When the NBA champions win the Larry O'Brien Trophy in June, the superstars stand at the front, do the interviews, and hoist the coveted piece of hardware.
Though the stars deserve the glory, every championship group has role players standing off to the side of center stage who were essential to the team's playoff run.
How important were Bobby Portis' contributions to the Bucks in 2021 or Bruce Brown's to the Nuggets last year?
Championship teams need impactful role players, even if many of them are replaceable and bounce around the league.
Last week, we evaluated the MVP candidates. Let's scroll down the totem pole and look at which role players on contending teams we should bet or bail on.
Bet on Donte DiVincenzo
DiVincenzo's averaging 13.5 points per game in January, the best scoring month of his career. On the season, he's recording a career-best 11.3 points per game on 42% 3-point shooting.
Although the defense has carried the Knicks since they traded for OG Anunoby - New York has the NBA's second-best net rating since the trade - DiVincenzo has been the perfect complement to Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle. Brunson and Randle's penetrative style forces defenses to collapse. DiVincenzo operates exclusively as a spot-up threat.
The Villanova product's most frequent play type, unsurprisingly, is spot-up looks, where he's scoring 1.22 points per possession, the seventh-best among players who average at least four spot-up possessions per game, according to NBA Advanced Stats.
Some 72% of his total made field goals are 3-pointers. He's among the best catch-and-shoot scorers in the league, knocking down 42% of his looks on 5.5 attempts per game. That's the NBA's second-best mark among players who attempt at least five per contest.
Brunson - DiVincenzo's former teammate at Villanova - can get to any spot on the court he wants, attracting added attention. That creates opportunities for DiVincenzo, who's cashing in on nearly every chance he gets.
Bettors are cashing in too. He's gone over his points prop in seven of the last 10 games.
In the below clip, DiVincenzo is hanging out in the corner where he usually resides as Brunson uses a screen to attack and put pressure on the Wizards' second line of defense. DiVincenzo simply slides up to get in Brunson's line of sight and receive a perfect pass. Brunson could shoot an open pull-up jumper from the elbow - a spot he thrives in - but he makes the right read and passes up a two for a three:
The below sequence is a simple basketball play. Randle has a mismatch on the perimeter and blows by his defender, forcing DiVincenzo's man to help. Randle kicks it to the corner for DiVincenzo to knock down an open triple:
Knicks fans know Brunson will show up come playoff time, though Randle's presence is still a question mark. The key to the Knicks unlocking a deep run - they're +1500 to win the East - will be their supporting cast, including DiVincenzo.
Bet on Patrick Beverley
Beverley is a pest and viral sensation, an annoyance to opposing guards and an asset for any team with championship aspirations. His fierce takes on his podcast blow up the internet, but he's one of the few players who backs up his constant talking.
His defensive ferocity and on-court antics - like getting into the chest of his opposition 80 feet away from the basket - help fuel a Sixers group starving for a championship.
The 13-year vet has become a mainstay in Nick Nurse's rotation. His defensive intensity perfectly matches the NBA's fourth-best defense. He's found his place in the lineup because of improved offense. No one associates Beverley with having offensive skills, but he's served as the perfect backup for star point guard Tyrese Maxey.
Beverley's improved production has led to more minutes. He's averaging 23 minutes in January after only playing 17 a night in December. He initiates the second unit offense and sets up his teammates. He's also knocking down threes at a near-average clip - 34% over the last two months - a rare and encouraging sight for Sixers fans.
Beverley's been a prop machine during this run. He's gone over his combined points, rebounds, and assists props in his last six games and hit the over on his points prop in four of the last six.
Beverley missed the last two games but is expected to return to the lineup Thursday night against the Pacers. He seems to love Philadelphia, and Philadelphia will keep loving him with his hard-nosed play and surprising offensive output.
Bail on Grant Williams
When the Mavs signed Williams in free agency, many observers - including me - believed it was a phenomenal signing. Williams was supposed to be the help that Luka Doncic - and more recently Kyrie Irving - have desperately craved to get the Mavs into contention status in the West.
Well, Williams hasn't lived up to expectations. He was a productive role player on the Celtics last season. However, they had plenty of other scoring options so Boston didn't rely on him too much. Dallas hoped he'd become a more dynamic player with an increased role.
Williams has a slightly higher usage rate with the Mavs and averages more threes and field goals per game. Yet he's averaging eight points per game, the same mark as last year. He's also shooting his worst 3-point percentage since his rookie season.
He's the Mavs' fourth-highest-paid player but their seventh-leading scorer. He's averaging 5.1 points per game in January as Jason Kidd has reduced his minutes, leading to Williams' under points prop cashing in eight of the last 10 games.
The Mavs have a minus-5.4 net rating when Williams is on the court and a plus-7.2 net rating when he's off the floor, so his reduced usage makes sense.
Irving and Doncic just want Williams to help with the chores around the house, but he can't even load the dishwasher.
Dallas didn't sign him to a lucrative deal - $53 million over four years - but he's having a disappointing season for a team that could use his production. The Mavs, who are -190 to make the playoffs and +1600 (seventh-best) to win the West, will need him to improve if they're to make a run.
Bet on Grayson Allen
Allen is having the best shooting season of his career. He's the only player in the league achieving 50-40-90 shooting splits (50% from the field, 40% from three, and 90% from the foul line). If he maintains those averages for the rest of the season, he'd be the 15th player in NBA history to accomplish it.
The former Duke standout is shooting a league-leading 49% from three. Playing alongside Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal certainly leads to more quality looks.
The Suns, who are +675 to win the West and +1400 to win the Finals, acquired Allen this summer as part of the deal that sent Damian Lillard to Milwaukee and Deandre Ayton to the Blazers. Allen was considered a throw-in alongside Jusuf Nurkic, but he's been an essential piece of Phoenix's puzzle.
Depth was a primary issue, but the six-year journeyman is having a career year while averaging the fourth-most points on the Suns, allowing Phoenix's front office to sleep a little easier.
Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more betting coverage.
