BOSTON — Most players dream of winning a title one day. Basketball stories are regularly told through the lens of pursuing championships.
But the reality in the NBA is that it’s a job, a high-paying one, and many players just want to survive in the league. For Dalano Banton, that meant being a minimum-salary player riding the bench for the best team in the league.
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He came to the Boston Celtics hoping to find some minutes, providing defensive size and rebounding while being able to run some point when the Celtics went deeper into the bench. It rarely happened, only logging 171 minutes before the Celtics dropped him at the deadline.
This is often the fork in the road for many careers. As much as a team might hope a player will keep developing and figure things out, there are 60 players drafted each year, and plenty of others who get their first shot. You can only hang on the fringes so long before the next generation replaces you.
Players in a situation like the 24-year-old Banton sometimes get waived after these deals and then head to the G League or overseas. Often, it’s the end of their NBA journey. But luckily for Banton, the Portland Trail Blazers wanted to give him a shot.
🇨🇦 Represent The Canadians 🇨🇦
Dalano Banton | vs. Boston
28 POINTS
3 THREE POINTERS
3 REBOUNDS
9 ASSISTS@trailblazers | #RipCity pic.twitter.com/buaWLAlEus— NBA Canada (@NBACanada) April 8, 2024
Sunday was Banton’s eighth 20-point game since joining the Blazers, all of which have come in the past month. Before that, he had only done it once in his career. He is maximizing what could have been his last chance.
“I feel like there’s a lot of guys in the league who don’t have that opportunity that may be able to show what they can do if they get the opportunity,” Banton said after his former team beat his new one 124-107. “But, I feel like just trying to stay ready, trusting in the work. Every day, you have to wake up and be a professional.”
Teams around the league often find a way to group the players who put in all the work behind the scenes, and then spend most of the game cheering from the bench.
It appears like they’re not doing much from the outside perspective. They often look out of sync with the rest of the team when they come in. They’re pigeonholed into a more limited role. It’s hard to have a rhythm when you spend most game nights watching from the sidelines.
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The Celtics refer to their bench group as the “Stay Ready Crew.” That is their one big task, after all. Stay ready.
“So you’re just trying to figure out ways to stay professional if you’re not playing and just stay ready,” Banton said. “Stay ready when your name’s called and try to make the most of it.”
When Banton would get his shot with Boston, he generally would sprint corner to corner, playing defense and watching on offense. Hands up, ready to shoot, rarely seeing the ball.
For a player used to bringing the ball up the floor, it was a tough fit.
“It’s hard man,” Banton said. “When you go in and not knowing how much shots you’re going to get or not knowing where the shot’s going to come from or how it’s going to look. Finally (you) get open, sometimes you get the ball, man, it feels like glass if you haven’t played in a minute. It’s just, it feels crazy sometimes.”
But even when Banton struggled, he still had respect within the organization. It was apparent after the game in Boston, as the Celtics’ training staff eagerly waited to catch up with him in the hallway.
“I had a great time here. I learned a lot,” Banton said. “Got to build a lot of relationships with guys who developed me here.”
Though he was in Boston briefly, he made a point to ensure he didn’t let his frustration on the court show up off it.
“We’re in a place of work and no one wants to be in there with the bummed guy,” Banton said. “He got to come in regardless, playing or not, you got to be able to put a smile on your face. Got to be able to come in to work, put the work in and, trust the work that you put in. That goes along back that we’ve been playing basketball for our whole lives, so we have fun doing it too. So coming into work is not a big hassle for us.”
Perhaps he just wasn’t in the right role. Maybe staying ready to excel in that role wasn’t working out. But it’s working now.
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Banton is playing the best basketball of his career. Even coming off the bench, he was the Blazers’ leading scorer with 28 points on 11-of-23 shooting and a game-high nine assists Sunday.
He looked closer to being the guy running the show than the player hoping to touch the ball while he’s out there. That’s why Banton said his biggest takeaway from everything he learned in Boston was watching how the likes of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Al Horford led the organization.
“Playing alongside guys who are very talented, superstars in the NBA, helps you learn a lot,” Banton said. “You know, help slow the game down for you when you finally get your opportunity to play. I feel like I was put into a position where I got to see things happen before I ever got a chance to play. So I was just marinating there with a great team.”
The Blazers roster has been depleted for some time, giving Banton a “long leash” as he put it. He’s experienced the smallest and biggest opportunities of his career this season. Now he has a body of work that could earn him a bigger role with a team next season.
Even if he’s doing this on a team not playing for much, it’s a reminder anyone in the NBA can show why they belong if given a chance.
“Just stay the course. I mean, everyone has a different story,” Banton said. “Everyone has a different way around the league and how it turns out for them. But I’m just trusting the work that you put in. But that’s it man, just gotta keep grinding. Keep grinding.”
(Photo: Eric Canha / USA Today)
