Steve Jones

It's not only superstars such as LeBron James and Kobe Bryant who get to decide the fate of their teams in the postseason.

Other players who don't enjoy the same marquee status as James, Bryant, and other league topliners also provide pivotal play that will help determine how long their teams stay around in the NBA's second season.

Here's five players worth a close watch as their performances could help tip the scales in favor of their teams.

Josh Howard
Mavericks
The fourth-year 6-foot-7, 210-pound small forward is much more than a sidekick to Dallas' superstar power forward Dirk Nowitzki. As much as there is known about Howard, not enough credit is given him for how important his play is to the Mavericks' success.

In last season's playoffs, Howard averaged 16.7 points and 7.4 rebounds. Dallas wanted him to show that level of production for an entire season and he did finishing his fourth NBA campaign with averages of 18.9 points and 6.8 rebounds.

Howard is one of those players who doesn't get a lot of plays run for him, but somehow he gets his share of points. But the Wake Forest product does much more than score and rebound. He's a very active and very versatile player who also comes up with steals, and who usually draws a very tough defensive assignment.

His activity is critical to the Mavericks. He's almost always involved in the mix, in the fray. If he's not in the mix, then the game becomes more difficult for the Mavericks to win.

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It's a given that Nowitzki is going to play extremely well and that guard Jason Terry is another important element in determining the Mavericks' fortunes, but Howard is a huge key. If he is off his game or in foul trouble Dallas does not have a replacement for him in terms of anyone coming off the bench who can provide the versatility and activity that Howard does.

If Dallas is to become the NBA champion, Howard has to be a difference-maker nearly every time out.  

Andres Nocioni
Bulls
Nocioni played in 53 games this season missing significant time due to plantar fasciaitis in his right foot. The Bulls missed him and were very glad to get the 6-foot-7 swingman back in early April. Nocioni pretty much plays under the radar. His contributions are critical to Chicago's success, but he doesn't get as much credit as he should.

The Argentinean is an aggressive, assertive, offensive player, and also a rugged defender. When he comes into a game, the Bulls get an angry player who gives them some fire off the bench.

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Nocioni is kind of a throwback in that he is always in an opponent's face when playing defense. He will challenge opponents and knock them down, doing a lot of things to give the Bulls a physical presence.

The Bulls' quick-strike guys are Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich, and Ben Gordon, but this trio relies more on finesse.
Nocioni doesn't. He's a forceful player, a tough opponent to take on either offensively or defensively. He plays hard-nosed defense and more than credible offense.

The third-year pro had a solid playoff series against Miami last season (22.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 56 percent from the field). The Bulls and Heat are first-round opponents this postseason, and if Nocioni can keep his fire roaring he'll give Chicago a better shot at putting Miami away.

Baron Davis
Warriors
An all-purpose point guard Davis is as important to the Warriors as Steve Nash is to the Suns. Injuries have been common in his career including this season, but since coming back from a calf injury in early March his play has been stellar, and it's been a big reason why Golden State is in the playoffs for the first time since 1994.

As far fetched as it may seem with Davis at his best the Warriors have a chance at pulling off a first-round upset of the Mavericks, the team that finished with the best record in the league.

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With Davis on the floor Golden State opponents are presented with a difficult challenge defensively as the 10-year NBA veteran gets all his teammates involved, and he plays at a pace that other teams find quite demanding to match.

If Davis stays healthy and demonstrates the panache that he likes to play with he is a guy who makes a difference for the Warriors in several key ways including the quality of shots they get. The Warriors have a lot of firepower, and they play a loose, wide-open game. When Davis gets the ball to all those on the floor with him, the pressure on opposing defenses greatly intensifies.

Dallas has Jason Terry and Devin Harris as its top guards and while Davis is not quite as fast as Harris, he's stronger, and quicker in getting where he wants to go. For a point guard he is a brute, quite a load to handle, and quite the difference-maker when he's out on the run pushing the ball and feeding his teammates.

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