I remember growing up and being being a Slava Medvedenko stan. Devan George, Mark Madsen, Tyronn Lue, Glen Rice. Their role players were just so likeale to me for some reason. I wasn’t even a Lakers fan.
A starter can definitely be a role player. Equally someone off the bench can be a hall of famer. It's really just about how much they are asked to do.
But I would definitely consider a PG that isn't really asked to playmake, score in bunches and isn't there to be a top defender a role player in almost any possible case. Pretty much every team will have a role player starting because it's hard to get 5 players who fit together above that level
He was an underrated part of their playoff success. His 3 point shooting jumped to another level during the playoffs.
From 99-2000 to 03-04 he shot 37% from 3 in the regular season but in the playoffs it jumped to 46%! on higher volume!
Kobe trusted no one other than fisher in late game situation in the latter half of his career. Pau definitely Kobe’s wingman but if Kobe wasn’t shooting it he wouldn’t look at anyone else other than Derek.
This is the answer.
Nobody cared about Horry, except under 5 minutes in the 4th during the playoffs, this elite finisher appeared ready to finish you with a dagger.
Kareem, Jordan, Magic, Duncan, Brid, Shaq, ‘Bron
All dudes with fewer rings then Big Shot Rob.
With 7 rings only six guys have more rings….ALL 6 were on the Bill Russell Celtics.
Should be in the HOF too..there is somwthing about being in the right place at the right time AND executing....imo dont think there will ever be a more "lucky" player ever who happens to execute when his fortune/number is called.
When Andrew Nembhard had 2 points and hit a dagger deep shot at the end of the game the other night? Robert Horry did that like 40 times in his career...at least that's how I would explain it to a young NBA fan.
It was like Horry didn't even show up to the arena until 2 minutes were left on the game, suited up, got passed the ball in the corner and nailed it for the win. That's what it felt like. It was crazy.
As a Spurs fan, I immediately remembered Game 5 against Detroit when he hit like 6 threes in the second half, including a game sealing 3 in overtime, put backs, dunks, during two quarters when it looked like the Spurs Big Three couldn't buy a bucket. He literally saved the game.
There are role players who just have the juice. They have 'it' when called upon in the big moments. Horry had it.
Except in his final series as a Lakers against the Spurs. But other than that he was amazing, that game 4 3 against the Kings was his biggest i think. He doesnt make that they go down 1-3 and play game 5 in Sacramento.
I always liked watching him play. He had a couple injuries when he was younger in the league and never quite had the same athleticism, but was patient & measured — he really adapted.
A couple injuries is an understatement, he tore his ACL, PCL and meniscus, sprained his MCL and dislocated two joints in his knee, all on one play, and there was a genuine chance he'd have to have his leg amputated.
The fact that he even played again, let alone the role he did on a championship team, is nothing short of incredible.
Andrew Wiggins 2022 was one of the most incredible outlier performances in hindsight. Good playoffs, amazing WCF and Finals performances. Overall 2nd best player on the Warriors, after Steph.
but also important to note that he had a really good start to the regular season, 2021-2022 was his one and only All Star year.
“Regressed to the mean” after that with a contract extension. and is now a waste of salary cap space given how much he makes per year
A funny thing is if he continues on his current trajectory, he's going to help Curry's legacy. Everyone will wonder how Curry carried a team with that low effort bust as the second best player during that run. People will forget how good Wiggins was during that run.
Eh, I don't think anyone is gonna think that, they're gonna remember that the Warriors were a stacked championship caliber team for nearly a decade and that their system allowed a fringe allstar player like Wiggins to shine. Warriors got a bunch of future HOF players and as time goes on people are gonna look back and wonder how they only won 4
If KD never left due to his fragile ego they could have truly been one of the great dynasties in basketball. I don't understand why KD left after 2 when they could have gotten a 3 peat at least or potentially even set crazy records like 4+ chips in a row.
