Every Team Needs Their Team Players
A team can’t solely exist of superstars, even if teams had the money for that to happen. You can’t have five James Harden’s, five Curry’s, five Westbrook’s or five Antetokounmpo’s on one team. That just wouldn’t work. Every team needs their players who don’t always need the ball in their hands to have a good game, play the hardest defense of everyone on the court, and aren’t opposed to coming off the bench.
Lou Williams is a great example of this kind of player. He could be a starter for half the teams in the league, but he feels in his place as the sixth man. It doesn’t matter how much he gets the ball, but if his team needs him, he can heat up in a second, and give his team exactly what they need. Of course, Williams isn’t the only one on the Clippers’ team that can play this role. Patrick Beverley is one of the hardest working, and most annoying, players on the defensive end and is able to get in about everyone’s mind. Though he normally isn’t a big threat on offense, if he gets going, as he did last Sunday (16 points, 4-5 3’s, 10 rebounds, 8 assists and 1 block, Beverley is a force to be reckoned with.
The reason why the Golden State Warriors are so successful is that they have a great combination of stars and role-players on their team. Of course, the team now has an All-Star starting five with Curry, Durant, Thompson, Green and Cousins, but that doesn’t make their players on the bench any less important. The team manages to assemble a strong bench every year, with players that might be past their prime, but can still play a key role on the team.
Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala are the living prove of that. Iguodala definitely got to get used to a different role with the Warrriors, as they got a new coach in Steve Kerr one year after he moved to the Bay Area. For the first 10 years of his career, Iguodala started every game he played, but Kerr moved him to the bench. Iguodala soon adapted to his new role, and even became the Finals MVP that year, the first player to do so without starting a single regular season game.
Marcus Smart and T.J. McConnell are not the most talented players on their teams, but they might’ve the best work ethic in the league. If they’re giving the opportunity, they’ll do whatever it takes. Especially McConnell knows he has to take every chance he gets, as he entered the league undrafted, was there at the lowest point of the Process, but also managed to record a triple double of the bench.
Marcus Smart doesn’t really seem to stand out on the court, but he’s definitely earned his $52 million contract with the Celtics. He’s a beast on defense, and isn’t afraid to confront his opponents. This year, he’s even starting to improve himself on the offensive end. Grayson Allen, the rookie for the Utah Jazz, has shown that he’s capable fulfilling this role during his time with Duke, so if he manages to get more minutes in the league, he might be able to do the same for the Jazz. Of course, there are many more hardworking, unselfish players, who might not be the most talented on their team that manage to play an important role for their team nevertheless.
