30 Most One-Dimensional NBA Players in League History

Not every player can be LeBron James, Kobe Bryant or Dwyane Wade. They won't possess every aspect of the game to make them an elite player, and it makes that player fit a role on his team.

Unlike the three players that I previously mentioned who possess a wide range of talent on offense and defense, the 30 players listed have one specialty to them that makes them a one-dimensional player on one side of the court.

From your everyday spot-up three-point shooter to the shot-blocker extraordinaire that spends his time either blocking shots or getting dunked on, these 30 players are in NBA lore for having that one part of their game that earns them spots on rosters.

Being a one-dimensional player isn't bad in any way, though. That one aspect of your game that you specialize on could be extremely beneficial to a team that needs the type of player that can knock down open shots, deter players in the post, or even just play solid perimeter defense.

Not all of these players have exactly had played huge parts, but a number of them have played very large roles on championship teams because of the one or two specialties they possess.

These one-dimensional players aren't ranked, they're just being mentioned for their abilities to perform the same monotonous task over and over again either on offense or defense. So take time out of your monotonous routine to take a look at the 30 most one-dimensional players in NBA history.

Manute Bol the Shot Blocker

Manute Bol was tall...really tall and that was his lone specialty during his short-lived NBA career.

Standing at 7'7" and weighing in at 200 pounds, Bol was stick-thin and could play no individual defense whatsoever against the stronger centers who could easily post him up. He wasn't that stellar on offense, either, as his career high is only four points per while his career high in rebounds per stands at the six he averaged in his rookie season.

However, Bol was able to put those wiry arms and that 7'7" frame to work when it came to weak side blocks and would lead the league in blocks twice during his near decade-long career.

He set his career high in his rookie season when he averaged five with the Washington Bullets and would then average a little over four three seasons later with the Golden State Warriors.

Shawn Bradley the Poster Magnet/Shot Blocker

Sometimes being tall shouldn't merit you a spot on an NBA team. In the case of most seven-footers, it's not only rare to find players this tall, but it's also extremely uncommon for a player of that height to possess the speed or footwork necessary to become a relevant player in the league.

Shawn Bradley deserved to be in the NBA, but for all the wrong reasons. The 7'6" former Dallas Mavericks center was a magnet for being put on the opposite end of posters as demonstrated by Tracy McGrady.

Bradley would contend every shot near the rim and would be put on a poster most of the time because he was too slow and too skinny to deter anyone.

He wasn't a stellar scorer or rebounder, but he would get his blocks from time to time. Bradley would average three blocks per for the first six seasons of his career and would lead the league in the 1996-97 season with a little more than three blocks.

Kyle Korver the Spot-Up Shooter

There are some people in the NBA who serve only one purpose and nothing more.

Kyle Korver is one of those players. He can't drive all that well, can't rebound, can't run an offense, and can't play defense. Instead of being a "jack of all trades" type of player, Korver is more along the lines of a "jack up every three-point shot" type of player.

Korver finds himself as the type of player who spends the majority of his time on his court pitching a tent and just waiting for a slasher to attract attention so that they can kick it out when he is wide open.

It works for Korver, too, as he's coming off of another solid season from beyond the arc where he hit 42 percent of his three-pointers.

J.R. Smith the Spot-Up Shooter

J.R. Smith doesn't have to end up here. He's a one-dimensional player because he makes himself a one-dimensional player, and that's one of the league's greatest disappointments.

Smith is as athletic as they come, yet he spends the majority of his game time beyond the perimeter waiting for his shot. Despite completing some of the greatest dunks you will ever see, 99 percent of the time you will see Smith taking a jump shot from 20 feet or further.

He has always been recognized as a spark off the bench with the New Orleans Hornets and Denver Nuggets, and it shows when he goes off for 42 points just off of three-pointers.

For four consecutive years, Smith had averaged at least two three-pointers and has only shot better than 40 percent once.

Bruce Bowen the Perimeter Defender

Despite basically having little to no contribution on the offensive side of the ball (aside from that dreaded corner three), Bowen was strictly utilized for his uncanny individual perimeter defense.

Playing with the San Antonio Spurs from 2000 until 2009, Bowen was as relentless as they came when it meant playing hard-nosed defense and deterring his assignment.

He was fast enough to keep up with any guard or small forward, strong enough to deter the bigger guards and forwards, and used his physicality to constantly frustrate opponents into poor shooting performances.

