NBA playoff predictions: Ranking the Top 16 NBA players for this postseason
With the 2023 NBA playoffs now here, we thought it would be a fun exercise to rank the Top 16 players ahead of the postseason.
In these rankings, we are placing players by how we believe they will perform in the upcoming playoffs, so how far we predict their teams will get in the postseason did factor in.
Check out our rankings below.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee)
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We lead off with 2021 Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, our No. 1 player for the 2023 playoffs. One of the three finalists for regular-season MVP this year, Antetokounmpo remains as impactful as ever, an absolute force on offense and defense thanks to his unreal athleticism and physical attributes. Antetokounmpo is the best player on the team with the clearest path to at least the Conference Finals and that, plus his already being a proven playoff performer, made him our consensus pick for this spot.
For the latest Giannis Antetokounmpo rumors, click here.
Kevin Durant (Phoenix)
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Like Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant is a proven playoff performer, with two Finals MVPs under his belt to Antetokounmpo’s one, and he likewise sits as a conference-finalist favorite. But the fact Durant was a midseason acquisition for the Phoenix Suns with just eight games under his belt for his new team gave us some pause as far as predicting him to be the best player for the upcoming playoffs. Regardless, Durant is such a talented scorer, playmaker and defender that he can plug and play anywhere and find success. His path to the Finals wouldn’t be as easy as Antetokounmpo’s might be but the Suns remain a Western Conference favorite anyway.
For the latest Kevin Durant rumors, click here.
Jayson Tatum (Boston)
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Despite being just 25, Jayson Tatum already has 74 playoff games under his belt and is proven at that level, even despite his 2022 Finals hiccup, where his performance simply wasn’t up to the level we had grown accustomed to from him. Tatum has gotten to the Finals already once and the conference finals twice on top of that, leading the Boston Celtics to great heights thanks to his three-level scoring and solid defense.
For the latest Jayson Tatum rumors, click here.
Joel Embiid (Philadelphia)
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Despite his near-MVP level play over recent seasons, Joel Embiid has yet to lead the Philadelphia 76ers even to the conference finals, something the big man will be hoping changes this postseason. If not, all of his MVP campaigning might not look so great in a few weeks. There’s a lot at stake this postseason for Embiid as he has only won four playoff series so far in his career.
For the latest Joel Embiid rumors, click here.
Stephen Curry (Golden State)
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With a Finals MVP now under his belt, Stephen Curry now has nothing left to prove besides improving on his already-outstanding legacy. The greatest shooter the league has ever seen and still perhaps the best guard in basketball, Curry is still a risky choice here since the Golden State Warriors, after a mediocre regular season by their standards, might have to play every series coming up without home-court advantage. Only one team has won four series without home-court advantage on their way to a championship: the 1994-95 Houston Rockets. And only three teams have won titles by winning three series without home-court advantage: the 1976-77 Portland Trail Blazers, the 1977-78 Washington Bullets and 2003-04 Detroit Pistons. But Curry is Curry and can lead a team to those heights, especially with the Warriors’ current supporting cast.
For the latest Stephen Curry rumors, click here.
Devin Booker (Phoenix)
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Two seasons removed from a trip to the Finals in which the Phoenix Suns actually held a 2-0 series lead before falling to Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, Devin Booker and Co. followed that up with an embarrassing Game 7 elimination against the Dallas Mavericks last year in the second round, something Booker will certainly want to make people forget with the team’s upcoming playoff run. We’ll see if they are able to pull that off and win the first championship in Suns’ history.
For the latest Devin Booker rumors, click here.
Kawhi Leonard (LA Clippers)
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Despite missing the early part of the season recovering from a knee injury suffered last year, Kawhi Leonard finished the season strong, performing like one of the top two-way wings with elite scoring from the midrange. A two-time Finals MVP, it’s going to take some heroics for Leonard to lead the Los Angeles Clippers on a deep playoff run this year. Even so, Leonard’s playoff track record is unimpeachable. He does have a troubling injury history in the postseason, too, though, something that will need to be monitored.
For the latest Kawhi Leonard rumors, click here.
