1. Six Feet And Under: The Lightning Bug Era

It’s either a cosmic event, one big coincidence, or an inevitable consequence of the current NBA rules, but have you SEEN some of the guards that are playing these days?

That’s Earl Boykins for the Wizards and Will Bynum of the Pistons, and they typify this mini-revolution. You’ll note, both players are at eye level with Brendan Haywood’s waistband. Maybe it’s just because I’ve had the pleasure of watching Boykins in person, but doesn’t it seem like these little guards are becoming more and more effective in today’s NBA? Boykins provides a jolt of energy every time he steps on the court, and whatever he concedes on defense, he makes up for with energy and bounce on the other end. Same with Bynum.

While Rodney Stuckey continues to struggle taking up the mantle vacated by Chauncey Billups, the Pistons have looked to Bynum, their 5’10 firecracker, as the improbable catalyst for their offense. Detroit’s not a “good” team, of course, and let’s be honest: neither are the Wizards. But the fact remains, both Boykins and Bynum are playing key roles on NBA teams, and they’re fun as hell from a fan’s perspective. And Bynum, at least, looks like he could be a factor for years to come. It’s part of a trend in the league. Who are some other “super cute miniature standouts”? Let’s see:

Ty Lawson. Listed Height? 5’11. Actual? 5’10, but he’s coming at your neck and he will f’ing dunk on you, so fall back. Lawson’s been one of the most impressive rookies in the league so far. He goes 100 MPH at all times, he’s strong, and so far he’s been finishing better than he did at Carolina.

Jonny Flynn. Listed height? A laughable 6 feet. Actual? Probably 5’10. He’s averaging 13 ppg and looking mighty promising for David Kahn and the T’Wolves. He’s not the Great White Ricky Rubio, but he’s pretty damn good as a consolation prize.

Jameer Nelson. 5’10, Magic sparkplug, St. Joes. You know the story. But he’s also sort of a pioneer in this category, as he went a long way toward convincing teams that an undersized point guard could still be a starter.

Kyle Lowry. Listed at 6 feet, noted for being 5’10, bullish with the ball, and better than anyone realizes. When the Spurs or Rockets trade for someone, you can safely assume that player is very good. Has Rockets GM Daryl Morey reached that point? Yeah. Have you seen Chase Budinger?

Nate Robinson. Listed at a decently accurate 5’9, but only because his height has become a commodity. He’s also a former football player that might be one of the five toughest players in the league. Napolean Complex, to put it lightly.

Aaron Brooks. He’s not possibly 6 feet. I don’t believe it. Of all the ridiculous embellishments on this list, that one is actually amazing to me. Also notable for being probably the best player on this list, especially given Nelson’s injury issues.

Adorable.

And now seems like a good time to mention that Earl Boykins, the oldest player on this list, can bench press 315 pounds. Pretty remarkable considering, you know, he’s only 139, which is the size of say, a portly fifth grader.

(And while both Allen Iverson and Chris Paul are under 6 feet, they don’t count, because… well because they’re not human. Speaking of which…)