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[Yoki_IsTheName]

I need some help.

I'm surveying the top 5 role players that every team should have. I'm doing this for a blog that I would like to write and I'm using this idea as my very first topic for it.

I would like your feedback and ideas if it's alright. I'm looking for the top 5 role players. Role players that do a certain thing on the floor, like defense or scoring or rebounding, and elevate his team to success by doing the said role.

Players who, although are only specializing in one or two things, are still a very important part of the team and could not win without them.

Here an example. My top 5 role players.

Jamal Crawford - obviously his scoring is a huge lift for the Clips. His ability to create shots is on an elite level, and he's coming off the bench.

Avery Bradley - his perimeter defense sets the tone for the Celtics overall defense. His on ball pressure is also elite, and it also helps prevent dribble penetration and easy layups for opponent guards

Larry Sanders - while he's not a go to scoring option, his rebounding and shot blocking creates a ton of possessions for the Bucks.

Kenneth Faried - also like Sanders, he creates a lot of possessions for the Nuggets with his rebounding, especially offensively where he gets 4 OR a game. And add his energy all around the court. The Manimal helps Denver to be one of the better teams in the West even without scoring.

Tony Allen - Another very good on ball defender, prevents easy dribble penetration and easy shots.


Who are yours?
 
Thanks for your help.

[PhoSita]

JJ Redick / Kyle Korver / Shane Battier / Ray Allen / Wayne Ellington etc.

Designated shooter; guy who can come in and hit a three (spot up or off a screen) regardless of how many minutes they've played, or how many shots they've missed (or how many shots they have or haven't taken).

[Yoki_IsTheName]

JJ Redick / Kyle Korver / Shane Battier / Ray Allen / Wayne Ellington etc.

Designated shooter; guy who can come in and hit a three (spot up or off a screen) regardless of how many minutes they've played, or how many shots they've missed (or how many shots they have or haven't taken).

Very, very helpful. Thanks

I really wanted to put Redick, but I though Tony Allen's defense lifts up Memphis to elite status more than Redick's all around play to the Magic.

Very helpful list nonetheless. Thank you. You just gave me an idea for the next write up. You don't mind if I use that "designated shooter" as my title right?

[PhoSita]

JJ Redick / Kyle Korver / Shane Battier / Ray Allen / Wayne Ellington etc.

Designated shooter; guy who can come in and hit a three (spot up or off a screen) regardless of how many minutes they've played, or how many shots they've missed (or how many shots they have or haven't taken).

Very, very helpful. Thanks

I really wanted to put Redick, but I though Tony Allen's defense lifts up Memphis to elite status more than Redick's all around play to the Magic.

Very helpful list nonetheless. Thank you. You just gave me an idea for the next write up. You don't mind if I use that "designated shooter" as my title right?

Go for it.

[Who]

I'll go by position.

Center -- someone who can play quality man-to-man defense, provide rim protection and play quality team defense and give his team adequate rebounding. Someone like Ezeli on the Warriors.

Power forward -- defense, rebounding and midrange jump-shot. Like Udonis Haslem at his peak. I'm not sure there is really anyone who does all three of these right now. Tyrus Thomas can when healthy and focused. Taj Gibson's jumper is a little sketchy. Haslem has dropped off. Kenyon Martin has a sketchy jumper too.

Wings -- "3 and D" types. Guys who can spread the floor and man up defensively. Two way players. Battier is still one of the best in the league at the SF position. Wes Matthews is very good at the SG position.

Point guards -- lots of different types from big burly guards like Jarrett Jack to solid decision making floor generals like Luke Ridnour to dribble penetration with scorer / playmakers like JJ Barea.

[IndeedProceed]

I had this whole thing written up, but Who nailed it.

[PhoSita]

I'll go by position.

Center -- someone who can play quality man-to-man defense, provide rim protection and play quality team defense and give his team adequate rebounding. Someone like Ezeli on the Warriors.

Power forward -- defense, rebounding and midrange jump-shot. Like Udonis Haslem at his peak. I'm not sure there is really anyone who does all three of these right now. Tyrus Thomas can when healthy and focused. Taj Gibson's jumper is a little sketchy. Haslem has dropped off. Kenyon Martin has a sketchy jumper too.

