What Makes A Basketball Player Truly Complete

We challenge the popular idea that “complete” just means scoring and playmaking, and we argue the real standard has to include elite defense. We use current NBA and WNBA examples plus classic debates to show how two-way impact changes who deserves the label. 
• Redefining “complete player” as elite offense plus elite defense 
• Why points and assists can’t be the whole evaluation 
• Wembanyama vs Jokic through a two-way lens 
• A’ja Wilson as the WNBA completeness benchmark with close runners-up 
• Scottie Pippen’s case for all-time two-way versatility 
• How narratives, context, and accolades shape GOAT and ranking debates 
• Why we value two-way prospects and role versatility when projecting the future 
Please make sure to hit that like and subscribe button, comment, tell anyone who's anyone about the show. Go watch the WNBA.

Transcript

Welcome And Quick Housekeeping

SPEAKER_00 0:00

What's up, everybody? It's your favorite show's favorite show Get a Bucket. I'm your host, Train as usual. Hope you're all having a wonderful, wonderful day. Today we're going to talk about what makes a player complete. But before we do that, please make sure to hit that like and subscribe button, comment, tell anyone who's anyone about the show. Trying to get the ratings up a little bit, you know, just a little bit. And if you wonder where you heard this before, that's because you look that's because you've been listening with me Monday through Friday at 11 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. So I greatly appreciate your support.

Defining A Truly Complete Player

SPEAKER_00 0:24

Now, what makes a player most complete? Well, we gotta stop and think just what does the word complete mean, right? I think a lot of times when people talk about complete, I've heard it really relating to the people who can score and pass in the game of basketball. And I understand that. Okay, usually you have people who either play make or score. Like typically people have roles. But if you can combine everything on offensive end into one person, people think that's complete. And I get that. I genuinely do, right? The game of basketball is based on roles, like I said. Here's my issue, ladies and gentlemen. And this conversation came up because of a post that I made where Ron Harper was talking about Scottie Pippen being the best small forward of all time. And I've also had gripes with some people on the GOAT discussion or how we view players today. Because again, I don't think it's a fair assessment to say, oh, this person's complete because they play, make, and score. Whether we're talking about basketball, football, football, you know, like even tennis, like the game has two sides offense and defense. In football, it's offense and defense, basketball, offense and defense. Like there's so many baseball, offense, and defense. That's the criteria, that's the standard for being a complete player to me. Those who play offense and defense at an elite level. That means on the offensive end, we can we can throw the ball to you and you can get a bucket. Or on the defensive end, if someone's trying to get a bucket, guess what? You can prevent it at a decent, at a respectable, at an elite rate. That's my definition, ladies and gentlemen, of what a complete player is.

Wembanyama Vs Jokic Two-Way Test

SPEAKER_00 2:29

Like if we were to look at the NBA and the WNBA right now, point in time, I would say Victor Wimanyama is the most complete player in the NBA. Now, yes, we got Nicola Jokic. Yes, we have LeBron James. Yes, KD out there too, Steph out there. Heard you, right? And again, when people think complete, they think about offense-centered, like scoring, like playmaking. I kept hearing Braun's more complete player than Kobe Bryant. Why? Because Braun could score the ball and pass. Well, correct me if I'm wrong. Can't Kobe pass? He averaged five assists for his career, which I think Braun's at seven. So we're saying a two assist difference is saying that one person can pass and one person can't. I think Kobe was also a complete player. Jordan was also a complete player. These players played elite-level basketball on both sides of the court. And hear me out, too, ladies and gentlemen, because we love to throw things like accolades out there, right? Well, if y'all call LeBron James the most complete player, well, his all defensive numbers don't quite compare to that of Kobe or Jordan. And I'm not making a case for the GOAT discussion. Not directly. I'm just simply saying when we're talking about complete players, ladies and gentlemen, we need to stop and think, right? Like Nicola Jokic versus Victor Wimbyama. On offense, Victor can give you very quality, very similar production. Now, the playmaking, sure, that leans Jokic goes without saying. But the scoring aspect, especially at this young age, I think it's fair to say that Victor Wembyama can go toe to toe with Nikola Jokic. Now, on the defensive end, leaps and bounds better than Nikola Jokic. Leaps and bounds. So for me, I'm comparing the offensive end, which I can't say Nikola Jokic is leaps and bounds better than Victor Weminyama on offense. But I can say that for the defensive end. I can. I actually can. So for me, the most complete player in the NBA is Victor Wembenyama. Just like if we were to talk about the W NBA, right? I would say the most complete player is in fact Asia Wilson. It's not Brianna Stewart, although that's a close runner-up. It's not Nafisa Kalli, although again, that's a close runner-up for sure. And if you want to put them as the most complete player, I hear you. I do. Especially with Fee and Brianna Stewart. They can they can defend and play offense at an elite level. We'll talk about the rankings later. But mentioning someone like a Caitlin Clark or even the Paige Beckers right now, that's a little bit much. And I'm not making this a height thing, because notice, right, I've picked both centers