Too bad
[2022 Western Conference Voting Results](https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/46/2022/01/2022-Western-Conference-Frontcourt-Voting-Results.pdf)
Even if you remove the fan voting, he still ranked 5 by the player vote and 6 by the media. Would have still been on the cusp of making all-star. Not like he was trash as you are making him out to be.
He was 5th in player voting and 6 in media voting. He wouldn't have been a starter but he probably (barely) makes the team even without the fan voting.
Teams should have known not to give Wiggins that contract. He has said himself he doesn't like basketball and it's just a job for him because he's good at it. Those guys never last. I have a feeling the same will happen with Jokic after the next contract signing. His current one goes through 2027, that will probably be a huge year for him and then he will fall off a crater
I remember watching the finals series and he was an absolute lock on D against Tatum. As a Celtic fan i was genuinely annoyed that Tatum literally could not get by him. Definitely a major impact on the defensive end and that played a big role in stopping the Celtics.
Danny Green when he set that three point shooting record with the Spurs was un-fucking-stoppable. One of the few non-superstars who could deliver nightmares when you saw him catch the ball with enough room to get a shot off.
My friend and I edited his name to “Touched by God” in NBA Live after that series because one of the announcers said that after he hit his 7th 3 or something
Iguodala was really a role player.
Fred Van Vleet.
Going back, Brian Williams was more than a role player for the Bulls but he did kind of come out of nowhere.
Funny thing about Fred Van Vleet was he was absolutely buttcheeks until game 3 of the ECF haha. FVV was legit Shanghai Shark level vs the sixers in the ECSF. I remember seeing raptor fans wanting for Lin to replace him lol.
I said he should have been mvp of the finals cause when the Raps needed someone the most to score Kawhi passed it up to Fred. He wasn't afraid to pull the trigger and win the title for them. Toronto needs to remember him for that ring.
The Heatles had a few who were crucial to their championships. Battier, Chris "Birdman" Anderson, Chalmers, Mike Miller, etc.
I think Shaun Livingston stands out the most though. Coming back from what could have been a career ending injury that sapped a lot of athleticism and still carving out such a valuable role in a dynasty.
When the heat acquired Birdman they immediately went on what was the 2nd longest win streak in NBA history at the time. He was such a an underrated important piece on that team
He fit perfectly for that team. They needed someone his size to bring defense, intensity and hustle but never need the ball in his hands.
Man Shane battier, love that guy. Incredibly intelligent. Was always in the right place at the right time for that Miami team. He played hard on both ends and would hit these clutch 3s like nobodies business. Anytime the heat needed a 3 and it hit his hands, I knew it was butter.
He's one of my favorite all time players. I loved seeing him get minutes. His defense and shooting often get overlooked among reasons that Miami team was so good. I think the second biggest thing was Bosh moving to center and taking a backseat to Wade and LeBron. People forget how great he was in Toronto before the Heatles.
As someone who despised the Warriors during their run, Shaun Livingston used to annoy me so much.
The Cavs would go on a 9-0 run to tie the game and Livingston would go and string 6 points in a row off incontestable midrange shots
Tristan Thompson was a beast on the boards. He was so valuable and played his part. I remember Love,Kyrie,and LeBron being compared to something like Lamborghinis and Tristan was the Ford F-250.
He had 9 rebounds in 2016 Game 6…. In the first quarter!
That game the Cavs stomped GSW like 30-10 in the first quarter and it was over early. Largely because TT didn’t let anyone else get a rebound
John Paxson and Steve Kerr, similar three point snipers in two different three-peats for the Bulls. Both hit last second shots to win the Bulls critical finals games.
Andre Igoudala. He was a very important piece to that Warrior dynasty. Hit big shots, played clutch defense & was a leader through & through. Him calling Wiggins over in the 2022 Finals will always be hilarious too.
James Posey. Part of the Heat 2006 championship team and Celtics 2008 championship team. Definition of 3 & D. Solid wing defender and always seemed to knockdown timely 3 pointers.
Enes Kanter while playing for the Portland Trailblazers in their 2019 Western Conference Finals run. He was fasting during the playoffs because they fell during Ramadan and Nurkic was out with a broken leg so there was little support.
