Sometimes they’re the stars, and sometimes they’re the role players. But every team has x-factor players they need to play well, or else the chances of winning decrease significantly.
Check out x-factor players for every playoff contender below, starting at the top.
Atlanta Hawks -- Kyle Korver
The sharpshooter doesn’t garner huge stats but opens up the floor considerably for his teammates even when he’s not scoring much--the kind of impact that x factors make.
Korver is a reliable catch-and-shoot threat who also doesn’t forget to play some defense. His impact on offense isn’t always recorded statistically, but Atlanta’s offense benefits from opponents jumping every time Korver touches the ball.
In traditional terms, Korver is shooting just a shade under 50 percent from long range this season, shooting six attempts a game. The Hawks typically score 106.3 points per 100 possessions; that number climbs to 110.7 with Korver on the floor.
Golden State Warriors -- Draymond Green
Listed as a forward, Green can guard the majority of the players in the league, enabling Steve Kerr to utilize him in small-ball lineups.
Green is strong enough to handle bigger players on defense, and quick enough and a good enough shooter to present a matchup problem on the other end. Kerr has been using Green as an extremely short center lately, to great success.
Green’s 11.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game in about 32 minutes are nice stats that indicate how important the 25-year-old is to the Warriors.
Memphis Grizzlies -- Zach Randolph
Marc Gasol and Mike Conley earned more attention this season, but Randolph was also among those who deserved an All-Star berth.
His impact on the Grizzlies old-school offense is evident when watching the team. Memphis is 4-6 without Randolph this season and 39-11 with him.
Randolph makes the Grizzlies offense better, as the team scores 107.3 points per 100 possessions when he’s on the floor compared to 103.7 points without him. He also improves an already stingy defense, helping hold opponents to 99.8 points per 100 possessions when he’s playing compared to 100.4 when he’s not.
Portland Trail Blazers -- Nic Batum and Arron Afflalo
The Wesley Matthews injury hurts Portland, ripping away the team’s best three-point shooter and one of its best defenders.
Batum and Afflalo will both get more minutes, especially Afflalo (who was playing only 27.8 minutes a game with Portland), and need to help replace Matthews’ high level of production. Neither Batum (29 percent) nor Afflalo (34 percent) are shooting well from long range this season, and both need to shoot better.
The backup wings will be important for the Blazers now that Afflalo moves into the starting lineup, but Terry Stotts won’t play them much once the playoffs start.
