Throughout this year’s NBA postseason, a lot has been made of the top players on each team and their co-stars as the teams competed to reach the Finals and win their conference. The stars are vitally important to making this happen for each team and those with injured stars are doomed to an early exit(ex. The Miami Heat). But winning a championship rests on so much more than top players delivering on the biggest stage. Playoff wins are earned on the margins, with lesser-known players stepping up in big moments to help their stars secure wins. Regardless of their seed or their exit, each team has at least one of these players and we took a look at which ones were the most critical to their team’s success. 

Boston Celtics: G Derrick White

Playoff Stats: 17.8 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.3 BPG

The Boston Celtics have dominated the Eastern Conference all season long and continued to do the same in the postseason, cruising into the Finals with a 12-2 record in their three series wins. White, one of two Celtics to make the All-NBA Defensive Second Team alongside backcourt mate Jrue Holiday, has stepped up in a major way, increasing his scoring by two points from the regular season and providing excellent secondary perimeter defense in partnership with Holiday. If the Celtics finish this dominant run with a championship, White will likely have a large part to play. 

Dallas Mavericks: C Daniel Gafford

Playoff Stats: 9.2 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.8 BPG, 61.4 FG%

P.J. Washington is worthy of this recognition for the Mavericks, as he has provided clutch corner shooting throughout the postseason, but it is Gafford who has keyed the turnaround that Dallas needed to make halfway through the season. His defensive effort and his willingness to roll hard to the rim in every pick-and-roll action he is involved in has instilled his team with a confidence they didn’t have before acquiring him from the Washington Wizards at the trade deadline. He has yet to back down from any high-profile matchup and the Mavericks will need a big series from him as they look to shut down Kristaps Porzingis and the potent Boston Celtics offense.

Minnesota Timberwolves: F Naz Reid

Playoff Stats: 11.1 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 45.8 FG%, 36.2 3P%

After an above-average season last year, the Timberwolves rewarded Reid with a three year fully guaranteed contract worth $41 million. He responded with a NBA Sixth Man of the Year campaign, providing a much-needed punch off the Minnesota bench. His impact has continued in the postseason, punctuated with his tenacious defense against the reigning MVP Nikola Jokić and consistent outside shooting, giving the Timberwolves another pick-and-pop option when Karl-Anthony Towns sits. 

Indiana Pacers: G Aaron Nesmith

Playoff Stats: 10.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.2 APG, 43.3 FG%

When the Indiana Pacers took on the New York Knicks in the second round, they started Andrew Nembhard on Jalen Brunson after his performance against Damian Lillard in the first round. Brunson burned him almost every single possession through the first two games of the series, prompting head coach Rick Carlisle to switch Nesmith onto Brunson moving forward. This proved to be the clinching adjustment in the series, as the Pacer defense improved and they were able to send the Knicks home in a historic Game 7, thanks in no small part to Nesmith’s effort.  

Denver Nuggets: F Aaron Gordon

Playoff Stats: 14.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 4.4 APG, 58.5 FG%

When he entered the league, “Air” Gordon’s potential was heavily discussed and much was expected from him and he was expected to lead the Orlando Magic back into contention. When that didn’t work out, the Magic sent him to Denver as a part of many trades made at the deadline back in 2021. Ever since he arrived with the Nuggets, though, Gordon has fit in perfectly as a defensive leader and constant lob threat. His efficiency from the field and versatility helps the Nuggets play in many different styles, which saw them come one game from a repeat appearance in the Western Conference Finals. 

New York Knicks: G Josh Hart

Playoff Stats: 14.5 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1 SPG

Hart was a bench player for the Knicks before they were hit with a bevy of injuries late in the season, forced into the starting lineup when Bojan Bogdanović went down with a hurt left foot. The Villanova product responded in a big way, increasing all of his numbers to rebounding on the highest level throughout the postseason. Aside from ungodly performances from Jalen Brunson, it could be argued that Hart’s contributions were the main reason why the hampered Knicks went as far as they did this year.

Oklahoma City Thunder: G Luguentz Dort

Playoff Stats: 10.7 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 39.1 3P%

Nobody that the Dallas Mavericks have faced has given Luka Dončić more trouble this postseason than Dort did in their six matchups. Even though he has yet to be recognized with an appearance on an All-NBA Defensive Team, Dort is widely recognized as one of the best on-ball defenders in the league and if he can maintain his improved shooting from three point range, he has the potential to become one of the best three-and-D players in the NBA.

