Despite being a star driven league, role players can be just as crucial in helping their teams secure wins, especially in the playoffs. Last season, Lonnie Walker IV dropped 15 points in the fourth quarter to help the made a comeback win against the in last year's Western Conference Semifinals. In that same postseason, Caleb Martin dropped 26 points in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Finals to help the advance to the finals. In such a competitive playoff race, many
NBA teams are going to need their role players to step up in order to maximize their chances of winning. Here are two role players that will make or break their team's title hopes. Minnesota's Naz Reid The are one of the biggest surprises of this NBA season. While they made the 2023 playoffs as the eighth seed after winning the final Western Conference Play-In game last season, they currently hold the number two seed today. A big part of their success has been their elite defense. They hold the best defensive rating in the league and are holding opposing teams to only 106.2 points per game, the fewest points allowed in the league. Despite their exceptional defense, the same can't be said about their offense. They're 17th in the league in offensive rating, which is lower than all but two other playoff teams. To make matters worse, their most efficient scorer, , went down with a torn meniscus on March 7, and for his return. The news for the Timberwolves' playoff chances. Losing one of your two primary scorers, and one of your best three-point shooters for an indefinite period this close to the playoffs is a gut-wrenching loss. However, the Timberwolves are still 7-4 since Town's injury and have taken games off of other playoff-caliber teams, including the , the , and the . Naz Reid Stats Before and After Karl-Anthony Town's Injury PPG 12.3 18.9 FG% 48.0 47.7 3PT% 40.8 41.2 TS% 59.5 61.2 USG 21.1 25.4 And it's in large part due to Naz Reid. The fifth-year backup center has in keeping the Timberwolves afloat amidst their player shortage. He's excelling in a larger role, averaging nearly seven more points on higher efficiency and usage. With him excelling as a second option, the Timberwolves can still be a playoff threat. Their offense hasn't suffered as expected but instead remains stable, with only a 0.5-point difference in their offensive rating before and after Town's injury. He's a player that opposing defenses can't sag off of. In the possession above, Jonathan Kuminga hovers in the paint a little too long, resulting in an open three for Reid. Having a player that commands defensive attention is extremely important, especially for the Timberwolves, as opposing defenses can't just commit their resources toward without repercussions. Reid is going to have to continue this performance if the Timberwolves want a chance to compete for a title run without Towns. Denver's Michael Porter Jr. One of the biggest contributors to the ' 2023 NBA championship run was sixth man Bruce Brown. Brown was a vital part of the Nugget's rotation, averaging 12 points per game on 51 percent
shooting in last year's postseason campaign. Brown's contribution to the team was so impactful that Coach Michael Malone would often opt to play him over starting forward Michael Porter Jr. to close out games. In the possession below, Brown is slotted into the lineup in Game Four of the NBA finals with two minutes remaining, and he's able to split the defense and finish with a beautiful reverse layup. Also, notice how the Nuggets trusted Brown with the ball in the clutch. Rather than playing through or , the team had faith to defer to their sixth man for a clutch possession, and it paid dividends. Brown finished with 21 points on 71 percent shooting that game and played a pivotal role in giving the Nuggets a 3-1 lead over the Miami Heat. Now that Brown is gone, the Nuggets need Porter Jr. to step up more than ever this postseason. He already had an efficient 2023 NBA playoff campaign, averaging 13.4 points on 35 percent three-point shooting, but he's going to have to be a more reliable tertiary scorer for the team to repeat. He's practically been the same player this season as last, averaging similar points on roughly equal attempts, while maintaining the same efficiency. While these stats are good, especially for a third option, the Nuggets are going to need more production from him to make up for Brown's absence, especially since this year's postseason race feels a lot more competitive than the last. Michael Porter Jr. Stats Comparison by Season PPG 17.4 16.9 FGA 13.2 13.2 FG% 48.7 49.2 3PT% 41.4 40.3 He's shown glimpses of . On March 21st, he put up 31 points on 81 percent shooting against the . In the game prior, he scored 26 points on 60 percent shooting against the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, these performances aren't consistent. In last Friday's game against the Timberwolves, Porter Jr. was only able to put up 14 points. It was a game in which the Nuggets needed him to step up in the absence of Murray. Heading into the , he's going to have to be more consistent and capable of stringing together consecutive elite performances rather than one-off ones. Most of the opposing team's defensive efforts will be focused on Jokic and Murray, and the Nuggets will need Porter Jr. to take advantage of that if the team wants to repeat.