Could Maya Moore Play in the NBA?

[FlyingSpaghettiMonster]

No.
I would expect this from The Onion. This article came from Time.

http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/12/22/uconns-historic-streak-could-these-women-play-for-the-nba/

Articles like this one are the reason that people diminish women's sports. Make the argument that she is a great women's college basketball player; do not compare her to players of other sports or ability level.

[SFP]

Could not agree more. The women's game has improved dramatically the last decade at much greater pace then the men's but they have a lot of catching up to do. There is not a woman even in the pros right now that could play for a D-1 team.

[Da Coach]

That is ridiculous. I have seen other discussions of whether Maya Moore could make the roster of a Division I men's team somewhere, and I think that discussion is more realistic, though I doubt she could.
I have watched her a lot, and I think Candace Parker is better. What makes Maya Moore so good is that her teammates are all great as well, and probably every one of them would be an All-American if they played elsewhere. Teams cannot double-team Moore or the other players will kill them. Even though her Tennessee team was very good, Parker did not have that luxury. She was the only All-American on her team.

[tornado]

The very top college women's teams practice by playing against a "scout team" of men put together from regular campus guys who may or may not have even played high school basketball.
I have detailed many times the stories of how these average guys who couldn't even make an NAIA roster are used as practice players because they are better than the top women's players.
In other words...the most average ballers from campus are still better than the top women players..


BTW-- if even one NBA team even thought they had a remote chance of being a better team or of winning more by signing a woman player -- they'd do it in a heartbeat...
It will never happen except as a publicity stunt..

[BradleyBrave]

Maya Moore wouldn't play on an average boys high school team.

[AZ BU Fan]

Ann Meyers-Driscoll signed a contract with the Indiana Pacers and didn't stick after participating in a three day tryout in 1980.

Lusia Harris-Stewart drafted by NO Jazz in 1977...got pregnant and didn't try out.

Can't see it (women NBA players) happening in today's NBA where football like contact is the rule. Players are so quick, hard for a woman to get open for a shot too.

With men's pro leagues proliferating outside the US for players without NBA qualifications, and the NBA Development League Teams, the absence of women playing, let alone succeeding, on any of these teams pretty much answers the question if Maya, or any other female BB player, could play in the NBA.

Another headline/story to hype Women's BB trying to grow spectator/media interest.

[BradleyJD]

Maya Moore wouldn't play on an average boys high school team.

Disagree.

[Grassman]

I once matched up a former 4 time PJS WOMENS basketball all star PG for Dunlap. She later became an all big 10 PG at Indiana vs. a former Brimfield High MENS player in a game to 21.
Brimfield 21-Dunlap 16.
I lost my bet.

[scout4126]

Disagree.

+1 She could dominate on an AVERAGE high school boys basketball team. I'd take Maya Moore against Metamora or East Peoria any day.

[BuB]

[QUOTE=tornado;205397]The very top college women's teams practice by playing against a "scout team" of men put together from regular campus guys who may or may not have even played high school basketball.
I have detailed many times the stories of how these average guys who couldn't even make an NAIA roster are used as practice players because they are better than the top women's players.
In other words...the most average ballers from campus are still better than the top women players..


BTW-- if even one NBA team even thought they had a remote chance of being a better team or of winning more by signing a woman player -- they'd do it in a heartbeat...
It will never happen except as a publicity stunt..[/QUOTE]


I know Paula B did this for several years at Bradley.

As far as a publicity stunts go, I could see Mark Cuban consider it if he thought he could make money. It would be embarrassing along the lines of Michele Wie. Nothing more than a stunt.

+1 She could dominate on an AVERAGE high school boys basketball team. I'd take Maya Moore against Metamora or East Peoria any day.

Don't stop there. Canton and Pekin and even Dunlap. She would do very well at several area high schools.

NO chance in the NBA. This is just stupid. This story must have came from one of those miserable reporters that feels sorry for Geno Auriemma.

[BradleyBrave]

+1 She could dominate on an AVERAGE high school boys basketball team. I'd take Maya Moore against Metamora or East Peoria any day.

As Tornado said, women's college teams take guys from campus, some of which didn't play HS basketball, to practice against them. The team of guys beats them daily. I knew guys at BU and U of I who did this, and half them didn't even play high school basketball. My HS team was average way back when, and Maya Moore wouldn't see the floor. Sorry, don't agree.

Also, continuing to hear about UConn's streak is stupid and insults people's intelligence. They beat the women's record a long time ago, and that's the only one that's relevant. But it's ESPN, so it doesn't surprise me.

[tornado]

Speaking of UConn players-

"UConn star Diana Taurasi fails drug test" -- "tests positive for banned substance.."

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/hc-taurasi-1224-20101223,0,1482831.story

[TheHeemyMonster]

As Tornado said, women's college teams take guys from campus, some of which didn't play HS basketball, to practice against them. The team of guys beats them daily. I knew guys at BU and U of I who did this, and half them didn't even play high school basketball. My HS team was average way back when, and Maya Moore wouldn't see the floor. Sorry, don't agree.

Also, continuing to hear about UConn's streak is stupid and insults people's intelligence. They beat the women's record a long time ago, and that's the only one that's relevant. But it's ESPN, so it doesn't surprise me.

A group of us used to scrimmage against the womens basketball team at Bradley and half of us didnt play high school ball and the Bradley womens team would barely ever score. I know all of us didnt play as physical as we normal would either. Lets see Maya Moore play with a mens basketball and she how many 3's shes making then. No way she would do anything at the high school level

[tornado]

I have recounted elsewhere how a team of ALL the best women's players in the world, pros & college kids, couldn't even score against a bunch of hacks and pick-up players from an army base.
This was all filmed for a documentary on the Women's Dream Team leading up to the Olympics, and it showed the women getting hammered so badly that they quit before the game was over and they demanded that the scenes of them getting humiliated by a bunch of guys right off the street be removed from the documentary!
it was quite an impressive piece and should seal the issue for anyone not already determined to believe the lie..

Read this..

http://bubravesblogger.blogspot.com/2009/12/women-in-nba.html

[SFP]

NBA and D 1 is one thing but HS hoops is a completely different animal. Maya could play for a decent HS team. The average HS bball is more about moving the ball and finding the open player, making layups and a few jumpers. I believe Maya could help and excel. I occasionally play against post-college women players and if they can shoot, which most can, they can put numbers on you quickly.