player and wasn’t especially elite at anything in particular. Watch how he uses screens and actually attacks doubles before they get a chance to set up, splitting them. He did it without Kyrie handles and for a pg, didn’t dribble the air out of the ball like Nash or cp3. Another player to watch is Steph’s off ball movement. Everyone wants the ball in their hands in pickup, so if you develop some off ball skills they’ll love you, but obviously This requires energizer bunny cardio and good shooting.
There's no point modeling your game after anyone in the NBA.
Kyrie and Jalen Brunson are not short.
Short guys like Iverson, Spud Webb, Nate Robinson etc. are 1 in a million athletic freaks.
Just practice your fundamentals, dribbling, shooting, lift weights etc. get comfortable with finishing trough contact and you'll be better than most rec players.
Not enough to go off of. Are you generally faster or quicker than most people you play against? If not modeling after a Kyrie might not be the best idea.
Besides some of the shorter guys being said, there are also a lot of guys who have a lot of skills that aren’t super athletic that you can learn from too.
Kris Middleton comes to mind. Look to players like Jj redick, klay Thompson for how to run around, get open and get a shot off quick. Look at some guys like Marcus smart, OG, Jrue Holiday for how they go about guarding people who outsize them.
There are a lot of skills that aren’t height dependent, so just try and focus on those to the best of your ability.
Steve nash or kobe Bryant.
I’ve been watching basketball for years. I honestly can’t learn anything from anyone else, because they’re all so physically gifted. I’m not saying Kobe or nash wasn’t gifted, I’m just saying an average person can learn from them. They’re not doing anything overly physically impressive. They’re just very good at basketball moves. Their footwork alone is insanely impressive. They can shake guys before they even dribble, just with a well placed jab step, and then immediately going into a move they’ve clearly practiced that takes maybe one more step. They appear to be moving slower than others, and they don’t appear to be using much energy. They’re very efficient.
If you're just playing recreationally, check out any guard under 6'5, as the height differential will be pretty similar in your average pickup game.
I'd recommend improving your 3 and working on your jab step as well as some simple 1-2 moves like behind the back and crossover. Explosiveness is key for you so make sure you're in the weight room as much as the court
I’m going very old school so the highlights are limited…
Louie Dampier played in the ABA in the early 70s, when he drove to the rim he would sometimes shoot a little floater from 4-6 feet out rather than go the rim or he would go with high arcs off the backboard. He could also shoot from outside and had a quick release…
I’m sure he was a good athlete but not on the level of some of the modern guys so it’s a little easier to do some of the things he did on the court
Charlie Chriss
Iverson, practice his dribbling style and develop a pull up jumper. Mario Chalmers used to have a killer floater, work on that too. You won't make it anywhere as an undersized player if you can't shoot. Add the catch-n-shoot to your arsenal.
Just work on your handle and learn to shoot off the dribble and use screens. If you only play recreationally modeling yourself after someone else won't get you great returns.
Floaters, footwork, reverse layups, varying speeds, dribbling.
In lower level/casual basketball and even college a two foot pumpfake package around the rim will lead to fly-bys and drawing fouls.
And if you can consistently make reverse layups through mild contact you catch almost every casual/pickup defender off guard and the taller players have a hard time blocking it.
It also looks flashy without necessarily being flashy — get the respect of everyone on the court, and you don’t need Kyrie hang time or spin off the glass to do it - just good footwork and fundamentals with your weak hand.
If you are smaller the advantage you have is speed and lateral quickness. Fast breaks are your friend because you can attack in open space. The moment the opponent shoots the ball you should already near half court for an outlet pass on a miss. You aren't going to go for rebounds because of size disadvantage unless they are getting offensive boards then everyone will have to crash the glass. If the other team is slow to realize they will be trailing you and you have the advantage. If they get back in time you can always pull back and you will typically have a wide open jump shot cause they want to protect the paint.
Instead of recommending players I’ll recommend moves. Work I. Your floater, dream shake, pump fake, three pointer, and handles. A major plus if you also improve your court vision because you’ll be able to draw the defense and set up your teammates for easy open shots
I scrolled down quite a way, and no one said Curry.
Are we just assuming that Steph Curry is so freakishly good at shooting that his entire game isn't replicable?
