That’s a solid winner mindset to have tbh. Basketball is a team sports and a team doesn’t only need scorers. You can try to be the scorer but then you are in competition for a spot on a team with every other elite scorer in the nba and that is probably the most flooded position. But you can still be elite at something that is more in-demand and you will have an easier time finding a team, playing lots of minutes, and that will allow your game to grow in other areas even more.

For example, maybe you don’t come off the gates as an extraordinary shooter, but if you can rebound well and defend well, you will get minutes and if you get minutes, you will participate in the offense and maybe gets some shots off also, which will make you better and in time yo might become a better shooter, whereas if you say “shooter or bust” you will end up out of the league very fast

He had a great analogy. All these g league guys applying to a company to be a CEO. When all the team really needs is a great janitor. Be that great janitor and you’ll find a place in the big leagues.

This is also something a lot of star players in different team sports end up dealing with when they make the national team - like when Jayson Tatum got benched in the Olympics.

Caruso’s reasoning is why Mac McClung never hangs on in the NBA, but can light it up in the G League. Teams don’t need him to be a scorer. They need role players out of the G League.

I lived in LA most of my life, and you could say the same thing about all the actors, models, musicians, writers, comedians, etc that were the best/most attractive in their hometown. The ones that end up with a career find and accept their roles.

Everyone wants to be Steph Curry. But sometimes you gotta be Jae Crowder.

Jordan Clarkson is a good example of that this year. He said himself he knew he was out of the rotation as a scorer so he stepped up and has been an excellent defender for us this year. I don’t think anyone ever thought that’d be what he was known for here.

Iguodala and Brook Lopez are also great examples. Went from being the #1 on their own team to accepting and changing their game to fit in as a role player. And both won rings because of that.

also, a lot of guys go to the G league and think they need to stand out and score 30-40 points a game. Most of the borderline roster guys can do that in the G league all day. That’s not what teams are looking for. They need versatile role players who can switch on defense and hit open 3s. They also need professionals who they don’t have to babysit or worry about. Guys who put in work even when they know they aren’t going to play. The phrase “If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.” applies to these guys.

Jeff Teague talks about this in his podcast a lot. He had a very similar attitude as Aminu, he didn’t put in work until Damien Wilkins MADE him put in the work.

I’d also like to point out about Aminu, his homophobia and twitter posts sure as hell didn’t help his career. Why these guys think social media is a good idea is beyond me.

JJ Redick, the national player of the year in college, also told reporters he would be a “role player like 80 percent of the players in the league are” and that he didn’t “expect to be a star,” but to be a “team player” instead.

Not everyone can be a superstar but you have to be a superstar at your role. Look at Josh Hart. He’s not a superstar but he is very valuable to us because he is a superstar at his role (rebounds, defend, hustle, 1 man fast break basically do it all guy).Then you have the Isaiah Hartenstein who defends, rebounds and screen well. Also a superstar in his role.

But yeah I get it. These guys have always been the big fish in their ponds and NBA is just the ocean.

Yep, I think I remember Antonio Daniels (throwback) talking about this too.

Pretty much what he said is that in the nba you’re guaranteed your rookie contract. However, after that, you’re not guaranteed shit. If you can’t find a role or niche after your rookie contract, the nba will drop you and your careers over. 

Caruso said these teams aren’t looking for Jordan in G League, they’re looking for someone who takes out the trash

Cam Payne also had a really moving interview where he talked about how hard and humbling it is going from being “the guy” to just being “a guy.” It was a sad listen.

One additional dynamic that is unique to sports athletes is that they believe they can be “the best”.

Even CEOs don’t believe they can be the “BEST” CEO for every company.

You play your CEO role within the context of that company.

I always think of it from a personal/social aspect - being told you’re a god/god-adjacent from the time you can first dunk a basketball means you don’t really need to learn a lot of normal social behaviors, like learning how to deal with people not liking you or not immediately wanting you to succeed/expecting you to succeed. 4-star recruits who get shuttled through college to the NBA just have not had to build certain coping mechanisms.

The older I get the more I understand how guys like Ben Simmons can just lose it mentally - being confronted with things about yourself for the first time, at 22-25 years old, while in a super high pressure job that takes most of your time, sounds like a fucking nightmare.

