The NBA playoffs are all about which teams and players are built for the big moments.
Regular-season success goes out the window and the matchup at hand becomes the priority.
That puts the emphasis on certain players to rise to the occasion. Some meet the moment and become remembered for their runs while others flame out and are remembered for all the wrong reasons.
Sometimes those moments are even sweeter when a non-star player announces himself to the league on the big stage. Such was the case in 2023 when then-Miami Heat guard Gabe Vincent and then-Denver Nuggets wing Bruce Brown Jr. played pivotal roles in their respective teams reaching the NBA Finals.
Both Vincent (L.A. Lakers) and Brown (traded to Toronto from Indiana) then signed career-best contracts the ensuing offseason thanks to their performances.
Who could such players be in the 2024 playoffs? Let's take a look at five candidates:
Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder earned the No. 1 seed after having sleeper status before the season started. Their stunning ascension was anchored by the ever-consistent Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and redshirt rookie Chet Holmgren.
But Jalen Williams quietly glued everything together. The 2022 No. 12 overall pick averaged 19.1 points, 4.5 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 0.6 blocks on a 54/43/81 shooting split.
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If the Thunder are to make a deep run against the more experienced teams, the 23-year-old Williams will need to keep delivering at the same efficient levels he did throughout the regular season.
Naz Reid, Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves narrowly missed out on the top seed out West but showed incredible resilience to even remain in the conversation after Karl-Anthony Towns missed several weeks due to injury.
One such reason for their sustained success was reserve big man Naz Reid. The 24-year-old center has been with Minnesota since he entered the league in 2019 and has developed into a rare 3-and-D profile for his position.
The LSU product averaged career highs in points (13.5), rebounds (5.2) and assists (1.3) while shooting 47.7% overall, 41.4% from deep and 73.6% from the foul line. Reid brings the type of grit needed to win playoff series and he plays a key role in the team's No. 1-ranked defense. He'll be vital in helping Towns and Rudy Gobert, two players who have shaky playoff reputations.
Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic
The Magic were the biggest sleeper team out West and slightly resemble the Thunder in having a roster full of budding talent fighting for rotational spots. The only difference is they don't have a solidified young star like Gilgeous-Alexander.
While 2023 No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero is trending in that direction and leads the team in scoring, 2021 No. 8 overall pick Franz Wagner will be just as imperative. Wagner has steadily advanced his game in each of his first three seasons and just averaged 19.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 steals on a 48/28/85 shooting split.
The 6-foot-10 forward regressed from deep this year, but he'll need to provide in every other department to keep defenses honest while they attempt to slow Banchero. If Wagner emerges as the real deal, No. 5 Orlando can certainly eliminate the No. 4-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers and give the top-seeded Boston Celtics a challenge.
Aaron Nesmith, Indiana Pacers
After Pascal Siakam arrived at the trade deadline to pair with in-season tournament breakout Tyrese Haliburton, the onus shifted to other Pacers' players to chip in.
Bennedict Mathurin, the 2022 No. 6 overall pick, would've been the pick here had it not been for his season-ending injury. Mathurin had been averaging 14.5 points in primarily a bench role, so the pick shifts to 2020 No. 14 selection Aaron Nesmith.
Nesmith was picked by the Celtics to be a sharpshooting wing but never panned out in two seasons, thus resulting in his trade to Indiana. He averaged 10.1 points in his first year with Indiana and showed glimpses of his shot coming back, which has rolled over to 2023-24.
The 24-year-old Nesmith averaged 12.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.7 blocks on a 50/42/78 shooting split. He's alternated from a reserve to a starter, but his shooting will need to be good enough to win a couple of playoff games and remind the NBA spectrum why he was a coveted prospect in the first place.
Donte DiVincenzo, New York Knicks
The Knicks may be the No. 2 seed, but not having Julius Randle available until next season is a fatal blow. Randle would've relieved Jalen Brunson of some offensive duties, but Donte DiVincenzo has helped pick up the slack.
DiVincenzo has enjoyed a career scoring year with New York, posting 15.5 points per game to be the team's second-best scorer in Randle's absence. He has a shooting split of 44/40/75 and has displayed robust levels of confidence in his shot volume that previously lacked in his game.
New York will need more frontcourt support to make a deep run, but the 27-year-old DiVincenzo can announce himself as a revamped player if he continues with these types of outings.
