Austin Rivers on NBA vs NFL players

[Rendei]

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The internet has quite a lot of opinions about this one. What's realgm's? JJ Watt is encouraging him to try it out.

[EmpireFalls]

There’s a lot of co-mingling between the populations of NFL and NBA players I think. Guys like Jalen Suggs, Allen Iverson, obviously LeBron were legit all-state football players and then became NBA stars afterwards. I can see a world where all of them go into the NFL. The reverse is true of Mo Alie-Cox, Antonio Gates, Julius Peppers etc.

The truth is I don’t think anyone would be able to switch over immediately. But if you went back to their college careers and said you had to specialize in football or basketball, I think more than a few would be able to switch over.

[DOT]

I think both sports are so heavily specialized it'd be hard for anybody to just jump across

It would probably be easiest to get an NBA player to play TE, cause that seems to be the most common conversion, but even then I still think you need training. Like, prime LeBron or maybe Zion could do it, but other than that, probably not

Then maybe you get like a LB who can move well enough in space to not be a complete liability on defense and can make a few 3s, like a PJ Tucker type, but again, I don't really think there's much

It's not a slight or praise for either sport, it just is what it is.

[JustBuzzin]

I played both sports in highschool.

He's 100% correct.

Basketball takes actual skill. Football is skills as well, but you can get away with less skill in football because you're basically running and tackling for the most part.

If you can't dribble or shoot what exactly can you do in basketball?

[KembaWalker]

If there are 30 he’s certainly not one of them

[Chuck Everett]

Why is he even talking like this? What is the point?

[Quattro]

The league doesn't need that many punters

[FreeBird23]

He is as good of an analyst than his father as a coach.

[LAvision]

LMAO, a large portion of NBA players can't even remember or execute a play off of a timeout where the play is drawn up for in front of them. They have no chance in a pro NFL game where schemes and assignments change due to coverage, blitzers, and formation.

[dhsilv2]

I mean...there are WAY more NFL players. So that alone would lend it that the barrier to entry is a bit lower.

[EmpireFalls]

The league doesn't need that many punters

Draymond shows All-Pro potential in that area.

[Chokic]

Basketball is a more skilled sport than football. Football relies more on strength athleticism physicality. So yes I agree.

[Anderson Hunt]

Many here are attacking the messenger instead of strictly addressing the message. This is becoming more and more common. A pity.

[KembaWalker]

The comparison basically always comes with the caveat that the basketball players have to add 30-50 pounds which at that size they’d no longer be functional NBA players rendering the whole thing kinda meaningless

[SelfishPlayer]

I'm sure that there are at least 5 NBA players that can play WR in the NFL and not embarrass themselves. Randy Moss was a good basketball player and so was Terrell Owens. Your faster perimeter players between 6'3" and 6'6" will get it done. Ant was a football player, and so was Kawhi.

[Fencer reregistered]

Some thoughts:
-- Taking the football hits is a big deal.
-- So is the precision of shooting baskets.
-- Even for the TE conversions, otherwise good hoops players who are too short for the NBA are commonly too slow for the NFL.
-- What does the example of Charlie Ward teach us, if anything"
-- John Havlicek came to the NBA after failing to make an NFL team.
-- Would Nate Robertson have been any good in the NFL?
-- What stats from the combines would help us compare? Does anybody in the NBA have weight-lifting stats that wouldn't get laughed at by NFL scouts? How about straight-line speed?
-- How about jumping stats for NFL prospects?
-- How much of that can be adjusted by assuming different diet regimens and muscle mass? Note: How many NBA players have ever gained a lot from LOSING muscle mass?

[Shaka_Zulu]

AI
Nate Robinson
Big baby
Lebron
Ant
Zion
Kawhi
Suggs
Lu Dort



Would be pretty hard to make a list of 30 lol

[NyKnicks1714]

You can put 30 NBA players in the NFL right now AND you could put 30 NFL players in the NBA right now. I mean they're all going to suck and not get minutes, but you could.

[CBS7]

Raw athleticism and size gets you a lot farther in the NFL than it does in the NBA
I think there are quite a few NBA players who, if they either focused on football in college OR if they were given a year or two to bulk up and study, could play in the NFL. I don't think there are many, if any who can do the inverse though.

Generally, athletic freaks will pick basketball over football 10 times out of 10. More money, longer careers on average, less of a toll on the body. If they aren't good enough for basketball, then they'll try football.

[The Explorer]

Depends on the position. dLine or OLine NBA players would have no chance. You may have some TE candidates and some WR candidates. I don't think there would be many SS or FS candidates as those would be hard hitters. CB and special teams I would think would be the most translatable positions for NBA players.