5 Veterans Who Have Made An Impact In This Post Season

The NBA postseason is well and truly underway. The past two weeks have seen the thrills and spills of Playoff basketball with several teams booking their places in the next round while others are still battling it out for the remaining spots in the Conference Semifinals.

In this short span, we have already seen some fantastic individual displays from the usual suspects like Anthony Davis, James Harden, and LeBron James. But there also have been performances from players who have stepped up to the plate for their teams to the surprise of many.

NBA history has proved that no matter how gifted a team is, in order to succeed in the postseason, they need to have thorough-breads amongst them who have been there and done that. The value of such veteran role players is often realized during crunch situations.

This postseason there have been some wily old foxes who have surprised many with their performances so far. While some of them have been able to propel their franchise to the next round, others have fallen just short despite giving it their all.

In this piece, we will take a look at some of them. It is to be noted that the list only considers those who are not current Big-Name players and have completed at least 10 seasons in the league.

#5 JJ Reddick - Philadelphia 76ers

Reddick was acquired by the Sixers on a 1- year contract

When Philadelphia paid JJ Reddick $23 million for a one year contract, it had raised many eyebrows. However, it ended up as another masterstroke by the 76ers management. If Reddick hadn’t proved his importance to the Sixers in the regular season, he has certainly done so in the postseason.

With the initial absence and subsequent limited playing time for their star center, Joel Embiid, it was important that others stepped up and shared the load with Ben Simmons. Reddick was at the forefront of that effort. The guard averaged 20.0 points in the five-game series including a blitzkrieg in Game 1 when he scored 28 points shooting at over 60% from the field.

Not only did he support Ben Simmons in the backcourt, at times when their Aussie All-Star was on the bench, Reddick was the one who was running the show for the Sixers scoring or facilitating teammates with equal ease.

Considering the fact that he is one of two Sixers who has played Playoff basketball before, his red-hot form in the first round is a good sign for Philly’s Playoff future.

#4 Rajon Rondo

Rondo averaged a double-double in the first round of the playoffs

The Pelicans sprung the biggest surprise of the Playoffs so far with a sensational sweep of the Portland Trail Blazers. While all the spotlight was hogged by Anthony Davis and Jrue Holliday (and deservedly so), it was Rondo who was the unsung hero for New Orleans in the series.

Pelicans acquired the mercurial point guard in the off-season with the specific goal of adding proven playoff experience and they have not been disappointed. Many a time during the series, Rondo was the best guard on the floor, despite the opposition having the likes of Damian Lillard and CJ McCullum.

Rondo played the role of a facilitator to perfection averaging 13.3 assists during the four games. When one adds the 11 points per game and 7 rebounds per game to his assist numbers, the 13-year veteran could have been the best player of the series but for the exceptional performance of Anthony Davis.

#3 Derrick Rose

Rose guarded by B.J. Tucker

For those who thought it was time for the 3- time All-Star to seriously think if he had a future in the league, they better think again. In a largely disappointing first-round loss against the Houston Rockets, Rose was one of the best players for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The point guard seems to have rediscovered his health and form since he arrived at Minnesota after being traded by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He carried his regular season touch into the postseason and was that much-needed spark of the bench that the Wolves desperately needed.

In the 5 games against Houston, the 2011- MVP averaged 14.2 points in just over 20 minutes of game time, shooting at 50.9% from the field and 70.0% from beyond the perimeter. More than the numbers he put up, it was the trademark D-Rose aggression and confidence which was on show once again after a long time.

With all his injury woes and missed games, one tends to forget that the 10-year veteran is still just 29 years old. We now know that his game is still there, all that needs to be seen is whether he can stay healthy next season.

#2 Kyle Korver

#26 Kyle Korver

While Kyle Korver doesn’t have the fantastic numbers to show for like Rondo or Reddick, he is ranked higher than the two on the list simply because of how important he has been to the Cavs this postseason so far. To put it simply, the three games in which the 17-season veteran has done well, the Cavaliers have won.

In the three games, Cleveland has beaten the Pacers, Korver has averaged 16 points and shot 50% from beyond the arc. His scoring ability has never been in doubt, however, what has surprised most is his defensive hunger and the will to fight for every possession.

Not every day, you see a 37-year-old putting his body on the line drawing charges or getting loose balls. That too when he is doing so on the back of a terrible personal tragedy of losing his brother just a few weeks back.

#1 Dwyane Wade

Dwayne Wade shooting over Belinelli

Though Miami crashed out of the Playoffs losing 4-1 to the Philadelphia 76ers, Dwyane Wade’s performance in the series showed that he is still more than capable of playing at the highest level. The future Hall-of-Famer, now in his 15th season in the league was arguably the best player for the Heat in the series.

Wade almost single-handedly propelled the Miami Heat to their only victory in the series in Game 2 leading the team in both points and rebounds. His 28 points off the bench in that game came in just 25 minutes showing one and all that even at the age of 36, he has the ability to score at will when he is on song.

Speculations are on about whether the 12-time All-Star will hang up his boots this summer. But if he decides to step on the court one more time next season, not many would dare to take him lightly.