I got to go to the Suns practice facility when I lived in Phoenix. On the wall the had what amounted to a tape measure for guys to measure wingspan. There was a silhouette of Marion on it, showing his height of 6’7”, and his arms that reached right at 7’. I was 6’8” at the time, and I’ve always been just a shade over 6’9” on my reach. That’s a 5 inch swing on Marion’s reach from what people usually are.
Guys with long arms like Marion, and like Roby just mess with your game, and that makes you adjust nearly everything; how you protect the ball dribbling, how you pass, how you rebound, the way you shoot, even where you shoot from. It’s just a pain! And someone like Roby who jumps so quick can humble you in a very public manner. When he sends your shot back at you, in a motion that looks like Lauren Stivrins spiking from a slide attack, you kind of decide to pass the ball the rest of the game.
If Roby played 5-10 years ago, he’d own the defensive end, and rarely be in foul trouble. The way they officiate, bailing out the offense and allowing them to initiate contact hurts a guy like Roby. Guys know he’s going to get their shot, so they just throw themselves into him, which puts him on the bench too much.
