Unsung Heroes of the 2015 NBA Playoffs
You already know about the All-Stars and household names. And you probably aren't surprised by anything they do on the postseason stage.
That doesn't mean these playoffs have been bereft of surprises, though. To the contrary, we've seen role players and specialists rise to the occasion, and we've seen them do it with all kinds of consistency.
We're highlighting 10 postseason contributors who have turned some heads in the first and second rounds—guys who've come out of nowhere at just the right time.
Two primary criteria were used to select and rank these players: First, playing above and beyond regular-season production; and second, playing an unusually key or timely role during the postseason thus far.
From gritty glue guys like Jae Crowder to three-point specialists like J.J. Redick, some of the playoffs' most important performances haven't come from superstars. These "lesser" names have flown under the radar instead—until now.
10. Jae Crowder—SF, Boston Celtics
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Jae Crowder epitomized the Boston Celtics' fighting spirit against a far more talented Cleveland Cavaliers roster in the opening round. Always a solid two-way presence, he upped his averages to 10.8 points and five rebounds per contest against those Cavs.
How good was his overall performance?
The Dallas Mavericks reportedly already want him back after trading him to Boston this season. According to Basketball Insiders' Steve Kyler, "Word is the Dallas Mavericks may get into the bidding on Crowder, so things may get interesting."
Celtics President Danny Ainge has indicated that the organization will extend a $1.2 million qualifying offer to Crowder, thereby making him a restricted free agent this summer. If the Mavericks—or another suitor—want to pry him away, they may have to offer a pretty significant raise.
9. Mike Dunleavy—SF, Chicago Bulls
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Mike Dunleavy's production hasn't increased dramatically during the playoffs, but he's converting on long-range shots at an alarming rate. Through eight appearances, the 34-year-old is making 55.6 percent of his 4.5 three-point attempts per game.
Dunleavy's efforts have included a 20-point outing in the Chicago Bulls' one-sided 120-66 Game 6 victory against the Milwaukee Bucks.
His scoring has otherwise been fairly tame, but it's still been the perfect supplement to a core comprised of Jimmy Butler, Derrick Rose and Pau Gasol. Dunleavy continues to do his job and remain within his lane, spotting up and coming off screens like a true shooting specialist.
In fairness, he also deserves inclusion on this list for taking the business end of a perplexing flagrant foul that sent him into the stands in that Game 6 against the Bucks.
Dunleavy's rhythm clearly wasn't disturbed. He finished the game going 5-of-7 from the field while making all six of his free-throw attempts.
8. Iman Shumpert—SG, Cleveland Cavaliers
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Iman Shumpert was quiet during the Cleveland Cavaliers' opening-round sweep of the Boston Celtics, largely because he could afford to be.
But with J.R. Smith serving a two-game suspension to open a conference semifinals meeting with the Chicago Bulls, Shumpert has taken advantage of the increased playing time and was instrumental in a Game 2 106-91 win before suffering a groin injury.
After tallying 22 points in Game 1, the 24-year-old picked up where he left off in Game 2, scoring 15 points in just 29 minutes. It's been needed production for a club that—in addition to missing Smith for Games 1 and 2—will be without star forward Kevin Love for the remainder of the postseason.
Regardless of one's stake in the series, it's easy to root for Shumpert. After squandering his early years with the New York Knicks, the 24-year-old suddenly finds himself within striking distance of a title.
And he's doing his part. Here's to hoping he stays healthy enough to keep doing it.
7. J.J Barea—PG, Dallas Mavericks
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Rajon Rondo's mid-series departure opened the door for J.J. Barea.
And after averaging just 7.5 points and 3.4 assists during the regular season, Barea rose to the occasion with 11.8 points and 7.4 assists per game against the Houston Rockets. They weren't All-Star numbers, but they kept the Dallas Mavericks from embarrassing themselves, and there's plenty to be said for that.
Barea contributed 17 points and 13 assists in Dallas' lone win and—for a moment—almost made you believe the depleted Mavericks somehow had a chance in the series.
"Throughout this first-round series, lineup data had spoken to Barea's success beyond the box score," SI.com's Rob Mahoney wrote after that Game 4 win. "He was effectively the anti-Rondo: a player whose style and decisions with the ball challenged Houston's defense and opened up shots all over the floor."
It was fun while it lasted. Just don't be surprised if Barea earned another job with the Mavericks next season.
"I want to [come back]," Barea said, via SBNation's Tim Cato. "I want to and hopefully this time we make it work. I had a lot of fun this year. I enjoyed being back. It feels like home for me here in Dallas, so hopefully I can come back and finish my career here for the next couple years."
6. Patty Mills—PG, San Antonio Spurs
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One hesitates to even imagine head coach Gregg Popovich making a mistake, but it's a bit hard to explain why he didn't give more minutes to Patty Mills in the San Antonio Spurs' opening round.
Mills was instrumental in San Antonio's narrow 111-107 Game 2 victory, scoring 18 points in just 19 minutes. He would again strike in Games 4 and 5, nailing all four of his three-point attempts in the latter contest. For the series, the Australian made a ridiculous 57.1 percent of his three-point attempts.
But he never once saw more than 20 minutes of action.
Sure, this is still Tony Parker's team. But with the veteran battling injuries, there was at least some logic to extending Mills' minutes. We'll never know what he might have done had he been granted more than 16 minutes in that epic Game 7.
But if you've paid any attention to Mills' big-game heroics, you can certainly take a guess.
5. J.J. Redick—SG, Los Angeles Clippers
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No one should be surprised by what J.J. Redick has done in these playoffs. As role players go, he's one of the very best—a catch-and-shoot specialist who can launch from virtually anywhere.
