What players have been the best in the NBA Playoffs?

05/21/2024

The Conference Finals are set: Indiana Pacers vs Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference, and the Dallas Mavericks vs the Minnesota Timberwolves in the west. We will be going over the three best players so far from each conference, as well as why they have been so good these playoffs. Stay tuned to fins out who they are.

Eastern Conference

Jalen Brunson

Jalen Brunson and his New York Knicks just got eliminated by the Indiana Pacers and Tyrese Haliburton, but that doesn't put down what Brunson has done in these playoffs. In just 13 games this postseason, Brunson averaged 32.4 points, 7.5 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game along with shooting 31% from three and 44% overall. What really put Brunson ahead of the pack was his ability to draw fouls, as he shot around 8.5 free throws every game, and shot 77% from the line. 

Donovan Mitchell

Donovan Mitchell carried the Cavaliers through the first two rounds of the playoffs, and once he got injured, they were never the same. He averaged 29.6 points, 4.7 assist and 5.4 in the playoffs, as the Cavs lost in five games to the superteam Celtics. Mitchell did however, lead them to a Game 2 victory over the Celtics, in which he had 29 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists. He topped out in the playoffs in an incredible 50 point game in Game 6 of the Magic series, where the Cavs still lost by seven.

Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum was on that team that beat the Cavs in five games, and he led the team to do so. He averaged 24.3, 10.4, and 5.8 assists so far in these playoffs, while leading the Celtics to an 8-2 record in the playoffs so far. Now he goes up against the cinderella team Pacers, led by Tyrese Haliburton, where he will be tested with being guarded by Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin. If Tatum can win this series, he will have to go up against the scariest two teams in the playoffs; the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves.


Western Conference

Anthony Edwards

Anthony Edwards has been a top-3 player so far in the playoffs, and has led the Timberwolves past the defending champs in the Denver Nuggets. He has averaged 28.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.9 assists and has been locking up the likes of Jamal Murray and Devin Booker on the defensive end. Edwards biggest test will be guarding Kyrie Irving in the Western Conference Finals, who has been playing like his 2016 self these playoffs. If Edwards and the Timberwolves can get it done against the Mavericks, then he has a great shot for Finals MVP.

Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokić just won his third MVP in four seasons, and this postseason he has shown why. Even though the Nuggets lost to the Timberwolves in seven games, Jokić averaged  28.7, 13.4, and 8.7 assists, leading the Nuggets in points, rebounds and assists. Jokić did this while being defended by the Defensive Player of the Year in Rudy Gobert. The Timberwolves even had Gobert stop guarding Jokić and switched Karl Anthony-Towns onto him, which didn't work either. So, even though the Nuggets lost and didn't go back-to-back, the season was a success for Nikola Jokić and he dominated in the playoffs.

Luka Dončić

Luka Dončić has been playing amazing these playoffs, and he has led the Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2022, where he also led them to the conference finals. Luka has been playing insane, with posting a statline of 27.3/9.7/9.1 these playoffs. He had Lu Dort and Paul George guarding him in the playoffs, and posting that statline is just incredible for Dončić. This series will be a test for him though, as he will have to lead the team as well as being guarded by Jalen McDaniels, who locked up Kevin Durant in round one and was guarding Aaron Gordon last series.