DO SHORTER ARMS INFLUENCE SHOOTING FORM

Hostorically, players with shorter wingspans compared to their height have an easier time shooting the ball

The NBA is known for the height and athleticism of their players as the rim is 3 meters tall, so being of a certain height and jumping high is a necessity. The average height of an NBA player is 198.6 cm tall, but not all players can jump as high or have a height advantage as more and more players under 198 cm play in the league. There have always been undersized players, most notably Allen Iversen, Muggsy Bogues and Steph Curry who took their small stature to their advantage.
Like taller players having a height advantage over certain players, being a short basketball player also has its advantages. Shorter players usually run faster, are more mobile, have better handles to dribble the ball, and of course can shoot the ball better and farther. Historically, shorter players shoot the ball more proficiently as their hand size and height are better to arc the ball from far away. All Star players like Damian Lillard and Donovan Mitchell know this fact, but additionally they can jump high enough with explosiveness that they can dunk the ball.

The NBA on average has a positive ape index of +4, meaning the average player has a 4 inches (10 cm) wingspan longer than their height. Having long arms is great for defending and going to the rim, but comes at a disadvantage the farther you are from the rim. It can be seen back when the NBA didn't have a three point line that most players stayed under the basket as they had height and long arms on their side. As the league started implementing the three point line, more and more players started playing on the outer side of the court rather than under the hoop.

Additionally, it was noticed that players with a negative monkey index shot the ball more efficiently and further, usually these players would be of smaller stature. Some players currently in the league have shown this effect, here are some of these players; Kelly Olynyk, JJ Redick, Tyler Herro and Desmond, who all have a shorter wingspan compared to their height and can all shoot the ball efficiently. Kelly Olynyk for example is a sharp shooter, even though he's a big man at 213 cm tall, but the addition of short arms allowed him to become a shooter for his team.

Desmond Bane is currently averaging 40% from three at 195 cm tall with a 192 cm wingspan. On the other hand, Rajon Rondo who is noticeably smaller than Bane at 185 cm, has a 2 meter long wingspan, which makes him a liability from the 3 point line that is mainly due to his large wingspan and large set of hands.

Hand size also plays a strong role in a player's ability to shoot, much like Rajon Rondo, but on the other hand it makes it easier to palm the ball in their hands to drive to the basket and dunk the ball. In recent years Giannis Antetokounmpo was infamous for not shooting the ball often, and when he did he would often miss. Giannis' shooting was comparable to Shaq's, where free throws were a weak part of their game, largely due to their large stature, long wingspan, and large hands. More recently, Giannis worked on this part of his game and gained a shot in the 2021 season, leading the Bucks to a championship victory.

So shooting can be difficult for tall players with long wingspans and large hands, but it's always a part of the game that can be worked on. On the other hand, having a small stature as a basketball player means that working hard is often the only option. Steph Curry is a perfect example for this as he trained his 3 point shots and finding the open space to shoot the ball. Since then, Curry has been one of the best players in the league and still maintains that level of greatness to this day, even though most of his game consists of shooting.

For the most part having a tall and large stature has both been a disadvantage and an advantage since the addition of the 3 point line, as the same can be said about undersized players. Since the 1970s the average height decreased from 203 cm, to a more reasonable 198 cm, showing the effect of shooting in the league.