Big Play From The Little Men

You can go to any pickup basketball game and find the same kind of players. There is always a player who plays the Dominique Wilkins role and shoots all the time. There is a player who is usually an older gentleman who plays the Ben Wallace role of setting hard picks, getting tough rebounds and being the overall intimidator. The John Stockton type playmaker is the one who directs traffic and makes the pinpoint passes to his teammates in their sweet spot so they can easily convert. Last, but certainly not least, is the player who is affectionately known as the “little man.”

The little man is usually diminutive in stature, younger than everyone else on the court and severely lacking in the confidence department. This player has enough game to make a significant impact on the court, but they either lack the confidence or they don’t get an opportunity to shine and fully display it. One trip down the floor the little man will make a brilliant move and then the next time down the floor this same player will turn the ball over and draw the ire of the their teammates.

These players generally struggle until their teammates embrace them and give them confidence. This could mean giving them the ball in an advantageous situation, or cheering the little men on for a minor play like getting a steal or committing a hard foul. As the game progresses these little men gain confidence and by the end of the game they are making big plays for their teams.

Daniel Gibson of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Rajon Rondo of the Boston Celtics excel in the role of little men for their respective teams.

Although neither player had major roles in the Celtics’ 76-72 series opening victory over the Cavaliers, both players had a hand in the final outcome. Gibson was able to hit a three-pointer late in the fourth quarter, which tied the game at 67 and gave his team a fighting chance to win. Rondo scored all 15 of his points in the first half, when Paul Pierce and Ray Allen were clearly struggling from the field. These types of contributions epitomize the role of a little man, but neither one of their roles are always clearly defined.

Up until last year’s playoffs Gibson’s play had been inconsistent for Cleveland. He would start some games and look brilliant and then he’d have turnover-laden outings which would force Mike Brown to put him right back on the bench. When Larry Hughes got hurt during the 2007 Eastern Conference finals versus the Detroit Pistons, Gibson had a chance to redeem himself and he did that and more. After only scoring nine points in Game 3, Gibson scored 21 points on seven three-pointers in Game 4. Then he had his breakout game in Game 6 scoring 31 points - the most by a rookie since Magic Johnson’s legendary 42 point, 15 rebound 7 assist performance. More important than the scoring was the fact that Gibson had earned Lebron James’ trust and gained that confidence which had been lacking. Fast forward to the 2008 playoffs, Gibson is now a little man that other teams have to form a game plan to stop.

Rajon Rondo’s journey as a little man was quite different. Coming into the 2007-2008 season, the 6’1″ guard not only had to fight off an inconsistent rookie season, but he was thrust into the role of being a playmaker for a team that had added Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to go along with Paul Pierce. There were questions about whether Rondo would be able to get everyone the ball in their sweet spots. There were also questions about Rondo’s ability to make other teams pay for focusing all their defensive energies on the “Big Three.” Once the season started, all of those whispers were quieted. Rondo averaged 10.6 points, 5.1 assists and only 1.9 turnover a game. On top of that, he maintained continuity on the offensive side of the ball by making sure the Big Three got their points. Even when the Celtics opted to go the veteran point guard route by acquiring Sam Cassell towards the end of the season, Rondo’s confidence was not shaken. In the opening round series against the Atlanta Hawks he stood his ground against the bigger Mike Bibby by amassing an impressive assist-to-turnover ratio of 7:1.

In Game 1 of this Celtics/Cavs series, some of the biggest stars on both teams struggled as James only scored 12 points, Pierce scored four points and Allen was held scoreless. If that trend continues, Mike Brown and Doc Rivers will be looking for someone else in their respective rotations to step up and assist their teams to victory.

Even if the stars shake out of their funk and put up big numbers, look for little men to have quite an impact the rest of the series.