The NBA wouldn’t be what it is today without the players in it. Indeed, without these players, we wouldn’t have seen some of the most spectacular, jaw-dropping moments in sports history. Some players, however, are exceptionally versatile, perhaps more so than others.
Before you look into your NBA picks for the next game, we’re recapping some of the most versatile NBA players in the game right now. Here’s everything you need to know.
Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers
Paul George has had an incredibly impressive career and can manage to do a good job at pretty much any position on the court.
He showed promise leading the Clippers without Kawhi this season, with season averages so far of 25 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, including 38.1 percent shooting from 3. He’s got a talent for 3-point shooting, but that’s not all that he’s good for.
George is good on the wings and can also work well with small-ball power forwards. In terms of defense, he has some pretty impressive gameplay too.
As a defender, he’s one of the best out there and demonstrates a great deal of versatility that we love to see in an NBA player.
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
When it comes to offensive play, Joel Embiid is certainly a player that’s worth watching. Not only that though, but he’s also a great defensive player in his own right.
Much of the 76ers' success, such as their 1.13 points per possession, is down to Embiid’s post-ups. He also averages 10.1 free throw attempts, which certainly turns out well for the team.
What’s especially impressive is that he’s managed to shoot 38.6 percent from 3 with just 3.4 tries in each game.
In terms of defense, he has an 18.2 total rebound percentage and is great as a final line of defense. Whenever this player is on the court, the team manages to have a 107.8 defensive rating versus a 116.4 rating without him.
Embiid is a huge asset to the Philadelphia 76ers—any fan or otherwise can see that. We’re just glad that we get to see him tearing up the basketball court!
LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
It’s almost impossible to mention versatile players in the NBA without mentioning LeBron James. James is a superstar in the NBA world, and it’s not hard to see why he’s so popular.
He’s one of the most talented basketball players out there, and it’s always a joy to watch him on the court.
In one of the latest seasons, James managed to produce a tremendous 1.4 points per possession. He has a 33.2 assist percentage and has averaged 7.1 assists in each game this season so far. Suffice to say that the Lakers certainly see a difference when he’s not on the court.
He’s pretty good in terms of defensive play too. His defensive rotations are great, allowing other players on the team to make moves in the meantime to lead the team to victory. Now, James doesn’t tend to always defend the best player on the opposing team.
This isn’t necessarily the worst thing though, since it comes down to the fact that James needs to take the time to regain energy on the court to continue playing with the finesse that we usually see from him. He is certainly skilled as a defender, and he is not lacking in that department!
Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers
If Kawhi Leonard was an actor on stage in a Broadway show, he would be known as a triple threat. In short, he’s the complete package. He’s everything you could dream of in an NBA player, with immense skills both offensively and defensively.
He was first drafted in 2011 as a defensive stopper and eventually was allowed the opportunity to work on his three-point shot.
After every single offseason though this impressive player would somehow manage to learn some kind of new skill that would be beneficial to his team. Let’s put it this way—he could probably manage to get into any team he could dream of because he’s so talented.
In terms of defense, he’s been able to take the ball from the opponent with no trouble whatsoever. His strength is certainly in his defensive game, but the offense is nothing to sniff at either.
During the 2019-20 season, he ended up averaging 26.9 points per game. That’s pretty impressive! He has a great assist percentage of 27 too, with an average of 5.0 assists per game.
Prior to the injury that currently has him sidelined, Leonard averaged 24.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game on 51.2 percent shooting last season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo started in the NBA coming from the second division of the Greek leagues, with very few people knowing his name. That’s certainly not the case today though, and as he's managed to win two MVPs and a championship.
His points, assists, usage rate, and rebounds are all incredibly impressive. So far this season, he has averaged 27 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game on 52.9 percent shooting.
He doesn’t struggle defensively, though his shooting isn’t his biggest strength. Still, it’s impressive as he continues to improve and get more comfortable shooting jump shots.