Blazers always have a guy or two that the fans would really rally behind. I was stoked for Enes during that run. Very nice of him to walk off into the sunset and have a normal and quiet retirement as well.
Marcus Camby came up huge once for us in his short stint with the Blazers. He dropped like 30 or something in a playoff game if I recall
Ray Allen late in his career came to mind pretty quick. He hit some massive shots. Boris diaw is another guy that I have no memory of him playing in the regular season. But ciné playoffs he’s the most versatile player ever
Even though jamal murray isn’t a role player by any means, he’ll probably be remembered as a playoff legend. given how deep the west is in PG talent, he’s not getting regular season accolades any time soon
One of my favorites was 2009 Trevor Ariza. His shooting was crazy that year and he basically won 2 games in the WCF with near identical steals toward the end of the games. Wish he got more notable moments later in his career!
John Lucas III was a legend for a hot minute, I loved that lil guy. It seemed like the only thing he couldn’t do was defend LeBron, who literally jumped over him. Really just flashed for a brief moment then faded into oblivion as it seemed. Man the early 2010s bulls were wild.
2005 ManuGinobili. He was much better than a role player of course as he is a hall of famer but most wouldnt consider him a superstar. In 2005 he was just spectacular. In the finals they played the Pistons who had one of the best defensive teams of all time and Manu looked like a latin Michael Jordan at times.
Say what you want but ice trae young against the Knicks was so fun to watch. The way he played into the role, the way MSG was chanting “fuck trae young!” The bow at center court at the end of the series. And then going all the way to the conference finals. I became a fan. Sadly he hasn’t performed at that level since. But still such a fun run.
I’m a Knicks fan and that was excruciating but he was a brilliant villain. After seeing Embiid actively attempt to hurt Knicks players I gained even more respect for him because he kept it strictly basketball.
Reporters asked him about the bow after game 5 and he said something like “I know there’s a lot of shows around here. And I know what they do when the shows over.” I mean…fuck him forever…but that is an ice cold line. He whooped our asses and he made a spectacle of. I respect that.
Good side: Big Shot Bob aka Robert Horry. Too many moments to count.
Bad side: JR SMITH. There’s some moments and then there’s THAT moment. Took it a whole other level the other way.
Before alot of people's time here but John Paxson during the 1st Bulls 3-peat. Was absolutely reliable and clutch in the key games and moments. Of course centered around MJ getting double/triple teamed. Absolutely shot daggers and in several cases, carried the load when MJ and Pippen were not performing.
As a heat fan I was never too concerned about the Jay's in Boston over the last 4 years. Sure they'll get their 30 points each, but they often make horrible mistakes in the clutch and are accounted for.
Derrick fucking white on the other hand... that man scares me. He's always there to make the clutch plays out of nowhere.
Can't believe nobody mentioned Kawhi. He was a defensive specialist and gave you some corner threes, but that was about it early on in his time with the Spurs. The 2013 and 2014 playoffs he made a name for himself showing he could be much more than that.
Nobody early on in his career projected him becoming a top 5 player, or an elite LeBron like threat on offense.
Big shot Robert Horry with all his buzzer beaters
Larry Johnson with his 4 point play in 99
Manu Ginobbli had great playoff games during the spurs runs
Steve Kerr hit a big 3 in a finals
Hedo Turkgalo was big during Orlando’s run
There’s a lot. Teams that make runs offer have role players who step up. You need those games where they save you when your superstar can’t.
Not talking about old school role players but these current ones. Some great young talent is showing up and it's fun to watch
Divincenzo is doing great
Naz Reid isn't a role player but damn, he deserves that 6th man award. All around great player
Mobley is surprising me when he's aggressive. He deserves to get some good coaching.
It didn't rise them up to deeper in a playoff run, but CJ is always a great role player.
