• Since we moved our URL please clear your browsers history and cookies and try logging in again. Thank you and sorry for any inconvenience
  • Since we moved our URL please clear your browsers history and cookies and try logging in again. Thank you and sorry for any inconvenience

All Time NBA Role Players Starting Five

  • Thread starter Thread starter Saskibaloia2
  • Start date Start date
S

Saskibaloia2

Guest
If you had to select five role players to start for your unit, who would they be?

Here's my choice:

Guard: CARLOS ARROYO (Puerto Rico) - always adding that Latino flair to the game

Guard: TONI KUKOC (Croatia) - the Croatian Sensation

Forward: DAVID LEE (USA) - a pure hard worker

Forward: LUIS SCOLA (Argentina) - the ultimate team player

Centre: CHARLES "BO" OUTLAW (USA) - a 6'8" shot blocker ... NOW THAT'S GOLD!!!
 
I would just like to say kudos for starting this thread!

I'll think it over and post my choices... There are many, many options ;)
 
PG- Steve Kerr: Great shooter, Clutch, with a C
SG- John Havlicek: Great defense, and could score
SF- Detlef Schrempf: won 2 Sixth Man Awards
PF- David Lee: such a great talent off the bench, shouls start and play more
C - John Salley: need a little bit of blocking and some intensity
 
Good discussion. :D

In my opinion, a role player is a player on a championship-level/deep play-off team who isn't the big star. Someone who does just a few things very well. Players like Havlicek and Kukoc were simply too multi-talented to be considered "role players" under my definition. So:

PG: Mario Elie
SG: Steve Kerr
SF: Bruce Bowen
PF: Robert Horry
C: Luc Longley
 
stuart said:
JWill? Is that really you?

Stuart
Click to expand...

It's really me, stu. Been around for a couple of days now ;)

Now, for my choices... I am sure I have forgotten of someone. My choices are, admittedly, mostly players that are still active.

PG: Mario Elie
SG: James Posey
SF: Bruce Bowen
PF: Udonis Haslem
C: Rasho Nesterovic

I may be a little bit biased with my choice for the center, but he deserves the spot because he is still one of the most underrated players in the league. He is a very good defender with good fundamentals and many people do not recognize his value on the court. Just look at this year's Raptors defense. Peh.
 
mvblair said:
Good discussion. :D

In my opinion, a role player is a player on a championship-level/deep play-off team who isn't the big star. Someone who does just a few things very well. Players like Havlicek and Kukoc were simply too multi-talented to be considered "role players" under my definition.
Click to expand...
I guess its more or less how you define role-players. I tried to pick role players from ones who didnt start regularly (although then that includes Manu) and made a big impact on the floor.
1. Havlicek, I can agree was multi-talented but was a defensive beast as his role and came off the bench.
2. Kukoc- I think he was more of a shooter than anything. He was put in to make shots from deep.

But again, its all based on how you see a role player.
 
usausa said:
I guess its more or less how you define role-players. I tried to pick role players from ones who didnt start regularly (although then that includes Manu) and made a big impact on the floor.
1. Havlicek, I can agree was multi-talented but was a defensive beast as his role and came off the bench.
2. Kukoc- I think he was more of a shooter than anything. He was put in to make shots from deep.

But again, its all based on how you see a role player.
Click to expand...
Yes. Now, if we're looking at your definition, Kukoc and Havlicek, along with Bill Walton and maybe Schrempf, would be on my Role Player team.
 
PG Ron Harper (while playing for Bulls)
SG Steve Kerr
SF Bruce Bowen
PF Dennis Rodman
C Ben Wallace

P.S. Can we consider players like Wes Unseld and Dave DeBusschere as role-players, cause they were mainly the defense-specialists? Or even Bill Russel? I mean, they were great players, but talent-limited... Neither one of them was classy offensive player... But by my logic, even players like Reggie Miller can be considered a role players... They have one or two really dominant areas, and are average in everything else...
 
I couldn't come up with a Top 5 since there are so many players that come to my mind concerning this (I'm listing the role players that I remember had the most impact on their teams)
(Alot of them used to play for the Suns :) )

(I also tried not to select previous names that were mentioned to have a more diversified variety :D)

PG Darell Armstrong
PG Kevin Johnson
PG Leandro Barbosa
SG Manu Ginobli (can't u consider him as on of the best role players ever coming off the bench)
SG John Starks
SG Aaron McKie
SG Joe Johnson (When he was with the Suns)
SF Antawn Jamison (Before he became a starter with the Wizards)
SF Corliss Williamson
SF Boris Diaw (When he was with the Suns)
SF Hedo Turkoglu
SF Jalen Rose
PF Clifford Robinson
PF Rodney Rogers
PF Danny Manning
PF Zach Randolph (When playing for the Blazers)
C Rasho Nesterovic (When playing for the Spurs)
C Dikembe Mutombo (later on in his career most notably with the Rockets)
C Rony Seikaly (I'm adding him not cuz he's Lebanese but due to his added value to the Heat and Magic)
 