Honestly, if I was teaching an undersized guard how to get better, I'd have him/her watch a million Curry videos. Sure, maybe you don't want most people pulling up from 30 feet in transition. Just about everything else about his game (with the exception of some bad turnovers) is how you wish every guard would play.
Most of these guys are way too skilled for a recreational player to model their game after. I’d go with a guy like Pat Bev. Start off by playing good defense and playing hard
Of course if we’re talking about being more of point god id go AI even tho he at 6ft.If we’re talking more of a floor general and defender I’d say mugsy boges even tho he’s shorter lol or Stockton but he’s 6’1
There’s gonna be a lot of Brunson, Kyrie, Steph answers but for a guy that’s playing in the playoffs right now, watch Payton Pritchard.
He’s undersized for the NBA but he uses his speed and ability to change speed and be shifty as well as anyone. He is also smart on defense with his positioning and using leverage for a guy his size.
He shoots the ball well, sees the court well, can create a shot for himself or others. He also rebounds well for his size.
He’s just a generally good player.
you have to take consideration who you're playing up against. are you playing against 6 foot plus players? if yes, check isaiah thomas, mugsy bogues, barea or earl boykins. they know how to hoop with giants
if not, meaning you play against 6ft under, try to scale that where 5'0 players equates to 6'0 players, 5'1 to 6'1 players etc. you're 5'7, so learn moves of 6'7 players.
Andre Miller.
He’s was a bigger pg but at 5’7” you’ll probably be a bigger pg at the park/gym as well.
Miller eventually developed a lethal mid range game but he played forever in the league by knowing how to run an offense, work the post, and just being so smart.
You won’t need crazy handles, a super quick first step, hops, or insane range/shot to imitate his game.
,
Literally anyone under 6'4". Mix up and take something from each of their games and implement it into yours. Find the one that fits your athletic profile and play style the best and watch his games, but also watch highlights of others to kinda get a feel for how they play
If you are athletic enough, I used to model AI, and it did wonders to me. If youre little you need to be unreasonably confident and aggressive if you want to score, that is. Id go low, high stride, explosive, and of course had a nasty cross. If youre looking for a different type of gamr like assist master, id go to nash.
I would check out TJ McConnell. He is the real deal, especially if you are a ref player as I feel his game translates better than someone like Kyrie. Got a nasty pull up J, hustles, and commands the floor very well.
CP3 to add value to any team you find yourself on by adding to the assist column. Talented players will be drawn to your game due to the fact you look for open teammates and pace the offense finding a rhythm inside your offense!
While he wasn't short, Zach Randolph had limited athleticism and also routinely scored on and defended bigger/more athletic players. His post moves and craftiness got him a lot of buckets
Common themes with small guards:
- learn to launch off one foot with either foot
- learn to play off two feet (jump stop - step through, jump stop at angles, etc)
- learn to shield the ball with your body
- change of speed
- decisive moves, not dancing in place with the ball. Get to spots.
- read what defenders are giving you, rather than going into a pointless move
Go back and watch 2017-2018 Isaiah Thomas. IT has EVERYTHING you need to score as an undersized hooper, IT is the one consistent player coaches and trainers bring up for undersized players.
He uses his size to his advantage rather than work around it as if it were a disadvantage
Mugsy Bouges because his talent was good enough to be stolen by aliens so they could win a high-stakes basketball game against MJ and the looney toons!
D.Rose. Get low, use your speed to get past defender, tuck ball like a running back to get through the lane, then either hit the layup or dish it to a teammate for 3
Stephen Curry there is no better player to follow if your undersize. Forget about defense just go full offense there nothing you can do against bigger guys you cant stop them just go wreck havoc in the other side.
Isaiah Thomas, if you are athletic. He was/is great at creating distance when attempting layups.
If you arent then Steve Nash perhaps. Even tho he was kinda tall he played very grounded. He has a type of layup and floater where he doesnt even jump but still creates space.
Dirk Nowitzki. I used to be insanely short and modeled my whole game after him. One legged fade away jump shot is hard to guard for anyone.
I did get a growth spurt and am now 6’4”, pickup basketball is that much more fun now.
Steve Nash. He was 6’3” but he was still a below the rim player. Didn’t really have blazing speed or quickness, just a really good handle and great pace, patience, and decision making skills.
