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THE 10 BEST PLAYOFF PERFORMERS: With the playoffs resuming later today, we have decided to rank the top 10 artists so far in the 2019-20 postseason. Team statistics and results were taken into account. Let’s see it.
10. Jimmy Butler: He’s not even Miami’s top scorer in the playoffs (that distinction would belong to Goran Dragic), but there’s no doubt Butler was instrumental in the Indiana Pacers’ first-round sweep in the Heat. Not only did the All-Star swingman posted a stat of 5/20/4 across four games, his outstanding defense, particularly over productive TJ Warren, helped Miami achieve series victory.
9. Anthony Davis: The Lakers big man leads all playoff players on average plus / minus at +16.0, and has absolutely dominated the Portland frontcourt for four games, averaging 26.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks. If it maintains that level of production, LA will be awfully hard to stop chasing the number 17.
8. Rudy Gobert: With an average of 17.6 points (out of 69.8% of shots, no less), 10.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks, Gobert was one of the main reasons Jazz currently have a 3-point lead. -2 on Denver. In particular, the fact that he kept his star mate Nikola Jokic in check in their match was huge for Utah. Jokic averages -4.6 plus / minus in the series.
7. LeBron James: After a slow start in the bubble, LeBron was spectacular in the postseason, especially after Game 1 of the LA match against Portland. Overall for the playoffs, James is averaging a triple double of 10/25/10 as he shoots nearly 43% from over the arc, playing the role of creator and still doing his fair share of scoring for the Lakers wonderfully. .
6. Jayson Tatum: Top scorer no. 9 in the postseason with 27 points per game, Tatum took full advantage of Philadelphia without Ben Simmons and absolutely dominated anyone who confronted him for the Sixers. Boston’s 4-0 v Philadelphia was largely thanks to Tatum’s excellence in the series.
5. Giannis Antetokounmpo: It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but Antetokounmpo, named defensive player of the year this week, saw his regular-season greatness move into the playoffs. The Greek Freak has averaged 31.3 points, 15.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists against Orlando, obscene signs that should worry all teams remaining on the Milwaukee path.
4. Luka Doncic: Despite a couple of quiet outings against the Clippers, Doncic is still posting a 10/9/9 postseason stat, including a performance of 43 points, 17 rebounds and 13 assists, which featured a game winner who will make him be on the reels of highlights for the rest of his career.
3. Jamal Murray: The Nuggets guard has had potential All-Star since being drafted by Denver, but it seemed like he didn’t put it all together … until now. Murray’s rise in these playoffs has been nothing short of spectacular to watch and the duel he has had with player # 1 on this list is basketball entertainment at its best. In five games, Murray averaged nearly 31 points while shooting 55.7% from the ground and 52.4% from depth. Oh, and he’s only shot the ball seven times in those five games, an impressive feat considering the ball management duties he has.
2. Kawhi Leonard: Paul George may go back and forth between being Playoff P and Pandemic P for the Clippers, but his teammate, Leonard, has been steady as a rock throughout the playoffs. Leonard averaged 32.8 points in the postseason (the second best score among all players) to go on with 9.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.8 steals. With the level he has performed at, Leonard is more than capable of leading the Clippers to the title in his first year with the team.
1. Donovan Mitchell: It was a fairly easy decision to pick the top runner on this list, as Mitchell has been outrageously good since the start of the playoffs, losing at least 30 points four times in five games and at least 50 points twice, including a 57-point performance, third highest score in the history of the championship. Like Murray, it looks like Mitchell used the 2019-20 playoffs to go from simply being a good player to a great one, and it will be fascinating to see what he is capable of if Utah advances to Round 2 over the weekend.
BOYCOTT NBA PLAYERS: Our Michael Scotto takes you behind the scenes of what went into the Bucks’ decision to boycott their game and its aftermath. The boycott (really more of a strike) was a moment that will be talked about for years to come.
ANOTHER TRAGEDY: In the year that won’t stop, NBA players react to heartbreaking news of the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman, best known for his role as T’Challa in Black Panther.
Rest in peace, Chadwick, and thank you for sharing your gifts with all of us.
BRODIE RETURNS: Good news for Houston as Russell Westbrook is ready to return from the quad injury that kept him out of the first four games of the playoffs.
KIDD TO PHILLY? Lakers assistant manager Jason Kidd is reportedly quite interested in the post of Philadelphia head coach.
That could be disastrous considering his strong personality and those already in the Sixers locker room, but it might also be interesting to see what Kidd, a non-shooting headguard himself at the time, might be able to do with Ben Simmons.
SHAKEUP COMING? Speaking of Philadelphia, Michael Scotto spoke with coaches and league executives to find out what they think the Sixers should do with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. Exchange one? Swap both? Don’t trade either? Tough decisions in sight for Elton Brand and Co.
HIGH PRAISE: Kevin Durant recently made some very interesting comments on burgeoning star Luka Doncic, calling the young phenomenon a (inaccurate) problem while discussing how refined his game is.
STATISTICS: LeBron James has scored more points in the playoffs than many memorable players scored in their entire regular season careers. Do not you believe it? Look at just a few of the names here.
MAMBA DAY: To celebrate Mamba Day earlier this week, we put together this fantastic gallery by Kobe Bryant with all the trophies he has won in his career, including the Oscar in 2018. We miss you, Mamba.
COVID-19: Pelican owner Gayle Benson tested positive for the coronavirus, although her symptoms weren’t severe enough to require hospitalization. Let’s hope he gets better soon.
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