Stevens: Role Players 'are here for a reason'

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Stevens: Role players 'are here for a reason'
March 28, 2015, 7:00 pm







Brad Stevens joins Abby Chin to talk about role players when building a team.

How important are role players to a team's success?

"I think everybody has a role to fill, whether you're the superstar that takes all the shots and gets all the statistics and everything else. Or, you're the person that doesn't play. Or, you're just the person that's just called upon to defend and rebound," Stevens said.

How does each player carve out their role on the team?

"If a person goes and shoots 40 out of 100 shooting jumpshots by himself in the gym, he's not a shooter. If he goes and makes 70 or more, then that's his range. Those things define themselves. And then when you get in the game, if you get swallowed up with the ball, then you've got to just be a ball mover. If you're a guy that can get by anybody, then you're more of a penetrator," Stevens said. "What you do well, shows itself true. What you don't do well, shows itself true. And the key is with 90 percent of basketball players is just managing what they don't do well, because all of these guys are here for a reason and there are things that they do exceptionally well. Some of them -- a small few -- do everything well, and that's why they're at the level they're at."

How do you deal with a bottleneck?

"If you do something really well and our team needs it, then you're going to fill that void that we have," Stevens said. "We might have four guys that do something fairly well but we only need two of them to play. That something where you have to mix and match your team and figure out how to piece those people together, so that you're team can play as well as it can."

To hear the entire conversation, check out the video above.




bob



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Yup, role players are important.  But then, I consider even superstars to be role players.  Even in the unlikely event that a guy rates superior in all facets of the game, he has to defer to teammates in certain aspects or he's literally a one-man team.

Sam

"Here for a reason?" Or here for a season? Hawk

Good point, Hawk.

But, the guys who fill the typical "role player" positions on a roster are often the migrant workers of the NBA. This is not new to the NBA in any respect.

Many of the Cs roll players whom we have grown to appreciate this season will not be on the team even next year if the re-build continues to roll forward. Unfortunately, most of these guys are just not talented enough to hold positions on a winning team. The last few games against some of the western conference have exposed them.

I have been saying this about role players since last year.   This is the time to acquire solid role players acquired from trades of your stars players to begin forming the nucleus of a solid bench.

You can begin by having > Thomas, Crowder, Jerebko, Smart, Bass as players coming off the bench or playing in certain situations like defensive - ball pressure stops or some added scoring.  I would slide Zeller onto the bench and have him come off as backup center. Add a proven shooter, acquire a top center in the draft and small forward or free agency and you have a very formative bench. I would also add Turner to the bench.

Not sure if you trade KO or keep him.  Yes he can shoot from the outside and he can pass, but he is very clumsy at times and he does not have the best foot work nor catch and shoot skills ( hesitates).  Perhaps he stays as an added big while he continues to elevate his game.

For starters > Sully - if he loses weight or is traded for an upgrade, Bradley.

Free Agents > Need to acquire a legit point guard, small forward and center.

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