Savviest Player on Every NBA Team

Basketball is different than most professional sports out there in terms of how teamwork plays into the game at such an exceptional level. As a part of a basketball team, your No. 1 job is to work with the other players in order to make things go right.

Baseball is much more of an individualistic team sport (although teamwork is still a part of the game) while football is a sport where each player has an individual job that is both separate and a part of the team game.

I guess, overall, basketball is best likened to soccer, as it too focuses quite a bit on teamwork, although the one-on-one aspect of each game may be highlighted more than the team aspect.

With that understanding of the game of basketball, one of the most important qualities that a player can have is basketball savvy, but what exactly does that mean?

A savvy basketball player is a guy who knows how to individually overpower and outwit the guy standing in front of him with a different color jersey as well as how to get his teammates involved so that everyone is playing to his maximum ability.

It's not an easy thing to do both, but if a player can both outwit their opponent and have their teammates playing at their peak, then that is one special basketball player.

Still, even the ability to do just one of those two can give a player a long career in the NBA.

Atlanta Hawks, Al Horford

The thing that endears me to a player more than anything else in this league is when he plays out of position and absolutely excels at it.

Currently, the two guys doing that who have me in a basketball man-love situation are Al Horford and LaMarcus Aldridge, both of whom are power forwards playing considerable time in the center spot. That may not seem like a big leap, but there's still a difference to be seen.

That ability to play out of position is easily one of the most basketball-savvy things a player can do.

Boston Celtics, Rajon Rondo

More often than not, the guy that you want to be the savviest player on your team is the point guard. He's got the ball in his hands more than the rest of the team, plus he's the guy who is going to be making all of the decisions.

When it comes to the Boston Celtics, Rajon Rondo's savvy is unmatched, as he is both kinds of savvy that we talked about earlier.

Rondo has the ability to storm past his defender with a series of crossovers and nifty dribbles and finish at the rim while taking on contact, but he's also one of the best point guards in the league at getting his teammates involved. He's a bit like a young Steve Nash, only instead of having a jumper, he can play defense.

Charlotte Bobcats, Boris Diaw

As always with the Bobcats, it was a bit difficult to figure out exactly which guy on their team is the best at anything, but when you look at the versatility and ability of Boris Diaw, I think it's obvious that he's the man here.

Diaw's ability to play a big man disguised as a little man in a medium man's body pretty much defines his savvy in a nutshell.

Diaw has played every frontcourt position for the Bobcats while being one of the main distributors for the team at the same time, something very few people his size could do. 

Chicago Bulls, Luol Deng

The most obvious thought when I came to the Bulls was that Derrick Rose was the guy for Chicago, but I wrestled over the idea for a few minutes, finally ending up settling with Luol Deng, and I'll tell you why.

First of all, Rose is a very savvy player; that goes without saying. He can get his teammates playing well, and he is amazing at getting around his defender with both his abilities and his brain.

However, Deng's years in the NBA have given him a sort of mentality that very few young guys like Rose have.

Deng has spent years relegated as one of the more underrated players in the league, and he's filled that role nicely. One of the things that savvy players can do is realize what their teams need them to do and do just that.

On top of that, Deng's defense as a part of a team system has been one of the most impressive parts of the Bulls since the beginning of last season (some credit has to go to Tom Thibodeau on that one).

Cleveland Cavaliers, Anderson Varejao

When you watch Anderson Varejao play basketball, and I mean really watch him, you'll see the most intense form of controlled chaos that was ever thought possible.

His flailing limbs, his bouncing flop-fro and his ever-foraging feet, which are only happy when they get him to where the ball is, constantly make him look like he's just ambling around the floor like a madman, but he knows what he's doing.

Nobody else in the league can get offensive rebounds like Varejao, and I mean nobody, and it's not just because he's always moving. Varejao knows where to go for a rebound and how to get around a box-out.

Andy's ability to play defense and get rebounds when it seems impossible is one of the most interesting types of savvy in the NBA.

