Dynamite

Dynamic Game Changers

Lance Stephenson

Despite his lack of maturity and questionable antics, Stephenson's impact in a game is always felt. He has decent skills on offense as he averaged 14.8 points and 4.6 assists. The catch with him is making sure he is interested and on his best behavior. Early in the season, we saw an All-Star caliber player determined to prove his worth as he looks to garner a big contract. After the All-Star break, Stephenson pouted because he was not named an All-Star. His selfishness was felt as Indiana stumbled to a screeching halt by the Miami Heat. Questions have surfaced as to if "Born Ready" (Stephenson's nickname) is worthy of a big payday. Nevertheless, Stephenson was Indiana's second best player and even their best option at times. His offense comes and goes, but his energy and highlight reel plays can solely swing the momentum in his team's favor.

Nicolas Batum

Batum is often the forgotten man on the TrailBlazers because he does not put up gaudy numbers. He probably has the biggest scoring role to fill on this list because of Portland's less than stellar depth. He still does not have to score a lot as he plays alongside franchise cornerstones LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard. Batum does everything Portland needs him to do like rebounding, defending the other team's best player, run the offense, and score. His size, length, and speed really make him a matchup nightmare when he chooses to be aggressive. In an era where the small forward position is suddenly deep, Batum often gets overlooked.

Boris Diaw

Diaw is like a Swiss Army knife because of all of the qualities he possesses. This is a guy that looked like he was on his way out of the league two or three years ago. In the NBA Finals, Diaw looked like a rejuvenated player we used to see back in 2006 with the Phoenix Suns. When you look at him, he is not an imposing player. He is 6'9, but he is overweight, slow, old, undersized at his position, and lacks athleticism. This is a reminder that looks can be deceiving. Diaw has put on a passing display, imposed his will on defenders with his weight, and used his "speed" to score a few buckets here and there. Credit Tony Parker for being critical of his native Frenchman with telling him to be more aggressive.

Rajon Rondo

Rondo is the only franchise player on this list and it is completely absurd how much of an impact he has on a game without scoring much. It's absurd because the modern day point guard is expected to score 16 to 20 points on a daily basis. Not so fast, Rondo is not your modern point guard. He is a throwback player similar to Jason Kidd before he developed a consistent jumper. Rondo always looks to set his team up as a flamboyant distributor. Also, he rebounds, harasses offensive players, and is a one man show sprinting toward the breakaway rim in transition. We know that Rondo is always on triple double alert the problem with him is just getting the 10 points necessary. I believe his ACL tear was a blessing in disguise because he made more three pointers last season than in any other year. He went 26-90 in just 30 games. It's something to keep your eye on.

Joakim Noah

These last two years have indicated to me that Noah is indeed in his prime as a big man. He is now a Defensive Player of the Year award winner, 2 time All star, and a First Team All-NBA big man. It is an impressive resume, but when you watch the Bulls play you would probably wonder why. Noah's value comes through his passion, hustle, and energy. He receives nothing but high praise from coaches around the league. Noah is a rare stat sheet stuffer as an NBA big. He will grab his nightly double double and with a Derrick Rose-less Bulls team he is essentially their floor general as he averaged 5.4 assists per game. It will be interesting to see the offseason moves made by the John Paxson and Gar Forman. They are concerned with Derrick Rose, but they need to make sure they keep Joakim Noah in mind with their decisions.

Tony Allen

Numbers do lie whenever it concerns Trick-or-Treat Tony's impact in basketball games. Allen is an erratic shooter, but excels in the open court and makes good courts toward the basket. He can occasionally have nights where he rebounds like a big as well. Allen's paycheck is predicated on his defense. Even though he is undersized, he is still able to get up and under defenders at 6'4. His wingspan allows him to bother guys like Lebron James and Kevin Durant. Allen provides a much-needed spark to the Grizzlies when they need it at home because he is a fan favorite.