Bowen averaged over eight points once and it didn't matter a lick to a defensive-minded Spurs team that won three championships with him as their starting small forward.

Dennis Rodman the Rebounder/Defender

Recently earning a deserved spot in the Hall of Fame, Dennis Rodman also earns himself a spot among the league's most one-dimensional players for obvious reasons.

Rodman averaged 12 points in his second season and would never average over 10 points for the rest of his storied career. He possessed no post game whatsoever and saw the majority of his points come off put backs on offensive rebounds. The five offensive rebounds per that he averaged for his career were the main reason as to why Rodman even scored.

It was his defense and rebounding that Rodman prided himself on, however. He was an excellent individual defender who would frustrate opponents with his physical defense and is considered to be arguably the greatest rebounder ever to play. At only 6'7", Rodman led the league in rebounds for seven consecutive seasons and would top off at 19 rebounds per game.

That's no typo: in the 1991-'92 season, Rodman averaged 19 rebounds a game.

Wes Unseld the Rebounder

Wes Unseld played 13 storied years in the NBA and managed to average over 10 points in only six of those years.

So how does a player that can barely score make it to the Hall of Fame so easily? Just take a look at his rebounding numbers for one, where he averaged 18 rebounds in his rookie season, winning an MVP as well, and averaging at least ten rebounds in all but one season.

Unseld was one of the NBA's greatest rebounders throughout the 1970's and would lead the league in 1975 when he averaged 15 boards.

Unseld was also an unbelievably good outlet passer, meaning that he once he grabbed a rebound, he would immediately look down court for the player with the highest percentage of scoring and send it cross court on most occasions.

Bill Russell the Rebounder/Defender

Considered one of the greatest players ever to walk onto the hardwood, Bill Russell was a one-dimensional player who finds himself in arguments of being regarded as the best of all time.

Recording 11 championship rings over his career with the Boston Celtics organization, Russell was the anchor to a squad that just discovered the art of playing actual defense. He would lead the league in rebounding for five years, including the first three years of his career, and would average as much as 25 boards in 1964.

Russell was mostly recognized for being one of the lone players to deter offensive juggernaut Wilt Chamberlain. It was defense and rebounding that Russell prided himself on and it was the main reason as to why the Celtics dominated the 1960s.

Ben Wallace the Rebounder/Defender

Don't judge Ben Wallace on the player he is today, because it was only a few years ago that Ben Wallace was being recognized as the league's top defensive player as well as its top rebounder.

What qualifies Wallace was a one-dimensional player is just how inept of an offensive threat he was. He never averaged more than 10 points and shot below 50 percent the majority of his career despite being a 6'9" center and having the capabilities to score. Wallace just had no post game at all and had no knack for scoring.

Instead of playing offense, Wallace prided himself on defense and rebounding. He was a four-time Defensive Player of the Year and would lead the league in rebounding for two consecutive seasons with his high being a little over 15 boards.

Mark Eaton the Shot Blocker

Standing at 7'4", the Utah Jazz's Mark Eaton was just another NBA player blessed with height that knew how to use it as a means of intimidation in the paint.

He only averaged over 10 rebounds per twice and never averaged double-digits in points per either, but he did lead the league in blocks four times and topped off at nearly six in the 1984-'85 season. He wasn't a wiry-thin shot blocker either, Eaton had some weight to him and was listed at a solid 275 pounds.

Compared to Manute Bol who was 7'7" and 200 pounds, Eaton was basically a giant.

Dwight Howard's Offense

An absolutely stellar player who is an unbelievable force on defense and has won three consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards, three rebounding crowns, and two shot blocking crowns, Dwight Howard is the sole reason as to why the Orlando Magic is a relevant team.

However, Howard could also be the reason as to why the Orlando Magic have yet to obtain a title. It's not right to put all the blame on Howard since the offense they run is abysmal and the players are far too inconsistent, but it would greatly help if the center could develop something near an offensive skill set aside from his power moves.

Howard's offense showed a little improvement last season after getting some help from Hakeem Olajuwon, but it's still greatly lacking in consistency.

Dwight still possesses no post moves, a shaky hook shot, and an awkward jumper after one year of training, but he's still a one-dimensional player on offense, because he still relies heavily on his athleticism and strength for the majority of his buckets.