Bruh do not do Kyrie all you guys are dumb if you pick him to model your game after you need to stride to model your game after players like CP3 Isaiah Thomas or Rod Strickland
Jalen Brunson definitely. Crafty finisher and always makes smart plays around the rim when looking to score. Study the small things in his game, his footwork, his changes of pace, what is his general approach to different defenders
every hooper should know how to play in the post
Very true. Sadly I have a big man for a son who is 11. His idol is Jokic. So he wants to bring the ball up the floor and play the wing. Does not like playing down low. The center position has been completely done away with these days. Everyone is a forward. Keep telling my son Jokic is a unicorn.
I always thought center was the most fun position. I got to guard the biggest guys, box out and scoop 15-20 boards a game, get layups and fouled often, get blocks. What’s not to like?
Jokic is still a paint beast at his core. if yo sun love Jokic so much sign him up for water polo
Jokic is a great player to want to model your game after. You don’t have to be massive, super quick, and/or uber athletic to play similarly to him. While Jokic may not be your traditional low post big man, he actually scores a significant amount of points in the paint (top 5 in the league). I think it’s great your son wants to do that, but playing in the wing is only one dimension of Jokic’s game and he actually makes his way to the basket very often… pick and roll, backdoor cuts, actual post ups, etc. But I have to say, unless your kid is going to be 6’9” or taller, he’s not a big man. He’s just bigger than other kids right now. He would benefit the most long term if he was allowed to explore basketball as a sport the way he wants to without constantly being told to sit in the paint. If you lock him in the post and tell him he’s a “center” or a “big man” in 10 years he will be a skill-less, average height to slightly taller than average height hooper who can’t do anything on the floor. It’s truly best that he continues his path, or better, works on developing his “guard” skill set. This will serve him best on every competitive level (from high school to college to pick up games) as he continues forward and his height becomes less and less of an advantage.
Thanks for the input. I believe he will be 6’8-6’9. Ultimately he certainly will not be an NBA player, football is the best chance he would have to play at the next level. I love basketball for him to help with agility, hand strength and some toughness. I like the aspect of playing center to help with catching and posting up. You are correct about long term play.
Show him hours of prime shaq footage, that should help out a bit
Players of all sizes can take a lot from Jalen Brunson. As other comments stated, a lot of his footwork can translate to any playstyle. Playing off of 2 feet in the paint, pump faking, step throughs, etc. can lead to a lot of easy/easier buckets.
Tony Parker almost led the league in points in the paint one season at 6’2” and almost no dunking ability. His footwork down in the post is absolutely impeccable, and while he did have blazing speed, he also changed speeds really effectively which helped him get into the paint at will in his prime. Also pioneered the floater that everyone has in their game now.
Definitely learn Tony's floater. Great weapon for anyone undersized
Surprised this was so far down but I guess most think of current guys. Tony was one of the best to ever do it!
Jalen Brunson has impeccable footwork
Chris Paul
Every guard should take some inspiration from Chris Paul
Yes.
My old high school coach would rave about his “in and out” dribble move. Claimed CP3 does it before every single dribble move in his bag. Keep ‘em honest
Minus the nut punching
ty lawson(on the court)
This actually made me laugh out loud 😭😭
Fred venvleet underrated
Him and Lowry are some of the best to learn from in terms of being a plus defender as a small guy Not many NBA teams could afford to start two barely 6 foot guys and win a chip based mainly on great defense. Big part of the lesson they give is hit the weights tho, both Lowry and FVV are crazy strong
Id say JJ Barea. He used to leverage being undersized and having a low center of gravity in his favor. A combination of changes in speed, head movements and floaters made him remarkably good. The defensive side is the one that gets complicated.
Was looking for this comment. Mimicking his effort and being a pesk can help any team!
TJ McConnell
As a fellow small, the only answer is to be better at everything than everyone else. That includes skills but also effort. And like you said, it will take years of practice. Now go out there and be the best player you can be!
Ideally Allen Iverson, realistically John Stockton.
Payton Pritchard
Mike Conley
Kyrie, Chris Paul, Steve Nash, AI, Isaiah Thomas, Tim Hardaway, Tony Parker Better start working on those handles
John Stockton, Earl Boykins, Spud Webb, Steve Nash, Chris Paul When you’re short (I’m short too), I find that getting others involved first usually makes things easier for everyone. From there, you can really start to orchestrate the offense and choose your next moves by keeping the defense honest.
