8 breakout players of the NBA Playoffs
5. Rajon Rondo, Chicago Bulls
No one who follows the NBA saw a resurgence coming from Rondo. The Bulls were openly mocked when they signed the lackluster outside shooting combination of Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo last summer. The experiment failed throughout the regular season, but brilliance from Jimmy Butler was enough to drag Chicago into the eight seed.
Facing his former team, Rondo was seemingly re-born and was magnificent in the series first two games in Boston. He scored in double-figures in both games, and recorded 14 assists in a Game 2 Chicago victory.
For anyone who’d watched Rondo this season in Chicago, or at his previous stop in Sacramento, those two games were an anomaly. His body looked to have worn down, leaving him without the tools to succeed in the NBA. That may have been true, with an injury ending his postseason after those two outings.
Now he’s owed $13.4 million by Chicago, but that money is not guaranteed next year. He may have changed the front office’s mind about releasing him this season, or drawn the attention of another suitor in the NBA.
6. Jonathon Simmons, San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs found another diamond in the rough, who may be due for a payday this summer. Simmons paced San Antonio defensively, and did his best to pick up the slack on offense with Kawhi Leonard sidelined.
Against the Golden State juggernaut, that didn’t amounted to much, but against Houston, Simmons was a gamechanger. Per ESPN’s Tom Haberstroh, Simmons held James Harden to 1 of 5 shooting with 6 turnovers while playing him in Games 5 and 6 of the Western Conference semifinals. Haberstroh dug even deeper, finding that in Game 6 Simmons was so active, he could have laid still on the floor for six whole minutes and still have covered more ground in that game than James Harden.
For a player hitting the free agent market, there may be nothing better than outworking and outplaying an NBA superstar. Jonathon Simmons did that on the biggest stage.
7. JaVale McGee, Golden State Warriors
When the Warriors took a flier on noted goofball JaVale McGee, no one, including the Warriors, expected to get legitimate productive minutes from him in the playoffs. He’s bounced around the league, never contributing up to his potential.
Now, surrounded by talent, but still playing a crucial rim protecting role, he’s flourished for Golden State.
McGee is shooting 74 percent from the field and posting a PER higher than 27.
For a team without real depth in the frontcourt, this has been a real godsend. Draymond Green, Zaza Pachulia, and David West can only do so much. For the Warriors to keep rolling and win the title, they’ll need McGee to continue his stellar play.
8. Tristan Thompson, Cleveland Cavaliers
So much of the focus on the Cleveland Cavaliers centers on LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love, but Tristan Thompson has been terrific inside.
The Cavs big man is grabbing 9.7 rebounds per game this postseason and posting a 115.9 offensive rating. He’s snagged at least five offensive rebounds in six of the Cavs’ 12 postseason games.
When he’s been on the floor, he’s taken advantage of his size in the paint and the spacing that comes from having a cadre of shooters around him. Peaking towards a potential (and enticing) Finals matchup with the Warriors, Thompson could take advantage of Golden State’s lack of depth in the frontcourt. If he can tire out Draymond Green, or force him into foul trouble, Cleveland could gain a huge advantage.
