Top 5 NBA Players: Playoff Edition

In the NBA any player can step up and lead a team to victory on a random night during the regular season, but the playoffs have always served as the best way of weeding out the good players from the great. This year’s playoffs have lived up to that very same standard, with each team’s star players deciding the ultimate fate of their team’s respective seasons. Let’s look at who has been the best of the best as we head into the second round.

1. Nikola Jokic

When you average a triple-double for an entire series for the fourth time in your playoff career, as Jokic has done, the number one spot is yours for the taking. The three-time league MVP continues to prove why he is widely considered one of the greatest playoff performers to ever step on an NBA court. While Jokic’s overall efficiency is down compared to previous years in his playoff career, he is still very much the engine that drives the Nuggets on both sides of the floor. Until Jokic and the Nuggets are eliminated from the playoffs, the number one spot will be his for the time being.

2. Jayson Tatum

At just the age of 27, Tatum already has a playoff resume that stacks up well amongst some of the greatest players of all time.  Tatum’s first-round series against the Orlando Magic showcased exactly how integral the Celtic superstar is to Boston’s success. Tatum averaged over 31 points per game to go along with 11 rebounds per game to lead the reigning champs past the Magic in five games. The offensive production and defensive versatility that Tatum provides are some of the main reasons the Celtics have a great shot at repeating as champs.

3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

While fans of SGA may say this is too low of a ranking for the likely league MVP, SGA still has yet to fully pop for the Thunder in the playoffs so far. Despite averaging 28 points per game against the Grizzlies in the first round, SGA’s middling efficiency left a lot to be desired. SGA has shown that he can be an electric playoff performer in last year’s postseason, where he averaged 30 points per game. I fully expect SGA to come alive in the Thunder’s second-round series versus the Nuggets and climb up the rankings if all goes well for OKC.

4. Anthony Edwards

Speaking of electric playoff performers, there’s perhaps no player more exciting in the NBA than Anthony Edwards. The Timberwolves superstar’s growth this season as a playmaker has helped not only to expand Edwards overall game but has also provided Minnesota with a more potent offensive punch. When you mix both the game and attitude of Edwards, it’s no wonder the Timberwolves have seen the most postseason success in franchise history with Ant at the helm.

5. Jalen Brunson

There’s a reason that Brunson possesses the nickname Captain Clutch, and he put that on full display numerous times in the Knicks’ first-round series against the Detroit Pistons. The Clutch Player of the Year award winner dropped 40 points, which included a game-winning three-pointer with 4.3 seconds left to lift the Knicks to the second round. The Knicks will face a tough test in the second round against the Celtics, but as long as Brunson can stay healthy and continue his stellar play, the Knicks have a legitimate shot at upsetting the reigning champs.