Assembling the NBA's All-Energy Team Entering 2013 Playoffs

Energy is a precious commodity in the NBA. It is the great equalizer. It overcomes all deficiencies—elevating teams to achieve more than they should. It is the essential element of any champion. So, as the postseason nears, we honor the best energy we’ll see in the playoffs with our All-Energy Postseason team.

In compiling this list, the hardest decision was what sort of criteria to use. Many people consider “energy guys” as those who come off the bench, but there are plenty of players who have tremendous energy who are starters and even stars.

Comparing a starter’s energy with a reserve’s is apples and oranges (or should I say apple juice and orange juice). Starters play longer minutes, so sustaining a higher level of energy is more difficult.

So rather than try and distinguish between them, on the list the starters are actual starters and the reserves are actual reserves. In cases where players are ruled out for the postseason (e.g. Kobe Bryant, Rajon Rondo) or haven’t played this season (e.g. Derrick Rose), they weren’t considered for the list.

The criteria for this team is very hard to specify because there is so little about “energy” that is measurable. Therefore this list almost entirely based on personal observation, but supporting statistical evidence was provided as much as possible. Feel free to disagree.

It’s possible this team might lose if they played together, but it sure wouldn’t be from a lack of effort. 

Backup PG: Jarrett Jack, Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors are a team that has finally broken into the postseason after a decade of futility, and while they have one of the best starting backcourts in the league in Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Jarrett Jack’s energy off the bench on both sides of the ball can’t be discounted.

Among reserves this year, Jack has the sixth-most points (928) and the second-most assists. And he’s been the Warriors most productive player off the bench while being one of their standout defensive players too, as indicated by his 13.0 opponent’s Player Efficiency (oPER), the lowest of any Warriors rotation player.

Jack’s constant energy on both ends of the court lands him as our backup point.

Backup SG: J.R. Smith, New York Knicks

A month ago it was a foregone conclusion that Jamal Crawford was going to win the Sixth Man of the Year award. But that conversation has been opened up again. J.R. Smith has been spectacular for the Knicks this season, particularly in the second half.

Smith tops the Association in both minutes and points off the bench. When the Knicks have needed his high-octane injection the most, he’s stepped up and supplied it. Over the last 21 games as New York has battled injury after injury, he’s averaged 23.6 points, with an effective field-goal percentage of .537, while adding 5.6 boards and 2.3 assists.

And on top of his offensive contributions, the previously defensively deficient Smith has upped his game on the other end of the ball, with an  oPER of 14.2—a full 1.4 down from the previous season.

That’s some pretty nice production to be bringing off the bench. 

Backup SF: Matt Barnes, Los Angeles Clippers

Matt Barnes has always been recognized as a high energy player, particularly on defense, but this year he’s also contributing to the Clippers on the offensive end of the court as their fourth leading scorer.

He’s averaging career highs in both scoring and PER.

And he’s upped his offensive game without losing anything on the defensive end. The Clippers’ opponents score just 98.9 points per 100 possessions while Barnes is on the court compared to 103.0 when he’s on the bench.

While there’s not a statistic to measure timeliness, if there were Barnes would be among the league leaders. Whether it’s the defensive stop or draining the three, Barnes seems to step up when he’s needed the most.

Simply put, Barnes makes the Clippers better. 

Backup PF: Taj Gibson, Chicago Bulls

“Hard hat, lunch pail” are the words which have become synonymous with Taj Gibson, and aptly so. Sometimes when we think of “energy,” we just think of flying up and down the court.

Gibson is about hard-working energy. He tirelessly defends all types of players, both perimeter and post.

He grabs rebounds. He scores. He works and then works some more. That’s not to say he doesn’t have the high-flying energy either. He’ll give you the amazing dunk at least once a game. It’s more that you can’t think of him as just the high flier.

Gibson’s plus/minus numbers with his teammates reflect the kind of energy he puts into the game, and how much his teammates benefit from that. Based on data from NBA.com/STATS, seven of his teammates, including four of the starting five, have their best two-man rating with him on the court (minimum 200 minutes), and the rest have their second best with him on the court. Four of the Bulls' five best pairings include Gibson and six of their top 10.

He is the champion of "doesn’t show up in the box score." 

Backup C: Chris Andersen, Miami Heat

There’s a reason they call Chris Andersen the Birdman. He flies.

He flies up the court. He flies down the court. He flies to the rim. He doesn’t jump. He just occasionally lands.

