Top 5 X-Factor players in the Eastern Conference playoff race for the 2021-22 NBA season

Throughout the NBA, there are players who have known contributions on a night-to-night basis, and there are players with wider variance in production. The latter are sometimes referred to as X-Factors and end up the reason a team overperforms relative to their given expectations.

Players recently removed from significant injuries are a prime example, as it's impossible to predict their form upon returning to NBA play. Young players and their potential development jump are another, along with anyone recently traded or signed with a new team. There are always just players who are inconsistent on a yearly basis as well.

Michael Porter Jr, Julius Randle, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Russell Westbrook, and Terry Rozier could all have been considered X-Factors going into last season. All of them turned out to be difference makers that helped their respective rosters either overachieve or underachieve.

Here are five players who are X-Factors in the NBA Eastern Conference playoff race.

Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.

#5 Pascal Siakam

While a player the caliber of Pascal Siakam is not your typical X-Factor, his production level is a question. With the best Toronto Raptors player of all-time, Kyle Lowry, headed to the Miami Heat, it is now Siakam's team.

There have been comments from Siakam this offseason surrounding the front office's trust in him being "the guy," despite him receiving a supermax contract recently. If he wants to be the guy in Toronto, then now is the year to make that happen and lead them back to the playoffs.

After his 2019-20 NBA All-Star appearance, his production slipped in 2020-21, primarily with three-point shooting. Going from 35.9 percent on 6.1 attempts per night to 29.7 percent on 4.4 attempts hurts the rest of his game.

Siakam's downhill driving is his elite skill, and his patented spin move is well-known. If teams are not concerned with him shooting the ball, the paint becomes more clogged.

If Pascal Siakam can cement himself as an NBA All-Star this season as a valid number one option, the Toronto Raptors could find themselves as contenders in the Eastern Conference playoff race once again.

#4 Patrick Williams

Sadly, Patrick Williams just suffered a severe left ankle injury this week that will keep him sidelined for roughly 4-6 weeks. Ankle injuries also tend to have lingering effects on NBA players, and the Chicago Bulls are likely to rely on the former fourth overall pick a notable amount in this upcoming NBA season.

While the impressive additions of Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso should improve the roster substantially, the frontcourt depth remains questionable. The centers include Nikola Vucevic and Tony Bradley, but when it comes to larger wings after Williams, you're looking at Alize Johnson and Derrick Jones Jr. Both of those players are probably better fit to play small forward in the NBA.

Patrick Williams can be the perfect defensive complimentary piece on the guard-heavy Bulls' roster while remaining competent on offense. There is no other player who is able to supply the unique skillset Patrick Williams does, not to mention his intriguing upside revolved around versatility.

#3 Kemba Walker

After a turbulent few seasons with the Boston Celtics, Kemba Walker has made his way to his hometown New York Knicks. Since joining the NBA, Walker has been remarkably healthy, participating in less than 78 games only four times in nine seasons as a pro (excluding his rookie lockout season where he was available for all 66 games).

Two of those four seasons were his time in Boston. Beginning in 2020, Walker was strained by knee issues, which can be extremely limiting for a guard that heavily relies on change of pace and direction. After four straight seasons of making the All-Star game, Walker was left of the roster in 2020-21.

New York is hoping that Kemba can remain healthy for an extended period of time and return to form as soon as possible. Even in his alleged down-season last year, Walker averaged 19.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 42.0 percent from the field, 36.0 percent from three, and 89.9 percent from the free throw line.

If Kemba Walker can remain healthy, he could supply the threatening perimeter creation that the New York Knicks have been lacking to make a splash in the NBA playoffs.

#2 Victor Oladipo

Victor Oladipo has sadly failed to remain healthy for three straight seasons now. In each of those last four years, he participated in 33, 19, and 36 total games. While leading the Indiana Pacers in 2019, Oladipo suffered a torn quad tendon and that same quad has restricted him for seasons now.

After being sent to the rebuilding Houston Rockets as part of a three-team deal that was headlined by James Harden, Oladpio was moved that same season to the Miami Heat. He would only suit up for four games in Miami before he required season-ending surgery on his right quad tendon.

Prior to this unfortunate string of injuries, Oladipo was one of the best young guards in the league and excelled on both ends of the floor. While it's doubtful he will ever return to his previous All-Star form, even a fraction of that could swing the tide for the top-heavy 2021-22 Heat roster.

Imagine having to contain all of Kyle Lowry, Victor Oladipo, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo while simultaneously concerns with the shooting of Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro.

#1 Spencer Dinwiddie

Spencer Dinwiddie feels like one of the most underappreciated talents in the NBA. In 2019-20, the 6'5" guard averaged 20.6 points, 6.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds while converting 41.5 percent of his attempts from the field, 30.8 percent from three, and 77.8 percent from the free throw line. The percentages aren't jaw dropping, but averaging 20 points in the NBA is no easy feat.

Another aspect of Spencer Dinwiddie is that he has shown a willingness to adapt to whatever role the team best sees fit for him. When Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant joined the Brooklyn Nets roster with him, Dinwiddie was ready to take a more tertiary role for the sake of winning basketball games.

Before getting the chance to show his ideal complimentary skillset to those uber talented stars, Dinwiddie went down with a partially torn ACL in his right knee after just 3 games into the 2020-21 NBA season.

Luckily for him, the Washington Wizards still seem to be believers in his talents and traded a second-round pick to acquire him for three-years, $62-million in a sign-and-trade. With his willingness to adapt to those around him, Dinwiddie could be the ideal guard to pair alongside Bradley Beal and help Washington reach the next level.