I couldn’t resist. Eschew the temptation to revisit more role-playing favourites of yesteryear—how could I? And if you haven’t picked up my “type” yet, you will now. The lie, part deux.
Doubling Down
While the Milwaukee Bucks will always be the centre of my basketball world, my affinity for the role player isn’t limited to those who’ve donned the green and cream—or the purple, or the red. In fact, as kids, my mates and I often turned to these guys to “base” our games on (reality be damned). So, dim the lights, dust off the DVD player and (re)sink into yesteryear.
Centre: Chuck Hayes
His peak was narrow, but as an undersized big Chuck Hayes will forever have my affection. A reserve for most of his career, Hayes started at centre for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 Houston Rockets where he excelled on the defensive end. An immovable object in the post, Hayes played tremendous positional defence and used his quick hands to wreak havoc (2.0% steal percentage in that span). But his game was far more than just defence. A strong rebounder, Hayes was also a gifted passer, particularly out of the high post where he’d often find Kevin Martin or Aaron Brooks for backdoor cuts (just like this). He even posted a 17-point, 14-rebound, 11-assist triple-double in a 2011 win against the Golden State Warriors. Yes, I bought the DVD.
Power Forward: Reggie Evans
If Hayes was a strong rebounder, Reggie Evans was elite. He twice led the league in total rebound percentage—23.9% in 2004-05 and 26.7% in 2012-13—leading the league in defensive rebounding percentage in both of those seasons, while also doing so in offensive rebounding percentage in the latter. And I lived for it; Evans saw ball, Evans got ball (there’s a reason they called him “The Collector”). It wasn’t just a regular season thing, either; Evans thrice led the playoffs in total rebounding percentage too. Like Hayes, Evans was also a strong disruptor, both of the ball (1.9% steal percentage for his career) and of other players, getting under their skin like a splinter. His career night came in a 2013 win against the Portland Trail Blazers, where he exploded for a career-high 22 points, career-high 26 rebounds (including 12 offensive caroms), three assists, and one steal. But I’ll never forget watching him eat rebounds for four straight games in Barclays Centre in 2013, including 15 and 20-rebound nights.
Small Forward: Bonzi Wells
Most known for his time with the infamous Portland “Jail” Blazers squad, Bonzi Wells was an immensely talented wing—you just have to watch his 45-point explosion in the playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks to remember that. A power guard, Wells used his strength and athleticism to slash to and score at the rim, but it was his post work that did it for me. He could and would bully opponents down low—something he never did better than in his time with the Sacramento Kings. And despite playing just one season in Sactown, it’s this that sticks with me. Bonzi and Ron Artest—or was he Metta World Peace by then?—on the wing? Talk about a nightmare double punch. Opponents were battered and bruised. I was moved.
Shooting Guard: Marquis Daniels
Yes, he finished his career as a Buck, but Marquis Daniels had my affection long before then. His explosion as a rookie in the playoffs for the Dallas Mavericks first caught my attention—jumping from 8.5 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 2.1 APG in the regular season to 15.8 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 3.0 APG, and 2.0 SPG in a first round loss to MVP-candidate Peja Stojakovic and the Sacramento Kings—but that’s surface level. Deeper, it was Daniels’ versatility I found inspiring, especially as a “big” ball handler. He could pass, he could slash, he could defend. That, and the braids and headband and calf sleeves. Quisy was just so damn cool.
Point Guard: Pablo Prigioni
I so wanted to choose Andre Miller and his old-school game here. The throw-ahead passes. The take-em-to-the-block post-ups. The aggressive gum chewing. Alas, he won an assist title—10.9 APG in his third year in the league while playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers—so he’s out.
Less remembered, but definitively a role player, is Pablo Prigioni. His NBA career started late—at 35 years old, no less—and, on reflection, the novelty of that might have contributed to my fondness. More concretely, he just brought so much of what I love in a backup point: ball movement, unselfish play, accurate spot up shooting, grit, and ball protection. This was a guy who just knew how to play. Mike Woodson thought the same, making him a starter for the New York Knicks in their 2012-13 postseason run, leading to their first series win in 13 years. Somewhere, I still have his jersey too. More on that to come.
And with that, my list of non-Bucks role-playing favourites is complete. Did these guys similarly draw your fandom? Or could you not stand them? More importantly, who were your guys? Share your list and your reasons in the comments.
