Role players rarely dominate the headlines. But smart coaches and successful player-personnel bosses build teams that get potent production from lesser-known players.

Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix center Atsuya Ota, an integral part of the team's back-to-back championship squads, fills that role.

The league's tallest Japanese player, the 206-cm Ota is shooting a shade under 58 percent (99-for-171) from the field. He has 223 rebounds, 41 steals and 23 blocks for the Eastern Conference-leading Phoenix.