Fansided

NBA Rookie Rankings: 5 guys who will matter in the playoffs

By Rucker Haringey

PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 10: Landry Shamet #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on against the Detroit Pistons on December 10, 2018 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 10: Landry Shamet #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on against the Detroit Pistons on December 10, 2018 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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There aren’t many NBA rookies who are set to play big roles in this year’s Playoffs, but these five guys will get serious burn in the postseason.

By the very nature of the NBA Draft, most rookies selected at the top of the first round go to teams that finished the previous season with poor records. As such, it’s difficult for a lot of rookies to play meaningful roles in the postseason. Coming up with a list of five first-year players who will make an impact in this year’s NBA Playoffs was harder than you might think.

With that being said, there are guys who are going to play meaningful minutes on the world’s biggest stage. There isn’t a player on this list who’s going to dominate a series, but there are five guys who will be important role players. It’s not out of the question that one of them could make a big play to drastically change his team’s postseason destiny.

We start our list with a big man playing for a team that is scratching and clawing to make the Eastern Conference Playoffs.

5. Rodions Kurucs

The Nets are a team that will likely be sweating out their ability to make the playoffs right until the end of the regular season. The emergence of Kurucs as a reliable rotation player is a big reason why they find themselves at .500.

Kurucs has recently entered the starting lineup for Brooklyn and the results have been pretty encouraging. He’s not a primary creator, but he’s averaging a respectable 9.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. More importantly, he gives his team big time energy on nights when the rest of the roster looks a little lackadaisical.

That skill can be particularly valuable in the postseason. Kurucs is exactly the sort of player who can irritate the opposition with his incessant movement. If he can add just a little more skill to his game he could be the most impactful rookie in the postseason.

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