Dallas Mavericks, Jason Kidd

Jason Kidd has been around the league long enough now that he knows how to do just about everything on the court that his body will still allow him to do.

One of the things that displays a player's savvy more than anything else is when he does something that a player his size shouldn't be able to do, like when a point guard racks up a bunch of blocks or a big man distributes the ball around better than a little man.

In that case, Kidd's ability to rebound should be legendary, as throughout his career he has known how to get rebounds over the bigger dudes, which is a big reason why he has nearly cracked the top 50 in total rebounds over the course of a career.

Denver Nuggets, Andre Miller

Andre Miller has been in this league for ages now it seems, and as long as he has been in the NBA, he's been a very smart player.

Throughout Miller's day, he's been able to defend, distribute and play the game well despite his deficiencies in speed and athleticism. 

Over the years, Miller has used his basketball intellect to play as an oversized point guard better than most point guards who were correctly sized and has just been a great teammate altogether.

Detroit Pistons, Tayshaun Prince

In what is one of the most depressing situations in the NBA not involving Steve Nash, Tayshaun Prince's basketball abilities are stuck along with his aging body in a no-win situation with the Detroit Pistons, who refuse to move into the future (or are just too dumb to know how to).

Prince could easily be one of the best sixth men (if not the best) in the league on a different team; instead he's stuck wallowing away in Detroit.

He uses his brain more often than his body at this point on both sides of the floor as his main weapon, and it seems to be working out for him. 

Golden State Warriors, Stephen Curry

He's young and playing like Steve Nash back in the day with defense that would rival Nash's in terms of deficiency, but Stephen Curry has more basketball savvy than most of the players in the NBA.

Curry is able to get all of his teammates involved in a basketball game while still making the guy guarding him think that he could break off and make a move to the hoop at any time. If he can at some point turn his offensive savvy into defensive savvy, he could become one of the best point guards in the NBA.

Houston Rockets, Kyle Lowry

Kyle Lowry has turned into a very interesting point guard as he's one of the few point guards in the league that can do anything on any given night. When I say he can do anything, I mean he could end the game with a triple-double, come up with a Jason Kidd stat line (gobs of rebounds and assists with just a few points) or put up 30 points and absolutely take over the game with the ball in his hands.

With this ability to do it all and keep his teammates in the game at the same time, Lowry is definitely a savvy player on a team that boasts Kevin Martin with plenty of offensive savvy and Luis Scola with heaps of defensive savvy.

Indiana Pacers, Danny Granger

As one of those players in the league who is budding into stardom but just can't seem to break through to the next level, Danny Granger is still the glue that holds his team together.

He's a great individual player who has the ability to always keep his man honest with his ability to know his defender's weakness, but he can pass a bit as well. Beyond that, his athleticism, mixed with his intellect, allows him to be a very good defender as well.

Los Angeles Clippers, Chris Paul

If I were to pick one point guard to build a team around, it would have to be Chris Paul, and I wouldn't have a second thought about it.

Paul has the unique ability to be an offensive threat while not caring about scoring, which is, in my opinion, the most important quality in a point guard.

Beyond that, the only other point guard with a greater ability to get his teammates involved is Steve Nash. Paul's ball-distributing skills have allowed him to average double-digit assists thus far in his career.

On the defensive side of the ball, there's no point guard better at poking a ball free or just playing tight defense on his man.

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant

Although he's a ball-dominant shooting guard and a guy who doesn't get his teammates involved enough at times, his savvy with the ball in his hands in unrivaled in the league.

There are guys in this league who are better at getting around guys because they have a quicker first step or because they are stronger, but Kobe's biggest strength on the floor is keeping his man honest with his shooting ability and then getting past him by breaking him down to his knees until he's begging for mercy.

How else would a guy with that many minutes on his knees be able to threaten 40 points on any given night?

