Last week, I began unpacking what is meant by “white basketball.” It’s about good fundamental basketball that could be modeled at every level. I ended that article by asking: Who plays “white basketball” the best? As a sports writer, I have no expertise in basketball. But I have expertise in generating god-awful takes. And you, dear reader, are in for an all-time terrible one. Here are my top 10 “white basketball” players.

10: Doug McDermott (Small Forward, Indiana Pacers)

Have you ever asked yourself: What if Larry Bird was bad at basketball? 

9: Kevin Love (Power Forward, Cleveland Cavaliers)

High motor rebounder, efficient high-volume scorer, Mike Love’s nephew. 

8: Marc Gasol (Center, Toronto Raptors)

Old man Marc Gasol is well past his prime. He can’t jump or defend on the perimeter. But he’s got a lethal jump shot if left open and the veteran basketball IQ. He held down the grit-and-grind Grizzlies, which makes him an all-time great hustle player.

7: Gordon Hayward (Small Forward, Boston Celtics)

Hayward came to Boston to be a star on a winning team. He proceeded to suffer a horrific ankle injury in his first game as a Celtic and he’s never returned to form. In many ways, he hasn’t been able to because of Celtic’s log jam at the wing position. While Hayward was recovering, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum established themselves as premier two-way players. As a result, Hayward has never been given a chance to be the centerpiece he expected to be when he arrived in New England. 

What makes him a great “white basketball” player is how he accepted his circumstances. He’s still been a key contributor for the Celtics. He’s shown he’s more dedicated to winning than personal success. His ankle injury zapped him of his springy first step, but he’s still crafty both on the perimeter and getting into the lane. Hayward was dealt a bad hand, but he has gotten the most out of it.

He has also played in Salt Lake City, meaning that he has spent his career in the two whitest basketball cities outside of Indiana. He doesn’t get bonus points for this, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Hayward’s career teams are capital-w White.

6: Alex Caruso (Shooting Guard, Los Angeles Lakers)

Alex Caruso looks remarkably unremarkable. He’s balding and sports one of the weakest jawlines in the NBA. If I saw Caruso check into a Washington University basketball game, I wouldn’t question it. But there’s a healthy contingent of people who think he’s the best “white basketball” player in the league.

So many Caruso highlights happen because he’s giving maximum effort when other players are idling. He gets chase down blocks because opponents assume he is out of the play. Or he gets dunks because he’s constantly moving to create opportunities for his teammates. 

Caruso is the definition of a hustle player. While part of his fandom comes from the fact he looks like a Gamestop manager, he’s definitely earned his spot on this list with his aware defending and constant effort.

5-4: Tyler Herro (Shooting Guard, Miami Heat)/Grayson Allen (Shooting Guard, Memphis Grizzlies)

Tyler Herro is already a better basketball player than Grayson Allen, in the humble opinion of this absolute nobody. As shooting guards who played college basketball at blue chip programs, they get compared a great deal. Herro is a more consistent shooter and scorer. That’s why he’s this high on the list. But Allen is a metric for all “white basketball” players to be judged against.

Grayson Allen was a menace in college. He had a penchant for dirty plays, like tripping his opponents. Some attributed this to immaturity: My father once told me he was “absolutely sure” that Grayson Allen would bite someone in a fight. I attribute that to his sheer competitiveness. 

Here’s a man who hates losing so much, you have to drag him through it kicking and screaming. Grayson Allen has largely left his dirty streak in college, but that fire, that will to win remains intact. There are only three people this competitive in the NBA: Grayson Allen, Chris Paul and Jimmy Butler. Both are often maligned for being terrible to compete against. My advice to their opponents: Try harder or cry harder. 

3: JJ Redick (Shooting Guard, New Orleans Pelicans)

If you put Bill Simmons in a lab and asked him to generate the perfect basketball player, he’d produce JJ Redick. During the games, he’s an all-time great shooter, an effort defender and a veteran leader. Off the court, he’s obsessive about his game. He’s literally the first guy in the gym and the last one out. He can’t rest satisfied until he’s gotten his shots up for a day. I jokingly referred to Duncan Robinson as white Ray Allen earlier. That title really belongs to Redick.

2: Luka Doncic (Shooting Guard/Small Forward, Dallas Mavericks)

White basketball, black basketball, polka-dotted basketball; it doesn’t matter, Luka Doncic is good at it. Doncic is not a traditional NBA athlete. He’s wider and less explosive than a normal shooting guard. But—dare I say it—he’s got sneaky athleticism. He’s so crafty that any weakness he has goes on the back burner. We also saw during his playoff series against the Clippers that he has that competitive spirit that defines great basketball players. 

1: Jimmy Butler (Shooting Guard, Miami Heat)

Jimmy Butler has left a mess in his wake on every team he has left. When he was traded for the Bulls, they lost their best player and their defensive identity. He forced his way out of Minnesota during a scrimmage where he absolutely eviscerated the Timberwolves starters. And he did it without scoring: With his passing and defense, he led the Wolves reserves as they embarrassed the faces of the franchise. He did it while talking so much trash, the organization should have hired their own garbage man. He went to Philadelphia, where he helped the 76ers to a second-round playoff berth, but then he left again.

via Creative Commons | All-Pro Reels

Miami Heat guard Jimmy Butler in a March game.

When Butler arrived in Miami, the media perception of Butler had morphed from excellent defensive anchor to underperforming diva. But Jimmy Butler never changed. He stayed at a competitor on every team he was on. Butler’s account of the tension between him and his teammates places the blame on them for not being devoted to winning. Now, as they all sit at home and he competes in the NBA finals, it is clear that history will exonerate Jimmy Butler.

Jimmy Butler is an underdog story. He was expected to be a defensive-focused player and he has grown into an all-star and one of the best players at crunch time the NBA has to offer. He is also not a normal NBA star. The best way to see this is to compare him to Kawhi Leonard. They’re both 6’7”. But Butler only boasts a 6’8” wingspan compared to Leonard’s pterodactyl-like 7’3”. Kawhi Leonard famously has absurdly large hands even for an NBA player. Butler’s 9” hands are large for a human, but normal for an NBA player. You can see this in how they defend: Leonard is a great help defender, but he’s also a top three individual perimeter defender in the league. Butler is a great on-ball defender, but he’s not infallible. But he gives tremendous effort and he’s a great team defender. He also brings a contagious attitude on defense. Look at how the Heat play. They have some great defenders, for sure. But their defense is greater than the sum of their parts because of how much effort they put in. I’d say that’s Butler’s fingerprints on the team.

Jimmy Butler might be the best role player in the NBA. He doesn’t want to be the primary playmaker. He doesn’t want the praise. He just wants to win. He might not be a champion this year, but he’s the number one “white basketball” player in my book.

For players 25-11, see Unpacking the true meaning of ‘white basketball’