Last edited:
Beva said:
PG Ron Harper (while playing for Bulls)
SG Steve Kerr
SF Bruce Bowen
PF Dennis Rodman
C Ben Wallace
Click to expand...
That's a pretty good starting five right there! Maybe they're a little short, but man, that team could defend anybody!
P.S. Can we consider players like Wes Unseld and Dave DeBusschere as role-players, cause they were mainly the defense-specialists? Or even Bill Russel? I mean, they were great players, but talent-limited... Neither one of them was classy offensive player... But by my logic, even players like Reggie Miller can be considered a role players... They have one or two really dominant areas, and are average in everything else...
Click to expand...
Could those players be considered role-players? Well, yes and no. Again, it depends on the definition. Miller, Russel, DeBusschere, Kukoc, Schrempf, Havlicek, and so forth, were legitimate stars in the NBA, even though they couldn't do a whole lot. Miller could just shoot the ball. But Miller shot the ball so well that he took his teams to the brink of championships. For me, that doesn't qualify as a role-player. Again, it depends on the definition, like you said.
 
mvblair said:
Could those players be considered role-players? Well, yes and no. Again, it depends on the definition. Miller, Russel, DeBusschere, Kukoc, Schrempf, Havlicek, and so forth, were legitimate stars in the NBA, even though they couldn't do a whole lot. Miller could just shoot the ball. But Miller shot the ball so well that he took his teams to the brink of championships. For me, that doesn't qualify as a role-player. Again, it depends on the definition, like you said.
Click to expand...

Well, Kukoč could do anything except to defend someone :) But he could shoot, he could assist, rebound... It's not because I'm Croatian, but Kukoč is only player in NBA that, along with Magic Johnson, played in all five positions... So I don't see him as an role player... Maybe the old Kukoč from Bucks... Miller was only a shooter... Great, great shooter, especially in Play-Off time, but he was kind of one-dimensional... Something like Stojaković is today... Wes Unseld was a terrific rebounder, but mediocre in offense... And Bill Russel was a defensive beast, the greatest winner in NBA but not so dominant in offense... But OK, he surely was not an role player by any means...

For me, role players are not players that come from the bench... Ginobili isn't a role player... Role players are, like their name says, players which have one or two roles in their teams, and they play it perfectly... Take Dennis Rodman for example... Excellent rebounder, but he couldn't do much in offense... And yet, his role was so important for Bulls... Every team needs a specialist to get the dirty job done... Team made of stars only will hardly succeed... The Bulls are great example of that, everyone knows what's his job and then plays it to perfection... As simple as that...
 
usausa said:
2. Kukoc- I think he was more of a shooter than anything. He was put in to make shots from deep.
Click to expand...
Just like Beva said, Kukoč was an all-around player, one of the best ever to be born in Europe.
 
Beva said:
PG Ron Harper (while playing for Bulls)
SG Steve Kerr
SF Bruce Bowen
PF Dennis Rodman
C Ben Wallace
Click to expand...

Yeah this is a good list. I might switch Derek Fisher for Ron Harper just to be more current.
 
I'd take the whole 1999-2000 Orlando Magic team but here's another list:

PG - Avery Johnson
SG - Dell Curry
SF - James Posey
PF - Shane Battier
C - Charles Oakley
 
Guards: Joe Dumars, Hersey Hawkins
Forwards: Cliff Robinsson, Shane Battier
Center: Kevin Duckworth

Id also like to mention Darrell Armstrong, Voshon Lenard, Aaron McKie, Rodney Rogers, Danny Manning and Brad Daugherty.

Hmmm, just realized that half of the players Khalid mentioned is on my list as well. Funny thing is though, that a fair amount of the other players he mentions is on my other list. The list of least liked that is.

Here is a link to a very good article by NY Times regarding Shane Battier:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/magazine/15Battier-t.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

I am glad someone recognizes the role and importance that Battier plays. I remember having a conversation on the forum, during the WC in Japan, about the impact and the necessity of a player, like Shane, to make a team play efficient basketball, especially under FIBA rules.
 
Billy said:
Guards: Joe Dumars, Hersey Hawkins
Forwards: Cliff Robinsson, Shane Battier
Center: Kevin Duckworth
Click to expand...
Robinson is a wonderful pick. So is Danny Manning.
I am glad someone recognizes the role and importance that Battier plays. I remember having a conversation on the forum, during the WC in Japan, about the impact and the necessity of a player, like Shane, to make a team play efficient basketball, especially under FIBA rules.
Click to expand...
Yes, I remember you commenting on that. I agree that Battier is a wonderful player on any team. He's smart, scrappy, and, as you said, extremely efficient.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top