Memphis Grizzlies, Zach Randolph

As one of the most dangerous low-post players in the NBA today (at least when he's healthy), Zach Randolph has completely transformed his career from being labeled as a huge distraction to becoming a smart big man.

He doesn't have very many tools helping him, as his athleticism is almost nonexistent, even though he has a soft jumper and a big, strong body that can shove defenders out of the way.

Still, his most valuable weapon is his brain, which he uses in the form of a series of waggles and shakes to stave off his defender and get himself to the basket. Of course, it doesn't hurt to have Marc Gasol down there backing him up. 

Miami Heat, Dwyane Wade

The Miami Heat have quite a few players who have their fair share of savvy (LeBron James and Chris Bosh didn't get to where they are today on luck and in-born talent), but Dwyane Wade takes the cake down in South Beach.

Wade has dealt with injuries in his career that James has yet to seriously deal with that have made him into the player he is today, and that is a very savvy player.

He is able to compile massive amounts of blocked shots at his size while also being able to break down his defender with what his body gives to him.

Milwaukee Bucks, Andrew Bogut

The Milwaukee Bucks are a young team who have a long way to go before they make much noise, but with Andrew Bogut on this team, they have a bright future (even if they do have Drew Gooden playing big minutes).

Bogut's ability to block shots is in part because he knows how to be tall, but also because he's able to sucker other players into thinking that they can get a shot past him.

Beyond that, defensively, Bogut's mere presence alters shots, but also whenever a player comes into his lane, he's able to stop them from putting up good shots while keeping an eye on any backdoor cuts that may be coming.

Minnesota Timberwolves, Kevin Love

This year it seems Kevin Love crossed the line from being a hardworking player who ends up putting up great numbers because of his hustle to becoming a player who puts up great numbers and helps his team win because he truly knows the game of basketball.

Love has become a player who can both figure out where a rebound will go based on where it's shot from and finagle his way around players to get to that spot.

Beyond that, he's become great at playing as part of a system on offense as opposed to just chilling down low or around the three-point line.

His savvy and the Timberwolves' improvement (kind of a chicken-egg situation going on here) have given Love a legitimate argument to being a top-10 player in the league. 

New Jersey Nets, Deron Williams

This was by far the easiest savvy player to pick so far, as the rest of the Nets either just broke up with Kim Kardashian, are young and still learning the finer points of the game or just plain don't belong on a basketball court.

Williams is one of the best point guards in the league, and when he's not expected to score 30 points if his team wants to win, he's quite good at getting his teammates involved. Plus, he really knows how to break down his defender with more than just a quick first step.

New Orleans Hornets, Eric Gordon

There seems to be a quality shared among the bad teams in the league in that there's an absence of basketball savvy throughout the team. There may be one guy who's incredibly basketball smart, but the rest of the team is lacking in that category.

The Hornets have Eric Gordon, who is a savvy player with the ball in his hands, but he's still young and learning the small intricacies of the game that only come with experience.

New York Knicks, Carmelo Anthony

While the Knicks have struggled so far this season and most of the blame has been placed upon Carmelo Anthony's ability to slam on the brakes of their offense, he's still one of the most savvy offensive players in the game.

You always hear that Anthony is one of the best scorers in the league, and that means so much more than just the ability to get points. Anthony's scoring ability is defined by both his jumper and his ability to exploit his defender's biggest weakness.

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant

It's pretty obvious that when it comes to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the savviest-player argument comes down to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

On the one hand, Westbrook is obviously the savvier player on offense when it comes to having the ball in his hands, but that's also where he understands the game the least.

I know this idea has been beaten into the ground over the past few months, but Westbrook didn't know when to pass and when to shoot in the playoffs last season, and that seems to be the basis for basketball savvy. If he's missing that at times, he can't very well be the savviest player on his team.

Orlando Magic, Jameer Nelson

One of the things I've noticed about the Orlando Magic is that they have so many players pigeonholed into their roles that even while having a terrible season, Jameer Nelson is still the savviest player on the Magic.