Unlike most on this list, Redick's production has actually decreased during the postseason. But two factors make his contributions notable.
First, Redick made 41.7 percent of his three-point field-goal attempts against the reigning-champion San Antonio Spurs. That Spurs defense has been particularly formidable all season long, so Redick's consistency from beyond the arc was especially valuable.
Second, he has gotten buckets when it counts—most importantly his 19-point Game 6 outing against San Antonio in which he was 7-of-12 from the field. The 30-year-old followed that up with another strong performance in Game 7, making four of his seven three-point attempts en route to 14 points.
They haven't been superstar numbers. But they've been the kind of steady numbers these Los Angeles Clippers desperately needed.
4. C.J. McCollum—G, Portland Trail Blazers
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The injury-plagued Portland Trail Blazers faltered in their opening-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies, but don't blame C.J. McCollum. After minimal contributions in Games 1 and 2, he tallied 77 combined points through the final three contests—including a career-high 33 points in the decisive Game 5.
The 23-year-old made seven of his 11 three-point attempts in that outing, just four days after showcasing his ability to get to the line (where he went 8-of-9) in Game 3.
McCollum's opportunities have been limited behind starting guards Damian Lillard and Wes Matthews, but a season-ending injury to the latter meant someone had to step up.
"The situation (is) where you got to learn. You got to wait your turn sometimes, stay professional," McCollum told reporters in late April. "As a professional athlete it's your job to stay ready. Put yourself in a position to succeed to when you get a chance."
McCollum answered the bell, and he did it after opening the series with a couple of clunkers.
In Games 1 and 2, he only made four of his 21 combined field-goal attempts. Credit head coach Terry Stotts for sticking with him. McCollum stayed focused and bounced back from an ugly start that easily could have buried him in the rotation.
3. DeMarre Carroll—G/F, Atlanta Hawks
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DeMarre Carroll has been nothing short of exceptional for the Atlanta Hawks.
His numbers do much of the talking but not all. Carroll has built his reputation largely on perimeter defense, and his performance in the postseason has been no exception. He does a lot of gritty dirty work for a swingman, as evidenced by his 6.5 rebounds per contest so far in the playoffs.
The heroism, however, has been particularly surprising on the offensive end. After averaging just 12.6 points per game during the regular season, Carroll has upped that mark to 18.9 points during the playoffs. And that's despite a two-point outing in Game 2 against the Brooklyn Nets.
Since that game, Carroll has rattled off six straight contests with at least 20 points. That makes him the first Hawks player since Dominique Wilkins in 1989 to tally at least 20 points in five or more consecutive games.
It's an impressive stretch of offense for any player, but especially one who's never been considered a primary scoring option—and it's all the more impressive with Carroll's free agency just around the corner.
He had his hand wrapped after a fall in Game 5 of the opening round but still managed to pour in 24 points.
"It's the playoffs," he told reporters afterward. "You don't have injuries in the playoffs."
The gutsy performances would ordinarily be enough to earn the top spot on this list, but the next two unsung heroes worked their magic against far superior Western Conference competition. That has to count for something.
2. Draymond Green—F, Golden State Warriors
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It doesn't feel right to think of Draymond Green as a role player—not anymore. But he's still the third-best player on a team that boasts two high-scoring superstars, and he only averaged 11.7 points per game during the regular season.
He's increased that production to 15.5 points through six postseason appearances while upping his rebound average from 8.2 to 11.3 per contest. By the numbers, Green has risen to the occasion, and that's not even the best part.
He's done it all while bodying up against the likes of Anthony Davis and Zach Randolph—the former is an athletic specimen, and the latter is a meaty challenge in his own right. Defending tough matchups has been Green's job all season long.
As the Bay Area News Group recently put it, "Considered the team's 'heartbeat' by coach Steve Kerr, Green also was a tough, versatile defender able to guard almost any position. His ability to guard centers despite being only 6'7" also allowed Kerr to employ a small lineup."
On the heels of a season in which he was runner-up for both the Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player awards, Green is doing more than enough for his Golden State Warriors to extend their success into the postseason.
As if the scoring, rebounding and defense weren't enough, Green is also averaging 4.8 assists during the playoffs. That kind of playmaking has been especially valuable on a team that may have the best shooting backcourt in history.
Green is more than happy to get Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson the ball where they like it, which is an unsung virtue in its own right.
It will be even more difficult to label Green a role player next season, when he's likely to be making maximum or near-max money after his restricted free agency this summer. The Warriors will find a way to pay Green, and he'll almost certainly find a way to pay them back.
1. Courtney Lee—SG, Memphis Grizzlies
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After averaging just 10.1 points per contest for the Memphis Grizzlies during the regular season, Courtney Lee has posted 15.7 points per game during the playoffs while making an incredible 58 percent of his field-goal attempts.
The shooting has been nearly automatic, especially during an opening round in which Lee made 66 percent of his attempts. The 29-year-old twice tallied 20 points during Round 1, supplying some much-needed firepower against the Portland Trail Blazers.
The seven-year pro scored 39 combined points in Games 4 and 5 as the Grizzlies survived point guard Mike Conley's absence. Some timely production had to come from somewhere.
Lee has always been a solid three-and-D player, but he's been scoring in a variety of ways for Memphis. The penetration and in-between action have been especially welcome signs for a team that's historically struggled to match its superior defense on the offensive end.
That wasn't the story this season, and Lee had a lot to do with it. He's had even more to do with the club's success in the playoffs, though.
