The NBA isn’t a contact sport. There is no tackling. There is no checking. There is no fighting. However, none of that means that basketball is a completely clean sport at the highest level. There will always be a measure of contact between the players on the floor and every once in a while there seems to be an incident that sparks debate about whether or not a player is dirty or not. The Times recently conducted a poll with NBA coaches, assistants and players to try and figure out who the dirtiest players in the NBA are right now and the results aren’t exactly shocking. Here is a look at the five dirtiest players in the NBA right now.
Matthew Dellavedova
Cleveland Cavaliers
A year ago, Dellavedova broke through as a key supporting figure during the Cavaliers’ run to the NBA Finals as injuries absolutely ravaged their roster and left them with no choice but to give the journeyman point guard big minutes. Dellavedova played pretty good for Cleveland but he will most be remembered for some of the dirty incidents he was involved in throughout that run. Whether it was squeezing both of his legs around Chicago’s Taj Gibson while tryint to box him out, rolling on to the ankle of Atlanta’s Kyle Korver or getting tangled up with Al Horford of the Hawks while diving for a loose ball there were plenty of incidents where it would have been easy to call Dellavedova dirty. It was no surprise when the votes were tabulated and Dellavedova led the way as the player voted dirtiest in the NBA and while he has been fairly quiet this season that clearly hasn’t changed his overall reputation among his peers.
Steven Adams
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder’s seven-foot center does a lot of the dirty work for Oklahoma City including setting screens, boxing out and fouling hard when it is needed but he has been called out at times for taking things too far including throwing elbows and giving opponents extra shots at the end of plays. Adams’ physicality is a big reason he has thrived for the Thunder but it also resulted in him being voted the second-dirtiest player in the NBA by his peers.
Andrew Bogut
Golden State Warriors
Bogut joins Dellavedova as the second Australian-born player on this list and there is no doubt about the role he has played for Golden State with a very similar role to what Adams has done in Oklahoma City. At 7’0’’ and 260 pounds, Bogut is an absolute monster and he has no problem throwing his weight around when it comes to a hard foul or setting a hard screen. Bogut came in at No. 3 on the list of the dirtiest players in the NBA but his physicality and ability to play on the edge remains extremely important for the Warriors.
Matt Barnes
Memphis Grizzlies
Barnes has had his issues both on the floor and away from the floor but it’s his hard-nosed approach and willingness to push the envelope on the floor that earned him his reputation as one of the dirtiest players in the NBA. Barnes has always been known to grab and hold and it’s never a surprise when some pushing and shoving breaks out and he is right in the middle of it. Barnes was voted as the fourth-dirtiest player in the NBA according to the tally in The Times but he could easily be as high as second or third.
Serge Ibaka
Oklahoma City Thunder
Ibaka is the final player on this list and second member of the Thunder to make an appearance following Adams at No. 2 so it’s clear that Oklahoma City could be involved in some rough stuff when they take the floor. Ibaka earned his reputation as a dirty player after punching Blake Griffin in the groin and giving him a bloody nose with an elbow. Some of the old school players and coaches might laugh at the idea that makes a player dirty but the voting was conducted and Ibaka made it in as the final player on the list of the five dirtiest players in the NBA right now.
