Brittney Griner in the NBA? Nice thought, but no

Dallas Mavericks' owner Mark Cuban loves to stir things up, and he sure did that this week when he said he would consider giving Baylor women's star Brittney Griner a chance to make the Mavs.

Cuban is a smart guy, always looking to market his team and his league and open it up to new fans. I think this is mostly a marketing stunt, and he is just dipping his toes in the "Griner in the NBA" waters to see how it is received before he really moves forward with this. I don't think he or any other NBA person thinks Griner could make it in the NBA.

Could Griner make an NBA team? I say no way.
But, if an NBA team wants to let her try, go for it.

I certainly can't see her playing in that league. Does that make me a sexist? To some, maybe. I prefer to think of myself as a realist.

First, let's clarify how we answer "can she play?"

Could Brittney Griner make a small contribution? Maybe. Could she go around a screen, catch the ball with a little space and make a layup? Of course she could. There are several players in the WNBA who could do that: go into an NBA game, execute one play (drawn up for her) and make a wide open shot.

That's not what I'm talking about, though, when I ask "can she play?"

I'm not talking about executing one play and getting a basket. I'm talking about the next play, and the next one, and the next one. Could she defend? Could she take over a game? Could she get to a point where an NBA team says, "we could not have won this game without Brittney?" I say absolutely not.

I'm not knocking Griner's ability to play the game. I'm just calling for a little more respect for the guys who are in the NBA and for those in the D-League and college who are trying to make it. Griner is the most dominant women's player I've ever seen, but she would be in for a rude awakening if she took the floor against NBA players.

Think of the last player on the bench on any given NBA team. That guy was a star at his college, likely an all-conference player if not an All-American. He just can't crack an NBA lineup because there are more talented former college All-Americans ahead of him. That guy, though, is on the roster because his NBA team thinks he could be a contributor eventually and because he helps the team in practice. There are dozens more just like him in the D-League begging for a shot. Plus, there are hundreds more in college and overseas that are entering the 2013 NBA Draft. They all have more NBA potential than Griner.

Let's talk a little more logistics about Brittney Griner on an NBA roster: what would her position be? At 6'8", she is obviously a center in the women's game and a dominant one. She's not playing center in the NBA at 6'8". I think even playing power forward would be a stretch, because she's obviously thin compared to a 6'8" NBA player. She would have trouble fighting for space down low. The shot-blocking and rebounding that make her a great women's player would not even be a factor in the men's game.

So, does that mean you put her on the wing as a 3? Guys like LeBron James and Kevin Durant live out there. To be fair, I'll go a little farther down the NBA depth chart at the 3: guys like Gerald Wallace, Rudy Gay, and Kawhi Leonard live out there, too. Griner is not quick enough to guard those guys or create her own shot against them. Sorry. She just isn't.

UConn women's coach Geno Auriemma agrees with me. He called the idea of Griner in the NBA "absolutely ludicrous." It's not a knock on Griner, but if you want to put her up against the best athletes in the world, she simply isn't going to be half as great as she is playing against other women.

Now, back to my earlier point: Cuban is about marketing, and he's pretty open-minded. Would letting Griner take the floor for 10 minutes in a summer league game be a travesty? Probably not. She would sell tickets. People would watch out of curiosity. She'd probably have a tough time, and then say thanks for the opportunity and get ready to play in the WNBA. Let's be honest, that's where she will truly become a star and become the most marketable.

You'll notice Cuban chose his words carefully: "invite her to try out," not "sign her." He said "if she's the best player on the board," he would draft her. She will never be the best player on the board of a two-round NBA Draft.

If Griner doesn't mind being the center of a marketing ploy to sell summer league tickets and wants to see exactly how good NBA players are, go for it. After the tickets are sold and Griner sees exactly where she stands, she'll go to a league that needs her way more the NBA summer league: the WNBA.