There are several NBA players that are in supporting roles across the League that aren’t getting the respect they deserve
Historically, the term “role player” has had a negative connotation around the NBA. Role players seem to be infamous for producing off the bench, therefore not making the contributions necessary to obtain a starting spot. That is no longer the future of the NBA.
In recent years, the league has transformed into teams who have some of their best players come off the bench to spark team chemistry and help build a fun atmosphere within their arena, hopefully leading to a win.
The question remains: What makes up a role player?
A role player in 2018 can be characterized in three categories:
- Play like an All-Star and/or a G-League player on any given night, therefore giving them an inconsistent stat line from game to game that confuses the masses.
- They need to be a team favorite from a morale basis that most players can rely on throughout the duration of a season, in a starting role or off the bench.
- Grit. They need to be extremely aggressive on both sides of the court and to fight for a ball that is obviously bouncing out-of-bounds.
There are several teams who have role players with these characteristics in starting lineups and off the bench. Specifically, the winning teams (top 8 seeds) in the NBA have a substantial amount of these players, and that is not a coincidence.
There is a correlation of great role players in the league being on playoff teams, but who are the best of these role players?