If the 2025 NBA Playoffs have taught us anything, it’s that super teams are out and balanced teams are in. As a reference, consider the differences in roster construction between the Phoenix Suns (super team, jam-packed with “stars”) and the Minnesota Timberwolves (balanced team, 1-2 stars, loaded with strong “role players”) to distinguish these two builds.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the five best role players of these playoffs thus far. But before we begin, let’s establish some ground rules. For the sake of this article, a “role player” is someone who has not made an All-Star team any of the last three years. However, we are also eliminating Jamal Murray, Chet Holmgren and Franz Wagner because they were borderline All-Stars this year and function as centerpieces for their respective teams.
Also, while we will be taking into past production from these players, we will mainly be focusing on their performance in these playoffs. That means we will biasing toward those who’ve stayed healthy and won a series or two.
Now, without further ado, here are our top-five role players of the playoffs (with a few honorable mentions).
No. 5: Alex Caruso
Key statistics: 15 games, 22.4 minutes per game, 8.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.6 steals, 61.2 percent true shooting, 4.8 BPM (Thinking Basketball version)
Don’t let the fact he plays less than half the game and doesn’t average 10 points fool you, Alex Caruso is one of the best role players in the sport.
For a few years, we forgot about this fact. Caruso was limited to four playoff games in three years with the direction-less Chicago Bulls. But now he’s on a true title contender and we get to see all the different ways he can change the game.
It is no exaggeration to say Caruso is the best per-minute guard defender on the planet. At 6 feet 5 inches, Caruso has the speed and reflexes to wreck havoc playing the gaps and ing lanes. He almost single-handedly erased a 29-point deficit against the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 3 of the first round with his seismic defensive impact.
Alex Caruso played 12:34 of the second half last night during which time the Grizzlies had 35 chances to score, and they came away with 13 points. He guarded 7 different players collecting 4 steals and 3 deflections and generally just caused havoc everywhere. pic.twitter.com/UYXobrh715
— Todd Whitehead (@CrumpledJumper) April 25, 2025
His point-of-attack prowess and defensive playmaking are enough to earn him consideration on this list. But what really solidified his place was his matchup versatility. Caruso can guard basically everyone on the floor, even bruising big men. His defense against three-time MVP Nikola Jokic turned the tide for the Thunder in a pivotal Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets. Caruso shadowed Jaren Jackson Jr. in the series prior to that, and he’s currently guarding a two-time All-NBA forward, Julius Randle, in the Western Conference Finals.
Along with his immense defensive contributions, Caruso has been a credible spacer, converting 43.5 percent of his 4.1 3-point attempts per game.
No. 4: OG Anunoby
Key statistics: 15 games, 39.6 minutes per game, 15.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.9 steals, 1.2 blocks, 54.5 percent true shooting, 2.3 BPM
OG Anunoby’s case is somewhat similar to Caruso in that raw numbers may lead you astray. Anunoby’s poor plus-minus numbers (the New York Knicks are 8.8 points worse per 100 possessions with him on the floor) are hindered by the small sample that comes with postseason play and the curious trend going on with the Knicks’ starting lineup. But rest assured, he has been nothing short of spectacular.
Anunoby’s playmaking has always left something to be desired, but he does know how to get a bucket and space the floor. This postseason, he has six games where he’s scored at least 20 points and eight where he’s hit at least three 3-pointers. This comes in handy on the nights Jalen Brunson or Karl-Anthony Towns doesn’t have it going or Mikal Bridges isn’t serving as a true third option.
Much like Caruso, the bulk of Anunoby’s case rests on the defensive side of the ball. This Knicks team reaching its ceiling always relied on the ability of its three wings (Anunoby, Bridges and Josh Hart) to cover Brunson and Towns’ defensive limitations.
Bridges and Hart have executed their duties irably, but there is no question Anunoby is the head of the snake. In the playoffs, he’s commanded assignments like Cade Cunningham, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Pascal Siakam. He’s also switching all over the place, making timely low man rotations and creating turnovers.
OG’s defense has been so ridiculously good in these playoffs and tonight was some of his best.
Dude defended the whole team in transition on one possession and took Nesmith’s soul on another.
Averaging 1.9 SPG and 1.2 BPG with a 42.3% DFG% allowed in the playoffs.
