Everybody knows that superstars will come to play in the NBA. The question is, who is going to step up when opponents game plan to shut down the superstars?
Every team needs role players to outperform their name every now and then, so here are some players who did that this past week.
Keyonte George vs. Houston on Feb. 22
It’s no secret that the Utah Jazz are in a rebuilding phase. Despite Utah being one of the worst teams in the league, the Jazz still have some young players that can make a difference against any of the other 29 teams. That was the case for guard Keyonte George against the Houston Rockets last Saturday.
Houston will most likely make the playoffs this season and the Jazz came up with a 124-115 win over the Rockets with George leading the way. George scored 30 points and is quietly putting together a nice season. Although his efficiency is low at 40% shooting, George is averaging 17 points per game in 2024-25, a four-point increase from last year’s average.
Ty Jerome vs. Memphis on Feb. 23
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been the best team in the NBA for the entire season. Donovan Mitchell is already a household name and Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are joining him in that category, but some unsung heroes have also been critical to Cleveland’s success. In Sunday’s 129-123 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, one of those unsung heroes came to play, as guard Ty Jerome scored 26 points off the bench.
After only playing two games last year, Jerome has played a significant role in Cleveland’s rotation and has averaged 12 points per game on nearly 60% shooting from the field. Jerome is also shooting around 45% from the 3-point line. As the Cavaliers continue to prove they should be taken seriously as championship contenders, players like Jerome will need to continue performing like this in the postseason to get Cleveland across the finish line.
Jaden McDaniels vs. Oklahoma City on Feb. 24
The Minnesota Timberwolves pulled off one of the most improbable comebacks in NBA history Monday night against the best team in the Western Conference. The Oklahoma City Thunder were up by 14 points with a little over four minutes left in the game, but Minnesota came back and forced overtime.
After dropping a game against the Thunder at home the night before, the Timberwolves made up for the loss by defeating Oklahoma City in overtime. Anthony Edwards struggled in this game, but forward Jaden McDaniels stepped up and led the way with 27 points, 10 rebounds and two steals. As Minnesota tries to get healthy for the postseason, McDaniels will be counted on to elevate his play on both ends until big men Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert return.
Davion Mitchell vs. Atlanta on Feb. 26
There was a lot of noise surrounding the Miami Heat at this year’s trade deadline. Now that the Jimmy Butler situation has finally been resolved, the Heat can get back to focusing on making a postseason push. In addition to trading Butler to the Golden State Warriors, the Heat made a move to acquire guard Davion Mitchell from the Toronto Raptors.
Mitchell is mostly known for his defensive acumen, but against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, it was his offense that contributed to Miami’s 131-109 win. Mitchell scored 20 points on a highly efficient 7-for-8 from the floor and also came up with two steals. The Heat are still in position to at least make the Play-In Tournament and it will have to be all hands on deck if Miami is going to make any noise in the postseason.
Keegan Murray vs. Utah on Feb. 26
As previously discussed, beating the Utah Jazz is nothing to get too excited about, but every win counts for the Sacramento Kings, who are trying to stay alive in the Western Conference playoff race. Forward Keegan Murray has been up and down since his stellar rookie season for Sacramento two years ago, but he led the way for the Kings against the Jazz on Wednesday.
Murray was Sacramento’s leading scorer with 26 points as the Kings won comfortably 118-101. The Kings look very different than they did at the start of the season with their former franchise player De’Aaron Fox now on the San Antonio Spurs, so it will be up to guys like Murray to play great basketball the rest of the way.