Top 5 Role Players: NBA Playoffs Semifinals

The performance of star players can make or break the championship hopes of their respective teams during the playoffs, but championships are also won together as a team. That’s where role players come into play, filling in where the team sees fit and helping make a star player’s job easier on either side of the court. These playoffs we’ve seen countless role players give their teams the boost they need, and continue to give as the playoff field continues to shrink. Let’s examine which role players have been the most impactful, and see who has been the best of the best at thriving in their respective role.

1. Russell Westbrook

A first-ballot Hall of Famer when it’s all said and done, Westbrook has been able to extend his career in a lesser role and has excelled in it. The former MVP has given the Nuggets the spark they’ve needed from the bench the team has been missing since the departure of Bruce Brown two seasons ago. The biggest asset that Westbrook has been able to provide Denver so far these playoffs has been his much-improved shooting. For the entirety of his playoff career, Westbrook’s three-point shooting percentage has stayed at an abysmal 30%. So far this postseason, he has shot over 36% from the three-point line, including shooting a scorching 42% in Denver’s first-round series vs. the Clippers.

2. Derrick White

If you ask a Celtics fan who the most important player is for the reigning champs, the name Derrick White would more than likely be the majority opinion. White has been a godsend for the Celtics since being traded there three seasons ago, providing a mixture of fantastic defensive plays and being a great safety valve on offense when defenses key in on Tatum and Brown. The two-time All-Defensive second-team member is currently averaging 18 points per game during these playoffs, while shooting a playoff career-high 94% from the free-throw line.

3. Josh Hart

The Swiss army knife for the New York Knicks, Hart is the perfect embodiment of the tough and gritty culture that Knicks Head Coach Tom Thibodeau has implemented during his tenure in New York. The Knicks guard has been a beast on the backboard the last two playoffs for New York, averaging over 10 rebounds per game and ranking second on the team behind Center Mitchell Robinson during that time. Hart has been the beating heart of a Knicks team vying for the franchise’s first title since 1973.

4. Andrew Nembhard

The best shooter on this list by far, Nembhard has proven to be the go-to sniper for the Pacers in his young playoff career to this point. The Gonzaga product is shooting a red-hot 49% from three-point land for his career in the postseason, including 50% so far these playoffs. The Pacers front office has done a tremendous job surrounding their franchise player in Tyrese Haliburton with excellent 3-and-D players throughout the roster, with Nembhard standing head and shoulders as the best of them all.

5. Naz Reid

A fan favorite in Minnesota, Reid continues to be the catalyst for a young and hungry Timberwolves squad looking to come out of a tough western conference. The former Sixth Man of the Year Award winner gives an absolute boost to the Wolves’ offense once Rudy Gobert goes to the bench, The Wolves center is shooting over 46% from the three in the playoffs so far, as well as shooting better than 52% from the field as a whole. That efficiency that Reid has displayed is one of the core reasons the underdog Timberwolves have a good chance at making the franchise first-ever NBA finals this postseason.