— Carson Breber (@Carsobi) May 26, 2025
The Knicks have been an average defensive team this postseason (eighth in defensive rating). That isn’t possible without Anunoby putting the team on his unbelievably broad shoulders. The only reason he isn’t higher on this list is because he can’t match the offensive output of the next three guys.
No. 3: Derrick White
Key statistics: 11 games, 37.7 minutes per game, 18.8 points, 5,1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.1 blocks, 63.6 percent true shooting, 5.4 BPM
We’re swiftly approaching a world where Derrick White is no longer qualified for this list because he’s officially an All-Star-caliber performer. In fact, White has the highest Box Plus-Minus of any player who qualifies as a “role player” by our definition. There are only eight names ahead of him — Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, LeBron James, Anthony Edwards, Kawhi Leonard and Evan Mobley — all of whom are considered among the sport’s best and brightest.
In a lot of ways, White embodies everything a modern role player should be. He can shoot, attack closeouts, make quick decisions with the ball, defend at the point-0f-attack, guard multiple positions, be disruptive off the ball and provide supplementary rim protection.
White is not only able in all these areas, he’s among the league’s best at his position. For instance, he’s ascended from good 3-point shooter to marksman status — flirting with 90 percent free-throw shooting (86.1 percent) while hitting 38.5 percent of his 9.5 threes per game.
White’s flamethrower fury is a big reason the Boston Celtics managed to extend their series against the Knicks to six games after Tatum went down, as he scored 34 points and hit seven threes in a convincing Game 5 victory.
Unfortunately, White does get penalized in our countdown for not making it to the conference finals.
No. 2: Jaden McDaniels
Key statistics: 14 games, 34.0 minutes per game, 15.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 0.9 blocks, 63.9 percent true shooting, 4.3 BPM
After an up-and-down regular season, Jaden McDaniels has reached his actualized form in the Playoffs. That checklist we mentioned in the previous section about how role players should excel? Yeah, McDaniels is crossing off all those boxes.
He isn’t the sharpshooter that White is, but he is six inches taller, which makes him even more of an asset defensively (McDaniels is also still hitting 40 percent of his threes).
What McDaniels has over everyone else on this list (even the top-ranked player) is the ability to create with ball in his hands. He can get to the rim or flow into a smooth midrange jumper while attacking against a titled defense. And sometimes, he doesn’t even need a teammate to create an advantage for him:
Jaden McDaniels spinning stepback midrange jumper over Chet Holmgren pic.twitter.com/iZspQQ9kaP
— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) May 27, 2025
Despite Minnesota losing, we got the full McDaniels experience in Game 4 against the Thunder. He scored 22 points, hit three triples, gathered five stocks (steals and blocks) and made every possession an adventure in the half-court for Gilgeous-Alexander.
McDaniels been awesome in the playoffs and he almost finished No. 1 on our list.
No. 1: Aaron Gordon
Key statistics: 14 games, 37.3 minutes, 16.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 60.1 percent true shooting, 3.3 BPM
I know what you’re thinking. If you penalized White for not making it to the conference finals, why aren’t you doing the same with Aaron Gordon?
Well, White does not have two game-winners under his belt in these playoffs. Plus, since the Nuggets played consecutive seven-game series, Gordon has just as many games played as McDaniels.
Gordon does a lot of the same things McDaniels can, but he just does them more powerfully. With him, an undermanned Nuggets team stayed in the positive (plus-1.2 per 100 possessions). Without him, they stood no chance (minus-27.6 per 100).
The only thing that previously held Gordon back was his below average 3-point shooting. However, he completely transformed his jumper this past offseason and turned his greatest weakness into a strength. He went from someone defenses wouldn’t defend into someone they couldn’t afford to leave open (43.6 percent 3-point shooter this season).
Gordon also deserves respect for being this generation’s version of Willis Reed in Game 7 against the Thunder.
Honorable mentions (in no particular order): Isaiah Hartenstein, Josh Hart, Ivica Zubac, Andrew Nembhard, Gary Trent Jr., Cason Wallace, Christian Braun, Naz Reid, Mikal Bridges, Draymond Green, Rudy Gobert, Mitchell Robinson, Amen Thompson, Ausar Thompson, Dennis Schroder and Steven Adams