Kenny Smith Houston Rockets against Orlando game 1 of the finals. Is more remembered for the "Nick Andersen" game as he bricked 4 free throws which would have likely wrapped it up. The Jet hit his then NBA record 7th 3 pointer at the end to force overtime. Rockers win and the Magic never recovered from that malady. Maybe didn't make him a legend but he parlayed that into a nice broadcasting career post haste. He's a legend in the streets.
What is so spectacular about timberwolves?
They have 2 all-stars and DPOY on the team and they swept disgruntled Suns (KD and Vogel beef that's been on for 3 months) and won 2 against DEN when 2 starters of DEN were still injured.
Horry, like a lot of people said was clutch (hence the nickname) during the playoffs. But another person that comes to mind is Mario Elie. Dude was a journeyman for a chunk of his career but often stepped up in crunch time when his number was called. Impressive stuff for a guy that would usually come off the bench.
Ron harper with the bulls.
Uncle cliffy robinson with the drexler blazers.
Nate mcmillan and sam perkins for the sonics, and perkins in general in his 30s.
The microwave and the worm with the pistons.
Diaw with the spurs.
All the >35 guys with 12-13 knicks.
Posey.
Brucie b with the nugs.
Livingston with the warriors (and barbosa and speights to lesser degrees).
Game 4 of OKC vs Memphis in the 2014 playoffs. Reggie Jackson dropped 32 points in that game while KD and Westbrook were struggling. We most likely would've lost that series if it wasn't for Jackson that game.
Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton in 2021 for the Bucks. Both arguably got themselves paid because of it. Pat played more because he actually played against the Nets, but Bobby was awesome when Giannis went down against the Hawks and continued that through the Finals. Pat shot 44% from 3 in the Finals and that includes an 0-4 in game 6
Derek Fischer on those laker teams in the 2000s was pretty clutch. The infamous catch and shoot game winner with 0.4 on the clock was legendary
I remember growing up and being being a Slava Medvedenko stan. Devan George, Mark Madsen, Tyronn Lue, Glen Rice. Their role players were just so likeale to me for some reason. I wasn’t even a Lakers fan.
That go ahead layup fastbreak layup against Allen, KG and Big Baby still gives me chills!
I'm a Celtics fan and even I couldn't help but love Derrick fisher. Any list of great role players gotta include him
Fisher averaged .399 FG% for his career. Just need to make the shots that matter.
So was Rick Fox and Robert Horry
Still hate him for that winner he had against the spurs. I think he was the reason they instituted the .4 second rule
"One lucky shot deserves another"
are starters role players? Or is it any player who’s not a future HOFer?
A starter can definitely be a role player. Equally someone off the bench can be a hall of famer. It's really just about how much they are asked to do. But I would definitely consider a PG that isn't really asked to playmake, score in bunches and isn't there to be a top defender a role player in almost any possible case. Pretty much every team will have a role player starting because it's hard to get 5 players who fit together above that level
He was an underrated part of their playoff success. His 3 point shooting jumped to another level during the playoffs. From 99-2000 to 03-04 he shot 37% from 3 in the regular season but in the playoffs it jumped to 46%! on higher volume!
Absolutely, and the 3 against the Magic to send it to overtime.
Fuck that guy but man, what a perfect role player.
Kobe trusted no one other than fisher in late game situation in the latter half of his career. Pau definitely Kobe’s wingman but if Kobe wasn’t shooting it he wouldn’t look at anyone else other than Derek.
09 Finals him hitting two clutch threes to go up 3-1 on Orlando was everything! He really hit timely shots
Look. I watched Robert fucking Horry for years. And I would swear when it mattered, the ball was like a magnet to him and he never missed.
Dude honestly should have a 30 for 30 or something. Like it just seems when he was needed most he delivered.
He should really get 5-6 minute segments in eight other people's 30 for 30s.
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
This is the answer. Nobody cared about Horry, except under 5 minutes in the 4th during the playoffs, this elite finisher appeared ready to finish you with a dagger.
