Top NBA playoff free agents to watch
The Vertical Front-Office Insider Bobby Marks, a 20-year executive with the Nets, breaks down the top free agents competing in the postseason.
POINT GUARDS
Deron Williams, Dallas Mavericks (player option)
Playoff games: 69
Health will play a major role in Williams’ postseason. The Mavericks are going to need him to be more than just a role player if they want to be competitive in the first round. Dallas does not need Williams to be a superstar, but he has to be better than he was for Brooklyn the previous three years in the playoffs. Williams put up marginal numbers in 25 playoff games with the Nets and did not shoot over 40 percent the previous two years.
Jeremy Lin, Charlotte Hornets (player option)
Playoff games: 10
The last time Lin was in the playoffs was 2013-14, when he averaged 11.3 points per game for the Houston Rockets. The big question: Can Jeremy Lin’s stellar regular season carry over to the postseason? Because of a shallow point guard market, a strong playoff showing could push Lin toward a big payday in July.
Matthew Dellavedova, Cleveland Cavaliers
Playoff games: 20
The goal for Dellavedova is to take his regular-season play (4.5 assists per game) and translate it to the playoffs (2.7 apg in last year’s playoffs). Cleveland has plenty of scorers and will need Dellavedova to play within the system and not outside of it.
Ty Lawson, Indiana Pacers
Playoff games: 24
He could be an X-factor for the Pacers. Lawson has not appeared in the playoffs since 2012-13 as a member of the Denver Nuggets. In his only playoff series that year against Golden State, Lawson put up career numbers, averaging 21.3 points and eight assists per game. Lawson has played major minutes (31.8 per game), but has never advanced past the first round in four postseasons.
SHOOTING GUARDS
DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors
Playoff games: 11
He will carry the weight of Canada on his shoulders. While his 22.5 points per game in 11 playoff contests have mirrored his regular-season production, DeRozan has struggled with his shooting and efficiency. Postseason failures the past two years should push DeRozan and the Raptors during this run.
Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
Playoff games: 152
Wade, who has not cracked 20 points per game in the playoffs since 2012, will be relied on to score more without Chris Bosh (injured) and LeBron James. It will be important to monitor how Wade’s body recovers the longer the Heat stay in the playoffs.
Kent Bazemore, Atlanta Hawks
Playoff games: 25
Bazemore was a role player during the Hawks’ run last season to the Eastern Conference finals. Atlanta will need Bazemore’s regular-season production – 11.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 44.1 percent shooting – this postseason.
Allen Crabbe, Portland Trail Blazers (restricted)
Playoff games: 2
Crabbe’s only playoff appearances came when both games were already out of reach. He has been up and down since playing well early in the season. Will be relied on to give the Trail Blazers a spark off the bench.
Courtney Lee, Charlotte Hornets
Playoff games: 43
If the Hornets can get the same playoff production from Lee that he provided last season with Memphis – 13.3 points per game, 55 percent shooting, 46.7 percent from 3-point range – then Charlotte will have a good chance of getting out of the first round. Charlotte went 21-8 after acquiring Lee and he will be relied upon heavily for his veteran experience.
Jamal Crawford, L.A. Clippers
Playoff games: 56
Crawford has struggled in the postseason, shooting 37.9 percent from the field in 56 playoff games. He’s the type of player who can shoot you out of a game or catch fire and turn a game around.
SMALL FORWARDS
Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
Playoff games: 73
Durant will get max money in the offseason no matter what happens. The big questions: Will he be with the Thunder or another team? And how much of an influence will the playoffs have on his decision? The Thunder have done a great job monitoring Durant’s minutes (35.8 per game) this season, but he’ll likely play more in the postseason. In 73 career playoff games, Durant has averaged 42.3 minutes.
LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers (player option)
Playoff games: 178
James is at his best in the playoffs when he doesn’t have to do all the heavy lifting. His playoff performance last season reminded many of his first stint with the Cavaliers when he had less talent around him. The key will be his faith and trust in his teammates. If the trust is there, then the Cavaliers will be playing into mid-June.
Nicolas Batum, Charlotte Hornets
Playoff Games, 34
It is crucial for Batum to move past last year’s playoff flop with Portland, when he shot 34.3 percent from the floor and attempted 14 shots in 41.8 minutes per game against Memphis. Batum did play well in 2013-14 against Houston and San Antonio, shooting 47.2 percent and averaging 15.2 points per game.
Harrison Barnes, Golden State Warriors (restricted)
Playoff games: 40
One thing about Barnes: His production is consistent. His regular-season and playoffs numbers are remarkably similar, but that likely has to do with the elite talent around him.
Evan Turner, Boston Celtics
Playoff games: 34
Turner is another one of those X-factors coming off the bench. One of the better sixth men during the season, Turner’s last playoff appearance was solid, averaging 10.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists.
Joe Johnson, Miami Heat
Playoff games: 87
Johnson will be making his 11th trip to the postseason, but he is coming off a tough performance against Atlanta in which he struggled with his shot (36.2 percent from the floor; 29.3 from 3-point range). With a better supporting cast than in Brooklyn last season, Johnson should improve.
Luol Deng, Miami Heat
Playoff games: 48
Deng returns to the postseason for the first time since 2013. That postseason with the Bulls was cut short because of a severe medical condition. Along with teammates Joe Johnson and Dwyane Wade, the Heat will be relying heavily on experience. Deng’s playoff career averages: 16.7 points, 45.2 percent shooting and 7.6 rebounds.
POWER FORWARDS
Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks
Playoff games: 64
Al Horford’s value won’t change with a subpar showing. Horford has firmly established his value during the course of his contract. Entering his eighth postseason, Horford has averaged 12.9 points and 8.7 rebounds and shot 48.6 percent from the field.
David West, San Antonio Spurs (player option)
Playoff games: 73
Before missing the playoffs last season with Indiana, West proved to be the most reliable Pacer during their two runs to the Eastern Conference finals in 2012-13 and ’13-14. The veteran reserve could be a key factor for the Spurs.
Marvin Williams, Charlotte Hornets
Playoff games: 42
Williams is in the playoffs for the first time since 2011-12, when he was with the Atlanta Hawks. He’s averaged 7.3 points in 42 playoff games, and it’s fair to say the Hornets will need a little more production than that.
CENTERS
Hassan Whiteside, Miami Heat
Playoff games: 0
A newbie to the playoffs, it will be interesting to see how Whiteside plays when the stage gets a bit bigger. He’ll need to rely on the strong veteran leadership of the Heat to stay grounded throughout the postseason. The roller coaster of the playoffs cannot be emulated during the regular season.
Dwight Howard, Houston Rockets (player option)
Playoff games: 84
With the exception of the season spent with the Lakers, Howard has usually been dominant during the playoffs. In 84 games, Howard has shot 59.1 percent from the field and averaged 14.1 rebounds and 19.5 points. If used properly, Howard could be dominant again this year.
Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons (restricted)
Playoff games: 0
In Drummond’s first playoff appearance, it will be interesting to see how coach Stan Van Gundy handles Drummond and his free-throw issues. A career 36-percent shooter from the line, Drummond’s inability to make free throws often disrupts the flow of the Pistons’ offense.
Al Jefferson, Charlotte Hornets
Playoff games: 14
Jefferson is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2013-14, when plantar fasciitis limited him against Miami. The rest and recovery Jefferson received after midseason knee surgery should pay dividends for him this postseason.
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