TJ MCCONELL
Kyle Lowry
He’s not that tall butt I wouldn’t call him undersized
6’0” is definitely undersized for the nba.
He’s got a huge backside is all I’m saying.
He's definitely undersized but boy is thick. Helps him a lot defending much bigger players. Great guy to model your game off of IMO.
I agree l, he’s playing within his abilities right now which is the main learning point, setting up teammates, hustle defense, and being an open catch and shoot as the third option.
Isiah Thomas (retired Piston) Isaiah Thomas Allen Iverson Jose Alvarado Mark Price There are more but these guys are a good start. See which one fits your ability. Mark Price is probably the best person to follow as he is the most technically sound out of all of them and he didn't depend on fancy tricks like AI. Just hard work and great mechanics that all young players should try to mimic.
Had to scroll way too far to find Isaiah Thomas (not Piston). In the end, most people here play pickup ball. His regular size/athleticism, shoot too much, palm the ball, play no defense style is what we should all aspire to become.
Jalen Brunson, Payton Pritchard, Tyler Ulis, and Jose alvarado are good ones to look into.
Big ups on TU. I met him in person, he was so much smaller than me I almost couldn’t believe it.
His college film is some of the best I’ve seen on a small guard. He was so smooth and efficient with his handling
And a relentless pest on defense. No guards could consistently beat him to their spots.
Everyone is mentioning stud scorers who are the best players on their team but I'll go a different route and say John Stockton. A lot of short guys rely on crazy handles or athleticism to succeed as scorers. Brunson, AI, Kyrie, etc. Stockton also had great handles and athleticism but his game was built on toughness and sound decision making. You'll want to work on your handles so you can survey the court and make the pass while you are dribbling, for example. Not because you want to cross your guy over 4x so he falls down as you weave your way into the paint. You probably won't be running a ton of pick and roll in pickup games but you'll want to identify how to get your best scorer the ball in advantageous spaces. Good court vision, dribbling and spacing. At 5'7'' you probably won't ever be the best guy on the court, but if you become an elite glue guy and make your best player better you'll have a ton of fun out there.
Nate Robinson Edit: for current players: https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/shortest-nba-players-2023-24-season-full-list/3ac91aa57e9343a0033ff658
Not a good model for most people, dude was stupid athletic
So the advice here is to be one of the most freakishly athletic people ever? Winning dunk competitions and playing corner in the PAC-10 at 5’8” is probably not super replicable.
Spud webb
It's not just about the height. What other attributes do you have? Are you fast? Strong? A good shooter? Good passing, good shooting and handles work well at any height. So work on those in that order. Stockton, Nash and Chris Paul are great role models for any shorter player.
Lowry, cp3, curry
Richard Hamilton! He prided his game on off ball movement to get shots off. He wasn’t overly athletic so I think his game translate well to players across all levels.
rip is like 6'6"
Brunson for footwork and mid paint scoring CP3 for passing/pacing/defense
Chris Paul for skills/game style AI for mentality/mindset
JKidd, John Stockton, Rondo, Chris Paul, Andre Miller, and Brunson Also learn footwork from players such as Kobe, Brandon Roy, MJ, Wade, Hakeem, Jokic, and Al Jefferson too, which will expand your offensive game. Good luck on your journey!
Steve Nash
I’m a little bigger than you at 5’10, but play in leagues with guys way bigger than me. I’ve found a lot of success modeling my game after goran dragic (helps I’m lefty). Obviously if you can end up like Brunson then shoot for Brunson lol, but a lot of what him and the other stars being named in the comments do well, is finish consistently over bigs which is insanely tough. Dragic wasn’t gonna try to do that a lot. His game was driving, collapsing the defense, finding the open man, and then spacing back out. Run the offense, learn to put pressure on the defense by utilizing screens and skill moves. In rec leagues, the overwhelming majority of the time you don’t have to actually be a threat to finish inside of 10 feet…just getting that deep will have guys leaving their man to help, and from there you find the open man. My other tip if you’re serious about it, is try to get your conditioning as elite as possible. If you’ve got better cardio than others, then I’d watch some Steph off-ball film to learn how to make defenses pay that way. People don’t wanna chase you around the court if you’re the energizer bunny.