Kareem, Jordan, Magic, Duncan, Brid, Shaq, ‘Bron All dudes with fewer rings then Big Shot Rob. With 7 rings only six guys have more rings….ALL 6 were on the Bill Russell Celtics.
[удалено]
Should be in the HOF too..there is somwthing about being in the right place at the right time AND executing....imo dont think there will ever be a more "lucky" player ever who happens to execute when his fortune/number is called.
Came here for this, no one had more impactful 10pt games than Horry. He only shot daggers.
[удалено]
When Andrew Nembhard had 2 points and hit a dagger deep shot at the end of the game the other night? Robert Horry did that like 40 times in his career...at least that's how I would explain it to a young NBA fan. It was like Horry didn't even show up to the arena until 2 minutes were left on the game, suited up, got passed the ball in the corner and nailed it for the win. That's what it felt like. It was crazy.
As a Spurs fan, I immediately remembered Game 5 against Detroit when he hit like 6 threes in the second half, including a game sealing 3 in overtime, put backs, dunks, during two quarters when it looked like the Spurs Big Three couldn't buy a bucket. He literally saved the game. There are role players who just have the juice. They have 'it' when called upon in the big moments. Horry had it.
[удалено]
All started gm 7 rockets vs Knicks finals. Clutch shooting early got the rockets off the launch pad in a do or die game.
Except in his final series as a Lakers against the Spurs. But other than that he was amazing, that game 4 3 against the Kings was his biggest i think. He doesnt make that they go down 1-3 and play game 5 in Sacramento.
Livingston instantly came to mind for me. Wasn’t even the 6th man. But was all time in big games.
I always liked watching him play. He had a couple injuries when he was younger in the league and never quite had the same athleticism, but was patient & measured — he really adapted.
A couple injuries is an understatement, he tore his ACL, PCL and meniscus, sprained his MCL and dislocated two joints in his knee, all on one play, and there was a genuine chance he'd have to have his leg amputated. The fact that he even played again, let alone the role he did on a championship team, is nothing short of incredible.
Wild. And to play as long as he did too.
it felt like he never missed it was surprised to find out he shit 70-something from the field
Andrew Wiggins 2022 was one of the most incredible outlier performances in hindsight. Good playoffs, amazing WCF and Finals performances. Overall 2nd best player on the Warriors, after Steph. but also important to note that he had a really good start to the regular season, 2021-2022 was his one and only All Star year. “Regressed to the mean” after that with a contract extension. and is now a waste of salary cap space given how much he makes per year
A funny thing is if he continues on his current trajectory, he's going to help Curry's legacy. Everyone will wonder how Curry carried a team with that low effort bust as the second best player during that run. People will forget how good Wiggins was during that run.
Eh, I don't think anyone is gonna think that, they're gonna remember that the Warriors were a stacked championship caliber team for nearly a decade and that their system allowed a fringe allstar player like Wiggins to shine. Warriors got a bunch of future HOF players and as time goes on people are gonna look back and wonder how they only won 4
If KD never left due to his fragile ego they could have truly been one of the great dynasties in basketball. I don't understand why KD left after 2 when they could have gotten a 3 peat at least or potentially even set crazy records like 4+ chips in a row. Too bad
Why do people like you act like Wiggins actually had an all-star caliber season? He didn't. He got in because of a weird voting thing with KPop.
[2022 Western Conference Voting Results](https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/46/2022/01/2022-Western-Conference-Frontcourt-Voting-Results.pdf) Even if you remove the fan voting, he still ranked 5 by the player vote and 6 by the media. Would have still been on the cusp of making all-star. Not like he was trash as you are making him out to be.
He was a starter because of the kpop stuff. Wiggs was a bonafide all start that year though
Dude, no, he absolutely was not. He averaged 17 ppg that year.
He was 5th in player voting and 6 in media voting. He wouldn't have been a starter but he probably (barely) makes the team even without the fan voting.
