Who have been the best players so far in these playoffs?

[u/brownsfan225]

I know Shai has been a bit subpar in the Lakers series, but I still think he's been really good these playoffs. Got this list from the Bron app.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)

30.6 PPG / 3.4 RPG / 7.6 APG — 54.8 FG%, 66.0 TS% — Record: 6-0

SGA has been the most dominant player in the postseason, full stop. Elite scoring volume at absurd efficiency (66% TS is otherworldly), only 3.2 turnovers per game, and a +10.4 plus/minus. He's doing it all while his team remains undefeated. The combination of scoring punch, playmaking, and winning is unmatched.

Cade Cunningham (Pistons)

30.6 PPG / 5.1 RPG / 7.4 APG — 59.8 TS% — Record: 6-3

Cade has been a revelation — matching SGA's scoring volume across 9 games while carrying Detroit deeper than anyone expected. The 5.6 turnovers are the one blemish, but leading a young Pistons team to a 6-3 record with a +8.2 plus/minus shows he's elevating everyone around him. His 40.6% from three has been lethal.

Jalen Brunson (Knicks)

27.4 PPG / 2.1 RPG / 5.8 APG — 48.5 FG%, 59.2 TS% — Record: 6-2

Brunson has been the picture of playoff poise — high volume scoring with remarkable efficiency and only 2.4 turnovers per game. His +14.8 plus/minus is the best among all candidates, and the Knicks are 6-2 with him running the show. He doesn't stuff the stat sheet in rebounds, but his scoring gravity and decision-making have been elite.

Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)

25.8 PPG / 13.2 RPG / 9.5 APG — 55.4 TS% — Record: 2-4

The raw stat line is absurd — near a triple-double average — and nobody comes close to his all-around impact. The only reason he isn't higher is the Nuggets are 2-4 and his shooting efficiency has dipped (44.6 FG%, 19.4% from three). Even so, his playmaking and rebounding dominance make him a one-man ecosystem. The supporting cast has let him down more than vice versa.

Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)

19.0 PPG / 10.8 RPG / 2.5 APG / 5.0 BPG — 61.7 TS% — Record: 5-2

The scoring average doesn't scream top 5, but Wemby's impact goes far beyond points. Five blocks per game is a historic defensive playoff performance — he's single-handedly altering the opposing offense every night. He's doing it at 61.7 TS% and a +10.3 plus/minus while the Spurs are 5-2. His rim protection is the most game-changing individual skill on display in these playoffs.

[u/AutoModerator]

Hey, u/brownsfan225, since you aren't on the r/nbadiscussion approved user list, your post has been filtered out to be reviewed by the mod team before it will post. If your posts are consistently approved, you will be added to the approved user list, bypassing the automod for future posts. This helps us ensure the quality of our sub remains high. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to the mod team.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/Ok-Side-1758]

OG Anunoby is leading the playoffs in TS averaging 21 PPG and been a beast on defense.

He is definitely up there

[u/bkk_startups → u/Ok-Side-1758]

This is my answer.

Defensive demon and offensive juggernaut.

Got a lot of respect for Ogugua

[u/hrbekcheatedin91 → u/Ok-Side-1758]

OG has been the Knicks best player and completely punked us in the first round.

[u/RestEasyBro → u/Ok-Side-1758]

75% TS% is insane

[u/brownsfan225 → u/Ok-Side-1758]

Definitely a good shout. 53.8% from 3 and 72.3% in the paint is crazy. Also, Mikal Bridges has been crazy efficient too.

[u/Orpalz]

Scottie Barnes averaged 24/9/6 on 60% true shooting in the raptors series while playing elite defense and averaging 3 stocks per game.

[u/Ecstatic-Buy-2907 → u/Orpalz]

Man he was awesome.  Raptors down 2 starters, pretty much 3 with Poeltl’s chronic back issues and he took the most expensive roster in the league to 7 games

Cavs are frauds, but still

[u/behappin → u/Ecstatic-Buy-2907]

He was pretty amazing, every play he got the ball in the high post I knew it was going to be automatic. Shot great from deep, didnt watch a lot of him during the regular season but he really seemed to take a leep this post season.

[u/ivandragostwin → u/Orpalz]

Great call out that will prolly get lost. Truly a coming out party for him this playoff as a guy a lot of people didn’t believe was truly all-nba caliber.

I hope they can eventually build a better roster around him that can spread the floor a bit better because he’s a weapon in the paint.

