NBA: 7 Former star veterans who are currently effective bench players

Asking a star player to change his playing style would result in major backlash towards anyone in charge of an NBA team, and more often than not, most GMs would rather let the star have his way than risk losing his locker room.

The following seven players, however, have aged remarkably well in the run-and-gun NBA circa today, and have successfully carved themselves a respectable role in their teams' rotations following years (sometimes decades) of dominant play as a starter.

These players have adjusted their game to remain at their prime efficiency and gave up quality minutes of playing time while dealing with the slowdown of their aging physiques. Let's take a look at our top 7 veteran stars who are coming off the bench this season:

#7 Vince Carter

The G.O.A.T. as far as in-game dunking is concerned, Air Canada (as Vince has fondly been called throughout his career) made the NBA a watchable league in the days post-Michael Jordan's retirement and pushed an expansion team in Toronto to playoff contention during his initial years in the league.

While playing alongside Muggsy Bogues and Tracy McGrady, the Raptors were one of the most feared teams in the NBA. Through his career, Carter has been a legitimate scoring threat with the ability to nail 3-pointers as well as having a reliable mid-range jumper and ultimate athletic ability to finish in the paint.

He has also aged remarkably well, going off for a game-high 29 points against LeBron James' Cavaliers while leading the Kings to a rare victory in his age-41 season.

Honours: 8 x All-Star(2000-2007), 2 x All-NBA honours (2002, 2003), Rookie of the Year (1999)

#6 Joe Johnson

Utah Jazz v Minnesota Timberwolves — Joe Johnson (L)

Iso Joe is one of the most underrated players in the league's history. The shooting guard/small forward is into his 17th season in the league and is still one of the best clutch performers plying their trade in the NBA.

Halfway through his rookie campaign, Joe was traded to the Phoenix Suns. In his final season with the Arizona based franchise, Johnson led the league in 3-point percentage with a 47.8% conversion rate on 4.5 attempts from downtown.

While his contract with Atlanta (and Brooklyn after being traded) has been maligned as one of the worst front office decisions of the summer of 2010, Joe continued to be an efficient scorer and clutch player into his mid-30s.

His signing with Utah in 2016 deepened their bench and led them to their best regular season finish since the Deron Williams era. Despite playing with a heavily depleted squad, Joe Johnson is currently shouldering his bench role with obvious relish, getting crucial buckets for a Jazz team starved of offensive talent.

Honours: 7 x All-Star(2007-2012, 2014)

#5 Kyle Korver

Cleveland Cavaliers v Golden State Warriors — Korver playing for the Cavaliers in the Christmas Day game

Kyle Korver is one of the greatest shooters in basketball history. Having converted over 2000 3-point field goals through the course of his career, Korver is one of those rare basketball specialists who are so good that oppositions have to consistently account for his presence on the court.

Korver holds the record for the longest streak of games with at least one converted 3-pointer at 127 games, which he set while playing for the Atlanta Hawks over the course of the '12-13 and '13-14 seasons.

Korver is a prominent rotation player for the Cavaliers today, as his length allows him to pick up a variety of assignments in defence while averaging double-digits in points while coming off the bench.

Honours: All-Star (2015), 4 x 3-point percentage leader (2010, 2014-2015, 2017), 3-point field goals leader (2005), Free-throw shooting percentage leader (2007)

#4 David West

West dunks it in during the 2017 NBA Finals

The old-school power forward/center has been amongst the league's most effective defenders and rebounders right from the get-go. As the 18th pick of the 2003 NBA Draft, it is fair to say that he performed way beyond expectations during his time in New Orleans, Indiana, San Antonio and his current stint with the Golden State Warriors, registering himself as one of the draft class' steals.

Currently aged 37, West has embraced his bench role during the past 3 regular season campaigns and continues to provide offensive efficiency, toughness, defensive hustle and a high basketball IQ to the Warriors' bench lineup. Putting up a respectable per-36 minute numbers of 18.3/9.1/4.8 (albeit in 13.3 minutes per outing), West is a go-to player for the Warriors' bench lineup and is a primary reason why they are, by consensus, the best and deepest roster in pro basketball.

Honours: 2 x All-Star(2008, 2009), NBA Champion (2017)

#3 Derrick Rose

D-Rose is one of the classic 'What Could Have Been' cases littered around mainstream sports. The point man became the youngest player to ever win an MVP award at 22 years of age, helping Chicago improve their record from 41-41 to 62-20.

But his career went off the rails in the 2012 postseason, as he suffered the first of many knee injuries. Since 2012, Rose has been sidelined with an ACL tear, a torn meniscus (twice) and more recently, an ankle injury that saw him lose his starting spot in the Cavs' lineup.

Given that at full fitness he is projected as a backup to Isaiah Thomas, the 60th pick in the 2011 draft, it is fair to say that injuries prevented us from seeing the Promised One's best achievements. He still remains an accomplished scorer and a valuable addition to the already stacked Cleveland roster.

Honours: 3 x NBA All-Star (2010-2012), 1 x MVP (2011), All-NBA First Team (2011), Rookie of the Year (2009)

#2 Tony Parker

This season, the perennial All-Star has had to take a step back in production as he struggles to come back from an injury-plagued 2017. Gregg Popovich has reassigned Parker as a bench player, making room for Dejounte Murray in the starting lineup.

That takes nothing away from the glittering first-ballot Hall of Famer's career, as he was one of the most dominant players at the 1-guard position during his prime. His role was probably the biggest in the Spurs' Big Three of Parker, Ginobili and Duncan during the latter years of Duncan's NBA career.

Parker still packs a solid scoring punch with a well-rounded 3-pointer, mid-range and drive-and-kick. His reassignment to the bench is more a testament to the San Antonio Spurs' depth chart than any knock on his understandably lower levels of production.

Honours: 4 x NBA champion (2003, 2005, 2007, 2014), 1 x Finals MVP (2007), 6 x All-Star (2006-2007, 2009, 2012-2014), 4 x All-NBA honours, All-Rookie First team (2002)

#1 Dwyane Wade

Dwyane Wade is probably the greatest shot-blocking guard to ever play the game. Seeing him reject 6'11" Giannis in his 15th NBA season only serves to drive the point home this year, as Wade has become the most important bench player for a Cavaliers team that featured him in the starting lineup at the start of the season before Wade asked to come off the bench.

Even one year ago, the idea of playing 18+ ppg, Wade off the bench seemed preposterous as he put a relatively successful campaign with Rajon Rondo and Jimmy Butler, seeming primed to knock #1 seed Boston out in the first round of playoffs last year before Rondo went down for the season.

Wade is the third-greatest player to play the shooting guard position, and as such, he is still an important component on the contending Cavaliers roster

Honours: 12 x NBA All-Star (2005-2016), 3 x NBA Champion (2006, 2012, 2013), 1 x Finals MVP (2006), 8 x All-NBA honours (2005-2007, 2009-2013), All-Rookie First Team (2004), 1 x Scoring Champion (2008-09)