Five NBA Stars Who Continued To Thrive In Reduced Roles - ClutchPoints

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Becoming the face of an NBA franchise is not an easy task at all. It requires a player post superstar numbers every night while carrying the expectation of leading a team deep into the postseason. However, one of the hardest obstacles basketball superstars can face is adapting to the transition from a star to playing in a reduced role.

With time passing by and the ever growing competition in the NBA, a superstar’s peak years are limited or could face unfortunate career threatening injuries. In other cases, some superstars are forced to make sacrifices in order to achieve their championship dreams. As a result, some players are forced to step down from the superstar realm.

Although stepping down from being a superstar is often associated with a decline in a player’s career, league history tells us that it doesn’t always turn out that way. In fact, we’ve seen various NBA players continue to perform well and achieve milestones despite being removed from their superstar status. For this piece, let’s take a look at five NBA stars that continued to thrive in a reduced role.

Kevin Love

A lot of people know Kevin Love’s best days were with the Minnesota Timberwolves. As their franchise centerpiece, Love was a 20-10 double-double threat. In fact, he was so good that he even dropped a monster 31 points and 31 rebounds in a 2010 win against the New York Knicks to become the first player since Moses Malone in 1982 to register a 30-30 game.

But as Love was recruited to Cleveland in a trade that involved 2013 and 2014 first round picks Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett in 2015, the star forward was forced to play behind Kyrie Irving and a returning LeBron James. A lot of people would say that Love was the odd man out among the Cavs trio. But although the 6’8 big man struggled during the earlier parts of the Cavs’ campaign, Love eventually made his presence felt as a crucial third option for Cleveland.

First, he was responsible for locking down Stephen Curry one on one in the Warrior’s crucial possession that sealed the Cavs’ historic comeback from a 1-3 NBA Finals deficit in Game 7. Furthermore, the one time NBA champion also earned two straight All-Star distinctions by becoming a near double-double threat for Cleveland.

His third season in a Cavs uniform saw him average 19.0 points and 11.1 rebounds per game while playing behind the two Cleveland superstars. Love was fairly successful, given how he still managed to become an All-Star and posted double-double numbers as a third option. However, there is no doubt it wasn’t an easy transition.

In J.J. Redick’s Podcast, Love opened up about his experience and said “Of anybody on the team, I felt I did have to sacrifice the most… I was like ‘OK, I’m going to shoot a lot of threes. I might have to completely change my game… That was an adjustment period for me, going from a guy who shot almost 20 shots a game to being relegated to being a three-point shooter…”

Despite his early struggles dealing with role identity issues and fitness with the team’s rotation, there is no doubt Love successfully embraced his role and trusted the process. As a third option, he achieved something that he couldn’t in Minnesota which was the elusive NBA championship.

Chris Bosh

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If there is another star that had to embrace the role of the third option, it was Chris Bosh. Bosh was a huge star for the Toronto Raptors, given that he was the team’s lottery pick in 2003 and their go-to-guy. For the Raptors, Bosh put up 20.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per outing while earning five straight All-Star distinctions and an All-NBA team selection. However to ignite his championship hopes, the All-Star forward left the franchise in order to form the Big Three alongside Dwyane Wade and LeBron James.

Some people think that as a talented player, it will be much easier to win championships when you team-up with fellow superstars like Bosh did. However, that is certainly not the case because of the sacrifices and adjustments required for the team to succeed that will force an established player to move out of his comfort zone.

In an interview with Bleacher Report, Bosh said “Yeah it’s a lot more difficult taking a step back, because you’re used to doing something a certain way and getting looks a certain way… And then it’s like, well, no, for the benefit of the team, you have to get it here.”

The 6’11 forward was relatively successful, however, in playing behind Wade and James. Bosh continued to maintain his All-Star status up until the Big Three disbanded in 2016 when James made his decision to return to Cleveland. The two time NBA champion may not have been a consistent 20-10 guy with the Heat unlike when he was with the Raptors, Bosh still managed to put up solid numbers as he averaged 18.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per outing which was enough contribution to earn two straight NBA championships.

Rajon Rondo

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Rajon Rondo was a superstar that stamped his greatness in the NBA while playing with the Boston Celtics. In a Celtics uniform, Rondo was a great rebounding guard that had the skills and hustle to compliment the Big Three of the Celtics that time in Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce.

