Apr 05 2008
Unsung NBA Player Day: Ronny Turiaf
Tags: Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, Ronny Turiaf
Similar to last month’s Kobe Bryant Blog Day, Don at With Malice is hosting NBA Unsung Player Day today.
I was a big fan of the idea behind Kobe Bryant Blog Day and am glad someone else had a similar idea for the blogosphere. It really brings a lot of bloggers together under a unifying theme and is a hell of a lot of fun.
The first player that came to mind for me, naturally, was Ronny Turiaf.
un·sung 
[uhn-suhng] – adjective
| 1. | not sung; not uttered or rendered by singing. |
| 2. | not celebrated in song or verse; not praised or acclaimed: the unsung heroes of the war. |
Some would say that the Frenchman is not all that unsung anymore. He has started many a game amidst the Los Angeles Lakers injury woes. Providing a strong defensive presence and even a hint of a new-found shooting touch, he has excelled and been commended for his efforts.
His averages have improved across the board (well, save FG%) this season as well:
| Year | Team | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-06 | Los Angeles Lakers | 7.0 | .500 | .556 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 2.0 |
| 2006-07 | Los Angeles Lakers | 15.1 | .549 | .664 | 3.6 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 5.3 |
| 2007-08 | Los Angeles Lakers | 19.0 | .465 | .753 | 4.1 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 6.5 |
| Career Averages | 15.6 | .500 | .702 | 3.5 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 5.5 | |
However, he is for all intents and purposes, a role player coming off the bench. Regardless of his playing time, when he steps on the court, he makes an impact. Many people tend to forget about Ronny when all is going well. Who will remember how instrumental he was earlier in the year as he comes off the bench with a fully healthy Laker squad? At that point, he falls back into the cheerleader role in people’s minds - dancing on the sidelines supporting his teammates.
But even the so-called “cheerleading” - attention to which displeases Turiaf - is invaluable. A team shouldn’t take themselves too seriously, and Turiaf helps create a better environment for all.
Ronny Turiaf continues to consistently play his game and help his team. Sometimes he gets noted, more often he does not. For this, he gets his dues on Unsung NBA Player Day.
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Daniel - http://www.laballtalk.com
Notice the similarities between his hair and the tattoo.
gotta love the hair on that guy..