Your 5 favorite "role players"

[SCeltic34]

Hey all, this is just a thread for fun.  Hopefully I'll get some replies, because I'm somewhat curious as to what other B-ball fans think.

Who are your five favorite role players in the NBA?  Some rules before you make the list:

1) They cannot be current or former Celtics of recent times (let's say within the past 5 years)
2) They cannot be, or have been, all-stars or borderline stars.  They must be "role players" that aren't highly touted.  Yes, I know that this is subjective, but use your best judgment.
3) They must currently be in the NBA (as of last season).

Here are mine:

5) Tayshaun Prince.  Just a solid all around player.  Not sure how many of you would agree, but in my opinion he was the glue of Detroit's 2004 championship team.

4) Reggie Evans.  Rebounding, anyone?  Sure, that may be all that this guy is good for, but he's your man if you want hustle, grit, and energy.

3) Nick Collison.  Somehow this guy gets overlooked, but he's incredibly important to OKC's success.

2) Chris Anderson.  Crazy tattoos?  Check.  Eccentric personality?  Check.  Solid player?  Check.  He's an average post defender at best, but he does numerous things pretty well and I love the guy's energy.  Plus his newest tattoo around his neck makes me laugh out loud whenever the cameramen zoom in on it.  It's as awesome as it is ridiculous.

1) Arron Afflalo.  I absolutely love this guy's game.  Great defensive tenacity and plays with great energy.  Solid all around player that does a little bit of everything.  Would love to see him in a Celtic uniform while he's still in his prime.


Honorable mention:
Joel Przybilla

If I were to break the rules:
Kendrick Perkins, Avery Bradley, Caron Butler, Rip Hamilton, Chauncey Billups

Something tells me I've overlooked someone, but that's what it is for now.

[SCeltic34]

Edit: Sorry, double post.

[Edgar]

Kendrick Perkins the championship year but hes not elegible


ok here are mine




Delonte West

wait he isnt elegible....


And I am not going Gerald Green,..... I guess he IS elegible but i will never pick him


Brian Scalabrainy
maybe not.....


okis now here i come



in No particular order



Serge Ibaka
Shane Battier
Nick Collison
Mario Chalmers



JEREMY LIN.... wait wait... i was kidding with him too
because as Avery Bradley is ( and hes not elegible) hes waaay overrated around


the No. 5 will be

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm-.....
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...............
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...................


Gerald Greeen.... wait been there



Mike Dunleavy

[CelticsFan9]

(in no particular order)

Darrell Arthur - Dude tore his ACL before last season, but he's a guy who brings a lot of energy, can defend, rebound, and has a respectable offensive game.  I love his game.

Nick Collison - A veteran who brings great intangibles to a young team.  His contributions are invaluable.

Carl Landry - A great hustle player who could start for a lot of teams.  He rebounds really well and can score in the post.

George Hill - He was one of Gregg Popovich's all-time favorite players, and it's easy to see why.  A calm point guard with great quickness, stroke, and defense.  One of the more-underrated point guards in the league, if you ask me.

Tyson Chandler - He's a fantastic defensive player.  His athleticism and shot-blocking ability are his greatest assets.  He single-handedly(well, Shumpert and Woodson helped, too) made the Knicks a respectable defensive team.

If I got to break the rules:

Luol Deng - A guy who one night can get you 15-20 boards, the next night 40 points, and the next night shut down the other team's best player.  All while playing ridiculous minutes.  Deng is one of my favorite players in the NBA.

[SCeltic34]

(in no particular order)

Darrell Arthur - Dude tore his ACL before last season, but he's a guy who brings a lot of energy, can defend, rebound, and has a respectable offensive game.  I love his game.

Nick Collison - A veteran who brings great intangibles to a young team.  His contributions are invaluable.

Carl Landry - A great hustle player who could start for a lot of teams.  He rebounds really well and can score in the post.

George Hill - He was one of Gregg Popovich's all-time favorite players, and it's easy to see why.  A calm point guard with great quickness, stroke, and defense.  One of the more-underrated point guards in the league, if you ask me.

Tyson Chandler - He's a fantastic defensive player.  His athleticism and shot-blocking ability are his greatest assets.  He single-handedly(well, Shumpert and Woodson helped, too) made the Knicks a respectable defensive team.

If I got to break the rules:

Luol Deng - A guy who one night can get you 15-20 boards, the next night 40 points, and the next night shut down the other team's best player.  All while playing ridiculous minutes.  Deng is one of my favorite players in the NBA.

I knew I forgot somebody.  I love George Hill's game, he'd crack my top 5 for sure.  But I'll leave my original post.  Also love Luol Deng... except when he's playing against the C's.

[Who]

I am going to go by role.

PG = George Hill has been mentioned. Big Jose Calderon fan. Ty Lawson, M.Conley. J.Kidd.
SG = Gordon Hayward, Thabo Sefolosha, Mickael Pietrus, JR Smith
SF = Shawn Marion, Trevor Ariza, Kawhi Leonard, Marvin Williams
PF = Taj Gibson, Tyrus Thomas, Boris Diaw, Kenyon Martin.
C  = Omer Asik
Combo Guard = Ben Gordon, Rodney Stuckey
Backup Big = Al Harrington (won me over again last year) and Carl Landry

I am at a loss trying to trim that down to a top five.

Edit: Jared Dudley

[Surferdad]

All time, without thinking too much:

Michael Cooper
Cazzie Russell
Vinnie Johnson
Bill Walton (while with C's)
Dennis Rodman

Not following the OP ground rules, sorry, just havin fun.

