The NBA Playoffs start today, rejoice fans. The regular season concluded with a grand finale of fireworks. Kobe Bryant ended his career on a high note with a 60-point comeback win and the Warriors broke the Bulls' regular season win record. Now, it's time to dive into which players will have an impact on their team the most in the first round of the playoffs. This isn't a list of superstars that have proven themselves, but a list of the guys who can have a heavy impact when the superstar's shots aren't sinking. These are the players that are going to dive into the stands for that extra loose ball, shut down a key opponent, and grab that extra rebound. These are the first round x-factors.
Eastern Conference
Kevin Love
Stan Van Gundy is no stranger to beating LeBron James and the Cavaliers. He took them down with Orlando and three times this season with Detroit. If Van Gundy deploys a defensive strategy to limit LeBron James and Kyrie Iriving, Kevin Love could be the key player to step up in action. Since Tyronn Lue took over at head coach mid-season, Love has been used more in an effort to space the floor at the top of the key to produce more shots. Love was missed last playoffs for the Cavaliers after Kelly Olynyk ripped his shoulder out of his socket.
Isaiah Thomas
In the Celtics' case, Isaiah Thomas is their superstar. Boston has a bunch of scrappy players, coincidentally led by Thomas, the former last pick in the NBA Draft. Thomas will need to be on his A-game if the Celtics want to take down a well-rounded Atlanta Hawks team in the first round, a team they went 1-3 against in the regular season.
Al Jefferson
A handful of players can fit the x-factor criteria for the Hornets in this series. Charlotte has been red hot since the return of Big Al on February 19, going 21-8 since. Jefferson has been utilized off the bench and it's been working effectively, averaging 16.4 points, 7.8 rebounds in 23 minutes in the past five games. Jefferson could cause a handful in the paint for Miami and Hassan Whiteside.
DeMarre Carroll
The Raptors went almost the entire season without their prized free agent signing. Carroll is just returning from injury in the nick of time for the playoffs. He will likely come off the bench and provide 20-something minutes. The Raptors are having arguably their best season in franchise history, but have had past troubles getting past the first round. Carroll could give Toronto that extra boost to propel them past Indiana to the next round.
Western Conference
Blake Griffin
Blake is just returning from a hand injury suffered mid-season. Griffin will have to shake off some rust and try to fit in the Clippers' chemistry they've built during his absence. Griffin will have the chance to dominant against Portland's weaker front court. If he can get back to that deadly pick-and-roll with Chris Paul, it'll be difficult for Portland to defend. Another factor to include is if the Blazers decide to go to the Hack-A-Jordan route. Will DeAndre Jordan be forced to ride the bench and Griffin have to step in for crucial crunch time minutes?
CJ McCollum
It's inevitable that there will be a back-and-forth battle at the point guard position between Chris Paul and Damian Lillard in this series. That's where CJ McCollum comes into play. As deadly as Lillard is he draws so much attention with his shooting and ability to drive the lane. This is going to open opportunities for McCollum to capitalize from deep, as he's done all season long. The Clippers are limited with options to halt McCollum.
Enes Kanter
Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are going to give their usual dominant performance in this Dallas series, we know that. Kanter has had an underrated year for Oklahoma City, thriving on Westbrook's drive-and-dishes. He could help down the stretch in this series by cleaning up rebounds off missed Westbrook and Durant shot attempts. The 6'11" forward could even see some time guarding Dallas' leading scorer Dirk Nowitzki.
Patrick Beverley
Houston already has a snowball's chance in hell at beating Golden State, but Beverley could provide help for James Harden's scoring frenzy. Beverley was missed in the playoffs last season for Houston, which forced Harden to move to the point guard slot. Beverley is a pass-first guard and a pest on defense, which could cause a little trouble for Steph Curry, I'm serious guys.
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