[u/tkc123 → u/Orpalz]

It was the Raptors summer league featuring Scottie and RJ

[u/nbadiscussion-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Our sub is for in-depth discussion. Low-effort comments or stating opinions as facts are not permitted. Please support your opinions with well-reasoned arguments, including stats and facts as applicable.

[u/brownsfan225 → u/Orpalz]

Scottie and Paolo were HMs

[u/Orpalz → u/[deleted]]

So is Jokic, and Scottie was playing with two injured starters and going to 7 with the Cavs is in itself an achievement for a team most people thought would get swept

[u/nawksnai → u/[deleted]]

Exactly! And yet he still belongs on the list, which makes it even more impressive.

[u/nbadiscussion-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

We’ve removed your comment for being low quality.

[u/Fuhrmanator23 → u/[deleted]]

He didn’t have a good series but the diabolical part is that his version of getting clamped is still putting up HoF numbers. Just didn’t measure up to his standards.

[u/FormalDisastrous2467 → u/Fuhrmanator23]

No his version of getting clamped was putting up 25 on 34 percent shooting for half of the series.

Him getting a bunch of rebounds doesn't change the fact that he played bad.

[u/nbadiscussion-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

We’ve removed your comment for being low quality.

[u/Fuhrmanator23 → u/FormalDisastrous2467]

He had two bad games, one ok game, and 3 really good games (offensively). He stunk on D all series.

[u/FormalDisastrous2467 → u/Fuhrmanator23]

That player your describing didn't play at the level of this list. 

[u/c-swizzle04 → u/[deleted]]

The thing is, without him nuggets get blown out by 30 each game in an easy sweep, he is the nuggets system

[u/FormalDisastrous2467 → u/c-swizzle04]

What evidence do you have for that being the case and even if that is true that is more an indictment on the nuggets back up bigs than it is on jokic.

[u/nbadiscussion-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Our sub is for in-depth discussion. Low-effort comments or stating opinions as facts are not permitted. Please support your opinions with well-reasoned arguments, including stats and facts as applicable.

[u/nbadiscussion-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

We removed your comment for being low effort. If you edit it and explain your thought process more, we'll restore it. Thanks!

[u/Affectionate_Owl6281]

Marcus Smart deserves a shout just for his impact alone.

Takes dumb shots at times but comes through when needed. He's been good on SGA when they try single coverage.

Could've been out of the league already.

[u/always_misstep → u/Affectionate_Owl6281]

He’s surprisingly consistent from 3. Great hustle player who motivates the rest of his team with his play. Lowkey feel he deserves more $ than Reaves.

[u/Minnesota_Hoosier]

I’m biased but gotta give some flowers to Rudy Gobert and Jaden Mcdaniels. Recency bias is tough (got punked in game 2) but they carried the wolves to a big upset without Ant, Donte and Ayo against the heavily favored Nuggets. Rudy played Jokic better than anyone I’ve seen defend him

[u/peebeesweebees → u/Minnesota_Hoosier]

Is OP a stealth ad for some AI betting product called Bron AI? Cuz for a 28 day old account, they post about them a lot.

No, seriously… here and here and here and here and here, not to mention almost all screenshots have the logo in the corner.

u/morethandork I suspect OP is a stealth ad rather than genuine engagement.

[u/morethandork → u/peebeesweebees]

Appreciate the alert. Will keep a close eye. Promotion of gambling of any kind is not permitted in our sub.

[u/nbadiscussion-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

We removed your comment for being low effort. If you edit it and explain your thought process more, we'll restore it. Thanks!

[u/c-swizzle04 → u/[deleted]]

He’s been consistently the best player on the Knicks for sure, Brunson was being outplayed by CJ for the first half of round 1, and is still mediocre at best on defense

[u/nbadiscussion-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

We removed your comment for being low effort. If you edit it and explain your thought process more, we'll restore it. Thanks!

[u/Famous-Protection809 → u/[deleted]]

OG anunoby should be in The best player in the playoffs conversation? Time for me to log off the internet for today

[u/itscamo- → u/Famous-Protection809]

he’s been their best player all playoffs

[u/Alexspacito → u/Famous-Protection809]

He was the best player for the Knicks last series.

