Could a team of elite role players win it all?

Shock Defeat · Post #1 » by **Shock Defeat** » Wed Aug 5, 2015 2:08 am

PG - Teague
SG - Wes Matthews (pre injury)
SF - Kyle Korver
PF - Draymond Green
C - Rudy Gobert

Bench
DeMarre Carroll
Tyson Chandler
Tristan Thompson
Brandon Knight
Tony Allen

Coach: Greg Poppovich

Post #2 » by **-Sammy-** » Wed Aug 5, 2015 2:11 am

With Pop as coach, a team of elite BINGO players could win it all.

Hector_Reyes_8 · Post #3 » by **Hector_Reyes_8** » Wed Aug 5, 2015 2:12 am

James Harden would be pissed.

JXL · Post #4 » by **JXL** » Wed Aug 5, 2015 2:14 am

When you're coached by Pop, yes.

When you're coached by the worst coach ever Tyrone Corbin, no.

Masterfully · Post #5 » by **Masterfully** » Wed Aug 5, 2015 2:16 am

gustofwind · Post #6 » by **gustofwind** » Wed Aug 5, 2015 2:19 am

Masterfully wrote:

Not sure they count... 4 were all-stars

But that's the closest we have come in my NBA watching lifetime.

gustofwind · Post #7 » by **gustofwind** » Wed Aug 5, 2015 2:21 am

Re: original question: anything is possible.

But it's probably harder to compile a team of elite role players than a team with two superstars and 3-4 good role players (i.e. your traditional championship team).

A team of elite role players 10 deep would take incredible management, great coaching, good fortune, etc.

Masterfully · Post #8 » by **Masterfully** » Wed Aug 5, 2015 2:22 am

gustofwind wrote:Not sure they count... 4 were all-stars

But that's the closest we have come in my NBA watching lifetime.

Well, a handful of the players in the OP are also All Stars. Not all All Stars are superstars.

Spicy P · Post #9 » by **Spicy P** » Wed Aug 5, 2015 2:22 am

Masterfully wrote:

Ben Wallace looks so small in this picture.

WolvesGuy14 · Post #10 » by **WolvesGuy14** » Wed Aug 5, 2015 2:23 am

Masterfully wrote:

Sheed, Hamilton, and Billups were all very good players. I don't think I'd call them role players.

gustofwind · Post #11 » by **gustofwind** » Wed Aug 5, 2015 2:28 am

Masterfully wrote:
gustofwind wrote:Not sure they count... 4 were all-stars

But that's the closest we have come in my NBA watching lifetime.

Well, a handful of the players in the OP are also All Stars. Not all All Stars are superstars.

You're right. Still, IMO Rasheed Wallace came pretty close to being a genuine star in his career, and Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups were better than role players. Ben Wallace may or may not have been a role player, but he did make a couple All-NBA teams. I wonder if he would be considered a role player only because we underrate the impact of high level defensive guys. The guy won Defensive Player of the Year 4 times after all.

Again, your example is still the closest in my memory. I don't mean to criticize. But from a purist's standpoint you have to stretch the definition of role player to include every one of those guys.

How should we define role players anyway?

Masterfully · Post #12 » by **Masterfully** » Wed Aug 5, 2015 2:32 am

Yeah, the definition of what a true elite role player is may be hard to define.

To me, if you stuck them on a team with true superstars like Durant and Lebron you would consider them a supporting cast member. If that makes any sense. But my own definition doesn't quite fit Love. Haha

The Penguin · Post #13 » by **The Penguin** » Wed Aug 5, 2015 2:49 am

So basically you are asking if the Hawks could win it all?

I think an elite role player team would have a similar fate as Atlanta, win 55+ games, a playoff round or two then lose to Lebron.

Nebula1 · Post #14 » by **Nebula1** » Wed Aug 5, 2015 2:49 am

Sheed should go to the Hall imo

Answer to op: no

Winsome Gerbil · Post #15 » by **Winsome Gerbil** » Wed Aug 5, 2015 2:52 am

Teague's more than a roleplayer, but still, no. 3rd and 4th options look a lot better when they are behind 1st and 2nd options than when they are exposed and suddenly asked to carry the offense themselves. Then the fact they can't create shots becomes a huge issue.