Orlando is full of older, offensive-minded veterans who have turned into shooters, big guys who are good at being big and younger players still learning the craft. On top of that, I feel that the biggest deficiency in Dwight Howard's game is that he isn't savvy at all, so that pretty much leaves Nelson.

Nelson is a plenty savvy player, but the fact that he came across as the savviest of the Magic kind of surprised me.

Philadelphia 76ers, Andre Iguodala

Andre Iguodala's career arc has taken one of the most interesting turns over the course of the past few seasons.

Initially, he was the hotshot young sidekick to Allen Iverson who was constantly in highlights because of his ability to climb the ladder. Then, he became the leader who was a bit in over his head and was struggling to lead his team to anything better than an okay finish. Now, however, he has drastically improved his defense and become the leader of one of the most surprisingly good teams in the NBA.

His ability to adapt and understand the game better and become the leader that his team needed is exactly what it means to be a savvy player on a mental level.

Phoenix Suns, Steve Nash

There isn't another player in the league savvier than Steve Nash on the offensive end of the floor. Without Nash, the Phoenix Suns are the worst team in the league, and although there's no way to really debate that, it's pretty much an accepted fact.

Nash sees passing angles on the floor that nobody else could possibly see, and even at 37 years old (nearly 38) he frightens defenders with his ability to work his way past them with his ball-handling skills.

Portland Trail Blazers, Gerald Wallace

Gerald Wallace has spent his career as an underrated star, parading about the league as a hustler, a defensive-oriented guy who is a pretty good offensive player.

However, he's more than just a hustler, and he's more than just a pretty good offensive player.

Wallace's defensive ability goes beyond just toughness and hustle, but it's combined with veteran savvy that makes him one of the best defenders in the league.

Sacramento Kings, Chuck Hayes

With all of the shot-happy players who call Sacramento home, it's kind of hard to pick a single guy out and call him the savviest player on that abomination of a team, but there is a guy working hard and working smart to stay on the court.

When you've got a guy who's barely 6'6" playing center, he's got to be a smart player to get any minutes, and that's just what Hayes is.

He's able to slither his way into the lane and box out his man in order to get a rebound, and beyond that, he knows how to use his lack of size to his advantage.

San Antonio Spurs, Manu Ginobili

Every time I watch the Spurs play (when Ginobili's healthy), I almost always see something that just leaves me speechless, and not because of anyone's ridiculous athleticism. More often than not, that play has Manu Ginobili involved in some form.

He's able to twist and turn, juke and jive, wriggle and wrap his way around players in a way that nobody else in the league can do. That ridiculous skill is part body control and part cunning and guile. His head fakes and ability to see which way his defender is planning on going show off just how savvy he is.

Toronto Raptors, Jose Calderon

Jose Calderon gets a lot of crap these days for how inept he is on the defensive end of the floor, and that's completely legitimate—he's one of the worst defensive point guards in the NBA.

However, when he has the ball in his hands, he's got a very savvy way about him. He knows how to get assists, which is a byproduct of getting the offense involved, and he's even still able to get into the lane by slithering his way around his opponent.

Utah Jazz, Paul Millsap

As one of the smarter players in the league, Paul Millsap continues to grow as a player when everyone continues to think that he has peaked.

Millsap can guard just about any other big man who is thrown at him, plus he's able to either outrun or outsmart guys trying to guard him, which makes him able to score pretty efficiently.

Washington Wizards, John Wall

My first thought when it came to the savviest player that is wearing the slick new red, white and blue uniforms of the Wizards was Andray Blatche. Then I guess I realized that a guy who has more lowlights in his career than highlights doesn't exactly make for a savvy player.

All kidding aside, the only real choice that there is on a team full of nincompoops and young guys still learning the NBA game has to be John Wall.

Wall has the great ability to mix athleticism with a great eye for the next pass he's trying to make. When he's on the floor he transcends the rest of his team when it comes to issues of intelligence and pure understanding of the game.