7 Players Who Can Make An Impact In The Western Conference NBA Playoffs

The playoffs are gearing up and the Eastern Conference edition of this story can be found here. Let’s take a look at the players to pinpoint in the Western Conference.

Torrey Craig

Craig made an impact for Phoenix during the playoffs last season. He averaged double digit minutes during the run to the NBA Finals and proved to be a dependable piece that Monty Williams could rely on. The desire to add depth became apparent when they re-acquired him at the trade deadline from the Indiana Pacers.

The reason why is not only because he has value as a depth piece on the wing, but also for his ability to unlock smaller lineups. He has played the majority of his minutes at power forward this season, but the playoffs force radical lineup changes when the occasion calls for it.

Tyus Jones

Jones lacked the fanfare he probably deserved for the way he contributed to the team this season. He started in 23 games with Ja Morant missing a large portion of the season and averaged over 20 minutes per night for the Grizzlies.

Morant is always an injury risk, but Jones is able to steady the ship when he is out. With Jones saddled next to the starting lineup they are +8.1 points per 100 possessions in the 185 minutes he has played with them. The team wouldn’t be able to survive through a playoff series without their best player, but they may be able to make it through a game.

Jonathan Kuminga

The 7th overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft has had some incredibly explosive moments so far this season. He flashes through the paint and, before you know it, he is skying above the rim for a monster jam. The rookie provides a verve and offensive enthusiasm that helps break up the veteran laden front court that simply doesn’t have a lot of above the rim players. His minutes are rarely consistent, but over the past few months he has averaged over 10 points per game while shooting effectively at the rim and from 3-point range.

Trey Burke

Originally, the choice was going to be Frank Ntilikina but he won’t be able to play after undergoing a tonsillectomy. Burke has a chance to put up some numbers and run the bench unit with Luke Doncic potentially out for a few games. Doncic carries the vast majority of the ball handling minutes when he is playing, but the addition of Spencer Dinwiddie helped relieve some of that pressure. Now that he’s out, the responsibility will fall on both Dinwiddie and Jalen Brunson.

Still, the Mavericks will have to get some type of production from the bench and that looks likely to be Burke. He averaged over 15 minutes per game when Doncic missed time in December, and averaged over 10 shots per game in those minutes. He may not put up that many field goal attempts, but the offensive role he will take on will likely make an impact on Dallas winning the first game of the series.

Danuel House

House was once identified as a key contributor to the Houston Rockets and as a player likely to get paid as a valuable 3-and-D wing. Unfortunately injury and inconsistency led to him being waived before being picked up by New York. They utilized him to soak up some minutes during a stretch run of COVID absences before they ultimately decided not to keep him past his initial 10-day contract. That led to the Jazz being able to add the talented 28-year-old to the wing.

He’s been helpful as a wing, soaking up nearly 20 minutes per game during his time in Utah. He seems to have recovered from his bone bruise and is in position to help the Jazz avoid a 1st round collapse that could break up the team.

Zeke Nnaji

Nnaji was having a fantastic season before being knocked out for a huge portion of the season due to knee soreness. The second year forward drained 46.3 percent of his 3-point shots and was a helpful tool in being able to spread the floor at the power forward position.

His hot shooting is likely to be an effective tool against the Warriors. In the only game he played against them this year, he played nearly 20 minutes and put up nine shots. He can make the Warriors pay if they consider double teaming Nikola Jokic when he is in the post.

Jaylen Nowell

The 22-year-old is the instant offense that the playoffs are made for. It is likely that the Timberwolves get into a track meet with the Memphis Grizzlies and if that is to happen they may need to rely on Nowell if the offense gets bogged down. They didn’t need his jolt of offense against the Los Angeles Clippers due to the efficiency of both Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell, but it is nice to be able to have a player that can get his shot off on his own coming off the bench.