Ranking the top 10 players in the Western Conference Finals

Are basketball fans about to be treated to one of the most competitive and exciting Western Conference Finals in recent memory?

Having a competitive conference finals in the West is a bit of a rarity of late. Dallas wiped out Minnesota in five games last year, Denver swept the Lakers in 2023-24 and the Warriors blitzed the Mavericks in five games in 2022-23. The only West final to go beyond five games since the 2018-19 Warriors-Rockets series went seven games was in 2021-22, when the Suns topped the Clippers in six games.

This year, the Oklahoma City Thunder are a big favorite against Minnesota. The Thunder won 68 games in the regular season and they are elite on both ends of the court. That said, the Wolves have been here before and have been playing at a similarly elite level since the calendar flipped to March.

Star power steals the show in the playoffs, but "the others," as Shaquille O'Neal refers to the non-stars, might matter more than ever in this series. With that, here's how we rank the 10 best players in the Western Conference Finals.

1. Anthony Edwards

Edwards is averaging 26.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game in the playoffs. He's making the right plays to get his teammates involved, coming up clutch when the Wolves need buckets, and playing high-level defense for four quarters. How will he fare against OKC's elite defense?

2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Just because he's an MVP favorite doesn't mean he's better than Edwards, who might be on a mission to prove he's better than SGA. Shai is averaging 29.0 points. 5.9 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game. Edwards, however, is killing him from deep, shooting 38.5% compared to SGA's 29.3% from three.

3. Julius Randle

Had there been an award for conference semifinals MVP, Randle would've won it after torching the Warriors for an average of 25.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists. He had a near triple-double in Game 3 and he completed the triple-double in Game 4. For the playoffs, he's averaging 23.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.9 assists. He'll be critical in this series for Minnesota.

4. Jalen Williams

Williams has developed into the clear No. 2 for Oklahoma City, and his ability to shoot the three and score as a slasher and transition king — coupled with elite defense — makes him one of the best players in the series. The 24-year-old averaged 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists during the regular season, and he's averaging 19.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.7 assists in the playoffs. Where he needs to step up is from three, having shot just 25.4% in the postseason compared to 36.5% during the regular season.

5. Jaden McDaniels

McDaniels carried the Wolves to a couple of wins over the Lakers in the first round, and he's averaging 15.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per game for the playoffs. He's been extremely efficient on the offensive end, shooting 55.4% overall and 34.5% from deep. He's dangerous as a catch-and-shoot option, but he's also found ways to create his own shot off the bounce. Oh, and he's probably the best all-around defender on the team.

6. Rudy Gobert

Gobert can't defend Luka Doncic on the perimeter? He erased that narrative in a heartbeat. He's a fraud as the four-time Defensive Player of the Year? He appeared to change Draymond Green's opinion about that, too. His numbers — 8.9 points and 9.6 rebounds in the playoffs — don't jump off the page, but his impact has been undeniable.

7. Chet Holmgren

The Minneapolis native has averaged 15.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. Holmgren made 11 of 22 threes in the first three games of the first-round series against Memphis, but he's just 6 of 31 (19.3%) from deep since then.

8. Isaiah Hartenstein

Hartenstein is averaging 10.3 points and 8.9 rebounds while shooting 60.3% from the floor in the playoffs. He's as steady as they come and he's impactful on both ends of the floor. Minnesota has to keep him off the glass as much as possible, especially considering he's averaging 3.3 offensive rebounds per game.

9. Naz Reid

Reid has been an incredible offensive spark for Minnesota off the bench. His prolific three-point shooting (46.5% in the playoffs on 4.5 attempts per game) has been pivotal for the Wolves, but he's not rebounding enough (3.5 boards per game) and he's been a defensive liability. Reid feels like an X-factor in this series.

10. Alex Caruso

Of all the players who easily could've made the 10th spot on this list, including Mike Conley, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Donte DiVincenzo, Lu Dort, and Cason Wallace, no one deserves it more than Caruso. That's largely due to him providing a great two-way performance almost every night, despite playing only 22 minutes per game off the bench. He's giving the Thunder 9.3 points and 1.8 steals per game, all while boasting a 4.3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio and shooting 41.3% from three.

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