[Celtics18]

Sefolosha
Nene
Mozgov
Barea
D. Wright

[syfy9]

Taj Gibson
Kris Humphries
Ersan Ilyasova
Gerald Wallace
Iman Shumpert


Tony Allen is my all time favorite role player, though.

[fitzhickey]

Taj Gibson
Kris Humphries
Ersan Ilyasova
Gerald Wallace
Iman Shumpert


Tony Allen is my all time favorite role player, though.

Same, just nene over ilyasova

[indeedproceed]

Shane Battier, Matt Bonner, Ersan Ilyasova, Ime Udoka, Landry 'Clark' Fields, Kelenna Azubuike, Reggie Williams, Birdman (pending his current legal problems), Kirk Hinrich, Klay Thompson, Fesenko, Tiago Splitter, Jared Dudley, Thad Young, and the hands down winner, KENNETH FARIED

My criteria: balance between production on my fantasy teams, awesome interviews/stories, Guys I just for some reason like, guys I drafted in the CB Draft

[indeedproceed]

I don't think Nene or Lawson can be legitimate 'role players', they're elite talents at their respective positions.

[indeedproceed]

And for the record, Ime Udoka should be on the top of every 'role players' list:


http://hoopshype.com/blogs/muoneke/ime-the-great

THE IME UDOKA STORY

It's a trip when you get to know people. Ime was so quiet and I figured he was just some guy who could play with a Nigerian father. Well, folks in S.A., don't be fooled. That dude in an Afr-I-CAN! I mean [dang]! The only thing non-African about him is his accent. We went to Nigeria, man... When they brought out the food I figured uh oh... He aint eatin' th... What the?! Ime was tearing that Fu-fu (thank Jay-Z for everyone knowing what that is now) to shreads. I asked him about his adornment of the vittles. He said that's all he ate growing up. Imagine my surprise when I saw he must have grown up doing the African ju-jitsu too.

When the National Team went to Algeria for the African Championships in Algiers, every team was on edge because the Top 3 squads got the invite to the World Championships. So after we lost to Angola in the semis and had to play Algeria for the third spot, they knew, we knew, everyone knew they had no shot. First quarter... Tactics. African ball, man. Trust me: as corrupt as can be. Despite all the cheating from the three-man (North African) refereeing crew they just couldn't beat us. So the coach sent in their best player, who was injured but came in with a purpose. I think his name was Ali Bidane or something. We had the ball out of bounce under. He guarded me. As the ref handed us the ball, he turned, looked at me as if there was not a game going on. And pop! Not an elbow, not even a signature yours truly gutter. He decked me right in the jaw. I couldn't believe it. And come on. I freely admit when I throw cheap shots. I wouldn't hide it if I started to. I mean, I'm in the middle of basically middle eastern country playing the local team. I know better (read on to see my contradiction). He nailed me, we turned it over, and yes, my Rodman 101 class did well. I looked up court, saw both refs back and calmly asked him in by most polite French, "Pardon me sir, I object to you striking me." Next thing you know... Both teams on the court going at it. Wow.

Imagine my surprise! (My cheeks hurt). That wasn't the real brawl. After we won was the real issue. After the game, they were waiting for us to come out of the locker room. And seriously, I didn't start it. Kingsley Ogwudire was in front of our team in an all-out tirade in his best Arabic. The next thing you know, there were three Algerian players on him. Everyone was engaged in combat save me, if you can believe it. And lo and ehold... Ime! He was taking people out like in Mortal Kombat. Finish him! Incredible. I was so out of it as I had five guys I was fighting (oh yeah, the crowd jumped in as the fight spilled over to the court of the championship game of Senegal and Angola).

In the middle of the whole thing I heard Ime, literally in mid-swing of another opponent say,"Watch back, Gabe" and he calmly, I mean calmly, smeared a guy who, as I turned to see his warning, jumped from the stands with a chair to probably kill me or knock me out to where the crowd would have. I mean, Ime caught the guy in mid air with a fist and calmly continued his dispacthing of oncoming people. He and other guys (yes, me too) were whoopin' so many people the crowd backed up. True to the letter! But Ime had the most notches by far. As we retreated to the locker room to kind chants of, "You cudly blackies! We highly doubt your ability to leave this gym with lives intact" in French, (it might have been a bad translation) all I could do was marvel at Ime. This guy, I thought, was a quiet American guy was standing there – all his stuff gone (gym bag, wallet, shoes, jersey) – with a stick in his hand we tore off the walls of the locker room in the middle of North Africa quite literally with our lives on the line... laughing. All the while I was texting my wife that I loved her and might have a hard time seeing her again while she was watching the whole incident on BBC News. And Ime... laughing. He is and always will be my 9ja broda. Ime... Wetin happen bros? Abi na notin. Notin dey happen. To this day I don't know how we got out of there. But that night we ate like kings at the Nigerian Embassy. And Ime was with us... Killing his Fu-fu.

Tell me how I could have seen a thing like that if I had made the NBA out of college! You just can't make this stuff up.

Shalom.

[fitzhickey]

I don't think Nene or Lawson can be legitimate 'role players', they're elite talents at their respective positions.

I chose nene because someone else said him, and I think nene is awesome. Might be a bit too good for role player

[SchnellHanse]

1. Kenneth faried (really hope to see him in green some Day) - a hardworking Rebounder with hoops
2. Timofey Mozgov (like his anti-flashyness style)
3. Tyler Hansbrough ( Kinda like faried, but less hoops)
4. Andre Miller (the must sneaky player in the game)
5. Andre Drummond (not sure is he gong to be a starter?, I hoped Danny had traded up for him, still pretty happy for sully and fab melo)