The Mindset of an NBA Training Camp Invitee

Pistons training camp is fast approaching and so are invitations to training camps across the NBA. So many of the late additions to NBA rosters are actually seat-fillers. They are players destined for the D-League and/or prolonged stints in Europe. Basically, teams need warm bodies to practice against.

Newswire hits of invitees piques fans interests mainly because NBA news, at this juncture, is running on fumes.

The pressure the invitees are under has to be immense. They probably know their intended role yet they have to perform as if their life depended upon it. And, do so with a smile.

It’s almost like a job interview for the job interview. They perform well then maybe, just maybe they get a D-League assignment or even better yet, they dress in civilian clothes at the end of an NBA bench and collect an NBA paycheck. That has to be incredibly rough on ones’ psyche.

The inverse also applies in that these journeymen also populate other teams rosters throughout their careers. They undoubtedly talk to other players about their experiences around the league. Teams have indicated that they are aware of the cultures they are building and the inclusion of these “guests” has to be a part of their efforts to build sustainable organizations.

Taken further, one could speculate that relationships between veterans and the invitees could also be complex. On one hand, the invitee poses little to no competition for a given roster spot occupied by a veteran. On the other hand, the invitee might look appealing to unseat the veteran if the lower salary and subsequent roster move freed up organizations to play chess more effectively.

The message to training camp invitees is as clear as mud- play hard, but not too hard – play within the system, but not at the expense of entrenched players – play with a coachable attitude even though the likelihood is you’ll be unemployed with a very particular set of skills (insert Liam Neeson voice from the movie Taken) not likely transferable to the 9-5 world.

Talk about playing an uphill battle. We haven’t even talked about system-fit, the impact of injuries to the playing rotation and past history with coaching staffs. All of these variables impact the success of a training camp invitee without even looking at how they may or may not produce at an upcoming camp. Maybe a new coach needs to backfill system knowledge during camp and so a veteran is invited who knows his specific system as a de facto assistant coach.

As NBA training camps rev up it will be fascinating to see if some of these journeymen crack the code, unseat a veteran who has overstayed his welcome or purely outplay the man above him.

Now we know why NBA rosters are composed with a pencil. Sometimes that poor eraser gets a lot of work.

Here’s hoping “Lady Luck” propels a few of these diehard athletes to make opening night rosters.