Although superstars have the highest aggregate impact on playoff runs, role players can swing individual series by exploiting mismatches or shooting the lights out. Oklahoma City has experience with this phenomenon, as P.J. Washington and T.J. McConnell still give Thunder fans nightmares. 

Which Western Conference role players should the reigning champs hope to avoid this postseason? Players who have made an All-Star team this decade or are one of the three best players on their respective teams are ineligible. For example, Aaron Gordon gives the Thunder headaches but is simply too good to qualify for this list. 

There are a few Spurs players with decent cases to make this list, such as Julian Champagnie and Dylan Harper. But Keldon Johnson is the cream of the crop. 

He’s a powerful player who bullies mismatches and physically overwhelms defenders. His strength poses issues for a Thunder squad that loves to play guard-heavy lineups and does not roster many true forwards. Look for Johnson to bulldoze his way to the rim if Oklahoma City is forced to switch a smaller defender onto him like Cason Wallace or Isaiah Joe. 

Rebounding remains a weakness for the Thunder when Isaiah Hartenstein is off the floor, and Johnson excels at using his frame to crash the glass. His 2.5 offensive rebounds per 75 possessions this season was one of the best marks in the NBA among qualified non-centers. 

Johnson rarely commits turnovers, which is crucial against Oklahoma City’s swarming, aggressive defense. And unlike some other Spurs players (looking at you, Stephon Castle), Johnson’s efficiency does not plummet when he plays without Victor Wembanyama. It’s important because San Antonio must keep afloat during the non-Wembanyama minutes to beat the Thunder in a seven-game series. 

Finally, Johnson is an inconsistent three-point shooter but can get hot from beyond the arc. The veteran went 12-for-26 on triples across five matchups against the Thunder this season and scored 25 points in two of the contests. 

Overall, Johnson receives Thunder Roundtable’s inaugural P.J. McConnell Award, which is given to the role player who Oklahoma City least wants to face in the upcoming playoffs.

Minnesota acquired Ayo Dosunmu at the trade deadline to fix its backup point guard woes, and the move has paid off beautifully. He’s averaged 14.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game on 61.9% true shooting since changing teams. 

Dosunmu pressures the rim at a high rate, knocks down triples and creates for his teammates without committing many turnovers. Factor in his defense and rebounding, and Dosunmu is an effective all-around player. 

His lack of glaring weaknesses means Oklahoma City will struggle to slash his impact. He can swing stretches and somewhat stabilize the minutes without Anthony Edwards. Dosunmu’s biggest strength versus the Thunder is that he’s capable of consistently getting downhill and generating advantages. 

It’s worth noting that Dosunmu racked up 18 points in 32 minutes during his only matchup against the reigning champs since the trade. 

Toumani Camara earned All-Defensive honors last season and remains an elite defender. He has great size at 6-foot-7 with a 7-foot wingspan, so Camara can switch from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to Jalen Williams to Chet Holmgren. 

Meanwhile, Camara attempted the fifth-most corner triples across the NBA this season, and Oklahoma City’s defense surrenders a plethora of corner attempts. He could swing stretches of games with hot three-point shooting. 

In four matchups versus the Thunder this season, Camara averaged 11.3 points per game and shot 41.7% from deep.