Everyone in the NBA scored 40 points in high school.

Pat Bev is the best example. Dominant af in highschool playing in Chicago. Ended up with a great career as a defender and hustle player.

Apparently those aren’t the players either that show levels too. It is the Chris Kamans of the world putting you in a blender

It’s how all of us felt the first time you played against a D1 prospect growing up, it just happens to then when they’re 22 instead of 14.

Unfortunately dumb people can rarely process this contrast, and also they now have internet.

Not just that. There’s people that you’re better than but due to politics and the size of contracts, the other players are getting more playing time.

That’s harder to deal with imo

looking back it’s crazy that Bron was able to live up to the hype

I know you are talking about the 1st pick of 2018 draft.

Cam Thomas

Yes. And Jeff made millions, became an all star and one of the funniest podcast host.

Any chance you could track down that clip? Van Exel is one of my favorite players ever and would love to see Teague tell that story.

Gave us the classic “I was hacked” defense

Pre Musk twitter man. I miss it so much

Yo share twin

I have more nightmares about his ball handling. But as ugly as his jumpshot looked, he managed to make his fair share of threes, rebounded well for his size (Jerami Grant, take note), and always defended the toughest opposition. Will always appreciate the Chief and his time in Portland.

Aminu was the second most important player of the post-LA Dame era, he never gets the respect he deserves

I still love him.

Loading up that catapult and letting it fly was always a wild experience to watch, but he also shot the ball shockingly well in Portland. 35% over 4 seasons from 3 and in his other 7 seasons he only shot above 30% once.

Served him at a couple different restaurants and he was awesome.

And then you have the opposite guys in the NBA who are not comfortable to shoot even if they are asked to do so like Luke Kennard. Or a star that has no confidence in shooting like Ben Simmons.

Makes you really wonder the level the NBA is at that some guys are actually afraid to shoot in this level even tho they are superstars in their HS/College

Yeah, this guy has definitely ridden the wave… The delusional confidence with everyone praising and reinforcing it, then the maturity and humility to take a step back, accept reality, and make good decisions. Gotta respect Aminu for that.

Big problem with jimmer is he needed the ball in his hands to be effective. And that is pretty much a death sentence for any role player. Your career will be extended if you can play off ball.

Dudes at my school were yelling Jimmer when they shot instead of Kobe for a short period of time lol

Knowing what we know now about the kings and the massacre they’ve been using to develop talent he never really had a chance.

They chose Marvin Bagley over Luka and then drafted Halliburton and Fox only to trade both of them as soon as they needed to be paid.

Big Wake homer here and went there as well (prior to these guys) and went to several of these home games. I had a bet with family that Ish would outlast any of the other guys on the team in the NBA - I think he lost to James Johnson but JJ really had to change about everything in his game to have that longevity (JJ played an extra year but think Ish had more games played). Needless to say, noone else even believed Ish would make it “to” the league. AFA had a lot of raw talent but like James, just worried me that he’d never fully realize it. I’m glad all of them got as much out of their careers as they did. It really gives me a ton of joy. We don’t get that many guys into the Association so I am always happy when we do and they go far.

He was a good 3&D starter for the Blazers. Always guarded the other team’s best player, good rebounder despite being on the smaller side as a PF and was generally always available to play. I think a lot of teams would’ve been happy to have him as a starter during that period. He averaged 10p / 7r / 2a / 1s + 35% from 3 (4 attempts) and good defense during his 4 years in Portland. Pretty solid!

Was a terrible 3p shooter before (29%) and after (23%) his time in Portland though. Something in the water I guess.

https://youtu.be/UkiF6IFUM08?si=lmCWgJx4D1d08MOz

I believe he is saying that he accepted he wasn’t as good as he thought and became a different type of player (role) to stay on an NBA roster. And that if you are just concerned about being a scorer , you can go abroad and teams will let you just try and score.

A lot of players grew up being the best players on their high school and college teams. They get to the NBA and aren’t anymore and need to play a smaller role. Some people still have the mindset they are still the best player and if you don’t adjust you could be out of the league (e.g. Cam Thomas)