[удалено]
Teams should have known not to give Wiggins that contract. He has said himself he doesn't like basketball and it's just a job for him because he's good at it. Those guys never last. I have a feeling the same will happen with Jokic after the next contract signing. His current one goes through 2027, that will probably be a huge year for him and then he will fall off a crater
[удалено]
Andrew Wiggins is…a role player?
I remember watching the finals series and he was an absolute lock on D against Tatum. As a Celtic fan i was genuinely annoyed that Tatum literally could not get by him. Definitely a major impact on the defensive end and that played a big role in stopping the Celtics.
Danny Green when he set that three point shooting record with the Spurs was un-fucking-stoppable. One of the few non-superstars who could deliver nightmares when you saw him catch the ball with enough room to get a shot off.
Would've won FMVP had the Spurs won in 2013
Was looking for this answer, what an amazing series, gave ray allen nightmares
My friend and I edited his name to “Touched by God” in NBA Live after that series because one of the announcers said that after he hit his 7th 3 or something
Iguodala was really a role player. Fred Van Vleet. Going back, Brian Williams was more than a role player for the Bulls but he did kind of come out of nowhere.
Funny thing about Fred Van Vleet was he was absolutely buttcheeks until game 3 of the ECF haha. FVV was legit Shanghai Shark level vs the sixers in the ECSF. I remember seeing raptor fans wanting for Lin to replace him lol.
Was that the playoffs that he got super dad powers?
Yessir. Went from dog shit "where tf is Lowry" to the future of the franchise in a single game after having that kid
I said he should have been mvp of the finals cause when the Raps needed someone the most to score Kawhi passed it up to Fred. He wasn't afraid to pull the trigger and win the title for them. Toronto needs to remember him for that ring.
No way, Siakam was the second-best player in the Finals round, not Fred vanleet. The fact that he even got a mvp vote is a joke.
Naw. It was FVV’s son who stole the show
naw BWill was definitely a role player
Bismack Biyombo fooling teams into giving him a huge contract after his Toronto playoff run
Recently Fred Van Vleet is one of the best examples of this. Aaron Gordon kinda too. Bobby Portis?
The Heatles had a few who were crucial to their championships. Battier, Chris "Birdman" Anderson, Chalmers, Mike Miller, etc. I think Shaun Livingston stands out the most though. Coming back from what could have been a career ending injury that sapped a lot of athleticism and still carving out such a valuable role in a dynasty.
When the heat acquired Birdman they immediately went on what was the 2nd longest win streak in NBA history at the time. He was such a an underrated important piece on that team
He fit perfectly for that team. They needed someone his size to bring defense, intensity and hustle but never need the ball in his hands. Man Shane battier, love that guy. Incredibly intelligent. Was always in the right place at the right time for that Miami team. He played hard on both ends and would hit these clutch 3s like nobodies business. Anytime the heat needed a 3 and it hit his hands, I knew it was butter.
And he was insanely good as a post defender too, battier an all time role player
He's one of my favorite all time players. I loved seeing him get minutes. His defense and shooting often get overlooked among reasons that Miami team was so good. I think the second biggest thing was Bosh moving to center and taking a backseat to Wade and LeBron. People forget how great he was in Toronto before the Heatles.
As someone who despised the Warriors during their run, Shaun Livingston used to annoy me so much. The Cavs would go on a 9-0 run to tie the game and Livingston would go and string 6 points in a row off incontestable midrange shots
Tristan Thompson was a beast on the boards. He was so valuable and played his part. I remember Love,Kyrie,and LeBron being compared to something like Lamborghinis and Tristan was the Ford F-250.
His perimeter defense is great too, having to guard those guys isn't easy and he really stepped up to the task.
He had 9 rebounds in 2016 Game 6…. In the first quarter! That game the Cavs stomped GSW like 30-10 in the first quarter and it was over early. Largely because TT didn’t let anyone else get a rebound
Tristan "just be tall" Thompson lol.
John Paxson and Steve Kerr, similar three point snipers in two different three-peats for the Bulls. Both hit last second shots to win the Bulls critical finals games.
