The league’s All-NBA talent will swing the majority of postseason contests, thrilling fans with 40-point explosions and triple-double symphonies as the chase for the Larry O’Brien trophy continues to intensify. But not every game is decided from those atop the NBA power structure. Danny Green and Boris Diaw buried LeBron and the Heat in 2014. P.J. Tucker was one of Houston’s most reliable player in last year’s Western Conference finals. A role player’s moment in the sun can swing a playoff series.
The same could prove true in the 2019 postseason, highlighted by a slate of familiar faces in new situations.