Wings -- "3 and D" types. Guys who can spread the floor and man up defensively. Two way players. Battier is still one of the best in the league at the SF position. Wes Matthews is very good at the SG position.

Point guards -- lots of different types from big burly guards like Jarrett Jack to solid decision making floor generals like Luke Ridnour to dribble penetration with scorer / playmakers like JJ Barea.

Defense, rebounding, and mid-range jumpshot . . . sounds like our own Jared Sullinger is quickly making a case for himself as, at the very least, that sort of role player. 

But I agree with IP, very good write-up.

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

I guess you already pretty much said

"Energy Guy"

These guys do other things really well but it's b/c of their high energy that they do these things so well.

Like AB said, defense is all about effort!

AB
Faried
Battier
Big Baby (when he wants to)
Hansbrough
Verajao

There are a lot of these guys who are crucial to their teams. These guys may not be superstars but they will out hustle the best players... make you want to punch them in the face! They will embarrass their teammates into giving more of themselves/more effort (Celtics w/ AB)! Their energy is so infectious!

[mgent]

Almost 33, Crawford isn't really creating shots at an "elite" level.  For the past 3 years his scoring is down to 14.5 a game on 41% shooting (career average) and 33% 3pt shooting.  Simply put, there are players in the league that can better do what he does, and he's looking at an even sharper decline very soon when he starts to lose his speed.

[PhoSita]

I was thinking that perhaps there should be another category of role player -- "X Factor."  This can be a number of different types of players at different positions, but basically it's a player, perhaps on the bench, perhaps in the starting lineup, who is versatile and creates mismatches.  This is a player who allows you to switch lineups and totally catch the opponent off-guard at times.  Their presence on the floor fundamentally changes the way both teams play, putting the opponent at a disadvantage.

Best examples I can think of are Shawn Marion and Lamar Odom.  Shane Battier does a little bit of this with the Heat too given his ability to play at the 4.  Matt Bonner might do this a little bit for the Spurs with his ability to stretch the floor at either big position.  Posey did this a bit for the Celtics back in '08.  You could say that Eric Bledsoe has an element of this for the Clips (coming in to play next to CP3 giving them a dual-ballhandler look).  Avery Bradley has this effect to some degree because his incredibly intense pressure on the ball-handler changes the game and gets the whole team more involved defensively.

This is probably what the Celtics hope Jeff Green can become someday.  Not a big-time bench scorer, but a guy who changes the way the team plays when he comes in and can exploit the opponent's defense in a variety of ways depending on which position he plays (SG, SF, PF).

[pearljammer10]

Even to a lesser extent, a guy like Bonner is a guy every team loves to have as a role player as well. Could have 3 straight DNP's then come in for ten minutes in the 4th game and go 2 for 3 from the three point line with hustle and bodying up on defense.

Not the ideal candidate but nice to have.

[PhoSita]

Even to a lesser extent, a guy like Bonner is a guy every team loves to have as a role player as well. Could have 3 straight DNP's then come in for ten minutes in the 4th game and go 2 for 3 from the three point line with hustle and bodying up on defense.

Not the ideal candidate but nice to have.

Yeah, he's one of those "designated shooters" I was talking about, but because he plays at the center position he also has an even bigger effect on the way both teams play. 

A stretch big is a huge asset for any team to have.  There's a good reason most teams put up WAY more points per 48 minutes with a stretch big on the floor.

[StartOrien]

Guy who overreacts to dunks

[LooseCannon]

I'm surveying the top 5 role players that every team should have. I'm doing this for a blog that I would like to write and I'm using this idea as my very first topic for it.

Bleacher Report?

[xmuscularghandix]

Guy who overreacts to dunks

Love those guys. The 12th-15th man on the roster who 50% of the fans don't know his name, but is constantly standing and cheering for his teammates through the good times and bad. It'd so much better for the team if the inactive guys are NBA vets who know how to continue being professional as opposed to the young guys who pout in the corner and sulk about not getting time.

Leandro Barbosa is that guy right now, but you could also say that he can, at times, give that Sean Marion, Matt Bonner time of role. He can have 3 DNP's in a row then come in for 15 minutes in a route and turn the game around.