ROLES IN THE NBA - THERES ALWAYS ROOM FOR A BIG MAN, BUT HIS ROLE HASCHANGED

Based on an analysis of playing statistics for two different seasons, NBA players can be classified as filling distinct roles, such as score rs, bangers, dishers, inner court members, and walls. These roles have a great deal of face validity and correspond to distinct offensive an d defensive playing styles. In addition, the roles players fill are no t necessarily tied to unique positions. The nature of the game may be subtly changing. NBA teams no longer rely on a physically dominant cen ter. The roles of the big men have become more varied over time. Teams can improve their performance by having a balanced role structure. An alysis of a team's role structure provides useful guidelines for selec ting draft choices and executing trades.