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The NBA postseason is underway as we’re in the middle of an action-packed first round, with three of these eight matchups at a 1-1 deadlock. It’s the time of year when players find themselves flying up the leaderboards of the best players in the league, when we see guys truly stake their claim as the top dog in the NBA. Nikola Jokic took the crown for good when he won the Finals in 2023, and that same phenomenon occurred for Giannis Antetokounmpo when his Bucks got the job done in 2021.
A great postseason run is a legacy-defining part of an all-time great’s career, or it’s the rite of passage for a young player who puts their name on the map for good. We’re ranking the 10 best players in this year’s postseason, weighing both recent performance over the past few seasons with their postseason resume, as some veterans will crank it up for the biggest games of the year.
READ MORE: Warriors: Stephen Curry remarkable in Game 1 victory
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Jalen Brunson is one of the best postseason risers in the NBA and is a top 10-15 player in the sport over the last two seasons, so he’s an easy pick for the backend of this list. Averaging north of 30 points per game in the playoffs since coming to Madison Square Garden, Brunson has been the engine of the New York Knicks’ offense every time they’ve played in a big game. He’s been the best player on the Knicks in every series they’ve played in the postseason, with multiple heroic efforts that have catapulted his teams into winning games single-handedly.
After his 39-point performance against the Denver Nuggets, Kawhi Leonard reminded NBA fans that when healthy, he’s still one of the best players in the sport. He was incredibly impactful for the Clippers when on the court, the team saw an 11.5-point improvement per 100 possessions with Leonard in the mix. His postseason resume includes two Finals MVPs, but in recent years, we’ve still seen the excellent two-way impact as he can shut down an offense and drop 30. The Clippers can be dangerous if healthy, and Kawhi Leonard can go toe-to-toe with anyone in the league right now.
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The Golden State Warriors went from dead in the water to contenders overnight when they acquired Jimmy Butler, who has fit in perfectly with this roster and co-star Stephen Curry. He’s embraced the role of being the Robin to Curry’s Batman, and it’s terrifying to think of what this duo could do if they kick it into a new gear. The scary thing about Butler is that it feels like he doesn’t truly get things going until the postseason starts. Jimmy Butler is a brilliant defender and an excellent facilitator, both of which will be highly valuable in a Steph Curry led offense.
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Gone are the days of LeBron James being the undisputed best player in the NBA, but he still remains one of the best players you could have in a big game. He’s remained a star-caliber player in his age-40 season, and while the defense has regressed, the offense remains highly impactful. LeBron’s defensive impact improved once Luka Doncic joined the team, which could be an effort thing or just a coincidence. This was an easy placement for me; despite his older age, LeBron James is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, postseason players we have or will ever see in sports history.
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Jayson Tatum does not get enough love for being as good as he is, as he averages 24 points per game in the postseason with an above-average True Shooting Percentage, excellent defense, and brilliant playmaking. He has gone against some of the greatest players we will ever see in their peak years, including LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jimmy Butler, and Joel Embiid. The Boston Celtics are considered the favorites in the Eastern Conference, and if Jayson Tatum can nab that Finals MVP to go with a second ring, his all-time status will soar.
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Stephen Curry is the perfect embodiment of the Golden State Warriors’ season, as he looked a bit washed as we approached the trade deadline before being revitalized. He isn’t putting up the numbers he did when he won back-to-back MVPs, but the sharpshooter still had an incredible season and just terrorized the Rockets in Game 1. Curry’s ability to get the attention of any defense he faces is unmatched; no one in the history of the NBA demands your attention the way he does, and that creates a unique challenge that will test any defense in the postseason.
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Luka Doncic’s spot on this list signifies a tier jump; he is one of the best players in the league and is notably better than the ones ranked below him. After a run to the Finals that saw the Mavericks upsetting the Thunder and Timberwolves in dominant fashion, Doncic hopes to once again crash the Western Conference party. He is averaging 31 points per game in his playoff career on strong efficiency, and his teams are 11.3 points per 100 possessions better with him on the court versus off of it come postseason time.
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The Bucks have had postseason struggles in the first round, but you can’t pin those on how Giannis Antetokounmpo has performed for the most part. He’s healthy for this playoff run and has dropped 70 points in two games, but the Bucks have dropped both of them because the supporting cast is truly abysmal. Giannis is an incredible defensive player, an efficient scorer, a terror on the boards, and a pretty good playmaker as well. He is averaging an efficient 27 points per game in his playoff career while also having an all-time great Finals run in 2021; get him some help.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a player who could have a truly legendary career based on what he has in Oklahoma City, and more importantly, his talent. He could win his first-ever MVP this year, and last postseason, he was brilliant in the Thunders’ first playoff showing with this new core. This year, he’s struggled through two playoff games, but he’s been an incredible defensive anchor who facilitates for his teammates. He’ll get the ball rolling this postseason soon, a scary thought for the West, considering that OKC has made Memphis look like a G-League team through two games.
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Nikola Jokic is the best player in the NBA and has an incredible playoff track record individually, including an all-time great Finals run. He is a prolific offensive player capable of running a top-flight offense with any supporting cast, but the Denver Nuggets’ lack of defensive personnel around him has seemed to be their undoing in recent years. Last season it felt as if the Nuggets were going to go right back to the Finals before they were upset by the Timberwolves and their two-big lineup. Can they break the bracket this year with the media pronouncing their season all but dead?
