Trevor Ariza was solid on both ends of the court all season long. However, his leadership proved to be more valuable for the Houston Rockets.

The Houston Rockets had several players make big headlines this season. Cue James Harden conducting the symphony of offense. Add play makers Eric Gordon and Lou Williams providing the firepower off the bench. In addition to that deadly trio is another headache to be dealt with. Please welcome the raging bull that is Patrick Beverley to the party.

Seems like a handful already. But there’s more still to come. Also tagging along is long range expert Ryan Anderson and low post specialist Nene. While the players mentioned above are tough as it is, there’s still one important piece missing. Probably the guy least likely to make the morning headlines.

While Trevor Ariza is expected to guard the opposition’s best player night in and night out, he thrives in other roles equally as important. For the Houston Rockets, he is a leader and a man who doesn’t attract attention. In addition to being a defensive specialist, he can get hot from 3 point land also. His overall numbers were solid. 11.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game on 41% shooting, 34% from 3 point range.

With what he brings on defense, Ariza doesn’t have to be electric on offense. Rather, just be consistent and hold the opponent’s top player in check. Due to the high flying offense under Mike D’Antoni, a wing defender who can shoot is great to have. Most notably, “Switchblade” has championship experience that is valuable to the Houston Rockets.

Let’s take a look at Trev’s impact this season.