Warriors Role Player Has Hot Take About How NBA Teams Are Picking the Wrong Players

Pat Spencer isn’t your typical NBA player. He is actually one of the greatest collegiate lacrosse players ever, and only started playing college basketball in his final year of eligibility. Spencer averaged 10.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game in his only collegiate season at Northwestern University. 

Spencer went undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft, but eventually carved himself a spot on an NBA roster. Last year, he played 39 games for the Golden State Warriors, and he recently signed another contract to join the team as a two-way player this 2025-26 NBA season. 

Recently, Spencer spoke about what he thinks separates some of the good NBA franchises from the rest. 

“If you’re a guy who can connect the dots, but also do some other things, knock the 3-ball down, there’s always going to be a place for you in the league. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of organizations that are stuck in the bottom that continue to value length and athleticism over IQ. And they tend to stay in the lottery every year.”

Spencer is totally right about this. NBA teams have been way too enamored with athleticism and upside, while solid players with high IQs and fewer physical gifts are left off NBA rosters. 

Spencer is only 6’3” and 205 lbs. He doesn’t look like a lot of the players that get drafted into the NBA. Still, he brings intangibles that a lot of more athletically talented players don’t. That’s why Spencer isn’t going anywhere. He will play a small role on a winning team this season, while much more talented guys will probably play bigger roles on losing teams.