Elite’s NBA 2021 Playoffs “Cash Me Out” All-Stars
The NBA Playoffs are where stars become legends and where legacies are made. The hyper-focused round by round battle between teams unearths all kinds of demons for even the very best in the league that requires both a physical and mental confrontation.
In the heated battles that happen throughout a series, it isn’t uncommon to see the heavyweights duel to a stalemate. Those battles are the ones that result in the emergence of role players who become the difference makers that lead to a series win. Its those same role players that become folk heroes for a lifetime for the fans that root for their favorite teams.
This past NBA season had an unprecedented amount of injuries during the regular season and postseason. As a result of those circumstances, there were some select role players that elevated their games and answered the call when it mattered most.
Meet Elite Media Group’s “Cash Me Out” All-Stars for the 2020-21 NBA Playoffs
Reggie Jackson
The former Thunder 6th-Man to Pistons-Starter to Clippers 6th-Man overwhelmingly had the biggest standout performances in the playoffs for the Los Angeles Clippers. His outstanding scoring efforts allowed the Clippers to have continued scoring as opposing defenses honed in on Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
After a difficult tenure with the Pistons in a starting role, Reggie found himself on the Clippers on a veteran minimum deal this season. While coach Ty Lue continued to find the right lineup combinations to take the Clippers going, it was Reggie who was the steady presence for the their offense.
His production in Games 5 & 6 against the Jazz after Kawhi Leonard left the series due to injury came to the amount of 24PPG on 58/40/100 shooting splits that helped the Clippers record their first ever Western Conference Finals appearance.
Jackson recorded 17PPG on 48/40/88 shooting splits in a more comfortable scoring role for the Clippers in the playoffs overall. Expect that sort of confident scoring punch to certainly be in high demand across the league.
Cameron Payne
When Chris Paul was ruled out for the first two games of the Western Conference Finals with COVID restrictions, all eyes shifted towards Cameron Payne. Payne’s outstanding performance in the playoffs came in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals as he filled in for Paul and put up a monster 29-point performance which was capped off by DeAndre Ayton’s game-winning dunk.
Unlike Jackson, Payne didn’t have the gaudy box score stats throughout the entire playoffs in his bench role behind Devin Booker, DeAndre Ayton, and Chris Paul. The speedy and frenetic pace of play by Payne turned out to be an excellent change of pace complement to Chris Paul’s slower and more methodical approach.
Digging deeper, the Suns quietly sported a slightly better Net Rating of +4.6 on the floor with Payne than they did with Paul (+4.0) despite Payne playing about 15 less minutes on average in the playoffs. With team’s throughout the league looking to play with a faster pace and heads up play, Cameron Payne should be a sure candidate for those responsibilities.
Bobby Portis
In a league where versatility (especially on the defensive end) comes at a premium, Bobby Portis has put himself at the top of the free agent conversations. Similar to the synergy with Payne and Paul, Portis provided a level of mobility and versatility to complement Bucks big man Brook Lopez. While most of the watching audience continually referred to his very animated facial expressions, Portis played with a ferocious motor and work ethic for the Bucks en route to a championship.
It is that same motor that Portis played with that had him grabbing rebounds at a higher rate than Lopez (12.8% vs 9.8%) and allowed the Bucks to play at a faster pace as well (100.8 vs 98.3)
Like Payne, Portis finally had the opportunity to utilize his talent and the end result helped his team capture the ultimate goal. The versatility he brings on the defensive end with his ability to switch against wings and rebound with traditional bigs is a valuable quality that undoubtedly get him the payday he deserves.
Derrick Rose
Normally you shouldn’t see a former MVP with over $150M in career earnings on a list like this but that should give you an idea of where Rose’s career has taken him after so many injuries. These past playoffs though, Rose electrified Madison Square Garden in front of a ravenous fanbase hungry for playoff basketball.
While Knicks fans were too busy with Trae Young-related chants, Rose was productively off-setting a poor offensive debut for Julius Randle. Through 5 games against the Hawks, Rose recorded 19PPG on a scorching 47/47/100 shooting splits. Though health may have forced Rose to be more mindful with his aggression as a player, his ability to score in different ways continued to be terrific.
Any team looking for hardened veteran scorer no matter the playoff pressure needs to look no further.
Tim Hardaway Jr
The Dallas Mavericks and their Luka-centric offense surprised everyone as they captured the first two games in Los Angeles against the Clippers. Part of the success that allowed the Mavericks to have the Clippers sweat the series out was timely shooting from Hardaway Jr. Doncic led the way for the Mavericks as he punished different non-Kawhi defenders in Isolations and Pick and Roll action as much as he could and Hardaway Jr chipped in by shooting a ridiculous 65% (15/23) from the perimeter.
While Tim (and the Mavs offense in general) cooled off after the first three games in the series, he provided just enough scoring next to Luka in a pivotal Game 5 in LA and led the team Mavs with 7 fourth quarter points to gain 3–2 series lead.
Though the Mavs failed to advance, Hardaway Jr’s heroic albeit inconsistent scoring barrages proved to be a helpful pairing in his 3&D role. He finished the series shooting a very respectable 40% from the perimeter on nearly 8–3PT FGA a game and enough defense to make it a series against a championship contender.
Even in a 3&D role, Hardaway Jr recorded impactful basketball and for teams looking for a complementary guard may find that in Tim.