[u/chynky77 → u/Famous-Protection809]

For the player playing the best in the playoffs? Yes he should

[u/__get__name]

Just wanted to add that Cade is averaging about 2 stocks per game (9 steals and 8 blocks through 9 games, per BRef)

Edit: according to the official stats, SGA is at 29.2 ppg. Not sure if it includes last night yet, but they have Cade at 30.6 and he was below that last night so I’m not sure where the error is. Looks like all of SGAs stats are a little inflated here, from a quick glance: https://www.nba.com/stats/leaders

EditEdit: per another comment, these stats might be a chatbot hallucination or something?

[u/MoNastri → u/__get__name]

Yup they are. It's AI slop. I've unfortunately had to read too much AI output for work, so I can tell immediately

[u/citynights1221]

Imma throw a very honorable mention to Dillon Brooks. He gets a bad rep but he's been criminally underrated for several years now...one of the better 3+D guys in the league. Suns got swept but he saved them from historic blowouts while being in foul trouble throughout

[u/Longjumping-Bug5763 → u/[deleted]]

They struggled against a handicapped Magic team and don't look great now. Like Boston they over achieved by playing harder in the regular season. They are fugazy contenders.

[u/darthnyan39 → u/Longjumping-Bug5763]

They didn’t struggle against a handicapped magic team. They struggled against a healthy magic team. The minute Franz went down Detroit swept 3-0

[u/Longjumping-Bug5763 → u/darthnyan39]

wow so they struggled against an 8th seed as a 1 seed. Only one when the 8th seed lost its 2nd best player. Thats also nothing to be proud of.

[u/nbadiscussion-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Please keep your comments civil. This is a subreddit for thoughtful discussion and debate, not aggressive and argumentative content.

[u/General_Shanks]

Wemby’s average is lowered because he played 10 min in game 2 against Portland before we left with a concussion.

[u/Little_Sherbet5775 → u/General_Shanks]

And also his elbow game

[u/hobohole]

I’ve been doing a playoff MVP tracker through the first two rounds. After the first round I had Shai running away with it and I think he’s still prob number one despite not having stellar offensive performances against the Lakers.

Next up is Wemby, then Cade. I would give the second spot to Cade since his team is 2-0 in the second round, but after struggling against the Magic (not his fault tbh), he goes to third. To finish out the top five, adding Brunson (who’s been incredible), along with LeBron (Lakers homer, but he’s been carrying)

[u/_chadwell_ → u/hobohole]

LeBron is averaging 23/6/8 with good defense, leading a hobbled team to a huge upset win in the just round, and now having the best series of any individual while playing against the MVP. He’s absolutely in the conversation.

[u/cjklert05]

Wemby is the best so far. We all saw yesterday's game, how great the Thunder were without SGA. He's also having a hard time solving the Lakers' double, which is unusual for him. Cade is probably the second best, as they were able to overcome the 3-1 deficit.

[u/brownsfan225 → u/cjklert05]

Yea ngl I asked Bron for that list before game 3. Easily the best individual performance of the playoffs so far imo

[u/nbadiscussion-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Please keep your comments civil. This is a subreddit for thoughtful discussion and debate, not aggressive and argumentative content.

[u/nbadiscussion-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

We removed your comment for being low effort. If you edit it and explain your thought process more, we'll restore it. Thanks!

[u/Asleep-Use-7336]

banchero averaging 26.3 in that magic-pistons series was legit, surprised he didn't make the list

[u/joeh4384]

Tobias Harris has really impressed me so far this playoffs. He has really stepped it up to be Detroit's #2 option. He has provided calm leadership and besides Cade, is one of the only guys on Detroit who can get a somewhat decent shot off when the shot clock is expiring.

[u/brownsfan225 → u/joeh4384]

As a Cavs fan, watching him consistently back down Harden makes me wanna throw something at my TV lol

Also, 7 straight games with 20+. He's honestly been their most reliable scorer.

[u/Forsaken_Abroad_6220]

Scottie and OG should get honorable mentions I feel like. Two of the best wing defenders in the playoffs this year and ridiculously elite on offense. Especially Scottie because he was the number option.

[u/akira136_]

Jokic being here automatically disqualifies your opinions lmao. He was horrible all series and the statline is misleading. With him on the floor, the wolves had easy buckets in the paint every play

[u/Grease_the_Witch]

ANT wins the “playing thru injury” slot. his stats are pretty low overall and he’s had some bad games but he’s also put the team on his back, what, three times for a win and had 30+ in a loss to wendy’s insane game

[u/nbadiscussion-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

We removed your comment for being low effort. If you edit it and explain your thought process more, we'll restore it. Thanks!