What The Vertical Jump Tells Us About Players

Every spring at the NBA combine, the vertical jump leaderboard grabs headlines. Players’ names are paired with their jump heights as if the single number could forecast their careers. When scrolling through highlight reels and sneaker commercials, they seem to feed the myth: “the higher the jump, the better the player”. Players, parents, scouts, and even coaches get caught up in asking about how high they can jump, as if that number alone can tell us who will succeed in the game.

For basketball coaches and scouts, it’s tempting to think that a 40 inch jump means a player is bound for greatness. But with experience comes the realization that the vertical jump (VJ) is useful, yes, but only once we understand what it measures, what it doesn’t, and how it should be used within a greater context.

What the Vertical Jump Actually Measures

At its core, what makes the VJ the gold-standard method for player comparison is its simplicity. It provides a quick snapshot of lower body power, since it requires the ability to generate force rapidly [Ramirez-Campillo et al., 2022]. This ability is necessary for many movements demanded by basketball: rebounding, blocking shots, and finishing at the rim, for example.

If you ask me whether the VJ is valuable, I would answer that it is, absolutely. Statistically, talented youth athletes have significantly higher jump heights than non-elite players [Han, 2023]. But alone, it doesn’t tell me much about the player’s movement efficiency such as whether they can land safely, decelerate, or cut laterally. It’s a good metric on paper, but basketball doesn’t just consist of controlled jumps in isolation.

What the Vertical Jump Doesn't Tell Us

The truth is that the VJ may not capture much of what separates good players from great ones. The VJ is a metric that exists in isolation. It doesn’t account for mental fatigue- two players with the same max VJ on paper may have different jump heights late in the game [Gonzalez, 2024]. It doesn’t tell me about the players’ movement efficiency, such as how well a player can land, decelerate, or change direction [Pechlivanos et al., 2024]. It certainly doesn’t represent the skill and decision-making of the player in a game, for example, a 40-inch mistimed jump will still lose a rebound to a well-positioned opponent. A high vertical jump shows potential for explosive power, but it doesn’t automatically translate into rebounds, contests, or rim protection without efficient movement and decision-making

This is where the obsession becomes misleading. When parents and players chase a number, they often do it at the expense of developing the skills that decide games.

Some great players that weren’t defined by their verticals:

• Luka Dončić: Not known for his huge vertical, but rather his pace control, vision, and timing.
• Nikola Jokić: Dominates games with skill, anticipation, and efficiency, while having a comparatively poor vertical.
• Paul Pierce: Succeeded with craft, footwork, and shot-making, not vertical ability.
  
  

A 40-inch vertical jump sounds impressive, but if a player mistimes their jump, they could still lose a rebound to a smarter, better-positioned athlete. Conversely, a 32-inch jumper with elite anticipation and timing could consistently out-rebound or contest shots effectively. For example, a Nature Neuroscience paper highlights the importance of anticipation in basketball success--the authors found that elite players are better at predicting the outcome of a shot by analyzing their opponents' body kinematics [Aglioti et al., 2008]. Basketball is a decision-making and timing sport, not just a raw power contest, so raw jump height without context can be misleading.

That being said, a 40-inch vertical never hurts--you can’t coach someone into a 40-inch vert. But VJ alone doesn’t guarantee on-court success; timing and positioning can be coached and often matter more for rebounding and contesting shots.

Countermovement Jump vs. Vertical Jump

In a high-performance environment, the Countermovement Jump (CMJ) is more effective than a standing vertical [Barker et al., 2018; Cabarkapa et al., 2024]. The CMJ involves a quick dip (eccentric phase) followed by an explosive upward jump (concentric phase) [Anicic et al., 2023].

CMJ testing with force plates/jump mats allows us to track:

•  Jump height (output)
• Peak power and Rate of Force development
• Eccentric/Concentric impulse
• Symmetry between legs

 CMJ data can be tied to game performance metrics (rebounds, contests, fast-break finishes), making it more practical than just raw vertical jump numbers [Barker, 2015; Suárez-Balsera, 2025]. Basketball involves repeated jumps, accelerations, and decelerations, and CMJ monitoring helps coaches ensure players are:

• Explosive (able to perform at their peak)
• Recovered (not carrying hidden fatigue)
• Balanced (reducing injury risk from asymmetries)

 Most importantly, CMJ gives us a larger picture of the player’s readiness and fatigue, not just explosiveness as with the VJ [Heishman et al., 2019]. When used during training, the CMJ can also serve as an indicator of overtraining, it’s not just a flashy number but a useful tool in health and development tracking.  

CMJ as a Fatigue Indicator:

• Acute fatigue: After heavy training or games, athletes often show lower jump height and slower force development.
• Chronic fatigue/overload: If jump metrics trend downward across days/weeks, it may signal insufficient recovery or overtraining.
• Monitoring tool: Many pro teams use CMJ testing multiple times per week (sometimes daily) to guide training load and recovery strategies.

Example: If an athlete’s CMJ height drops by >5–10% compared to baseline, coaches may adjust the day’s training.

