After an NBA season filled with injuries to star players and the annual tank-a-thon that reached new heights, the playoffs have finally arrived. While diehard hoop heads follow the game on a nightly basis, more casual fans tune in for just the postseason, which makes it the time when a player can elevate not only his game but also his name. The playoffs are where stars are born, and also where stars can become superstars.
Recent postseasons have seen the likes of Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, and Jalen Brunson cross over into mainstream appeal with their exploits. These are the players who could break out this postseason.
Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors
As a two-time All-Star, Barnes is an established top-25 player in the league. But his diverse game could reach another level, and the postseason is the stage on which he could do that. This is the first time Toronto is in the playoffs since Barnes’s rookie season in 2020-21, when he unfortunately sprained his ankle in his very first playoff game. He was on his way to a triple-double in that game with 15 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists before leaving, missed the next two games with the injury, and simply wasn’t himself upon returning. The Raptors bowed out in the first round.Barnes is the only NBA player to average at least 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks this season and he’s just one of five players to average at least 7.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists. He’s a stat-stuffing machine, and with starters often playing more minutes in the postseason, don’t be surprised if Barnes racks up multiple triple-doubles.
Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs
The reigning Rookie of the Year will make his postseason debut for the West’s No. 2 seed, and San Antonio earned that seeding thanks in part to Castle’s emergence down the stretch. The Spurs shifted De’Aaron Fox to the off-guard position, putting the ball more in Castle’s hands, which upped Castle’s assists in a big way. The sophomore recorded nine double-doubles, including two triple-doubles, over his last 18 games, compared with nine double-doubles over his first 50 games of the season.Maybe even more importantly, Castle’s efficiency reached a new level after struggling with his outside shot as a rookie and through the first half of this season. He shot just 29 percent from downtown both last year and before this year’s All-Star break. But since then, he’s connecting on a sizzling 42 percent from deep, as his shot quality has improved, also resulting in an increase in efficiency. Castle won a national championship at UConn, so he’s no stranger to this type of atmosphere and will be out to remind everyone that San Antonio consists of more than just Victor Wembanyama.
Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets
Fred VanVleet’s season-ending injury ended up being a blessing in disguise for Thompson’s development. It forced him to go from a defense-only player to one who contributes on both ends of the court—he led Houston in field goal percentage with 53.4 percent. He’s operated as Houston’s de facto point guard for much of the year and has averaged 21 points, eight boards, and six assists since March 1.Thompson’s key to breaking out in the playoffs will be maintaining his efficiency when the Rockets go on the road. In last year’s postseason, Thompson shot 57 percent from the field in home playoff games but just 41 percent on the road. In his favor is Houston’s first round opponent, the Lakers, whom Thompson averaged a double-double against in the regular season, on 61 percent shooting.
Ayo Dosunmu, Minnesota Timberwolves
A Chicago native who starred at Illinois before spending the first four-and-a-half years with his hometown Bulls, Dosunmu has thrived in his first experience playing away from home. He was acquired by the Wolves at the trade deadline and has propped up Minnesota’s second unit. Dosunmu finished the season sixth in three-point percentage (43.9) and performed as a poor man’s Anthony Edwards while the latter sat due to injury.Dosunmu averaged an 18-7-5 stat line across nine starts with the Timberwolves, and he enters the playoffs with double-digit points in 13 straight games. He hasn’t played in the playoffs since his rookie year in 2021-22 and missed out on Chicago’s play-in game last year due to injury, so he’ll be chomping at the bit to make an impact.
Luke Kennard, Los Angeles Lakers
You wouldn’t normally associate a 29-year-old in his ninth season as someone who could break out, but this is the position Kennard is now in with injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Kennard has long been the elitist of shooters, as he led the NBA in three-point percentage for the third time this season, but he’s showcased his all-around game amid Lakers injuries. Kennard recorded his first triple-double in his 534th career game just last week, and he put up 14.5 points, 7.8 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.3 steals over his last four full games of the regular season.
Kennard has logged just two postseason starts in his career—both with an eighth-seeded Pistons squad in 2019—but should thrive as L.A.’s No. 2 option and with LeBron James drawing all of the opponent’s attention. An added incentive for Kennard is that he’s on a one-year contract, so he can make himself lots of money with a strong postseason showing.
