Only one round of the NBA Playoffs remain. The conference finals are over and the Finals now await.
Before we get there, though, now is the perfect time to reflect on what we just witnessed on an individual level. There were tremendous performances night in and night out, and the stars truly showed up. Classic games were a feature throughout and you don’t get those without some classic star performances.
Here’s a list of the top 10 players we saw during the conference finals (and here’s our second-round rankings as well).
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Gilgeous-Alexander’s performances over the four wins against the Minnesota Timberwolves were truly mesmerizing. In those games, he averaged 35.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 8.8 assists and 2.1 steals. He also shot 47.6 percent from the field and got to the line 47 times. It’s no surprise he added Western Conference Finals MVP to his list of accolades in what has been a dream season.
, this is a Wolves defense with plenty of length and versatility to throw at Gilgeous-Alexander. To come out of this series making it look as easy as he did is a testament to where his skill level and confidence are right now.
Turning 27 in July, Gilgeous-Alexander has only just arrived at the prime of his career.
2. Tyrese Haliburton
Sure, Pascal Siakam may have won Eastern Conference Finals MVP but this jury of one does believe Haliburton was the best player in this series.
Haliburton’s Game 1 shot was so iconic it’s almost as if people forgot how great he was in the game as a whole. Aaron Nesmith’s heroics had something to do with it, too. On the night, Haliburton had 31 points, 11 assists and four rebounds, including scoring or assisting on seven of the Pacers’ 13 points in overtime.
There was the historic Game 4 triple-double and he was terrific in Game 6 as well. Haliburton is the engine of this Pacers offense and the extent to which the New York Knicks went to take him out of Game 5 further illustrates how important he was.
Over six games, Haliburton put up 21.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 10.5 assists and 2.5 steals.
3. Pascal Siakam
What an Eastern Conference Finals for Siakam. He thoroughly won his matchup with Karl-Anthony Towns, which proved to be a big difference-maker in this series.
Three 30-point performances, coupled with strong defense, is why he took home the Eastern Conference Finals MVP award. Game 6 was among the best two-way performances of his playoff career, with Game 2 possibly at the very top.
A playoff career-high 39 points at Madison Square Garden on 15-of-23 shooting arguably put the series out of reach for the Knicks. No team has ever come back to win a conference finals after losing the first two at home.
4. Anthony Edwards
It’s true Anthony Edwards needed to be better for the Wolves to have a real chance against the Thunder. After shooting 38.5 percent from three through the first two rounds, his outside shot couldn’t get going in the Western Conference Finals. Edwards shot just 19.4 percent from deep in the Wolves’ four losses.
Still, he managed 23.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists on 47.1 percent shooting from the field while being hounded by All-Defensive First Team member Luguentz Dort. Edwards made the right play more often than he got credit for, but his teammates weren’t consistent enough around him.
5. Jalen Williams
Williams had himself an outstanding Western Conference Finals. Over five games, he averaged 22.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.0 steals. He shot 49.4 percent from the field, including 46.2 percent from three.
At this point, Williams has established him as one of the best two-way wings in the league. His ability to defend multiple positions, create his own shot and provide some playmaking are the perfect complement to Gilgeous-Alexander’s craft.
So, why isn’t he higher than Edwards? Well, we’ve also got to judge within the context of having the primary offensive role versus a secondary offensive role. Edwards deserves some grace for going up against one of the greatest defenses of the modern era, too.
6. Jalen Brunson
Now, we get to the other side of assessing players within their responsibilities. Brunson averaged 30.7 points and 5.7 assists while shooting 50.4 percent from the field and 34.9 percent from three. The manner in which he was exposed defensively, though, was not a good look.
Brunson’s clutch factor was diminished as well. He averaged just 2.9 turnovers per 100 possessions in the clutch during the regular season. Against the defensive pressure of Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard, that number ballooned to 13 per 100 possessions.
Weaknesses get magnified in the postseason and this was the most we’ve seen Brunson’s offensive prowess nullified by his negative impact defensively.
7. Karl-Anthony Towns
If not for Towns’ fourth quarter explosion in Game 3, it’s conceivable New York would’ve been swept. Scoring was not an issue for the Knicks big man. He averaged 24.8 points while shooting 50 percent from the field, including 36.7 percent beyond the arc. It’s the defense that was a sore spot and left teammates frustrated on several occasions.
He hardly gets in the right spots and it forces the rest of his team to put out too many fires. The Knicks, partly due to their lack of depth, were stuck between a rock and a hard place in needing Brunson and Towns’ offense while trying to mitigate their defensive deficiencies.
8. Chet Holmgren
Holmgren’s numbers may not jump off the page because he only needed to play 28.4 minutes per game with blowout nature of the series. He continues to offer the Thunder so much flexibility on both ends, which helps make this team so difficult to defend and score against inside.
Even with the low minutes, he put up 18.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks while shooting 56.7 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from deep. He was an absolute game-breaker during the Thunder’s crucial Game 4 win to grab a commanding 3-1 series lead.
9. OG Anunoby
Minus the 3-point shot, Anunoby had a legitimately great two-way series. He was the best defensive option against Siakam when he could actually get the matchup on him and looked like a big reason for a Game 1 win until his late missed free throw.
He did all he could in Games 4 and 6 but New York just couldn’t get enough from its best two players. Finishing the series averaging 17.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.7 blocks, he did his part in giving the Knicks a shot. Better than 29.3 percent from deep would’ve helped, though.
10. Aaron Nesmith
If not for his unfortunate ankle injury, Nesmith may be as high as No. 8 on this list. He had an all-time great role player performance in Game 1 and was vital to help win Game 2.
It was evident how much the tenor of Game 3 changed when Nesmith went down with his ankle injury. He wasn’t anywhere near his best in the final two games of the series and played just 36 minutes combined, but Indiana still found a way. Another telling stat: Nesmith knocked down as many triples (8) in Game 1 as he did in the remaining five games.
The Pacers will be hoping the four days of rest between Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals and Game 1 of the NBA Finals provide crucial time off for Nesmith’s ankle to heal.
