{"id":92061,"date":"2024-08-26T11:11:50","date_gmt":"2024-08-26T15:11:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=92061"},"modified":"2024-08-26T11:11:50","modified_gmt":"2024-08-26T15:11:50","slug":"3-nba-players-who-will-cement-themselves-as-high-impact-role-players-during-the-2024-2025-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/08\/26\/3-nba-players-who-will-cement-themselves-as-high-impact-role-players-during-the-2024-2025-season\/","title":{"rendered":"3 NBA Players Who Will Cement Themselves as High-Impact Role Players During the 2024-2025 Season"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The NBA is a league of stars\u2014there&#8217;s no denying that. However, it&#8217;s often the unsung <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/02\/15\/5-nba-all-star-role-players-this-season\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">role players<\/a> who impact winning the most. Of course, NBA teams need guys who can break ankles, posterize defenders, and consistently drop 20+ points a night, but they also equally need players who hustle, play hard defense, and provide timely ball movement. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just take the reigning Champion Boston Celtics for example. Of course, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/t\/tatumja01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-26_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jayson Tatum<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/brownja02.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-26_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jaylen Brown<\/a> rightfully garner most of the attention and headlines. But there&#8217;s no way they secure the franchise\u2019s 18th title without the consistent and steady-handed play of star role players like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/whitede01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-26_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Derrick White<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/p\/pritcpa01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-26_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Payton Pritchard<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/horfoal01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-26_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Al Horford<\/a>. Below is a list of three. players who will likely never develop into full-fledged stars. However, they will make convincing cases to be spoken of in the same breath as players like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/hartjo01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-26_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Josh Hart<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/carusal01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-26_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Alex Caruso<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/d\/divindo01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-26_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Donte DiVincenzo<\/a>. Players that no one would mistake for top-tier stars, but no one would question their impact on winning. Let&#8217;s dive into these three impactful NBA role players.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>3 NBA Players Who Will Cement Themselves as High-Impact Role Players During the 2024-2025 Season<\/h2>\n<h3>Dyson Daniels<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/d\/daniedy01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-26_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dyson Daniels<\/a> was recently acquired by the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/07\/30\/hawks-roster-waive-bruno-fernando-offseason\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Atlanta Hawks<\/a>\u00a0in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/murrade01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dejounte Murray<\/a> trade. He is perhaps the NBA&#8217;s best Swiss Army knife that no one talks about. Now expected to be featured in a prominent role, Daniels&#8217; versatile game should be much more widely recognized. Daniels struggled with health and a less-than-deadly perimeter shot (career 31.2% 3pt shooter) during his brief tenure with the New Orleans Pelicans. However, he consistently brought high-level defense and extra effort plays when he found his way onto the court. Daniels is also an adept playmaker, capable of making accurate and timely passes.<\/p>\n<p>Add his playmaking ability to his 6-foot-7, 200-pound frame, and his upside in the transition game is apparent as well. At 21-years-old Daniels has a lot of potential and will likely blossom with a bigger role. Daniels&#8217; elite size and high-level defense make him an ideal fit next to<a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/y\/youngtr01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Trae Young<\/a>. If Daniels can stay healthy and carve out a role with Atlanta where he is seeing somewhere close to 30 minutes a night, his game won&#8217;t be a secret for much longer. Daniels could be the next iteration of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/s\/smartma01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-26_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Marcus Smart<\/a> or Derrick White with the Hawks.<\/p>\n<h3>Moses Moody<\/h3>\n<p>Since the Warriors selected <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/moodymo01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-26_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Moses Moody<\/a> with the 14th pick back in 2021, they&#8217;ve been waiting for him to step up and become a mainstay in their rotation. Moody has flirted with being a rotation regular throughout his career. But he&#8217;s never fully carried that role throughout the duration of a season. With Golden State finally moving on from franchise legend <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/t\/thompkl01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-26_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Klay Thompson<\/a>, the time is now for Moody to cement himself within\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/k\/kerrst01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-26_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Steve Kerr<\/a>&#8216;s rotation. Moody isn&#8217;t speculator but he is consistent. For a win-now veteran team like the Warriors that should be enough for Kerr to trust Moody with a full-time role. Furthermore, Moody&#8217;s 3-and-D skill set are ideal for the Warriors.<\/p>\n<p>Now with that being said, the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/08\/16\/warriors-brandin-podziemski-makes-bold-proclamation-ahead-next-season\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Warriors<\/a> have brought in players like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/hieldbu01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-26_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Buddy Hield<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/meltode01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-26_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">De&#8217;Anthony Melton<\/a> to replace some of the production left by the departed Thompson. So Moody likely doesn&#8217;t have guaranteed minutes in a deep wing rotation that also includes players like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/p\/podzibr01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brandin Podziemski<\/a> and franchise-favorite <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/p\/paytoga02.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Gary Payton II<\/a>. Nevertheless if Moody can bump last year&#8217;s three-point percentage of 36% closer to 40%, while also putting his freakishly long wingspan to work defensively, his impact on the Golden State Warriors in 2024-2025 will be consistent and apparent. Ultimately, Moody could be poised for a somewhat of a breakout season.<\/p>\n<h3>Deni Avdija<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/avdijde01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-26_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Deni Avdija<\/a>, just finished 6th place in the Most Improved Player Award voting last year. Avdija may seem like too big a name for a list like this. However, when you&#8217;ve played the entirety of your career for the &#8216;hard to watch&#8217; Washington Wizards of the past few years, your work on the basketball court can tend to go unnoticed by the general public. A move to another lowly Trail Blazers team\u00a0may not seem like the career revival necessary to bring Avdija&#8217;s game to the NBA mainstream. However, the fifth-year Israeli forward is just too darn good to remain in obscurity any longer.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, while the Trail Blazers may not be great, they&#8217;re still a good deal ahead of the Wizards. Notably, boasting actual blue-chip talent on their roster in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/hendesc01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-26_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Scoot Henderson<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/s\/sharpsh01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-26_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shaedon Sharpe<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/clingdo01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-26_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Donovan Clingan<\/a>. Avdija is the ideal connector piece in any NBA starting five. He is capable of playing stout defense, boasting an ideal 6-foot-9, 215-pound wing size, while continually displaying high-level basketball IQ and maturity. Additionally, Deni is coming off a career shooting year where he shot 37 percent from three. Avdija&#8217;s game carries shades of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/g\/greendr01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-26_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Draymond Green<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/o\/odomla01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-08-26_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lamar Odom<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/batumni01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nicolas Batum.<\/a>\u00a0Deni might not be elite in any one area. Regardless he does a little bit of everything and he will help you win a lot of games. Look for Advija to elevate the talent around him, and be a key cog in Portland turning around the trajectory of their franchise.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The NBA is a league of stars\u2014there&#8217;s no denying that. However, it&#8217;s often the unsung role players who impact winning the most. Of course, NBA teams need guys who can break ankles, posterize defenders, and consistently drop 20+ points a night, but they also equally need players who hustle, play hard defense, and provide timely [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5268,"featured_media":92508,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,1608,25,62,12,22,23,18],"tags":[2831,4605,4176],"class_list":["post-92061","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hawks","category-basketball","category-warriors","category-nba","category-knicks","category-thunder","category-trailblazers","category-wizards","tag-deni-avdija","tag-dyson-daniels","tag-moses-moody"],"modified_by":"Eamon Cassels, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92061","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5268"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=92061"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92061\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/92508"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=92061"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=92061"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=92061"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}