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We are fast approaching the resumption of a new regular season in the NBA when it kicks off on october 19th. As of right now clubs are merely placing finishing touches to team selections and formations as strategies have been all but lined up. There is one last thing left to do though, and that is to remove unwanted players from their roster.

Already, waivers are flying round about and probably the biggest name to be waived so far is Jahlil Okafor, a former No3 Draft pick, by the Atlanta Hawks. Although he has struggled with form and injuries, it was largely expected that Okafor would make the final cut for the Hawks team but was waived after a very underwhelming pre-season performance.

A final roster for the NBA consists of a maximum of 15 roster players, and an additional two players who can be signed on two-way contracts where they can shuffle playing time between the NBA and the G-league. Heading into pre-season games, teams usually have around 20 players or so which are then prunned to meet the final cut.

To say making the cut is competitive is an understatement. The NBA is the greatest basketball league in the World because it attracts the best players and provides the best competition. Therefore, players have to constantly prove they are NBA-worthy or risk being cut from a talent pool that is filled with very skilled and very hungry guys waiting for an opportunity to shine.

There are those who already have their names penciled down to make the final cut, regardless of injury or pre-season form. These players are the established starters and rotation players who have shown NBA-level consistency over the years. To get to such a level though means constantly improving and staying ahead of the competition, of which it is fierce. These select group of players I dub as the chosen ones.

The Unchosen Ones

However those who have to fight for a place in the final roster I dub 'unchosen' because of the uncertainty that surrounds them. To make the final team, an unchosen one must prove their usefulness to the team, as well as a desire to improve and adapt quickly

Unfortunately players don't get a whole lot of time to do that, and those who can't adapt quickly find themselves out of the NBA. For an unchosen player, the opportunities are limited and have to be take with both hands.

The pathway to making the cut as an unchosen player varies individually but does seem to follow a consistent paradigm:

• Get attention
• Show your worth
• Be consistent

Avenues to grab attention are not so abundant because there are always tons of players competing for it. So scenarios like the NBA Draft as well as competitions like summer league and the Olympics help to announce a few players.

Once given the opportunity, it becomes obvious from the go if a player is going to be NBA worthy or not. Even as a rookie, there are flashes of potential which clubs use in assessing a players future. Playing time in the regular season will of course be very limited to non established players, so opportunities like the summer league and pre-season games need to be taken a lot more seriously. Needless to say, a good summer or pre-season run vastly improves a players stock.

Conclusion

This may require another article as there is still so much to talk about on the way to getting and maximizing opportunity for an NBA player looking to make the final cut. Still, the summary is that opportunities need to be held tightly as far as minutes go before an NBA season, or players quickly find themselves without a club.