Andersen was a brilliant signing by the Heat, as evidenced by their 37-3 record (you read that right) since he inked with the team. Per data from NBA.com/STATS (media account needed), prior to his signing the Heat had a Defensive Rating of 101.2. Since his signing it’s 99.1. Their rebound percentage has risen from 48.5 percent to 49.6 percent.

Andersen is not providing a lot of scoring, but he’s providing a ton of energy, particularly where the Heat need it. That he can provide such an infusion at 34 is remarkable. 

PG: Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder

Russell Westbrook has become the poster boy for maligned the last couple of seasons. Set aside for a moment whatever your thoughts are on his shot selection and appreciate the pure energy the man plays with.

No point guard has played more minutes than Westbrook over the last three seasons. In fact he’s played nearly a thousand more minutes than any other point guard in the league in the regular and postseasons combined.

He’s played every game of every season since he came into the league.

The last time he played less than 20 minutes in a game was Mach 21, 2010, over three years ago. He has played at least 20 minutes in 387 games since he came in the league. That’s the most of anyone in the league.  

And on top of all that, he’s played in deep playoff runs the last two seasons and the Olympics.

With all of that play, you’d think he would take games off, or at least play off, but he never does on either end of the court. Instead he plays with a level of intensity which borders on odious. That he can put so much effort into every game and play at such a high level lands him deservedly on the high energy team. 

SG: Andre Iguodala, Denver Nuggets

Andre Iguodala pours energy into defense. He is arguably the best on-the-ball defender in the league and a lot of that has to do with the pure effort he puts into it. Watching Iggy play makes you want to just go out and play defense.

And where he really excels is turning that defense into offense. With 3.2 points off turnovers per game, he leads the team that leads the league in that category, and that’s one of those stats that is just all about effort.

He is as much of a “non-box score” guy there is in the league. In every unmeasurable thing there is in the game, he excels.

Starting SF: LeBron James, Miami Heat

One of the things about LeBron James that virtually no one argues with is that he is perhaps the most perfect physical specimen to ever play the game. His combination of size, strength and speed might make him arguably the most gifted athlete ever in any sport.

That, coupled with the overall happy nature of James’ personality, has given some the false impression that he’s not a hard worker. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, how many players in the NBA are the team’s most crucial player on offense and defense?

Yet in spite of being that, and arguably the best in the league at both, James plays with constant effort. And for those who like to point to his late game woes from two or three years ago, please realize it’s 2013.

Since last postseason, trying to stop James late in the game is like trying to catch a cannonball with your teeth. His energy in the fourth quarter is both unmatched and unstoppable as evidenced by his positively gargantuan plus-125 in the clutch this year. 

Starting PF: Kenneth Faried, Denver Nuggets

If you’re not Manimal-crushing on Kenneth Faried, it’s only because you haven’t seen him play. He plays with the kind of energy usually reserved for a four-year old boy frolicking with his new puppy.

Some players, like Kobe Bryant, play with an energy that is best described as “killer intensity.” Faried plays with utter, “I-can’t-believe-I’m-getting-paid-to-do-this” infectious joy. Some players love winning. Faried loves playing.

His favorite toy seems to be leaping through air, snaring, and smashing down missed shots. According to Synergy, his 91 putbacks account for over a quarter of his field goals this season. I don’t think they’re tracking giggly-grins yet, but I’m betting he’s leading in that category too. 

Starting C: Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls

Joakim Noah never has to charge his cell phone. He has so much energy, it self-charges every time he puts it in his pocket.

Noah is always playing all out on both sides of the court. He is the heart, soul, pulse and adrenaline of the hardest-working team in the NBA. He plays so hard that he gets under opposing players' and fans' skin.

Some confuse him with being a dirty player, but unless always giving your full effort is dirty, Noah is not dirty. He doesn’t deliver cheap fouls or talk trash. He just plays hard all the time, and when he plays hard, his counterpart has to play just as hard to keep up—and trying to keep up with Noah can be frustrating.

So players get frustrated and react, and fans take that to mean that Noah is dirty. But he’s not. In fact, he’s only been called for two flagrant fouls in his entire career.

What’s all the more remarkable about Noah’s incessantly-burning energy is that it comes with a colossal number of minutes per game for a center. He leads the league in minutes per game at the position with 37.5.  This is in spite of the fact he’s been battling plantar fasciitis for most of the season.