As the star point guard of the team, Rondo often turned into a triple double machine come playoff time. In 2008, Rondo averaged 10.2 points, 6.6 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per outing which was enough to help the Celtics win the NBA championship. The star guard followed that year up with a near triple double statline in the postseason as he put up 16.9 points, 9.8 assists, and 9.7 rebounds per outing.

Unfortunately, Rondo lost his superstardom due to injuries and issues with team chemistry. The four time All-Star started to bounce around the league and started to lose relevancy.

However, Rondo proved to everyone that he was still an elite guard in the league. Rondo was relegated as one of the Lakers’ back-up guards in the rotation. Although he didn’t really post outstanding numbers during the regular season, he did shine bright during the 2020 Playoffs. Coming off the bench, Rondo reduced the playmaking duties of LeBron James when he was on the floor.

Furthermore, his knack for loose balls certainly played a critical role in powering the Lakers to its first NBA championship since 2010. In this year’s playoffs, Rondo averaged 8.9 points, 6.6 assists, and 4.3 boards per game including 19 points in the championship clinching game which was spiked by three shots from rainbow country. As a role player, the 6’1 guard certainly thrived coming off the bench. In fact, he also made history by becoming only the second player to win his two championship rings from two of the most decorated franchises in NBA history.

Derrick Rose

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Derrick Rose’s career is just one of the manifestations on why anyone shouldn’t give up on their dreams. The 6’2 guard was no doubt a superstar for the Bulls during the earlier stages of his career. He collected three straight All-Star distinctions to start the decade. Furthermore, his greatest achievement would be becoming the youngest player to be named regular season MVP. Rose would also become the first Bulls player to win the award since Michael Jordan.

In a Bulls uniform, Rose averaged 19.7 points, 6.2 assists, and 3.7 boards per game. He also made Chicago a playoff contender by taking them to five postseason appearances. Unfortunately, knee injuries derailed the athletic guard. After numerous knee injuries, it was obvious that Rose wasn’t the same anymore as he bounced around the league playing for the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers.

But despite the injuries and losing his old self, Rose has been flourishing as the sixth man of the last two teams he has played for. By changing his playing style of attacking the rim and finishing strong, the former MVP learned how to become more productive outside the paint. He first shined with the Minnesota Timberwolves by averaging 18.0 points per outing off the bench including a career-high 50 point outburst against the Jazz. Aside from this, Rose has also replicated his scoring while suiting up for the Detroit Pistons. Thus, Rose has been one of the top legitimate candidates for the Sixth Man of the Year Award for the past two seasons despite just playing 26 to 27 minutes per game.

For a player that has lost his stardom and encountered brutal injuries, Rose has certainly bounced back with flare. If Rose can somehow win the Sixth Man Award or win a NBA ring down the road, it will be the best vindication for the youngest MVP. But with what he has accomplished so far, Rose is certainly one of the stars that thrived on a more limited role.

Ray Allen

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With Ray Allen’s deadly shooting from beyond the arc, it was easy to forget that he was actually more than just a spot-up shooter in his earlier years. While playing for the Milwaukee Bucks and Seattle Supersonics, Allen was a star that had the ability to score in multiple ways. In fact, he was even the leading scorer of those teams.

One of the most interesting things about Allen’s career is his ability to seamlessly adjust to reduced roles. As people would know it, the hot shooting guard eventually joined the Boston Celtics to form a Big Three alongside Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce with Allen as the designated spot-up shooter. Despite being the third option, Allen did not disappoint. In Game 6 of the 2008 NBA Finals, he made seven shots from beyond the arc and finished with 26 points to help the Celtics win the NBA championship that year.

In the latter parts of his career, the 10 time NBA All-Star eventually left the Celtics to join the Miami Heat’s Big Three of James, Wade, and Bosh. Allen would even have a more reduced role for the Heat as he often came off the bench. But despite being reduced to a role player, Allen still continued to make a huge impact. In Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals, Allen shot one of the biggest three point shots in NBA Finals history which allowed the Heat to force overtime that eventually led to a Game 7. Of course, Allen and the Heat would eventually win the championship that year.

Allen’s shooting and ability to play behind stars certainly allowed him to thrive in reduced roles. Despite having the ball in his hands less frequently, Allen remained effective. Because of this, the Hall-of-Famer is no doubt one of the few stars that continued to shine in a reduced role.