Blake Griffin's Offense

I wouldn't expect Blake Griffin to be on this list for too much longer, since it seems obvious that he is capable of being more than just being the recipient of alley oops or throwing down dunks from 10 feet away.

Eventually, teams are going to figure out how to limit Griffin. He's too one-dimensional of an offensive threat and defenses can adjust to him and his idea of offense that basically consists of himself getting within arm's reach of the rim.

Once you clog the paint and shut down the baseline, Griffin becomes a lot easier to stop, considering his offense is restricted to within the paint.

In time, Griffin will learn how to make jump shots from outside of 15 feet, but for now he's just a one-dimensional offensive threat who could also use some work on his defense.

Anderson Varejao the Nuisance

Once in a while, an NBA player will come along and you'll wonder exactly what purpose he serves. He's a pretty good rebounder and a decent defender, but he possesses no offensive game and yet he actually consistently starts and plays 30 minutes on teams that win 60-plus games. How does this happen?

Meet Anderson Varejao. A 29-year-old Brazilian who has averaged seven points and seven rebounds for his career while also playing in 25 minutes as well. He doesn't do much on the floor aside from his main purpose: to frustrate and annoy opposing players into many types of fouls because of his tendency to flop at the slightest sign of contact.

Varejao has become a notorious flopper over the years and his main purpose on the floor is to draw offensive fouls and limit momentum from opposing teams that think they can get easy drives.

It makes it tough to get those drives when a player standing at 6'10" is dropping when 6'3" guards attempt to enter the lane.

Bill Laimbeer the Instigator

Think Anderson Varejao, but tougher and with somewhat of a skill set.

A solid post threat, rebounder, and defender, Bill Laimbeer was a starter on the two Detroit Pistons squads that went back-to-back in 1989 and 1990. He played a large role on just about every Pistons team he played on and would even lead the league in rebounding one year.

Mainly though, Laimbeer was utilized as an instigator. He was one of the NBA's first floppers, but was still tough enough to jostle around and frustrate opposing players. Laimbeer was featured in a number of fights over his Hall of Fame worthy career with his most infamous one coming against Charles Barkley after starting a bench clearing brawl.

Laimbeer's ability to frustrate opponents was the anchor on a defensive-minded Pistons squad that dominated the NBA for a number of years with its hard-nosed defense.

James Jones the Three-Point Shooter

James Jones just had to be included on this list. After last season's performance with the Miami Heat, Jones completely serves the purpose of being one of the most notorious one-dimensional players in the history of the game.

Jones has always been recognized as a three-point shooter since joining the league in 2003 and that's exactly what he's been utilized as, especially as a member of the Miami Heat.

Take for instance in 2010 when Jones attempted 119 shots overall with 90 of those coming from beyond the arc. He converted on 43 shots overall with only six of those coming from beyond the arc.

The 2010-11 campaign will be Exhibit A when it comes to proving that Jones is a one-dimensional player however. Of the 146 makes he had overall, 123 of those came from beyond the arc with 287 of his 346 shot attempts coming from the land of three overall.

In mathematical terms, 83 percent of the shots Jones was taking was coming from beyond the arc.

Robert Horry the Master of Clutch

Robert Horry has played in more postseason games than any player in NBA history and has won a total of seven championships despite averaging over 10 points per game three times, yet still averaging 25 minutes per game.

Horry was a member of championship teams in Los Angeles, Houston, and San Antonio, so he knew how to pick a winner to say the least.

He came off the bench for the majority of those seasons and served one purpose just about every time his squad made it to the championship: to surprise and rip the heart out of his opponents with a miraculous three-pointer.

From Houston to L.A., Horry's main purpose was to convert on three-pointers in late-game situations. Coming off the bench and not serving too large a role, Horry basically had no pressure on him like the elite players do when they take the final shot.

It was basically a shoot-around for the small forward as he made a name for himself as one of the NBA's top playoff performers.

Derek Fisher the Resuscitator

Aside from being known as the first starter to have zero stats in a 35-minute period, there are many that wonder why exactly Derek Fisher is a starter on a championship-caliber Los Angeles Lakers team year in and year out.

Fisher has never been the best offensive facilitator and he's a career 38 percent three-point shooter, but he still serves a vital role on this Lakers squad that he has been a part of for 12 years.

