The All-NBA Role Players Team

Adam Aaronson
Aug 9, 2017 · 6 min read

When Sam Hinkie took over the Philadelphia 76ers, his goal was to acquire as many valuable assets as possible in an attempt to land multiple franchise cornerstones.

Because in today’s NBA, you simply can’t come close to winning a championship without at least one superstar, and you have no chance at doing so without multiple.

Hinkie attempted to get the highest draft picks possible, because the easiest way to find a superstar talent is at the top of the draft- just look at the current landscape of the NBA. Aside from Jimmy Butler (#30) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (#15), every superstar in the NBA right now was once a very high draft pick.

Again, superstars are not optional for championship teams, they are the driving force behind title-holders. But, you need more than just a superstar or two. There’s a reason why Anthony Davis hasn’t been able to achieve any team success thus far in his career, and there’s a reason why Stephen Curry has.

No matter how good your best two or three players are, there’s one thing every truly great team has — role players. These are the guys who have one or two primary focuses in their limited minutes, usually off the bench. There are role players who are solely on the court to shoot three-pointers. Some are strictly there to give it their all on the defensive end. Some teams will use a player only because of their rebounding ability. Players with one elite skill are more coveted than ever, as the era of the “superteam” requires an equally super supporting cast.

More and more young players are understanding how much smarter it is for them to focus on spending more time developing fewer skills when they don’t have the potential to be a go-to guy. Because someone who is an okay scorer is going to lose their job to an elite defender with a solid jump-shot ten times out of ten. That’s why Patrick Beverley is a more coveted player than Brandon Knight, or why teams would rather have Andre Iguodala than Rudy Gay.

The NBA is filled with elite role players of all kinds — so, which ten supporting cast members would make up the best possible team of NBA role players?

Starting Point Guard: Patrick Beverley

Roles: defense, shooting

It’s a shame that Beverley, the key component of the Chris Paul trade, is no longer with the Houston Rockets, as his skills were most clearly advertised playing alongside James Harden. Harden carried the offensive load, and Beverley locked up the opponent’s best guard, which was a huge help for an average-at-best defender in Harden. He also is a solid outside shooter, which helped give Harden the necessary room to operate. It will be interesting to see how he’s used with the Clippers, but he will have a defined role in the league for a long time thanks to his tenacity on the defensive end and his shooting stroke.

Starting Shooting Guard: Danny Green

Roles: defense, shooting

Green is the prototypical 3&D wing — a swingman with excellent defense and shooting abilities. These are the most oftenly-recognized role players in the NBA, as their contributions are very clear. Green has been a huge part of what the Spurs have been doing for the last seven years. He becomes a free agent in the summer of 2018, and it’s fair to expect a fairly large amount of teams to request his services.

Starting Small Forward: Joe Ingles

Roles: shooting, ball-handling, passing, scoring

Ingles blossomed last season for the Utah Jazz, earning a massive contract extension that was much-deserved. He’s a truly unique role player, there aren’t many players who provide elite shooting on the wing with solid scoring ability, while also being able to run an offense for stints of the game. His role will expand this season after Gordon Hayward’s departure, so he may have to now go from a role player to a featured offensive weapon for Utah.

Starting Power Forward: Markieff Morris

Roles: defense, toughness, floor spacing, scoring

Morris has become one of the NBA’s most underrated forwards. He’s tough as nails, can hold his own on both ends, has improved his jumper as his career has progressed, and can create scoring opportunities for himself as well. He can spend brief periods of time as the primary scoring option on the floor, but still excels as a complementary piece.

Starting Center: Tyson Chandler

Roles: rim protection, rebounding

Tyson Chandler is getting older, but he still can provide top-tier defense and rebounding for a team. He can fit in with any team playing in the middle, and will always be able to hang in big games because of his remaining interior defensive prowess. His elite rebounding makes him an even better asset. The former Defensive Player of the Year is still going strong, even at the tail-end of his career.

Backup Point Guard: Patty Mills

Roles: shooting, scoring

When it comes to “microwaves”- players who can come in and immediately start scoring in bunches, Patty Mills is at the top of the list. He’s a very high-caliber jump-shooter, and can also create offense for himself as well. He just got a big contract to remain with the San Antonio Spurs, and it’s definitely deserved — the Australian guard will continue to be a highly sought-after player for many more years to come.

Backup Shooting Guard: Tony Allen

Role: defense

Allen is widely recognized as an all-time great perimeter defender. No matter how unappealing his offense may be, he is just too great on the defensive side of the ball to be ignored. He will always be welcomed on a winning team, because a bonafide defensive stud like himself will always be incredibly valuable.

Backup Small Forward: CJ Miles

Roles: shooting, scoring

Miles has always been underrated, usually hidden on the bench. He now gets to start for his new team, the Toronto Raptors, and his ability to succeed off and on the ball will be a huge asset for them. He is a great shooter from beyond the arc, but can also create plays by himself. It will be very interesting to see how he’s used- while his skills compliment those of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, he can also be a huge relief as a creator when the two stars need rest.

Backup Power Forward: Ersan Ilyasova

Roles: shooting, rebounding

Ilyasova has been traded more than just about any player in the NBA, and it’s clear why- teams covet his excellent shooting for his position. He provides fantastic floor spacing, and even if he can be a bit too trigger-happy, his shooting and solid rebounding make him a valuable piece for a contending team.

Backup Center: Greg Monroe

Roles: interior scoring, rebounding

Monroe is by no means the modern NBA bigman — he is not a good defender at all, in fact it’s sometimes a layup-line for the opposing team when he is in. But the Bucks started bringing him off the bench for spurts of play last year, and he dominated backups down low, as a very good rebounder and scorer in the paint.


Superstars will always rule the NBA- but make no mistake about it, obtaining high-quality role players is an mandatory task, it isn’t just a recommended course of action.

Relentlessly honest opinions on all things sports and entertainment.

Adam Aaronson

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