Five You'd Like to Play Alongside

Who doesn't like a list, especially on a Monday morning when that's about all you can handle?

If Ron Artest is a wild card when it comes to chemistry, and Allen Iverson is a tough guy to play alongside of, then who are the NBA's best teammates? Let's talk glue guys this a.m.

Here's one guy's Top 5 Teammates list -- players you want to play with.

Shane Battier: His "glue-guy" hype has now superseded his actual "glue-guy" game. That just means Battier has become a little overrated in this area. But Battier still belongs here.

Chauncey Billups: What more proof do you need? Billups goes to Denver, and immediately the Nuggets take the next step in the postseason and advance to the conference finals. His former team, the Pistons, goes downhill, barely secure the eighth playoff spot and get swept in the first round of the playoff. That's Elmer's right there.

Tim Duncan: You don't often think of superstars as glue guys, but Duncan's not your ordinary superstar. As Duncan begins winding down, you just know he's going to stay classy till the end and go out the right way. Just can't see him complaining about a lack of touches as he pushes 35

Lamar Odom: Who could blame Odom if he was a player who wanted the ball more and/or a bigger role in general? But that's just not him. All the while Odom was criticized early in his career for not being assertive enough, turns out he was just perfecting the art of being a role player.

Rasheed Wallace: It rarely gets recognized because it has to take a backseat to his temper, but Wallace is among the league's most unselfish players. Whether it's making the extra pass, defending one of the opposing team's best players or taking a hard foul, Wallace will do what he has to do. Very few players in the league with his skill level perform the intangibles like Wallace.

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

8-10-2009 @ 8:40AM

FLOW said...

I would also like to add Chris Paul and Steve Nash to that list. These guys make you better just by running the floor, and usually when players leave their teams, they don't do well in other places

8-10-2009 @ 9:06AM

MadHopz said...

How in the world you don't add D.Wade on the list, are you serious, or Lebron, or CP3 whoever did this list needs to redo it, and be fired. They need to have someone to do these type of things who actually watch basketball. You dont add Wade, you need to resign.

8-10-2009 @ 12:01PM

gozerian24 said...

Wade and Lebron aren't "glue guys", they're the whole show. Duncan was put out there as an exception because of the way he plays - he's extremely understated, and even then, he really doesn't fit in with guys like Battier. But if you guys want CP3, LeBron, Wade... aren't you really just asking for "TOP 5 BEST PLAYERS"?

8-10-2009 @ 4:07PM

Devilsreject1981 said...

Where are KG, Nash, and CP3??

Tim Duncan belongs on here. Battier, maybe, but Wallace? He costs his team points from all the stupid technicals, and would rather take 25 foot jumpers than go down in the post.

Billups gets too much hype now. Look at his shooting percentage(of course the Nuggets would get better with someone who takes half the shots of Iverson and shoots a similar percentage.)

And Odom wanted to be overpaid to be the most skilled 4th option on a team. I guess they forget how often he b!tches.

Just remember what Nash did without Stoudemire a few years back. They beat the Lakers in the playoffs. Every guy on his team had a career year.

8-10-2009 @ 4:40PM

Giles said...

It is mainly the title which needs correction, it should read Five Glue Guys, to make clear it isn`t refering to the all pro team, which more or less rightly last year included Howard, James, Bryant, Wade, first string, and Paul, who was listed second string. Perhaps CP3 should have started, maybe ahead of Wade, since maybe Wade should not be picked at point since he doesn`t play it in the season, and probably shouldn`t start ahead of Bryant at wing. But you should be able to see why that would be a hard choice. I think `Sheed`s temper should disqualify him as a top glue guy you`d want to play with, he also doesn`t attack the hoop much for a near 7 footer. Refs cut his Ts in half when Brown coach him, they just got tired of calling him, but he didn`t stop commiting them. That threw Brown a championship his team didn`t earn. Boston got lucky when Davis resigned despite being demoted by having Wallace replace Moore in the team. But they still undercut their chances of getting past Cleveland and Orlando, just not as much as if Big Gentle Man, Glen Davis, had left. If you are going to look past tempers, Artest`s temper hasn`t been as bad as Wallace`s and while he doesn`t shoot as well from the perimeter, he plays better defense. And he`s a wing forward, though he can play power forward and wing guard, so he`d fit by postion. But I wouldn`t pick him, either. Tempers count.

8-11-2009 @ 1:06AM

Glenn20 said...

I think that the article title - "Five You'd Like to Play Alongside" conveyed the message just right. I can't understand why these people don't get it. The guy who said Lebron should be on the list must be crazy. Most players DON'T want to play alongside someone who controls the whole game (and calls you the "supporting cast"). This isn't meant to be just about the best players or highest scorers.

8-11-2009 @ 9:52AM

richcantwell109 said...

Lamar Odom????? I can't imagine NBA players would want to play with a guy that plays when the mood strikes him.

8-12-2009 @ 12:39PM

Mike Schmitz said...

i agree with the majority of those, especially Sheed because he gets no love. But no Steve Nash? Maybe you were going for the unexpected and didn't want to be cliche, but if you asked this question to the players, guarantee Nash would be among the top five. He re-invented the Phoenix Suns and made Phoenix Suns Basketball what it is today. Despite all of the Suns Rumors that Nash was headed to New York, he stayed loyal to the Suns and will continue to make that team go.