His purpose on the Lakers is to be the veteran leader as well as hitting the timely shots to give his team the life they need to work their way back into the game.

Whenever the Lakers are down by double-digits and appear to be out of the game, Fisher will usually be the one to hit a timely three-pointer to bring his squad right back into the mix.

Darryl Dawkins the Post Presence

Aside from being the strangest man ever to step onto the hardwood, Darryl Dawkins wasn't known for much else other than breaking a few glass backboards before the NBA finally implemented the current plastic backboards that they have used since.

Still Dawkins was known for much more other than dunking and tearing down backboards. For instance, he was mostly known for...dunking and not possessing much of an offensive skill set outside of five feet from the rim.

He did average as much as 17 points per and the majority of those points came near the rim thus the explanation for converting on over 60 percent of his shots four times.

Dawkins utilized his size and power as a means to score and he'll be forever thanked for sacrificing himself getting showered with glass so that the NBA could implement the backboards we have today.

Chris Andersen the Shot Blocker

After coming back from a number of social setbacks that appeared to deter his NBA career for good, Chris 'Birdman' Andersen made his triumphant return after a year off by re-joining the New Orleans Hornets before joining the team that he plays with today in the Denver Nuggets.

Andersen can't play offense and is a solid rebounder, but he's mostly utilized for his shot-blocking abilities and not much more. The 'Birdman' became a fan favorite in Denver with his flashy appearance that includes being slathered with colorful tattoos as well as being complete with a Mohawk.

What most people came to love, though, was Andersen's high-flying ability to block shots as he sent nearly three back per game in his first season with Denver.

Since that season, however, Andersen's role has been reduced and he only averaged a little more than a block per game last season.

Charles Oakley the Defender

One of the scariest men ever to walk the earth, Charles Oakley prided himself as the scariest man on the court as well.

Oakley was a solid rebounder and scorer around the rim for the most part, but there's no denying that the former Chicago Bull and New York Knick was on the floor to to get physical with the opposition's power forward or center and frustrate them into taking low-percentage shots while also denying any sort of breathing room near the rim.

Charles played hard-nosed defense, as hard as you could have possibly played, and it resulted in the New York Knicks being recognized as one of the NBA's toughest defensive teams throughout the 1990's.

Rashard Lewis the Perimeter Shooter

It turns out that being a one-dimensional player can work out from time to time; it did get Rashard Lewis $120 million after all.

Not to say that he deserves that money at all, considering that he rarely utilizes that height in the post, can't play defense against opposing power forwards, and spends the entire game behind the three-point line.

For a time, Lewis did form one of the NBA's top duos with Ray Allen while with the Seattle SuperSonics, but he doesn't serve as great a purpose when he's not connecting on the seven three-pointers that he's jacking up per game.

Lewis has taken five three-pointers per game for his career and has hit on a consistent 39 percent of them, but it doesn't help when he's a liability on defense and doesn't make his presence felt from anywhere within 25 feet.

Jason Kapono the Spot-Up Shooter

The Miami Heat certainly know how to get the most out of their three-point shooters when they possess them.

Take for instance during the 2006-07 campaign when former three-point shootout champion Jason Kapono connected on a league leading 51 percent of his three-point attempts. He would only keep it going the next year after leading the league per game at a modest 48 percent from beyond the arc.

Kapono was basically the definition of a three-point shooter once he came to Miami, and he has been recognized as such with Toronto and Philadelphia.

Since leaving the Heat, however, Kapono's role has been greatly reduced and the hot spot that was once reserved for him beyond the arc has now been taken up by other spot-up shooters just like him.

Steve Kerr the Perimeter Shooter

Never averaging more than 10 points per game despite winning five championships, Steve Kerr was another player who spent the majority of his time from beyond the arc hitting timely shots and setting up a tent while his teammates got him open.

Kerr hit a league high 51 percent from the land of three in his second season in 1990 and then hit a career- and league-high 52 percent from beyond the arc in 1995 and also holds one of the highest career three-point percentages at 45 percent.

He's been recognized as one of the league's most consistent shooters and played a significant role on five championship teams because of his tendency to come through in the clutch.

Kerr didn't serve much purpose anywhere else outside of three-point shooting, but it was enough to warrant the Lebanese-born guard a couple championships.

Samuel Dalembert the Post Defender

The Philadelphia 76ers waited awhile to rid themselves of Samuel Dalembert, and they finally got their wish last season when they traded him to the Sacramento Kings.