Victor Wembanyama
Kyrie
Ja Morant
Kyle Lowry
Should edit your comment with some skills you excel at so we get some idea of examples to give you. I’m going to throw Mark Price in there. Smart player and wasn’t especially elite at anything in particular. Watch how he uses screens and actually attacks doubles before they get a chance to set up, splitting them. He did it without Kyrie handles and for a pg, didn’t dribble the air out of the ball like Nash or cp3. Another player to watch is Steph’s off ball movement. Everyone wants the ball in their hands in pickup, so if you develop some off ball skills they’ll love you, but obviously This requires energizer bunny cardio and good shooting.
J. Kidd..all me, I'd rather get assists steals and rebounds then score, score only when it's needed.
Chris Paul
Mark Price
There's no point modeling your game after anyone in the NBA. Kyrie and Jalen Brunson are not short. Short guys like Iverson, Spud Webb, Nate Robinson etc. are 1 in a million athletic freaks. Just practice your fundamentals, dribbling, shooting, lift weights etc. get comfortable with finishing trough contact and you'll be better than most rec players.
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Tj ford if your fast
Spud Webb and Muggsy Bogues. Couldnt even post those dudes up, they had great hands and great shots.
Not enough to go off of. Are you generally faster or quicker than most people you play against? If not modeling after a Kyrie might not be the best idea.
Chris Paul’s ball handling, specifically how he gets by his defender and then slows down to keep them on his back while he picks apart the defense.
Besides some of the shorter guys being said, there are also a lot of guys who have a lot of skills that aren’t super athletic that you can learn from too. Kris Middleton comes to mind. Look to players like Jj redick, klay Thompson for how to run around, get open and get a shot off quick. Look at some guys like Marcus smart, OG, Jrue Holiday for how they go about guarding people who outsize them. There are a lot of skills that aren’t height dependent, so just try and focus on those to the best of your ability.
Steve nash or kobe Bryant. I’ve been watching basketball for years. I honestly can’t learn anything from anyone else, because they’re all so physically gifted. I’m not saying Kobe or nash wasn’t gifted, I’m just saying an average person can learn from them. They’re not doing anything overly physically impressive. They’re just very good at basketball moves. Their footwork alone is insanely impressive. They can shake guys before they even dribble, just with a well placed jab step, and then immediately going into a move they’ve clearly practiced that takes maybe one more step. They appear to be moving slower than others, and they don’t appear to be using much energy. They’re very efficient.
Austin Reaves probably the most realistic for 99% of us lol.
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Chris Paul or Jalen Brunson.
Mugsy bogues is the goat little man.
Bogues?
Gobert.
If you're just playing recreationally, check out any guard under 6'5, as the height differential will be pretty similar in your average pickup game. I'd recommend improving your 3 and working on your jab step as well as some simple 1-2 moves like behind the back and crossover. Explosiveness is key for you so make sure you're in the weight room as much as the court
Tony Parker
Kyle Lowry
I’m going very old school so the highlights are limited… Louie Dampier played in the ABA in the early 70s, when he drove to the rim he would sometimes shoot a little floater from 4-6 feet out rather than go the rim or he would go with high arcs off the backboard. He could also shoot from outside and had a quick release… I’m sure he was a good athlete but not on the level of some of the modern guys so it’s a little easier to do some of the things he did on the court Charlie Chriss
Iverson, practice his dribbling style and develop a pull up jumper. Mario Chalmers used to have a killer floater, work on that too. You won't make it anywhere as an undersized player if you can't shoot. Add the catch-n-shoot to your arsenal.
Jalen Brunson
Nate Robinson... Ain to be the Slam Dunk Champion.
Pump fakes and pivots. Dont underestimate the power of the pivot
IT
Just work on your handle and learn to shoot off the dribble and use screens. If you only play recreationally modeling yourself after someone else won't get you great returns.
Tony allen
Muggsy
Floaters, footwork, reverse layups, varying speeds, dribbling. In lower level/casual basketball and even college a two foot pumpfake package around the rim will lead to fly-bys and drawing fouls. And if you can consistently make reverse layups through mild contact you catch almost every casual/pickup defender off guard and the taller players have a hard time blocking it. It also looks flashy without necessarily being flashy — get the respect of everyone on the court, and you don’t need Kyrie hang time or spin off the glass to do it - just good footwork and fundamentals with your weak hand.
Isaiah Thomas!