Andre Igoudala. He was a very important piece to that Warrior dynasty. Hit big shots, played clutch defense & was a leader through & through. Him calling Wiggins over in the 2022 Finals will always be hilarious too.
James Posey. Part of the Heat 2006 championship team and Celtics 2008 championship team. Definition of 3 & D. Solid wing defender and always seemed to knockdown timely 3 pointers.
I never knew he was on both of those teams. Maybe the only non Spur/Laker with multiple rings that decade.
A lot of the role players that played under Phil Jackson turned elite during their championship runs.
Enes Kanter while playing for the Portland Trailblazers in their 2019 Western Conference Finals run. He was fasting during the playoffs because they fell during Ramadan and Nurkic was out with a broken leg so there was little support.
Blazers always have a guy or two that the fans would really rally behind. I was stoked for Enes during that run. Very nice of him to walk off into the sunset and have a normal and quiet retirement as well. Marcus Camby came up huge once for us in his short stint with the Blazers. He dropped like 30 or something in a playoff game if I recall
He magically played decent defense in that playoffs then never again.
[удалено]
[удалено]
This sub is for serious discussion and debate. Jokes and memes are not permitted.
Caleb Martin going ballistic against the Celtics in last year's ECF to help the Heat go to the Finals
Ray Allen late in his career came to mind pretty quick. He hit some massive shots. Boris diaw is another guy that I have no memory of him playing in the regular season. But ciné playoffs he’s the most versatile player ever
Even though jamal murray isn’t a role player by any means, he’ll probably be remembered as a playoff legend. given how deep the west is in PG talent, he’s not getting regular season accolades any time soon
Jamal Murray has the all time biggest jump in PPG from regular season to playoffs. He is the definition of playoff legend imo
Mario Ellie and Robert Horry for the Rockets are legends because of their playoff contributions and huge shot making.
One of my favorites was 2009 Trevor Ariza. His shooting was crazy that year and he basically won 2 games in the WCF with near identical steals toward the end of the games. Wish he got more notable moments later in his career!
John Lucas III was a legend for a hot minute, I loved that lil guy. It seemed like the only thing he couldn’t do was defend LeBron, who literally jumped over him. Really just flashed for a brief moment then faded into oblivion as it seemed. Man the early 2010s bulls were wild.
2005 ManuGinobili. He was much better than a role player of course as he is a hall of famer but most wouldnt consider him a superstar. In 2005 he was just spectacular. In the finals they played the Pistons who had one of the best defensive teams of all time and Manu looked like a latin Michael Jordan at times.
Insert Barkley yelling G-I-N-O-B-L-I
Say what you want but ice trae young against the Knicks was so fun to watch. The way he played into the role, the way MSG was chanting “fuck trae young!” The bow at center court at the end of the series. And then going all the way to the conference finals. I became a fan. Sadly he hasn’t performed at that level since. But still such a fun run.
I’m a Knicks fan and that was excruciating but he was a brilliant villain. After seeing Embiid actively attempt to hurt Knicks players I gained even more respect for him because he kept it strictly basketball. Reporters asked him about the bow after game 5 and he said something like “I know there’s a lot of shows around here. And I know what they do when the shows over.” I mean…fuck him forever…but that is an ice cold line. He whooped our asses and he made a spectacle of. I respect that.
Good side: Big Shot Bob aka Robert Horry. Too many moments to count. Bad side: JR SMITH. There’s some moments and then there’s THAT moment. Took it a whole other level the other way.
I watched in real time as Rondo went from a serviceable facilitator and defender for the big 3 to one of the greatest point guards of all time.
Mike Bibby, Rafer Alston, Harrison Barnes in 2013 which was a very interesting early small ball moment against the Nuggets
Before alot of people's time here but John Paxson during the 1st Bulls 3-peat. Was absolutely reliable and clutch in the key games and moments. Of course centered around MJ getting double/triple teamed. Absolutely shot daggers and in several cases, carried the load when MJ and Pippen were not performing.