Scottie Pippen And The Completeness Debate

SPEAKER_00 5:18

for the game of basketball. Well, we could have also said that Scottie Pippen might have been the most complete player in the game of basketball during his tenure. Like he could have been more complete than even that of a Magic Johnson. A Larry Bird. And it feels weird to say, because again, to say someone's more complete, it doesn't mean that they're that they're definitively better. Which ironically, people have tried to make that argument for Braun over Jordan. We're talking about versatility. Right? But again, on offense and defense, Scotty was pretty daggone close on offense. Like he won't he won't like Jordan, to be clear. Right? Like the offensive game of some players are probably better than Scottie Pippins, for sure. But the defensive purpose, the defensive prowess that he had, it does make you think, well, I think he might when I say leaps and bounds earlier, I don't I don't think I meant, I don't think I would say he's leaps and bounds ahead of Braun or Jordan or Kobe or Kawhi defensively. But I think it's fair to say he he he was better than them defensively. I think that's fair. Like there's not much that Scottie Pippen couldn't do in the game of basketball. And again, when we're talking about complete players, I mentioned those accolades. Scotty right up there defensively. He's higher than even that of Braun, KD, Bird, Kawhi. Like, there is an argument to be made when we're talking about complete players, ladies and gentlemen. And we got to change that narrative because again, the game of basketball is not just offensive-centered, it encompasses offense, wait for it, and defense. My show is called Get a Bucket. But in order to learn how to get a bucket, you got to learn how defense are trying to stop players from getting the bucket. That's another element to the game. Learning how defenses move, that's important. Also, if you're an offensive-minded player, I would expect you to be a little bit decent on defense. Because if you can see an offensive opponent and you can see them doing some moves, and maybe it resonates with your game, you at least gotta come up with a game plan on how to slow you down. That's my personal opinion. So again, ladies and gentlemen, I'm here just to dispel this narrative that a complete player is offensive-centered. And we gotta cut it out. We gotta cut it out. Because I don't understand why an elite-level player on both sides of the court is not viewed as the most complete player. And again, I ask you if you focus on points and assists, which I keep hearing constantly, and it's annoying, if that's all you focus on, you're shortchanging yourself. You're too focused on things that yes matter, but don't tell the entire story. People love to overlook context a lot of the time because it fits their narrative. We hype up a Caitlin Clark. While a good player, do not get me wrong. There's some aspects to her game that need to improve. Just like a lot of players, too, by the way. But we focus on the assists and numbers, score. Me and a Paige Beckers fan. Y'all know that. So I focus on points, assists, turnovers, efficiency. That's what matters in the game of basketball, but also defense, effort. Who are you guarding? These are things that matter, ladies and gentlemen. So again,

Prospects Rankings And Fan Narratives

SPEAKER_00 9:05

for me, for me, and I think for you as well, you should focus on those two-way players who produce at an elite level. The Jalen Browns of the world, ladies and gentlemen. Those should be viewed, those guys should be viewed as the complete players. Stefan Castle is on his way. Dylan Harper is on his way. AJ DeBonsa is on his way. Cooper Flag is on his way. I personally would take Cooper Flag over Luka Doncic because to me, Cooper Flag is the more complete player. He plays defense and offense. And his offense is going to get to where Lucas is at some point in time. He might not have the 30 points and eight assists, but the ability to play alongside anybody, because that's what Coop can do. He can play on ball and he can play off ball. But then his defense is much more impactful. So again, that's how I'm viewing a complete player. And those are the players that I'm looking to prioritize. Hence some of my gripe with my with the Lakers right now. Because I'm still going back and forth if I want to use my. But ladies and gentlemen, y'all heard my stance, y'all heard my gripes. I've used different cases. Like I can honestly say, let's let's let's take it back a little further. I can say I can say Larry Bird was a more complete player than Magic Johnson. Magic Johnson was accused of not being able to move his puppies on defense. Now, whether that's true or not is another discussion, but Larry Bird, he's not at the level of Pippin, to be clear. He's not at the level of Kawhi, but he was still a quality defender for sure. So again, for me, for me, I would I would look at Larry Bird as being a more complete player than Magic Johnson. NBA careers, you could say Magic over Larry. But who was the more complete player? Larry Bird. But again, ladies and gentlemen, y'all heard my thoughts, y'all heard my gripes, y'all heard my take. Now I gotta hear from you. What do you all think about this thus far? Do you view a complete player as somebody who can pass and score at a pretty productive level? Or would you say it's more about scoring and defending? Like that's what I'm curious about. Because if you're gonna focus on assists and scoring primarily, well then respectfully, you're gonna you need to say that someone like a D'Angelo Russell or even an Austin Reeves is better than someone like a Shea Gildas Alexander. No, that might not be that good. A Dylan Harper. And I don't think that's the case. I really truly don't. Or maybe even a Stefan Castle. And I don't know if that's the case. I really don't. Especially because them boys are younger too, so they're gonna be you all they're gonna be looking smooth. But again, ladies and gentlemen, that's that's just to give you a little example, a little context. Just something to think about. But I want to hear y'all's thoughts, but ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, that does conclude the end

Your Turn Plus Closing Requests

SPEAKER_00 12:02

of the episode. So please make sure to like, subscribe, comment, tell anyone who's anyone about the show. My name is Trey, I'm the host of Get the Bucket. I hope you are all having a good one. Go watch the WNBA. Take care.