Glue guys are everywhere in college basketball -- undersized, vertically challenged, high IQ guys can excel against talented but unmotivated/low IQ foes. I've found that glue guys in college basketball are often lauded because they are able to excel on good teams despite a glaring weakness. Take a look at Seth Davis's annual NCAAB glue guy column that dates back to 2000. Justin Mason, a 4 year player at Texas who appears on the list, was an offensive liability (4-17 from 3pt. his senior year). Zack Novak, a 4 year starter at Michigan who appeared on the list in consecutive years, played power-forward despite standing 6'5. Brady Morningstar, who I enjoyed in large part because of his badass undershirt, lacked the size and strength to check Big 12 shooting guards. These guys all started on NCAA tournament teams.
But in the NBA, glue guys are a different phenomena. In a league filled with hyper-athletic, skilled players, effort or moxie alone isn't good enough. These guys, unlike their NCAAB glue guy counterparts, don't really have weaknesses at all. Not one of the players below is commonly held to be a top 2 player on his team. None of the players below really has one discernibly great skill, and yet, they are strangely uber important. And that's the magic of glue guys -- you have to look a little closer, dig a little deeper to find their value. They're the proverbial straw that stirs the drink. They're the "I'll Tell You What, Bob, I Don't Know Where This Team Would Be Without This Guy" guy. I love glue guys.
Mike Conley -- Quarterback/PG -- Memphis Grizzlies
Conley is one of the most underrated PGs in the league. He has neither the blazing John Wall speed nor the bounce of Russell Westbrook. But this guy has a terrific floor game that suits Memphis's predominately half-court offense. Conley's floater game is exceptionally strong; he's the only PG I've seen that can shoot floaters with each hand. Mike Conley, a 46% 3pt shooter this year with a 3:1 assist/turnover ratio, you can play for me any time.
Trevor Ariza -- Swiss Army Knife/SF -- Houston Rockets
Ariza disappeared into relative anonymity after his stellar play on the Laker's title team in 2008-09. He burst back onto the scene last year, a contract year for Ariza, where he again assumed the role of a lockdown perimeter defender who is no slouch on offense, either. Ariza has been productive on offense in large part because of his shot selection -- he's taking nearly all his shots either at or near the rim, or from beyond the arc (40% at rim, 59% from 3). So he's both avoiding the dreaded mid-range jumper and spacing the floor to give Harden room to operate. The Rockets knew what they'd be getting defensively from Ariza, but Trevor's offensive production has been pleasantly surprising for Kevin McHale and Daryl Morey.
Draymond Green -- Point-Forward -- Golden State Warriors
Draymond Green started 12 of 82 games last year. This year, David Lee's left hamstring has thrust Green into a starting role in all 12 games -- and the Warriors are benefitting. Green replaces Lee's atrocious post-defense with an ability to guard 3 positions. Offensively, Green brings and inside-out dimension to a team already loaded with perimeter talent. When I think of Draymond Green I think of a possession like this: Steph gets a high ball screen and goes left, taking his defender and the helper with him to the free-throw line extended. Steph then whips a left-handed pass to Green. He gets the rock at the top of the key in a half-court, 3-2 situation, and more often than not, makes the right basketball play. In addition to his play, everything I've read suggests Green is the consummate leader/teammate as well. If Lee is willing to come off the bench when he returns, and with the recent emergence of Marreese Speights to bolster the bench, the Warriors might have something special here.
Nicolas Batum -- Batman/SF -- Portland Trail Blazers
Nicolas Batum is exlusively called Batman by his French national team comrades, but he's neither Batman (Aldridge) nor Robin (Lillard) on his Portland team. Batum barely edged out another great glue guy, Robin Lopez, but I gave Batman the call because of his versatility. Batum is so important to the Blazer offense because a) Portland is comfortable with the ball in his hands which leads to b) Damien Lillard can play off the ball, where he's especially lethal. Per NBA.com Player Tracking, Batum led the NBA last year in distance covered (in miles) on the court. I don't know whether that's a testament to his long legs, or the fact that Batum is always on the move -- either way, he puts a lot of pressure on the opposition.
Jonas Valanciunas -- All Beef/C -- Toronto Raptors
I promise I'm not overreacting to Jonas's 27 points (10-11 FG) & 11 boards last night. He's shooting 60% from the field -- Valancuinas is often the beneficiary of drive and dishes from DeMar DeRozan or Kyle Lowry. But in just his third year, Jonas is also showing off inklings of an increasingly polished back-to-the-basket game. He also converts at an 80% clip from the free-throw line -- a huge plus for Jonas that plagues other near 60% 2FG shooters (see Jordan, Deandre). Even when shots aren't falling for Toronto's perimeter studs, Valancuinas relentless work on the glass provides a much needed spark for the offense.
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