Heading down the home stretch of the NBA season, several players not in the major spotlight will play crucial roles in dictating the outcome of the playoff picture. The following five players will need to elevate their play for their teams to be successful.

Arron Afflalo, Shooting Guard, Portland Trail Blazers

The loss of Wesley Matthews for the season brought Afflalo to the forefront of Portland's playoff seeding. A trade deadline deal that made the Portland Trail Blazers an elite, Western Conference team has been nullified. Without Matthews, a strong three-point shooter who creates another threat for opposing teams, Afflalo will need to step up. He is a capable scorer and a superior defender, but will now be moved into the starting lineup and must perform at a higher level if the Blazers hope to make some noise in the West. Portland must rely even more on contributors due to LaMarcus Aldridge playing with an injured thumb, Afflalo will now have to pull the most weight of his career.

Rajon Rondo, Point Guard, Dallas Mavericks

The pesky point guard has been deemed a cancer at times throughout his career and the Dallas Mavericks have experienced it first-hand. Rondo was suspended for one game on February 22 after a verbal argument with head coach Rick Carlisle. Since then, the Mavericks have not resembled their former selves. Dallas has slipped in the standings and the team chemistry has been hurt. It couldn't have come at a worse time, as the most crucial point in the season approaches. If Rondo cannot get his act together and remains a distraction, the Mavericks could be headed for an early playoff exit. 

John Wall, Point Guard, Washington Wizards

The Washington Wizards have drastically fallen in the standings coming out of the All-Star break. They have lost seven of their last 10 and failed to hold their opponent under 90 points in all but one of those contests. Washington's defense clearly needs to step up if the Wizards hope to move back up in the standings. Specifically, John Wall needs to elevate his play. He leads the team with 16.9 points per game, but that average must increase with a lineup that has proven to be inconsistent. If the playoffs started today, the Wizards would be matched up against the Chicago Bulls. But since the playoffs do not start for another month, the Bulls will likely have Derrick Rose back for a potential rematch of last year's first round. John Wall must be dynamite on both sides of the ball for the Wizards, finish the regular season strong and carrying his success into the playoffs.

Joakim Noah, Center, Chicago Bulls

A player that has been tested by injuries throughout the season, Noah has been largely unproductive as of late. He has averaged approximately four points over the Bulls' last four games and, while his rebound and assist numbers have been strong, Noah will need to elevate his point scoring moving forward. Pau Gasol has been phenomenal since coming to Chicago, but with Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler on the sideline, the matchups have gotten easier for opposing teams. Until Rose returns, Noah will need to play better offensively as well as defensively on a Bulls team that is allowing almost 100 points per game.

Serge Ibaka, Power Forward, Oklahoma City Thunder

While the Oklahoma City Thunder await the uncertain return of Kevin Durant, they have gotten dominant performances from Russell Westbrook. Westbrook has made his case for MVP, putting up monster numbers with his league-leading seven triple-doubles. However, the Thunder simply cannot rely on him to generate success. Ibaka and Enes Kanter have worked well together so far, but Ibaka needs more consistent production if the Thunder hope to avoid a first-round matchup against the Golden State Warriors. The health of Steven Adams will be a big factor as well, but Ibaka is the second player on the floor that the Thunder will expect to perform at a high level. They are currently four and a half games back from the red-hot San Antonio Spurs and, if they cannot move out of the eighth spot in the West, Ibaka will play a huge roll against the top-seeded Warriors.