Draymond Green introduced a new term to the NBA lexicon about a year ago: the "16-game player." When he assisted the Golden State Warriors front office with draft prep, he made a distinction between the "82-game player," who can be rendered ineffective in the playoffs, and the kind of guy who can maintain or improve his production when games matter most.
Being a "16-game player" is shorthand for having enough versatility and smarts to survive under postseason pressure. Typically, this means someone who will not be targeted defensively or ignored on offense. If this is what good front offices are looking for, then it's worth looking at free agency through Green's lens.
This does not mean that everyone on this list is a deadly shooter, an elite defender and an effective playmaker. It just means that these 16 guys have the type of skills that help teams win playoff games rather than being played off the floor.
After his 6-for-10 performance from 3-point range in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday, Green is the only player to have taken at least 50 3s in the Finals and made more than 50% of them, per NBA.com's Micah Adams. The Toronto Raptors wing probably should have made the NBA All-Defensive Team this season, and he is completely comfortable defending star point guards. A classic 3-and-D guy who stretched his game a bit under Nick Nurse in the regular season, he brings extra value because of his leadership and the way he stabilizes all sorts of lineups. Usually, a slump as serious as the one he endured in the conference finals would hurt a shooter in free agency, but I am not sure this will be the case here. Green's track record is too strong.
It is not damning Looney with faint praise to say that he was the best Warriors center this season. Steve Kerr loves to say that the 23-year-old plays with the intelligence of a vet, and the coach has exponentially more trust in him than he does in Jordan Bell and Damian Jones, two bigs who are much more likely to throw down a flashy dunk. About a month ago, The Athletic's Ethan Sherwood Strauss asked a bunch of league personnel to predict Looney's per-year salary on his next contract, and all of their guesses were between $3 million and $5 million. That seems awfully low now, as the Warriors have grown dependent on his ability to switch, grab offensive rebounds and finish in traffic. You don't normally think of centers as glue guys, but Looney is exactly that.
Morris played some of the best basketball of his life this season, which boggles the mind because it seemed like he was going to be marginalized on a team stacked with talent. He earned a starting spot because of his versatility -- he can guard multiple positions, and, while he isn't a star offensive player, opposing teams must account for him. Morris can attack mismatches against switching defenses, and he will show no hesitation when left open behind the 3-point line. His efficiency dipped in the second half of the regular season, but he was solid in the playoffs aside from one stinker against Indiana. I don't always love his shot selection, but I appreciate stretch 4s who compete on defense and can create a shot.
I still think about how Young hounded Kevin Love in last year's playoffs. If you need a switchy forward who is quick on the perimeter and physical on the interior, he is your man. He is a crafty offensive player, too, and doesn't require plays to be run for him. Twelve years into his career, defenders still haven't figured out the timing on his weird little flip shots. The only real issue is that, aside from his one year playing for Brett Brown in Philadelphia, Young has been a reluctant 3-point shooter. Imagine if a coach could convince him to fire away again.
Had Davis been healthy, the Brooklyn Nets might have won more than one game against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round. He was a massive factor in that series-opening victory, scoring 12 points and grabbing 16 rebounds in 25 minutes. Davis is not only a beloved teammate, he is one of the league's premier offensive rebounders and can be counted on to provide timely help defense. Unlike the next person on this list, Davis never evolved into a stretch 5, but there is virtue in accepting your role and playing hard as hell within its parameters. For playoff teams in need of a center, he is a no-maintenance, no-risk option.
If the Atlanta Hawks were an elite team, Dedmon would have been covered like Brook Lopez, another 7-footer Mike Budenholzer encouraged to launch 3-pointers. In his first season under Lloyd Pierce, Dedmon averaged 3.4 attempts from 3-point range in 25.1 minutes and made 38.2 percent of them. If you watched him in his first few seasons, it is difficult to comprehend the ease with which he shoots from all over the court, sometimes on the move. He turns 30 this August, and he would fit almost anywhere because he brings rim protection in addition to floor spacing. In his way, he is a 3-and-D guy.
Hill will likely be a free agent because only $1 million of his $18 million salary is guaranteed next season and the Bucks' cap sheet is about to be messy. At 33, he has transitioned to a backup role and he shot a career-low 31.4 percent from 3-point range in the regular season … but went bonkers in the playoffs. Hill was one of Milwaukee's most important players against Boston and Toronto on both ends of the court. His defense bothered Kyrie Irving and he made 41.7 percent of his 3s in the postseason. Just like he was in his prime, he is capable of playing on or off the ball, and his length allows him to switch more than most 6-foot-3 guards.
Baynes had a weird, injury-plagued year, but on/off numbers painted him as irreplaceable. His difficulties defending Giannis Antetokounmpo should not overshadow what he has done for the Celtics on that end for the past two seasons -- he moves his feet well for someone his size and is a master of verticality when protecting the paint. Baynes is often described as bruiser, but he has thrived in Boston because of his positional defense and commitment to doing all the role-player stuff coaches love, like boxing out and setting screens.
How could you watch Beverley against the Warriors in the first round and not want him on your team? He is maniacal on defense, and his 3-point percentage has hovered around the 40-percent mark for years. His all-out competitiveness brings intangible benefits, too -- the Clippers would not have pulled off the largest comeback in playoff history, erasing a 31-point Golden State lead, without his spirit. Personally, I would love to see him on a contender, if for no other reason than how much he relishes being on the big stage, matched up with a superstar.
For someone who will turn 34 later this month, the big man has shown much less slippage on defense than you'd expect. His work on that end is enough to endear him to his teammates, but he is also a good finisher around the rim, too. You can totally picture him on a title contender, playing the role David West played for Golden State, with more rim protection and fewer midrange jumpers.
The forward made $15 million for a wasted season split between Phoenix and Washington, and now it is time for him to play meaningful basketball games again. The veteran is not exactly a sharpshooter, but he was willing to take seven 3s a game for the Rockets, and his brain should allow him to remain a top-notch defender as his athleticism wanes.
It is weird to talk about Vonleh as a "16-game player" because he doesn't have much of a postseason resume, but the way he played in New York suggests he can hang. Vonleh quietly improved in virtually every area this season, and the Knicks empowered him to stretch his game. Still just 23, he is starting to realize the two-way potential he had coming out of college; if he gets a bit more confident shooting 3s, watch out.
You never know when he is going to swing a playoff game by getting hot from 3-point range, and he is totally unafraid of taking big shots in big moments. Scott is not a switch-1-through-4 type, but he brings toughness and physicality on defense. He became a fan favorite in Philadelphia quickly, but that doesn't necessarily mean he will be back.
Rivers didn't have a great time in Washington but found a home in Houston, where his layups-and-3s-only approach to offense fit right in. I wonder if his hot shooting in the playoffs will lead to him re-signing with the Rockets -- he might want to go to a team that requires less standing around on offense. He is on this list because we have seen him have several big playoff games over the years, and teams know how important it is to have multiple playmakers on the court in April, May and June.
Dudley gave off player-coach vibes in Brooklyn, and that's a difficult thing to do while maintaining respect in the locker room. Teammates raved about his vocal leadership behind closed doors, but you could actually see him making others better on the court. One of the smartest players in the league, Dudley is a constant communicator, a quick thinker and an irritating defender.
Temple got lost in the Clippers' deep backcourt rotation, but there should be suitors for the 6-foot-6 guard who can stretch the floor and make plays. It helps that he is known as a steadying presence on and off the court -- he rarely makes mistakes and has assumed a leadership role on multiple teams. Temple has the type of game that would fit just about anywhere, but he would be particularly valuable on a young team with playoff aspirations.