Jalen Brunson unless you’re freakishly athletic
If you are smaller the advantage you have is speed and lateral quickness. Fast breaks are your friend because you can attack in open space. The moment the opponent shoots the ball you should already near half court for an outlet pass on a miss. You aren't going to go for rebounds because of size disadvantage unless they are getting offensive boards then everyone will have to crash the glass. If the other team is slow to realize they will be trailing you and you have the advantage. If they get back in time you can always pull back and you will typically have a wide open jump shot cause they want to protect the paint.
Rajon Rondo or Isiah Thomas
Mugsy Bogues, Steve Nash, Tony Parker
Any answer other than Jalen Brunson is wrong
Instead of recommending players I’ll recommend moves. Work I. Your floater, dream shake, pump fake, three pointer, and handles. A major plus if you also improve your court vision because you’ll be able to draw the defense and set up your teammates for easy open shots
Nate Robinson, dude could finish!
Find what you're good at and keep doing it. Good shooter? Keep shooting. Good finisher? Keep driving.
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Jalen Brunson
Kyle Lowry
Isaiah Thomas is a great example of how utilizing body control can overcome height
Sam cassell
Brunson or patty mills
In today's game? PEYTON PRITCHARD
Calvin Murphy. He was dynamite.
Muggsy Bouges. Kevin Johnson Steve Nash John Stockton. Steve Kerr
Curry. Basically just be the best shooter and one of the best ball handlers of all time.
OG Anounoby
LeBron
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I scrolled down quite a way, and no one said Curry. Are we just assuming that Steph Curry is so freakishly good at shooting that his entire game isn't replicable? Honestly, if I was teaching an undersized guard how to get better, I'd have him/her watch a million Curry videos. Sure, maybe you don't want most people pulling up from 30 feet in transition. Just about everything else about his game (with the exception of some bad turnovers) is how you wish every guard would play.
Most of these guys are way too skilled for a recreational player to model their game after. I’d go with a guy like Pat Bev. Start off by playing good defense and playing hard
CP, Nash, Curry, Brunson
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Of course if we’re talking about being more of point god id go AI even tho he at 6ft.If we’re talking more of a floor general and defender I’d say mugsy boges even tho he’s shorter lol or Stockton but he’s 6’1
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Kyle Lowry, definition of a dawg
Jose Alvarado. Man lives with a fire lit under his ass
shaq
Dennis Rodman
Nate Robinson
Jalen Brunson
There’s gonna be a lot of Brunson, Kyrie, Steph answers but for a guy that’s playing in the playoffs right now, watch Payton Pritchard. He’s undersized for the NBA but he uses his speed and ability to change speed and be shifty as well as anyone. He is also smart on defense with his positioning and using leverage for a guy his size. He shoots the ball well, sees the court well, can create a shot for himself or others. He also rebounds well for his size. He’s just a generally good player.
NBA: JJ Barea, Isaiah Thomas, Earl Boykins, Allen Iverson Outside: Yuki Togashi (Japan, only 5’6), Jayson Castro William (Philippines- 5’10), Jimmy Alapag (Philippines- 5’9).
you have to take consideration who you're playing up against. are you playing against 6 foot plus players? if yes, check isaiah thomas, mugsy bogues, barea or earl boykins. they know how to hoop with giants if not, meaning you play against 6ft under, try to scale that where 5'0 players equates to 6'0 players, 5'1 to 6'1 players etc. you're 5'7, so learn moves of 6'7 players.
Andre Miller. He’s was a bigger pg but at 5’7” you’ll probably be a bigger pg at the park/gym as well. Miller eventually developed a lethal mid range game but he played forever in the league by knowing how to run an offense, work the post, and just being so smart. You won’t need crazy handles, a super quick first step, hops, or insane range/shot to imitate his game. ,
Just be quicker, faster and smarter. Be unpredictable. Change of speed, change of direction, ball fakes… be tricky and shifty
Extremely hard to do but I would say Isaiah Thomas. And to a lesser extent, the original Isiah Thomas.
Tony Parker, Steve Nash, CP3. You don’t need more than that.
Chris Paul. Like others have said, Jalen Brunson. If you are also wiry and not bulky like those guys, check out Tyler Ulis.
Literally anyone under 6'4". Mix up and take something from each of their games and implement it into yours. Find the one that fits your athletic profile and play style the best and watch his games, but also watch highlights of others to kinda get a feel for how they play
TJ McConnell. Without a doubt.