Nikola Jokic (Denver)
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A two-time regular-season MVP, Nikola Jokic’s success in the playoffs hasn’t been quite as strong, though a lack of a helpful enough supporting cast can be at least in part to blame for that. Jokic and Co. did reach the Conference Finals once, though it happened in the Orlando bubble. Even so, we may end up regretting putting Jokic this low on the list. He’s taken heat for playoffs shortcomings, probably unfairly so, considering he’s the only player in playoffs history with averages of 26 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. Even if the postseason run ends early for Denver this year, it probably won’t be Jokic’s fault.
For the latest Nikola Jokic rumors, click here.
Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland)
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A high-level playoff scorer throughout his career already, Donovan Mitchell doesn’t have the same level of team success quite yet. In fact, Mitchell ranks seventh all-time in playoff points per game at 28.3 points, though he’s far from the most efficient on the list at 43.1 percen shootingt, something he’ll need to clean up if the Cleveland Cavaliers are going to make a playoff run this year.
For the latest Donovan Mitchell rumors, click here.
Anthony Davis (LA Lakers)
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If the Los Angeles Lakers want hope of another championship run, it’ll lie on the back of Anthony Davis, who looked like peak-level AD during the second half of the season, putting up 26.5 points, 13.0 rebounds and 2.1 blocks over the final 20 games of the campaign. As always, though, the question for Davis over the coming weeks will be in regard to his durability. If he can stay healthy, we could see the Lakers making a run.
For the latest Anthony Davis rumors, click here.
Ja Morant (Memphis)
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Off-court issues aside this season, Ja Morant is one of the most explosive point guards in the league, one who is averaging 28.2 points and 9.2 assists over 14 career postseason games so far. Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies will have a mighty test off the bat in these playoffs, however, faced with the monumental task of taking on the Lakers in round one.
For the latest Ja Morant rumors, click here.
LeBron James (LA Lakers)
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One of the league’s GOATs, if not the outright greatest player in NBA history, LeBron James has nothing left to prove. Still, another title run in his age-38 season would go a long way in swaying the final detractors in the debate. If the Lakers are going to make a title run, it’s going to depend largely on if James’ body can handle the load of minutes at his age and with his mileage.
For the latest LeBron James rumors, click here.
Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee)
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A proven championship sidekick, Jrue Holiday played a huge part in the Bucks’ 2021 title run thanks to his elite-level defense and his ability to make timely shots. The same will be needed out of Holiday this year if Milwaukee is to make another run at a championship, especially with Khris Middleton hobbled heading into the playoffs.
For the latest Jrue Holiday rumors, click here.
Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento)
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With just 13 career playoff games under his belt, no playoff appearances since 2018-19 and postseason averages of 9.6 points and 4.8 rebounds, we’re taking a bit of a chance ranking Domantas Sabonis on this list. But we believe the All-Star big man, now in his prime, is ready for a big playoff run, as his face-up scoring, post-ups, rebounding and playmaking will be tough for playoff foes to stifle. He’ll have a great test right away in the form of the Warriors, who can throw the likes of Draymond Green and Kevon Looney at him.
For the latest Domantas Sabonis rumors, click here.
Jimmy Butler (Miami)
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Despite no championships and just one Finals appearance, Jimmy Butler is a proven postseason performer, coming off a 2022 playoff run in which he was arguably the best player of the postseason, leading the league in playoff Wins Shares despite not even making the Finals. So, now what? Miami barely made the playoffs and we don’t anticipate them making a deep postseason run, not with Milwaukee set to face them in round one. But Butler has earned his playoff respect, so he makes it into our ranking anyway.
For the latest Jimmy Butler rumors, click here.
De'Aaron Fox (Sacramento)
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This will be De’Aaron Fox’s first playoff rodeo, making it difficult to determine where he should sit in these rankings. On one hand, he’s an All-Star-level point guard, an elite floor general thanks to his top-notch speed, improved shooting and finishing ability near the rim. On the other, he’ll have to face the proven Warriors, and Curry, in round one, no easy task for any young point guard.
For the latest De’Aaron Fox rumors, click here.
