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#pounditFriday, March 29, 2024

5 players who could impact the NBA playoff race

Marcus Smart

The 2016-2017 NBA season may only now be reaching the All-Star break, but playoff races have already begun heating up. In both the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference, a pecking order has been established and each game potentially carries significant ramifications.

Moving forward, we all know which superstars will play major roles in the playoff race — LeBron James, James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant — among others. But what about the non-superstar X-factors?

Here’s a look at five non-superstars who could completely alter the NBA playoff race.

5. P.J. Tucker (Phoenix Suns)

The Suns are dead last in the Western Conference and will not even sniff playoff basketball. But for veteran P.J. Tucker, his time in the basement may soon be coming to an end.

Tucker has been at the center of much trade speculation recently — so much so that he’s had to actively ignore it in order to continue performing every night. But the good news is that a trade seems inevitable, and he’ll likely soon be on his way to a playoff contender.

Making just $5.3 million on an expiring contract, Tucker would be easy to move. The Suns have been playing him extra minutes of late, and he’s responded by picking up his play. Since Jan. 21, he’s scored in double figures in seven of 11 games, while posting three double-digit rebound games. His ability to create turnovers remains strong as well, as he’s had nine steals in the team’s last three games — including a 7-steal game.

Where Tucker ends up is remains to be seen, but when that destination is ultimately reached, he’ll likely be thrust into a key role and will factor into whichever playoff race he enters.

4. JaVale McGee (Golden State Warriors)

On a team that features Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, it’s hard to imagine any role player will significantly impact the playoff race. That’s even harder to imagine when you consider the Warriors sport the best record in basketball and will undoubtedly be battling for home court advantage throughout the postseason.

But that’s exactly why McGee could factor into the playoff race.

McGee may not put up monster numbers on a night to night basis, but there’s little doubt his role with the Warriors is an important one. He has a habit of making the players around him better, and as we’ve seen in recent days and weeks, the team plays at a much higher level when he’s in the starting lineup.

When McGee is plugged into the center of Golden State’s lineup, the team has the NBA’s best net rating at 37.1 per 80+ minutes together. Over the course of 100 possessions, they also out-score their opponents 123-86.

The 29-year-old big man is only averaging 8.9 minutes per game this season, but Golden State has turned to him more this month, as he’s averaging 15.3 minutes per game. He’s been very effective in those minutes, averaging 9 points, 5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 61.5 percent.

With a small logjam developing at the top of the West and home court advantage so desperately sought-after, there’s little doubt McGee will have a big impact moving forward.

3. Jonathon Simmons (San Antonio Spurs)

The Spurs are making at run at the Golden State Warriors in the race for home court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs, and in order for them to narrow the gap, they’re going to need some players to step up.

Enter second-year man Jonathon Simmons.

Simmons has been a versatile body for the Spurs this season coming off the bench and starting on a few occasions. Unfortunately, his inconsistent minutes have been paralleled by his inconsistent play.

At times, Simmons has shown drastic improvement from his rookie campaign, averaging career highs in points (6.5), rebounds (2.3) and assists (1.7). But he’s also struggled from the field and has seen his shooting percentage drop from .504 last season to .438 this season.

As an example of this, Simmons went 7-for-10 for 18 points in a win over the Nuggets over the weekend, but then he scored just four points on 2-of-4 shooting in a loss to the Grizzlies the next game.

The good news is that he’s seen his defense improve, including chase down blocks, which have become a routine highlight in recent weeks.

Whether he finds consistency down the stretch or not, Simmons can be a factor for the Spurs. If he can round into form off the bench and improve his percentage from the field, it could propel the Spurs to legitimately challenges the Warriors for the top spot in the West. If not, they may spend the remainder of the season struggling to play catch-up.

2. Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics)

The young Boston Celtics entered Thursday only 3.5 games out of first place in the Eastern Conference, but they’re also only four games away from falling to the No. 6 seed. Every game from here on out carries weight, so each individual performance becomes paramount.

Luckily for the Celtics, they have a motivated and driven role-player in third-year man Marcus Smart.

Like Odell Beckham Jr. in the NFL, Smart’s competitive fire sometimes manifests in a negative way (like this). Ultimately, he’s just a serious competitor who hates losing and always wants to perform better than the man across from him. And as the playoff race takes shape, his competitiveness will serve as an X-factor for the Celtics. Assuming, of course, Smart doesn’t lose his composure.

“Everyone on this team understands the type of player I am. I mean no harm. I’m just an emotional dude who likes to win,” Smart recently told The Vertical. “Each and every day, I want to be more consistent. . . I know what I’m capable of. I just try to want it more than the other guy that I’m playing against. It’s a key factor in the way I play, the way I get my edge.”

Statistics are usually the measure of a player, and to Smart’s credit, he’s seen most of his numbers sustained or improved this season, including a career-best 10 points and 4.6 assists per night. But beyond that, there’s a special something the separates champions from those who finish in second place. And if Smart can turn his emotion into positive leadership, it could go a long way in keeping the surprise Celtics afloat in the race for the East’s No. 1 seed.

1. Darren Collison (Sacramento Kings)

The Sacramento Kings are on the outside of the playoff race looking in, but they are merely three games back in the loss column. In fact, they’re part of a logjam that includes six teams vying for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference, separated by only 3.5 games.

If the Kings decide they want to be sellers at the deadline, there’s a chance Darren Collison is moved. If they want to stand pat or become buyers, Collison could become a key piece to any potential run. Either way, he’s could factor heavily into the playoff race.

With injuries mounting, Sacramento has called on Collison to play increased minutes and that decision has paid off. In a 108-92 victory over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, Collison matched a season-high with 26 points, while adding five assists and four steals.

In fact, Collison is averaging over 30 minutes per game since the start of January (36 since the start of February) and has seen his points per game jump to 19.3 over the last four games. And while the rest of his numbers have remained close to his season averages, his prolific scoring has added a new dimension to the Kings’ lineup.

Whether he stays or he goes, Collison has proven he’s capable of stepping up and making a game-by-game impact. And as the playoff race heats up, that will become especially important for the Kings or some other contender.

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