NBA

NBA AM: The Mentality of an Underdog

Basketball Insiders talked to players who went undrafted or late second round about experiencing success against the odds.

Alan Draper profile picture
Sports Editor
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With the NBA preseason underway, each team has non-guaranteed players who have no idea if they’ll be on the opening-night roster. The 20-man preseason roster must be cut down to 15 by the start of the regular season. It’s a stressful time to be a fringe NBA player who has little to no guaranteed salary. They’re trying to do whatever they can to impress their team’s decision-makers, while the uncertainty of the situation looms over them.

For undrafted free agents, second-round picks and veteran free agents trying to return to the NBA, there is a lot riding on the next few weeks. For players with job security, training camp and preseason action is about getting ready for the upcoming campaign. For the underdogs, all of their hard work has led to this moment as they fight for their livelihood. Every seemingly meaningless practice repetition, garbage minute and interaction with NBA team personnel could be a chance for these individuals to distinguish themselves from the herd. Read more about Underdog Betting here.

When trying to make an NBA team, there are many factors that are out of a player’s control. However, when Basketball Insiders talked to underdogs who had achieved success against the odds, they pointed to their preparation and mental approach as two things they could control that would impact their chances of making the roster.

Indiana Pacers forward Lavoy Allen and New Orleans Pelicans guard Langston Galloway both pointed out that their preparation and focus were key in helping them break onto the NBA stage.

Allen, the 50th pick in 2011 NBA Draft, had no guarantees heading into his first year. He had to rely on grit and preparation to catch a break with the Philadelphia 76ers.

“I went into my draft workouts in the best shape of my life,” said Allen, who is now entering his sixth NBA season. “I pretty much was beating up on the guys that went in the first round. So, I knew I could play with those guys.”

Allen’s mentality seemed to fuel his preparation, which in turn allowed him to stay ready for his opportunity when the 76ers came calling.

“My mentality was to just to be ready for anything,” Allen said. “Not a lot of second-rounders really make it in the league and make it a long career.”

Galloway, an undrafted free agent, was able to land a guaranteed deal with the New York Knicks after playing hard in the NBA D-League during his rookie season. Now, as he enters his third season in the NBA, he looked back on his journey and identified the way preparation and a relentless attitude were paramount to his readiness when his opportunity with the Knicks came.

“I am real hungry for the opportunity just to make my dreams come true, and I think every night I carry that chip on my shoulder too,” Galloway said. “I’d say, ‘Hey, I want to go out there and be one of the best players on the floor.’ I knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to accomplish my dreams, and I knew this was pretty much my dream on a plate.”

Allen and Galloway have guaranteed contracts now and have progressed to the point where they are no longer fighting for a roster spot. However, these players are still employing the same diligent mentality toward their craft and working as if they were still rookies.

“I want to be one of the best players to play at my position one day, and every day I go out and I am out there working hard,” Galloway said. “I try to prove that and show that – whether I’m on the court by myself or with a coach or playing against somebody. I mean, that’s my mindset every day and I think that is what carries me each and every day to the next day.”

Some players continue to use their early-career slights or struggles as motivation later on even when they’ve had success. Isaiah Thomas is now an All-Star with the Boston Celtics, but prior to that he was the final pick of the 2011 NBA Draft (also known as “Mr. Irrelevant”).

“I’ve always played with a chip on my shoulder and that just motivated me even more,” Thomas told Basketball Insiders in 2013. “I went into every game thinking, ‘Okay, this team passed on me. They didn’t pick me.’ Every day, it was on my mind. I wanted to go out there and show them that they missed out on something special. I looked at other players and thought, ‘This guy was drafted ahead of me. I may not be better than him, but I’m going to outwork him.’ It made me work harder because I wanted to show the NBA and the world that I could compete on this level. I think I did an okay job of that.

“I’m always going to have doubters and I love proving them wrong. From day one, when I first picked up a basketball, I had doubters. They said I was too short. They said I wasn’t going to succeed in high school. They said I couldn’t duplicate that success in college. They said I couldn’t play in the NBA. I just laugh at it because I know that I’m working my butt off every single day to become the player that I am. I’m always going to have doubters. I use it as motivation to work even harder.”

Pelicans center Robert Sacre, who was the 2012 NBA Draft’s “Mr. Irrelevant,” made similar comments.

“It motivates me every day,” Sacre told Basketball Insiders in 2014. “Every day, I know that I can’t let up or take a day off. This wasn’t just given me, I had to work for every bit of it. It just motivates me every single day to come in and do my job.”

The job security that these veteran players have earned is what other fringe players are still striving to attain. Take someone like Nate Wolters, for example. He was drafted as No. 38 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, has spent time with the Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Pelicans and overseas and is now trying to make the Denver Nuggets’ regular season roster against long odds. Despite this, he seems to have the right approach.

“It’s kind of a tough situation for the next month or so, but I just try and stay positive,” Wolters said. “I just try to control what I can control, which sometimes isn’t a lot, but I just try and play hard and try to make the right play when I’m out there.”

For players who on the roster bubble this fall, it is important to keep in mind that many things are out of their control. However, their preparation and approach to the game are not. Following in the footsteps of these successful, veteran underdogs could help them find their way onto an NBA roster come the regular season.

Alan is an expert gambling writer who works as one of the chief editors for Basketball Insiders. He has been covering online gambling and sports betting for over 8 years, having written for the likes of Sportlens, Compare.bet, The Sports Daily, 90min, and TopRatedCasinos.co.uk. His particular specialisms include US online casinos and gambling regulations, and soccer and basketball betting. Based in London, Alan holds an MA in English Literature and is a passionate supporter of Chelsea FC.

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