Ranking the 10 best playoff risers in the NBA

10/25/2024 10:18 AM

With a championship up for grabs, the playoffs are when it matters most for NBA stars. As a result, the pressure is higher than ever in the postseason, demanding every player to step up their game. Here are the 10 best playoff risers in the NBA, ranked.

10. Derrick White

Regular season: 12.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 45% FG, 36% 3P

Playoffs: 12.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 46% FG, 39% 3P

Although his numbers in both the regular season and the playoffs may seem similar, a lot of Celtics fans will agree that Derrick White has been huge for them in the postseason. In fact, it was just in the 2023 playoffs when White made a game-winning bucket to nearly propel the Celtics to become the first team in NBA history to comeback from a 3-0 series hole.

Furthermore, In Game 4 of the first round of the 2024 playoffs against the Heat, White exploded for 38 points, spiked by eight threes. He averaged 16.7 points per game in the Celtics’ playoff run to the NBA title, including five games with 20+ points, all in Celtics victories.

9. Josh Hart

Regular season: 9.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 46% FG, 34% 3P

Playoffs: 12.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 46% FG, 35% 3P

Josh Hart has clearly been a revelation for the Knicks. In the 2023 playoffs, Hart played for 48 minutes in Game 2 against the Sixers during the first round. He tallied 21 points and 15 rebounds. But more importantly, he emerged as a reliable rebounding guard for the Knicks, averaging 11.5 rebounds per game in their two playoff series.

8. Jimmy Butler

Regular season: 18.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 47% FG, 33% 3P

Playoffs: 21.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 46% FG, 35% 3P

Despite not making any All-NBA First Teams in his career, Jimmy Butler has been the face of the Heat Culture in recent years. Since acquiring Butler, the Heat have made two NBA Finals appearances in a span of four seasons. Butler also clearly elevates his play in the playoffs, with better numbers and intensity.

7. Khris Middleton

Regular season: 16.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 46% FG, 39% 3P

Playoffs: 20.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 44% FG, 39% 3P

Before Damian Lillard arrived in Milwaukee, the Bucks relied on Khris Middleton as their second option. The three-time All-Star has elevated his play in the postseason, improving his production across the board. Of course, none were bigger than his 2021 Playoff campaign, which saw the franchise finally end their 50-year-long championship drought.

6. Rajon Rondo

Regular season: 9.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 46% FG, 32% 3P

Playoffs: 12.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 8.6 assists, 44% FG, 33% 3P

Although Rajon Rondo can be effective during the regular season, Playoff Rondo is simply on another level. A lot of basketball fans will agree that Rondo’s play elevates in the postseason, the best time possible to do so. In fact, he’s one of the few players to win two NBA championships with two of the most decorated franchises in NBA history.

5. Kawhi Leonard

Regular season: 20.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 50% FG, 39% 3P

Playoffs: 21.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 51% FG, 40% 3P

Kawhi Leonard has yet to win an NBA MVP in his career. However, he certainly plays like one once the postseason commences. Leonard first established himself in 2014 when he took home Finals MVP honors after the San Antonio Spurs dispatched the Heat in the Finals.

Five years later, Leonard led the Toronto Raptors over the Golden State Warriors dynasty to claim his second Finals MVP. As a fun fact, Leonard has just as many Finals MVPs as career triple-doubles.

4. Shaun Livingston

Regular season: 6.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 49% FG, 18% 3P

Playoffs: 6.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 51% FG, 29% 3P

Despite struggling with injuries early on in his career, Shaun Livingston ultimately carved out a role for the Warriors dynasty. Serving as a backup guard, Livingston certainly made a bigger impact for the Warriors in the playoffs. In Game 1 of the 2016 NBA Finals, Livingston fired a career-high 20 points. Moreover, he helped the Warriors win three NBA titles.

3. Derek Fisher

Regular season: 8.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 40% FG, 37% 3P

Playoffs: 8.3 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 42% FG, 40% 3P

While Derek Fisher wasn’t necessarily a superstar, he was a smart facilitator with a clutch gene that comes alive in the postseason. In fact, how can anyone forget when Fisher sank a game-winner with only 0.4 seconds in Game 5 of the 2004 Western Conference Finals.

2. Robert Horry

Regular season: 7.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 43% FG, 34% 3P

Playoffs: 7.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 43% FG, 36% 3P

Speaking of game winners, there’s no doubt that Robert Horry was called Big Shot Rob for a reason. Like Fisher, Horry steps up to the plate when his teams need him the most.

With a nose for the ball in the playoffs, Horry once shocked the NBA when he sank a game winner to lift the Lakers over the Sacramento Kings in Game 4 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals. Three years later, Horry played hero once again for the Spurs, nailing a crucial three-pointer for a 3-2 series lead over the Detroit Pistons en route to a championship.

1. Jamal Murray

Regular season: 17.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 45% FG, 38% 3P

Playoffs: 24.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 46% FG, 39% 3P

But in terms of elevating his game in the playoffs, not many individually match up with Jamal Murray. While he posts respectable numbers in the regular season, Murray has surprisingly yet to make an All-Star team or an All-NBA team. However, NBA fans will agree that Murray is a legitimate superstar in the playoffs.

Not only does he improve his numbers statistically, but Murray also loves hitting the clutch shots including two game winners against the Lakers in the first round of the 2024 Playoffs. In fact, he played an instrumental role in the Nuggets’ championship run in 2023, including pouring in 34 points in a crucial Game 3 win of the NBA Finals.

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