When you imagine a player celebrating on the court, you might think of Michael Jordan after crossing over Bryon Russell and hitting the game winner, or Derek Fisher after his miracle .4 shot. Each of these plays sealed a victory in an intense playoff matchup so the reaction was expected. But what about a player that sits on the bench for most of the game and then makes one good play and starts celebrating?
In the 2010 NBA Finals, Celtics backup point guard Nate Robinson did just that. He averaged 10 minutes per game and the second that he forced a turnover or delivered a solid assist, he began pounding his chest and flexing his muscles. An NBA fan of any team other than the Celtics would have cringed - why is this little guy celebrating when he has hardly done anything? But as a Celtics fan, you have to love Nate. The 5-9 point guard can step on the floor and immediately provide a spark off of the bench, particularly at a time when the offense is stagnant. Even when he is not on the floor, he is active on the sidelines, cheering his teammates on. A player that can single handedly shift momentum back to his team is a valuable player, albeit one incredibly frustrating to watch if he is on the opposing team.
Since the NBA off-season has slowed down a bit, I decided to kick-off a series of posts and hopefully a discussion about players that you despise unless they are on your team. These are players that somehow irritate you when you watch them play, but the minute you hear that your favorite team might acquire them, you become excited. This series starts off with Bruce Bowen.
Someone unfamiliar with Bowen might ask: how could a guy that averaged about 6 points, 1 assist, 3 boards and 1 steal per game throughout his career get under your skin? A player like this should be forgettable – simply a role player. But Bruce Bowen, part of the NBA All-Defensive Team for eight straight seasons, was far more than that – he brought the intangibles to the game and his impact can not be measured solely by his statistics.
Bowen knew what he could get away with on the defensive end without drawing the attention of the officials. He inconspicuously tugged on jerseys, fought through screens and successfully reduced the productivity of the player he was defending. Bowen was often referred to as a “dirty player” but it never changed his style of play. He was able to both physically and mentally break down the player he was defending. Because he was generally wearing down the best offensive player on the opposing team– the player that you were rooting for, you ended up hating Bowen with a passion. When one refers to the championship years of the Spurs, it is unlikely that Bowen’s name would come up, but in fact Bowen’s grit and tactical defense was critical to the Spurs success. Bowen was a defensive pest, a pest that you would have gladly welcomed on your team.
Who will Pat Riley sign to complement his new trio of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh? He needs to add at least 5 players in order to have the minimum 13 players required for a complete roster. The Heat still need a starting center as well as some shooters that can knock down open jumpers as they will be left wide open when James, Wade or Bosh draw the double team.
One factor Riley must also consider is players with no ego – players that do not need to have the ball in their possession to play hard and players that do not need any recognition. Every interview that any Miami Heat other than James, Wade and Bosh will be granted will be something along the lines of, “How does it feel to play with this magnificent trio?” Even skilled point guard Rajon Rondo had to deal with these questions playing alongside the Celtics “Big 3.”
Here are some potential players that could fit the part for the Heat:
Big Bodies:
Udonis Haslem – He has already played with the Heat and will not need to relearn the system. Haslem does not demand the ball, but is a big body inside that can finish around the rim and would complement the slender Bosh.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas – He and LeBron play well together and he could help the team inside.
Shooters:
Mike Miller – Great shooter that can open up the floor for the trio to operate, but he may demand more money than the Heat can offer.
Roger Mason – Skilled 3-point shooter that would sign for less money than Mike Miller and can also draw defenders outside of the key.
Point Guards:
Derek Fisher – Savvy veteran that does not put up big numbers, but makes big shots. He has 5 rings with the Lakers and has contributed immensely to each championship. It will be hard for Riley to lure Fisher away from Kobe and the Lakers.
Luke Ridnour – Might be willing to take less money to play with the Heat trio. He averaged over 10 points and 4 assists per game last season and would be a good back-up point guard for the Heat.
Interested in applying the Moneyball approach to basketball by analyzing player and team dynamics and measuring the intangibiles that players bring to the game.