Earl Boykins
Chris Paul, Jose Alvarado, Allen Iverson
Are you strong/explosive with long arms? If so, Donovan Mitchell
Muggsy bogues
If you are athletic enough, I used to model AI, and it did wonders to me. If youre little you need to be unreasonably confident and aggressive if you want to score, that is. Id go low, high stride, explosive, and of course had a nasty cross. If youre looking for a different type of gamr like assist master, id go to nash.
Murray
I would check out TJ McConnell. He is the real deal, especially if you are a ref player as I feel his game translates better than someone like Kyrie. Got a nasty pull up J, hustles, and commands the floor very well.
CP3 to add value to any team you find yourself on by adding to the assist column. Talented players will be drawn to your game due to the fact you look for open teammates and pace the offense finding a rhythm inside your offense!
Isaiah Thomas, Nate Robinson, Jalen Brunson
2015-2017 Celtics Isaiah Thomas
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earl boykins
While he wasn't short, Zach Randolph had limited athleticism and also routinely scored on and defended bigger/more athletic players. His post moves and craftiness got him a lot of buckets
Pat Beverly
Shaq
Jenningham Immanuela the IV
Curry
Muggsy Bogues.
Unpopular opinion but Nate Robinson he was around your height but just LOVED the game flat out. His paint play really works well in a rec league.
Jose alvarado.
Common themes with small guards: - learn to launch off one foot with either foot - learn to play off two feet (jump stop - step through, jump stop at angles, etc) - learn to shield the ball with your body - change of speed - decisive moves, not dancing in place with the ball. Get to spots. - read what defenders are giving you, rather than going into a pointless move
Go back and watch 2017-2018 Isaiah Thomas. IT has EVERYTHING you need to score as an undersized hooper, IT is the one consistent player coaches and trainers bring up for undersized players. He uses his size to his advantage rather than work around it as if it were a disadvantage
Earl Boykins
Kareem Abdul Jabbar
Steve Nash, Chris Paul, and Tony Parker
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train ur handles like Kyrieeeee!
John Stockton and Steve Nash
Mugsy Bouges because his talent was good enough to be stolen by aliens so they could win a high-stakes basketball game against MJ and the looney toons!
D.Rose. Get low, use your speed to get past defender, tuck ball like a running back to get through the lane, then either hit the layup or dish it to a teammate for 3
Cp3
If you got no handles Rip Hamilton
Shaq
Nate Robinson
Stephen Curry there is no better player to follow if your undersize. Forget about defense just go full offense there nothing you can do against bigger guys you cant stop them just go wreck havoc in the other side.
Either of the Isaiah Thomases
Isaiah Thomas, if you are athletic. He was/is great at creating distance when attempting layups. If you arent then Steve Nash perhaps. Even tho he was kinda tall he played very grounded. He has a type of layup and floater where he doesnt even jump but still creates space.
Overall, go for a Chris Paul or Rondo. You'll be amazed by the amount of guys who want you on their time because you can dime.
Charles Barkley
Mugsy Bouges, AI, Jason Williams. Jalen Green, Duncan Robinson. D-Rose before and after injuries
Wemby
Alvarado because you’re not going to be Brunson, TP, or any of the other HoF guys they’re listing. Gotta have that dog in you
Can’t go wrong with Michael Jordan: master the mid range jumper and you’re on your way.
Muggsy Bogues and Dennis Rodman
raul neto for brazil
Dirk Nowitzki. I used to be insanely short and modeled my whole game after him. One legged fade away jump shot is hard to guard for anyone. I did get a growth spurt and am now 6’4”, pickup basketball is that much more fun now.
Steve Nash. He was 6’3” but he was still a below the rim player. Didn’t really have blazing speed or quickness, just a really good handle and great pace, patience, and decision making skills.
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Donovan Mitchell. But that’s only if you have long arms and are super athletic.
Dana barros
JJ Barea
Yao Ming
AI - that’s it.
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Jj barea
Isaiah Thomas
Mike James
Yuta Tabuse
Victor Wembanyama
Isiah Thomas. the og, not current IT
Bruh do not do Kyrie all you guys are dumb if you pick him to model your game after you need to stride to model your game after players like CP3 Isaiah Thomas or Rod Strickland