But why on earth would they want to trade away such a skilled defender like Dalembert? Well exactly because of that, Dalembert was a defender and not much more.

He hardly offered any offensive help and only averaged over 10 boards per once in his career despite standing at 6'11" and being on a team that desperately needed the rebounding help.

They also gave him $13 million in the final year of his contract, if that wasn't bad enough.

Dalembert is averaging two blocks per game for his career and only eight boards per to go along with eight points.

Dikembe Mutombo the Shot Blocker/defender

Dikembe Mutombo averaged nearly 17 points per in his rookie season and it was about at that point that Mutombo said no more to scoring and focused mainly on rebounding and defending.

Mutombo would still average at least 10 points for the next 10 seasons, but was a defender and rebounder more than anything else and it showed in his statistical production.

Mutombo led the league in blocks for three consecutive years as well as in rebounding for two where he averaged as much as 14 with the Atlanta Hawks.

'Deke' might have been a one-dimensional player with little influence on offense in the second half of his career, but it was just what the teams that signed him needed.

They wanted a player with a hard work ethic, a stellar rebounder and defender, and one of the league's greatest shot blockers, and they got it when they signed Mutombo to man the middle.

Thabo Sefolosha the Perimeter Defender

The best Swiss player in the NBA by far, because he's the only one, Thabo Sefolosha isn't utilized for much else by the Oklahoma City Thunder other than being a quality perimeter defender.

At 6'5", 215 pounds, Sefolosha is tall, strong, and quick enough to keep up with just about any guard currently playing. He possesses great timing and lateral quickness and it allows him to keep opposing guards at bay from beyond the arc and out of their comfort zone.

What makes Sefolosha a one-dimensional player is that he's a quality defender and that's about it. He's a career 30 percent shooter from beyond the arc and has only averaged five points per game for his career despite playing more than 20 minutes a night with the Thunder and Chicago Bulls.

Nate Thurmond the Rebounder/Defender

One of the most underrated players of all time, Golden State Warriors forward/center Nate Thurmond was one of the league's top rebounders and defenders throughout the 1960s and the early portion of the 1970s.

Thurmond would average as much as 22 points per and 20 boards for two consecutive seasons. He would finish his career average 15 rebounds as he would utilize his strength more than any other aspect to gain an advantage against other opposing rebounders.

He was also a stellar defender ending up on two All-Defensive First teams and three All-Defensive Second teams.

Peja Stojakovic the Perimeter Shooter

It's pretty difficult to comprehend just how far Peja Stojakovic has fallen off since his glory days with the Sacramento Kings in the early-2000s.

Stojakovic's perimeter game has been off course for a few years now and he has become a huge defensive liability, which hinders any progress he makes on the offensive end.

His defense has never been the cream of the crop, but it was his perimeter shooting that garnered Stojakovic a few All-Star appearances and a number of deep runs into the postseason.

The Croatian-born product is a career 40 percent three-point shooter and has averaged as much as 25 points.

Damon Jones the Three-Point Shooter

He's also got one dimension to fashion too: loud.

Damon Jones didn't carry much of an impact on the majority of the teams he played for aside from Miami and Cleveland. He couldn't do much as far as playing defense, leading an offense, or rebounding went, but he did possess the uncanny ability to knock down three-pointers at a tremendous rate.

Jones' best year came in 2005 when he hit 43 percent of his three-pointers while also averaging a career high in points at 11 per game.

He basically camped out there for the entire game as 65 percent of his career shot attempts came from beyond the arc.

Vinnie Johnson the Heated-Up Scorer

Vinnie Johnson wasn't the type of player who was going to show up with gaudy stats in the box score. He wasn't going to end up on many highlight reels and he didn't care that much, either. Johnson served one purpose on the Detroit Pistons and that was to heat up and come through when the team needed him most.

Thus the nickname 'Microwave' that he was given by Boston Celtics guard Danny Ainge for his ability to score a lot of points in a short amount of time.

Johnson's career high includes only 16 points per game which he averaged in 1983. Johnson played as the sixth man on two championship Piston teams.

He was a key reason as to why the team came up victorious, as he hit a game winner with 0.7 seconds left in Game 5 of the 1991 finals against the Portland Trail Blazers as well as contributing a consistent amount of points night in and night out.