Pistons Role Player Talks About His Love For Coming Off the Bench

Great teams need great role players. Yes, having a top-level star is the first step to being a real title contender, but without the right complementary pieces, your team may look like this year's Milwaukee Bucks.

Finding role players who are willing to do whatever it takes to win, whether that is coming off the bench, putting all their focus on the defensive end, or even not playing at all for chunks of time without complaining, isn’t easy.

That's why having a player who puts their ego aside for the betterment of the team is so valuable. That's what Ron Holland is doing for the Detroit Pistons right now. Here's what Holland had to say about being a role player and coming off the bench. 

"My mindset coming into the NBA was that whatever team I go to, they've got guys there to score already... I'm trying to play right away, and I feel like what I do best is making plays and just being able to come to this team and have that mindset, just go in the game and guard, go in the game and make plays, every game it's just gonna come to me. That's what guys have been telling me since I became a Piston, and it's shown. I go out there and get a stop, and somehow in transition that's when I'm at my best... Coming off the bench for me allows me to slow the game down, watch where I can really shine, and see what guys' tendencies are, and to go in and make an immediate impact. I definitely love coming off the bench with this team because, one, it's gonna be nights like this where we start off kinda slow. That's what the bench mob is for, we get in and bring that spark and the energy we need."

If more young players had this mentality, more of them would have carved out roles on winning teams. The Pistons are building something great in Detroit, and having players with mentalities like Holland will be key.