WHAT MATTERS MOST?

Size Matters

Unfortunately, there is no way to make players taller. Because tall people are closer to the basket than short people, it is easier for them to reach rebounds. Its easier for tall people to shoot over short people. Tall teams tend to intimidate small teams. All other things being equal, the taller team will likely win most of the time, proportional to the disparity in height. BUT... all things are rarely equal. As the ball moves away from the basket, the height advantage lessens. Tall teams should keep the play close to the basket - in the key area.

Unfortunately for the tall folks, the paint area only represents 7% of the playing surface. The remaining 93% belongs to the quick and the sure-handed.

Quickness Matters More

High school basketball players travel about a mile and half over the course of a full game. In a competitive situation, the pace can be constant and quick. Often the game is a footrace from end to end, with the winner getting an easy opportunity to score with the loser unable to defend at all regardless of height. The quick offensive player, with the advantage of initiative, can create enough space to go around the slower player.

For the defense, fast hands create turnovers from the unsure offensive player. Fast feet prevent the slower player from dribbling to her destination. Quick thinking enables the defense to intercept passes. The rule of thumb is that the quicker team will get more shots, primarily due to the relatively greater number of turnovers caused by the quicker team.

Conditioning Matters Most

It doesn't matter how tall or how quick you are if you cannot sustain your opponents pace for the length of a game. It is not uncommon to see a close game deteriorate in the final quarter because one team cannot keep up. Teams often score more in the fourth quarter than the earlier quarters because the defense tires out. The frequency of turnovers rises with fatigue, creating easy baskets for the better conditioned team. If you can't run, you can't win. Its that simple.

(thanks Steve Jordan)