When I first sat down to write this piece, I immediately knew I had a battle between the player and the coach in me. The player in me wants a high motor, energy guy that takes no prisoners and would bite their own grandmother in the neck to win.
The coach/general manager side of me wants guys that compete and play the right way, partly by making their teammates better. After 20 years of coaching, I learned rather early that I had to throw out the way I worked and did things as a player. It was going to be tough to match my passion and effort.
So, as the World Series was finishing up with a great Game 7, I decided to pay homage to a great book and movie, Moneyball, by having my five players come in an average of nearly $3 million below the NBA average salary of $5.8 million.
These are my Top 5 Bang for the Buck players in the NBA.
Jamal Crawford, L.A. Clippers
First up is an unusual pick for me because, if I have one pet peeve as a coach, its shot selection. This guy is so good, I’m willing to throw this concept totally out the window. Coming in as our second-highest paid player at $5,450,000 is the all-time leader in 4-point plays, a 6’5″ shooting guard never met a shot he didn’t like, with ice water in his veins and the best crossover I’ve ever seen. By the way, I’ve seen a lot. This two-time sixth man of the year averaged a whopping 18.6 pts a game last year and seems to be getting better with age. The fact that he makes tough shots at the end of games when everyone in the gym knows he’s going to shoot, outweighs his passing and defensive inabilities. This just makes me cringe as a coach, but I always get over it. The fact he makes less than the league average shoots him to top of the list.
Greg Monroe, Detroit Pistons
This 6’11” smooth playing forward is No. 2 on my list and the highest paid at $5,479,000. But still a tick under the league average and in for a major payday due to the fact that he will be an unrestricted free agent after this year. Selected with the 7th pick by the Pistons in the 2010 draft, he has averaged 13.9 pts and 9.0 rebs so far in his career. The fact that he plays with Andre Drummond probably takes away from his rebound numbers, but he is so skilled on the box and hopefully has added range to an already sweet stroke out to 18 feet, will help him have a monster year. The only question mark on this multi-talented player, aside from whether he can thrive in the bench role that Stan Van Gundy has given him, is why his teams have been so poorly. I didn’t like the lineup of Drummond, Smith and Monroe playing together, and I will be watching closely to see how Van Gundy finds the proper minutes for all three guys. This will probably hold the key to the Pistons season, along with the play at the point guard position (where D.J,. Augustin, not Brandon Jennings, was the finisher in their opener). No matter how they finish, I’m looking forward to what this highly skilled big man has added to his game.
Draymond Green, Warriors
At 6’7″ 230 pounds, he will play the 3 or stretch 4 this year (He started in place of David Lee on opening night). One of the main reasons Golden State has become one of the strongest teams in the West. Draymond is our bargain of the night, as he is in his last year of a rookie contract that will pay him $915,243 this year. Golden State is trying to play him more at a stretch 4 this year even though he only 6’7″, but he makes up for this with his strength and leaves everything on the floor (common factor between all these players) night after night. Not only is he not afraid to take big shots, he is one of the better defenders in the league inside and out, which is a rare quality for someone of his size. Still needs to improve his ballhandling and shooting percentages, which I think he will do. He has too good of a stroke and shows good range. I think his shot selection has been a problem, but nearly averaging a double-double in last year’s playoffs was very impressive. The Warriors have one of the best backcourts in the league, but for them to be a real contender Andrew Bogut must stay healthy (a migraine limited him to 18 minutes in the opener), Harrison Barnes and Green must have big years and show that they can be effective playing together. Going with the theme of this underrated five, is watching the effort this young man puts out every night is a true pleasure to watch.
Miles Plumlee, Phoenix Suns
When you say the word active, in dictionary there should be a picture of this young man, who is a 6’11”, 255 pound bundle of energy. I’m not going to lie, I’ve missed the boat badly on him and his brother. Miles comes in on the Moneyball scale making $1,357,080 in the second year of an all-important rookie contract. After only playing 14 games for a veteran laden Indiana team, he got traded and was given a chance to run wild and use his tools for the most surprising team in the NBA. Also one of the most fun to watch. Miles is far from a finished project as he needs to shoot free throws a lot better than 56 percent and make a consistent pick and pop jump shot, along with a killer jump hook, drop step, and up-and-under move as he continues to develop. If this happens, can you say All-Star. Plumlee, by just using his God-given talent, athleticism and feel for the game, was able to give the Suns almost 8 points and 8 rebounds a night in only 24.5 minutes. Add on that he was also one of the NBA’s most effective off-the-ball defenders, coming across and doing a great job at protecting the rim. He will only get better with time and experience. Don’t be surprised, if he gets 10 minutes more a game, to see him among the leading shot blockers in the league. If you live on the east coast, stay up a little longer to watch the Suns play. You won’t regret it.
Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls
This 6’7”, 220 pounder may be last on the list, but is the best defender of the bunch. As a coach, you love guys that can get you buckets during the end of the game. This is when most games are decided, but the flip side is getting stops. It’s an old cliché, some nights you’re not going to make shots, but you can always defend — and this makes Mr. Butler so valuable. This being said, he didn’t agree to terms on an extension, and I can only speculate the reason being due to his up and down production on the offensive end. His scoring rose from 8.6 ppg to 13.1 ppg, but his shooting percentage dipped badly from .467 in 2012 to .397 in 2013 from the floor and .381 to .283 from the 3-point line. All that aside, it is not easy to find someone who has that size, strength and that can lock down people at four different positions. If he can regain his shooting stroke, it’s a no brainer to lock him up long-term like the Nuggets did with Kenneth Faried, whose four-year, $48 million extension will be a bargain when it is all said and done. But that will have to be done when Butler becomes a restricted free agent next summer.
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Guest columnist Jeff Ruland is a former NBA player, assistant coach and scout. He was the head coach at Iona, his alma mater, as well as the University of the District of Columbia.