He averaged only 2+3 games in his career, but he played for 12 seasons and received a salary of 47 million. What magic does he have?

As the highest stage in the basketball world, the NBA has gathered the best basketball players on the entire earth. Logically speaking, their performance and data should be far beyond ordinary people. If they cannot produce enough perfect data, it will only be a matter of time before they are eliminated. However, in the history of the NBA, there is such a number of figures who averaged only 2 points per game and only scored 1,185 points in his career. However, he played in the NBA for 12 seasons and earned $47 million in salary from the NBA when he retired. He is Dessa Gena Diop. So why can this guy who averaged only 2 points and 3.7 rebounds per game in his career, play in the NBA for so many years? Let's find out below!

1. Excellent physical talent, natural inside guardian.

First of all, it should be admitted that Diop does not make much contribution on the offensive end, but this does not mean that he is a useless player. When he participated in the NBA draft in 2001, he was selected by the Cavaliers in the eighth pick in the first round, and the Cavaliers still made a choice even though they knew he had no offensive ability. It can be seen that Diop was attracted to the NBA, and that was his top talent. With a height of 2.13 meters, a weight of 135 kilograms, and a 2.23 meters wingspan, in that era when traditional insiders were highly valued, such physical talent could be polished even if it could not contribute on the offensive end and become a defensive heavy weapon in the inside. Facts have also proved that Diop is indeed worthy of entering the NBA. Although he is a role player from beginning to end, he can fight with inside players such as Tim Duncan, Yao Ming, Shaquille O'Neal during rotation, and even fail to lose. This is his value.

Let's take a look at the data level that some fans are more picky now, averaging 2 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. It is indeed difficult for a first-round lottery show. But Diop averaged only 14 minutes of playing time, and in a limited time, these contributions were acceptable, especially in an era when personnel allocation was very even. And don't forget that he averaged 1.1 blocks per game in his entire NBA career. During his time with the Mavericks, his block success rate even ranked among the top ten in the league for many years. According to data, under Diop's method, the shooting rate of opponents will drop by about 4%-6%, especially in low-post defense. He did a very good job. In those years, the Mavericks were able to compete with the Spurs and Suns in the Western Conference, which was inseparable from his excellent rotation defense.

2. Attendance rate is guaranteed and perfectly adapted to the system.

In addition, in that era when Diop was mainly the inside player, of course, was inseparable from his own efforts. Whether it was in the Cavaliers, Mavericks, or later the Bobcats, Diop would actively integrate into the team's new system every time he went to a new team. Of course, "benefits" because of his lack of offensive ability, most teams do not have any scoring requirements for him. They only need to occasionally eat cakes on the offensive end, make pick-and-rolls, and try to grab the frontcourt rebounds after teammates miss the shot. On the defensive end, no matter which team it is, in that era, it is very necessary to have a qualified rotation blue-collar center, so Diop is very popular. He has considerable achievements on the defensive end and rarely jumps to block the block. Instead, he finds the right time to start, and his tactical execution makes the coach very satisfied. Therefore, although he is just a supporting role on the basketball court, he is deeply loved by the coaches of various teams, thus getting a lot of opportunities to play.

Of course, don't forget that Diop has another advantage, that is his strong body. He has played in the NBA for 12 seasons. Although he has never been able to play any season, it is related to his performance on the offensive end and his repeated training in the Development League. In fact, during his years in the NBA, he rarely suffered from injuries, let alone devastating serious injuries. Therefore, this is also a major reason why Diop can earn $47 million in the NBA. After all, even if you are a big-name star but cannot play for a long time, the team would rather sign some players with average ability but strong enthusiasm and guaranteed attendance. Moreover, in that era when the inside was mainly focused, the confrontation in the penalty area was particularly fierce. Whether it was Duncan, Yao Ming, O'Neal, Kevin Garnett and others, they had encountered various injuries, and it was very difficult for Diop to be able to ensure sufficient attendance.

3. The "special products" of the traditional era are hard to see each other again now.

Finally, let’s talk about other reasons why Diop was able to play in the NBA for so many years. Among them, I think the most important one is probably the “product” of the times. Compared with the era when 3D players and projecting centers are more popular, Diop is in the era where traditional centers are regarded as the top priority. Therefore, even if many teams already have outstanding starting centers, they will still prepare 1-2 substitute centers on the bench. In addition to rotation, they are also to deal with the unchanging changes. After all, once the starting center suffers an accident, if they are not prepared for a backup, it is likely that the team will continue to fall into a passive position in the future. Diop made 93 starters in his 601 NBA games, which is the reason behind it. Therefore, Diop has played in the NBA for so many years. In addition to his own abilities, there is also the needs of the times. Various factors have been piled up together, which has led to his success.