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The relationship between max-contract players and role players features an inherent hierarchy. According to Seth Curry, while talent remains a baseline requirement for any NBA player, role players specifically require adjustability.
“If you’re not going to be a star player, you’ve got to get the stars to like you, and you’ve got to be able to play with them,” Curry said on Showtime’s All The Smoke podcast in 2022. “No matter what you complain about, those dudes making the max five-year deals, they ain’t going nowhere. You’ve got to fit in and adjust.”
Unlike the max-contract stars, role players are the most movable pieces in the league. The offseason and trade deadline tell the story: role players are chess pieces, max stars are the board.
Max contract stars are the building blocks of their teams. While they can still be moved, it often forces teams to completely overhaul the roster.
Constantly being moved around by teams requires role players to make regular adjustments. With different stars, the adjustment also differs.
“I watched my pops do it for 16 years and never be a starter, and watched a lot of other role players find a niche and figure it out,” Curry added on Showtime’s All The Smoke podcast.
Dell Curry played 16 seasons, sharing his career years between Charlotte, Toronto, Milwaukee, Utah, and Cleveland. Dell won the 1993–94 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award and established himself as one of the elite perimeter marksmen of the 1990s, rarely appearing in the starting lineup.
Seth’s career resonates more with his father than his brother Stephen Curry. He has been a role player throughout his life while being one of the best shooters in the league.
From Joel Embiid to Stephen Curry: Seth Curry has been fitting in alongside big stars
Trying to be the best complementary player has been the entirety of Seth Curry’s career, just like his father. However, unlike Dell, Seth hasn’t been consistent on any team.
In just 12 years in the NBA, Seth has played on 10 teams. He hasn’t played two full seasons with a team in his entire career despite being an elite shooter (43.3% in 3-pt shooting).
In his 12 years in the league, Seth has played alongside max-contract stars like Joel Embiid in Philadelphia, Luka Doncic in Dallas, and Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn, and now he is playing alongside his superstar brother Steph with the Golden State Warriors.
Embiid, Doncic, and Stephen Curry possess completely different offensive styles.
Seth has been able to provide 3-point assistance to his previous star teammates. However, perhaps teams move on from him very quickly because he is often seen as a liability on defense, posting a 114.4 defensive rating.
Who do you think is the best role player in the NBA? Let us know in the comments!
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