Ten exceptional role players, who are only to blame for playing in a small market
In the Minnesota Timberwolves that qualified for the Playoffs as a surprise of the 2021-22 season, one of the prominent role players was Jarred Vanderbilt. Size, energy, perimeter defense, assist defense, basketball intelligence and passing vision were already all characteristics well present in his baggage.
Despite the high-level performance in relation to the role, he received little praise overall, little admiration from fans.
A year later, all it took was a Regular Season game in Sunday prime time to deliver him into the limelight. Suddenly everyone is in love with him.
The difference? He played for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Let’s understand each other: it is an inevitable and unassailable dynamic. Solo is sometimes unfair to the players. At this point, one wonders: how many (potential) Vanderbilts are there around the NBA small markets? How many role players would be immediately revered by mainstream storytelling if they only played in a more important square?
We asked ourselves these questions, and among the many we decided to name ten, in random order.
1 – Jaden McDaniels
Let’s stay in Minnesota, for what is basically the perfect role player.
Jaden McDaniels he can be the main perimeter defender of a team on at least three positions, and given his size he doesn’t look bad even in helping defense. In the other half of the field, he shoots from 3 points with 38%, and knows how to put the ball on the ground when necessary to attack close-outs.
A player like this suits 30 out of 30 teams, even at high figures.
(oh this was some good individual defense from Jaden McDaniels) pic.twitter.com/OYLZ8S0xSo
— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) December 13, 2022
2 – Jakob Poeltl
Compared to McDaniels, Jakob Poeltl he is slightly older in age, and is well known by most. The feeling, however, is that he is appreciated below what he could be, mainly due to the contexts in which he found himself playing.
The fans of the san antonio spurs, but the Austrian has substantially wasted years of his career in a team without ambitions. Although he doesn’t exactly have the characteristics of the modern big man, not being very fast laterally, Poeltl compensates with excellent positioning, very good defense of the rim and great fundamentals for long in attack.
In the last three seasons at Spurs, he has always recorded a decidedly positive On / Off, and a few games were enough Toronto Raptors to see him shine, also scoring over 20 points on two occasions.
Also in this case, we are talking about a player who would make the fortunes of all the contenders, and who in fact will see his salary rise in the summer.
3 – Dorian Finney-Smith
He made himself noticed in the run of the Dallas Mavericks up to the Western Conference Finals, but maybe not enough.
Under the guidance of Jason Kidd, Dorian Finney-Smith he was not only a very reliable shooter on the run, but also the best defensive player on the roster, skilled both on the perimeter and on the assist.
Without him, the Dallas defense is already struggling a lot. And in the process of rebuilding the Brooklyn Netsthe 29-year-old risks moving away from the radar again.
4 – Kenrich Williams
Probably the least known of those on the list, but no less interesting.
Kenrich Williams had the opportunity to show off with good playing time in the growth of Oklahoma City Thunder. His qualities soon caught the eye of the most attentive: he is around two meters tall, mobile, intelligent in both halves and occasionally capable of punishing on the perimeter (38% from 3 out of 2.5 attempts per game).
Who knows, it will soon become a low-cost hit for a strong team. Or, why not, one of the champions of the Thunder’s renewed competitiveness in the coming seasons.
5 – Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
It ‘s true, it seems a contradiction. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope he has already played for the Lakers, has already received a lot of praise and has even won a title in the yellow and purple jersey.
But the level of his performances this season is not emphasized enough. He often defends against the best opponent player for 30 minutes or more, and in the other half of the pitch he moves well off the ball and shoots from the perimeter with 45% (!). His impact was fundamental for the (temporary) conquest of the first seed of the Denver Nuggets.
If he played in the same way in a more followed team, he would earn the front pages more assiduously.
6 – Bruce Brown
We stay in Denver. We talk now (rightly) until you drop about Nikola Jokicand perhaps a little too little of what the pieces around him are constantly bringing into play.
Bruce Brown he was already quite underrated by most ai Brooklyn Nets, despite repeated good performances in the playoffs. The Nuggets’ catch of him in the summer was underestimated. And even today, the impact of him doesn’t get enough credence.
He completes a great job defensively with Caldwell-Pope, then hits opponents offensively with cuts and triples on the discharges (as a non-shooter two years ago, he now converts triples with 38% from 3 on 3.4 attempts per game).
no please give me all of the bruce brown cutting off jokic. all of it. pic.twitter.com/iv44h1n4T6
— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) December 21, 2022
7 – De’Andre Hunter
The performance of De’Andre Hunter were readily recognized by Atlanta Hawks, with a 90 million dollar contract in 4 years, but not enough from the entirety of the NBA world.
Hunter is not a simple 3&D of an excellent level, but also a secondary creator and a now fairly efficient scorer. In a less volatile environment than he’s found in the last two years, he could probably be a good third fiddle for a title contender.
Given the extension, it probably won’t move from Atlanta. The hope is that Quin Snyder can make the most of it.
8 – Naz Reid
Naz Reid he’s in a similar condition to Vanderbilt a season ago. He takes just 2 million dollars, with performances that, considering the NBA market, go well beyond that value.
Yet, just look at a few Timberwolves games to see in him the characteristics of the modern big man, adaptable to many competitive contexts. Quite mobile defensively, capable of occasionally widening the field (33% from 3-point range, but it is not recommended to leave it wide open) and putting the ball on the ground in attack.
It’s true, he’s not a defensive anchor, but he doesn’t necessarily have to be the designated owner. He is not in Minnesota, although in certain games he is better suited than Rudy Gobert.
In the summer he will be a free agent, and be careful who decides to aim for him.
9 – Brandon Clarke
He had the opportunity to shine during the past playoffs, but with the incredible depth of the roster of the Memphis Grizzlies often we tend to forget it a bit.
He’s a modern, athletic and versatile big man defensively. In attack he knows how to do two or three things, but he knows how to do them well: blocking, playing the short-roll, scoring the floater with decent percentages, going strong on the rebound.
In many of the other competitive teams he would probably have a starting place, and also in the next Playoffs, as happened last year, he will probably receive more space.
10 – Herb Jones
He too was able to attract attention in the first round of the 2022 Playoffs, only to be a bit overlooked during this Regular Season.
In terms of characteristics, he is probably the player closest to Vanderbilt: limited offensively, but a very powerful weapon (and with further room for improvement) in the defensive half, thanks to mobility, athleticism and infinite arms.
If he had been chosen in Boston, Golden State, Los Angeles or New York, there would be much more talk about his potential.
Unless the teams of the aforementioned players make it far in the playoffs, their appreciation will remain a few (again relative to the volume of the public that follows the NBA). But should one of them be bought by a big market, don’t be surprised if he soon ends up becoming a new idol of mainstream storytelling.
