The NBA Playoffs are now in full swing, and, so far, they have been exhilarating, which is all the more satisfying after a fairly limp end to the regular season. That’s not a criticism, as such, more an observation that we had a fair idea of who would be in the Playoffs weeks ahead of the actual end of the season. It felt like a bit of a waiting game for the real action to begin.
Nonetheless, the Playoffs are here, and they are already promising to deliver a vintage climax to the NBA season. New narratives are emerging and written-off players are making a mockery of the critics. There are underdogs punching above their weight, and there are top teams dominating as the script says they would.
It all boils down to the players, of course, and we wanted to highlight those making headlines in this early part of the Playoffs.
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)
It’s almost boring to say it, but the man who started as the key player and NBA MVP betting favorite for the team that started the season as the favorite for the championship is as good as we all thought he would be. The thing about SGA is that his performances have been so commonplace that it barely registers for discussion. 40+ point games have become just another tick on a glowing resume. He’s the best in the league right now.
2. LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers)
Those writing LeBron off now look foolish. In fact, there’s a sense of “I told you so” all over social media from Lakers fans, who have watched the 41-year-old idol bring his team into contention. James is obviously one of the most famous athletes in the world, but he is proving right now that he still has it. His game-tying 3-pointer against the Rockets in Game 3 was vintage LeBron, and who knows where this resurgence will lead?
3. Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs)
The young French superstar is on the verge of true greatness. LeBron is nearly twenty years older than “Wemby,” but there is no stronger candidate to become the next face of the NBA globally, and one of the world’s biggest sports stars. Wembanyama started the Playoffs with the Spurs, where he left off the regular season, driving the team relentlessly toward success, something that few predicted at the start of the season. A concussion meant that he was held back due to league protocols, but he is now back and leading the Spurs.
4. Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)
Sometimes, things just get timed perfectly. Tatum – an NBA champion with the Celtics in 2024 – got injured in last year’s Playoffs, spending almost a year on the sidelines. The Celtics did okay without him, but there was a sense that they were missing the extra piece to be a true contender. He’s taken a while to get back into the groove, but his performances have grown through the backend of the regular season and into the postseason. He may be the X-factor that the Celtics need.
5. Cade Cunningham (Detroit Pistons)
We’ll finish with a player who is shining in a team that is struggling, unlike the rest of those mentioned above. Cunningham and the Pistons are certainly not out of the reckoning, but they are currently down in a tight series against the Orlando Magic. Cunnigham, however, is proving that he is now at the elite level of NBA players. He’s just 24, so he has plenty of time to prove that this wonderful season is not a flash in the pan. He is going the right way about it.