The Pistons were one of the most starless bunches to ever win a title, but they still had 3 guys who were legit 18-20pt type scorers sacrificing a bit (only a bit) for the overall team. Chauncey, Rip and Sheed weren't superstars, but they were all stars who could get their own shot. On your super roleplayer team, only Teague really fits that bill. When teams clamped down they'd really struggle to score.

Hellcrooner · Post #16 » by **Hellcrooner** » Wed Aug 5, 2015 2:58 am

No.
At least you would need to have a starting 5 of FRINGE allstars and then a bench of elite role players.

Lillard/Beverly
Demar Derozan/Korver
Igoudala/Mike Dunleavy
Al Jefferson/Tristan Thompson
Greg Monroe/Gortat

And of course Pops as coach.

TommyTBolt · Post #17 » by **TommyTBolt** » Wed Aug 5, 2015 3:01 am

BBall Loyalty wrote:PG - Teague
SG - Wes Matthews (pre injury)
SF - Kyle Korver
PF - Draymond Green
C - Rudy Gobert

Bench
DeMarre Carroll
Tyson Chandler
Tristan Thompson
Brandon Knight
Tony Allen

Coach: Greg Poppovich

this team would not make the conference finals unless it got a cakewalk let alone win it all.

Did you not see what happened to Atlanta against injured Cleveland in the playoffs?
This is something I as well as many others correctly predicted all year when calling Atlantas roleplaying team a championship PRETENDER but the real GMs on here who don't like LeBron kept pushing Atlanta as a legit threat in conference (barring an injury to LBJ they were never even close)

MrBigShot · Post #18 » by **MrBigShot** » Wed Aug 5, 2015 3:11 am

I wouldn't call Teague or Knight role players, and I wouldn't consider Gobert one either consider the way he elevated his game in increased minutes last year.

But to answer the question, I don't think a team of role players could win it all. The 03-04 pistons aren't really an example. Tayshaun Prince was the only player in the starting lineup that you could realistically refer to as a role player. Chauncey was an elite PG, Rip a very good SG and 1st option scorer, Ben a DPOY and Sheed a good all around starter.

BudenFerry · Post #19 » by **BudenFerry** » Wed Aug 5, 2015 3:25 am

Hellcrooner wrote:No.
At least you would need to have a starting 5 of FRINGE allstars and then a bench of elite role players.

Lillard/Beverly
Demar Derozan/Korver
Igoudala/Mike Dunleavy
Al Jefferson/Tristan Thompson
Greg Monroe/Gortat

And of course Pops as coach.

OPs team would destroy yours. A starting front line of Jefferson and Monroe makes me want to puke.

BudenFerry · Post #20 » by **BudenFerry** » Wed Aug 5, 2015 3:29 am

TommyTBolt wrote:
BBall Loyalty wrote:PG - Teague
SG - Wes Matthews (pre injury)
SF - Kyle Korver
PF - Draymond Green
C - Rudy Gobert

Bench
DeMarre Carroll
Tyson Chandler
Tristan Thompson
Brandon Knight
Tony Allen

Coach: Greg Poppovich

this team would not make the conference finals unless it got a cakewalk let alone win it all.

Did you not see what happened to Atlanta against injured Cleveland in the playoffs?
This is something I as well as many others correctly predicted all year when calling Atlantas roleplaying team a championship PRETENDER but the real GMs on here who don't like LeBron kept pushing Atlanta as a legit threat in conference (barring an injury to LBJ they were never even close)

You announce cleveland as injured and ignore Atlanta's numerous injuries.

Thabo out for the series
Carroll badly hurting his knee in game 1 and being limited after.
Korver going down in game 2.
Horford being ejected at the beginning of game 3.

The hawks top 3 wing players were out or very limited.