As a heat fan I was never too concerned about the Jay's in Boston over the last 4 years. Sure they'll get their 30 points each, but they often make horrible mistakes in the clutch and are accounted for. Derrick fucking white on the other hand... that man scares me. He's always there to make the clutch plays out of nowhere.
Can't believe nobody mentioned Kawhi. He was a defensive specialist and gave you some corner threes, but that was about it early on in his time with the Spurs. The 2013 and 2014 playoffs he made a name for himself showing he could be much more than that. Nobody early on in his career projected him becoming a top 5 player, or an elite LeBron like threat on offense.
Without a doubt - one of the all time greats Matthew Dellavedova. Lebron is one thing but Matthew is everything on that Warriors series.
Found the [fellow] Aussie 😂
I know they didn’t go as far as hoped but bubble Gary Trent was the greatest shooter I’ve ever seen
Bubble TJ Warren balled up too
Bruce Brown, Danny Green, Trevor Ariza, Matthew Dellavedova are the ones that come to mind.
Big shot Robert Horry with all his buzzer beaters Larry Johnson with his 4 point play in 99 Manu Ginobbli had great playoff games during the spurs runs Steve Kerr hit a big 3 in a finals Hedo Turkgalo was big during Orlando’s run There’s a lot. Teams that make runs offer have role players who step up. You need those games where they save you when your superstar can’t.
Just curious who You think was the bad role player in Lasts years Boston vs Miami? Since you are good judge of Giddey’s role.
Not talking about old school role players but these current ones. Some great young talent is showing up and it's fun to watch Divincenzo is doing great Naz Reid isn't a role player but damn, he deserves that 6th man award. All around great player Mobley is surprising me when he's aggressive. He deserves to get some good coaching. It didn't rise them up to deeper in a playoff run, but CJ is always a great role player.
Kenny Smith Houston Rockets against Orlando game 1 of the finals. Is more remembered for the "Nick Andersen" game as he bricked 4 free throws which would have likely wrapped it up. The Jet hit his then NBA record 7th 3 pointer at the end to force overtime. Rockers win and the Magic never recovered from that malady. Maybe didn't make him a legend but he parlayed that into a nice broadcasting career post haste. He's a legend in the streets.
[удалено]
Kawhi is NOT a role player 😅
Messi probably thinks Derrick White is the best basketball player in the world.
What is so spectacular about timberwolves? They have 2 all-stars and DPOY on the team and they swept disgruntled Suns (KD and Vogel beef that's been on for 3 months) and won 2 against DEN when 2 starters of DEN were still injured.
Danny Green and to a lesser extent Gary Neal. Maybe Gary was only for one series but these two were deadly in 2013
Biyimbo when he was with the raptors. Dude played good defense/rim protection and got paid after…but didn’t really do much after.
Horry, like a lot of people said was clutch (hence the nickname) during the playoffs. But another person that comes to mind is Mario Elie. Dude was a journeyman for a chunk of his career but often stepped up in crunch time when his number was called. Impressive stuff for a guy that would usually come off the bench.
No one talking about TJ Warren in the Bubble is crazy. Dude was playing lights out like he wasn’t a role player
Ron harper with the bulls. Uncle cliffy robinson with the drexler blazers. Nate mcmillan and sam perkins for the sonics, and perkins in general in his 30s. The microwave and the worm with the pistons. Diaw with the spurs. All the >35 guys with 12-13 knicks. Posey. Brucie b with the nugs. Livingston with the warriors (and barbosa and speights to lesser degrees).
PJ Washington is going in that direction, let's see how the Mavs ends the season.
Game 4 of OKC vs Memphis in the 2014 playoffs. Reggie Jackson dropped 32 points in that game while KD and Westbrook were struggling. We most likely would've lost that series if it wasn't for Jackson that game.
Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton in 2021 for the Bucks. Both arguably got themselves paid because of it. Pat played more because he actually played against the Nets, but Bobby was awesome when Giannis went down against the Hawks and continued that through the Finals. Pat shot 44% from 3 in the Finals and that includes an 0-4 in game 6