Cleveland Cavaliers: G Max Strus

Playoff Stats: 9.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.9 APG, 35.7 3P%

The Cavs, similar to the Knicks, were decimated with injuries throughout the playoffs, losing Jarrett Allen halfway through their first round series against the Orlando Magic and Donovan Mitchell in their series against the Boston Celtics. Strus was one of the three Cavaliers to start in every postseason game, alongside Evan Mobley and Darius Garland. Strus did his best, but teams were able to load up on him a bit more than usual thanks to injuries. That being said, he had his moments and showed flashes of the player that Cleveland signed last offseason.

Orlando Magic: G Jalen Suggs

Playoff Stats: 14.7 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.3 SPG

Suggs came into the NBA as an effective do-it-all player on both ends of the floor. He struggled, as many rookie NBA guards do, to adapt to the speed of the game during his rookie season as he tried to find his role on this young Magic team. He’s found that role in year 2 though, turning into a defensive stalwart on the perimeter ala Marcus Smart or Tony Allen. He’s not on the level of those two just yet, but he’s solidified himself as a key piece in Orlando heading forward.

Los Angeles Clippers: C Ivica Zubac 

Playoff Stats: 16.2 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 3 ORPG, 60 FG%

Zubac was in a tough spot when the Clippers drew Dončić and the Mavs in the first round and has been picked on when the two teams have clashed since he joined the Clippers. In this series though, he performed better than expected and served as an effective offensive option down low, as well as a consistent presence in the paint when he wasn’t involved in the Dallas pick-and-roll action. He is likely never going to be a player who is able to stay in front of guards and elite wings, but this is a good sign of his development and future potential.

Philadelphia 76ers: F Kelly Oubre Jr. 

Playoff Stats: 13.2 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 48.4 FG%, 39.1 3P%

Contrary to past renditions of the 76ers, this year’s team was far more geared to the offensive end of the floor than anything else. In a series where they faced the uber-physical, defensive minded Knicks, Oubre stepped up as a player who could work off the ball to give Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid a release valve to turn to in the end of shot clocks when plays broke down. He found his spots more often as the series went on, but he will need to take another step forward defensively if he wants to stick around in Philadelphia.

Los Angeles Lakers: G Austin Reaves

Playoff Stats: 16.8 PPG, 3.6 APG, 47.6 FG%, 4.5 AST/TO

Much was made of the roller coaster performance that D’Angelo Russell put forth in this first round juggernaut series, but Reaves received his fair share of criticism heading to the Lakers’ showdown with the defending champs. After a less-than satisfying regular season, fans began to question whether or not Reaves deserved to be a part of the Lakers’ long term plans. The former Wichita State Shocker responded to this noise with a respectable series, proving that he is still a significant part of the Lakers’ attack.

Milwaukee Bucks: F Bobby Portis

Playoff Stats: 16.5 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 48.4 FG%, 31.2 MPG

With Giannis Antetokounmpo out with a left calf strain, the auxiliary pieces on the Bucks’ roster were forced to step up in their first round series against the Indiana Pacers. Portis, along with fellow big man Brook Lopez, answered the call, bumping up their scoring to try to make up for the loss of their MVP candidate. Ultimately it wasn’t enough to see the Bucks through to the second round, but Portis’ contributions could show that he’s ready for a larger role, perhaps replacing an aging Lopez as the man down low.

Phoenix Suns: C Jusuf Nurkić

Playoff Stats: 7.8 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 2.8 APG, 50 FG%

Not a whole lot went right for the Suns as they were swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves in somewhat embarrassing fashion, but Nurkic improved his play across the four games as he figured out how to be more effective against the Minnesota defense. Phoenix as a team has a lot of reflecting to do after this postseason showing, much of it centered around what to do with their big three in Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and franchise player Devin Booker. Nurkic presents a consistent option at the center position and one that Phoenix can hold on to without breaking the bank.

Miami Heat: F Nikola Jović

Playoff Stats: 9.4 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 2.2 APG, 40.9 3P%

The Heat were without a good chunk of their roster entering the postseason, but Jović proved himself as a viable option in the future with his performance in their matchup against the Boston Celtics. His length and passing ability paired with above-average shooting from deep gave the Celtics problems, especially in Game 2, where Jović helped to facilitate a big night for the Heat’s shooters. If this is the end of the Jimmy Butler era in South Beach, Jovic can slide right in alongside Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Bam Adebayo. 

New Orleans Pelicans: G Trey Murphy III

Playoff Stats: 11.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 1.5 BPG

Once again, this was a quiet first round series after the Oklahoma City Thunder won a contested Game 1 in the Paycom Center, but Murphy made himself known throughout the series. There were times where head coach Willie Green slotted Murphy in the place of CJ McCollum when he sent out the Pelicans starters, and he seemed to fit right in with that group, spacing the floor while also being an engaged defender, much more so than could have been expected from McCollum. The Pelicans have been high on Murphy since they drafted him, and his performance in this series went a long way in proving them right.