After getting real playing time in his last two seasons at Creighton, Anthony Tolliver averaged over 13 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. He was one of the better players in the Missouri Valley Conference and even made the NCAA Tournament. But it was tough for him to find a spot in the NBA after questions about whether his offense could translate.
Tolliver started off with the San Antonio Spurs and the Portland Trail Blazers in 2009 before getting his break with the Golden State Warriors. In a career-high 29 starts, the 6-foot-8 forward averaged 12.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game and it solidified him as an NBA rotation player. He went to the Minnesota Timberwolves afterward and was a solid bench forward.
Tolliver played for nearly a decade since, never staying on a team for more than a couple of years. He spent time with the Atlanta Hawks, the then-Charlotte Bobcats, the Phoenix Suns, the Detroit Pistons (a couple of different times), the Sacramento Kings and now back to Minnesota.
The former Bluejay reached double figures just once and has a career field goal percentage of 42 percent. But Tolliver managed to become a better shooter from long-range and provided solid defense either at the small or power forward spots.
He’s also one of the best teammates in the league, universally respected by his peers. Younger NBA teams have preferred to add him on as a veteran presence and leader, who doesn’t mind being on the bench. It also helps that he’s a relatively cheap asset that can be signed in free agency whose intangibles pays dividends.
Tolliver never had that huge year or a set of monumental moments that NBA fans are aware of. But he’s always found a way to stick around for 10+ years, which is most important for an undrafted player.
Career stats (664 games): 6.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 0.9 assists per game