With Sayer’s Peak Power equation, we can use the CMJ height and player’s body weight to estimate the peak lower body power, allowing us to quantify the player's progress or decline without needing extra equipment (such as force plates).

Why Should We Care About the Vertical Jump Obsession?

The role of the coach is to educate, motivate, and create an environment where athletes understand the “why” behind training decisions. Data, like the VJ or CMJ, become meaningful when translated to the game and the athlete’s development.

That’s where the obsession with the VJ can steer us wrong. A raw number is attractive because it’s easy to compare and brag about, but easy doesn’t always mean useful. The CMJ shows us that jumping can be a window into fatigue, readiness, and balance, but even then, it’s just one piece of a much larger performance puzzle.

At the end of the day, basketball is not about who can jump the highest once, but who can move well, adapt, and make the right decisions repeatedly under pressure. Coaches who lean too heavily on VJ numbers risk missing the bigger opportunity: teaching athletes to value movement quality, timing, and skill that actually decide possessions and, ultimately, games.

Coaches must resist the temptation to glorify the VJ in isolation. Jump height is just a measurable, comparable, flashy piece of the puzzle, but at the end of the day, it won’t tell us who the best players are. We have an opportunity- and challenge- to reframe the conversations around VJs, and chase movement quality, repeatability, and sustainable development.

Sources

Aglioti, Salvatore & Cesari, Paola & Romani, Michela & Urgesi, Cosimo. (2008). Action anticipation and motor resonance in elite basketball players. Nature neuroscience. 11. 1109-16. 10.1038/nn.2182.

Anicic, Z., Janicijevic, D., Knezevic, O. M., Garcia-Ramos, A., Petrovic, M. R., Cabarkapa, D., & Mirkov, D. M. (2023). Assessment of Countermovement Jump: What Should We Report?. Life (Basel, Switzerland), 13(1), 190. https://doi.org/10.3390/life13010190

Barker, L. A., Harry, J. R., & Mercer, J. A. (2018). Relationships Between Countermovement Jump Ground Reaction Forces and Jump Height, Reactive Strength Index, and Jump Time. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 32(1), 248–254. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000002160

Cabarkapa, D., Cabarkapa, D. V., Aleksic, J., Scott, A. A., & Fry, A. C. (2024). Relationship between vertical jump performance and playing time and efficiency in professional male basketball players. Frontiers in sports and active living, 6, 1399399. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2024.1399399

Ferioli, D., Bosio, A., Bilsborough, J. C., La Torre, A., Tornaghi, M., & Rampinini, E. (2018). The Preparation Period in Basketball: Training Load and Neuromuscular Adaptations. International journal of sports physiology and performance, 13(8), 991–999. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2017-0434

Gonzalez, M. P., Brown, D. M. Y., Swafford, I. M., Summerville, B., Seidi, M., Hajiaghamemar, M., & Dorgo, S. (2024). The Effects of Mental Fatigue on Anaerobic Power and Power Endurance Performance. Sports (Basel, Switzerland), 12(7), 192. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports12070192

Han, M., Gómez-Ruano, M. A., Calvo, A. L., & Calvo, J. L. (2023). Basketball talent identification: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the anthropometric, physiological and physical performance factors. Frontiers in sports and active living, 5, 1264872. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2023.1264872

Heishman, A., Brown, B., Daub, B., Miller, R., Freitas, E., & Bemben, M. (2019). The Influence of Countermovement Jump Protocol on Reactive Strength Index Modified and Flight Time: Contraction Time in Collegiate Basketball Players. Sports (Basel, Switzerland), 7(2), 37. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports7020037

Pechlivanos, R. G., Amiridis, I. G., Anastasiadis, N., Kannas, T., Sahinis, C., Duchateau, J., & Enoka, R. M. (2024). Effects of plyometric training techniques on vertical jump performance of basketball players. European journal of sport science, 24(6), 682–692. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsc.12097

Ramirez-Campillo, R., García-Hermoso, A., Moran, J., Chaabene, H., Negra, Y., & Scanlan, A. T. (2022). The effects of plyometric jump training on physical fitness attributes in basketball players: A meta-analysis. Journal of sport and health science,11(6), 656–670. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2020.12.005 

Suárez-Balsera, C., Ferioli, D., Marín-Cascales, E., Rago, V., Spyrou, K., Martínez-Serrano, A., Mauro, D. D., Marín, J. M., Alcaraz, P. E., & Freitas, T. T. (2025). Profiling the Countermovement Jump Characteristics of Basketball Players across Competitive Levels and Playing Positions. Journal of human kinetics, 96(Spec Issue), 83–95. https://doi.org/10.5114/jhk/196138

Walker, O. (2024, February 29). Countermovement Jump (CMJ). Retrieved August 22, 2025, from Science for Sport website: https://www.scienceforsport.com/countermovement-jump-cmj/#:~:text=The%20countermovement%20jump%20(CMJ)%20is%20primarily%20used%20to%20measure%20an,use%20of%20the%20arm%20swing.