The 15 most important players of the NBA playoffs, ranked

The 2019 NBA playoffs are finally here, starting on Saturday.

We’ve spent a few days debating which teams will win in the first round and wondered if anyone can take out the Golden State Warriors down the road in the postseason, but now it’s time to focus on the players who will decide this whole thing.

Below, I’ve listed the most important players who will decide who takes home the Larry O’Brien Trophy, from least to most, although there are so many big superstar names on there, they’re all super vital to the march to a potential championship.

Here’s our list:

15. Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz

The Jazz drew a tough Round 1 assignment against the Houston Rockets. But what if this is the matchup they can exploit? Mitchell can’t match James Harden’s near-triple-double stats in a series. But let’s say the Jazz defense keeps everyone else on the Rockets relatively in check. Then it’s going to be up to Mitchell to be the playmaker he’s been since joining Utah, the same one who led the Jazz to a first-round win last year over the Thunder.

14. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder

Not much to say here. You know what you’re going to get out of him every night — a triple-double!! — and that’s the reason he’s so low here. His MVP candidate teammate is a bigger X-factor this postseason.

13. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers

Do we underrate him too much? I think so. Guy pours in nearly 26 ppg and 7 apg and now has to carry a Nurk-less through Westbrook, Paul George and the Thunder. And he might seriously do it with some help from C.J. McCollum.

12. Ben Simmons

This is pretty simple: What happened to him last postseason could undoubtedly happen again. Teams will force him to shoot from far away, he will fail to do so and the questions about his shot will persist. But maybe he finds a way to thrive thanks to a stacked set of teammates who will draw attention away from the super-talented forward.

11. Kyrie Irving, Boston Celtics

Maybe he should be higher on this list? Here’s why: The Celts could actually make a dent in the East if they come together and put the regular season behind them. The talent is all there and isn’t a question. It’s about how Irving can, with the help of head coach Brad Stevens, orchestrate all of that talent and make it run like a machine, and that includes with leadership. If he loses to the Pacers and runs to the Knicks in the offseason, his reputation will take a big hit. If it all comes together for him and the Celtics for a surprise run, maybe there’s a chance at the NBA Finals again (although he still will probably leave in free agency).

10. Paul George, Oklahoma City Thunder

I just want to see if what he did during an astounding regular season translates to the playoffs. I bet it will.

9. Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors

There’s an argument to be had that he’s actually MORE important than the other Warriors on this list. It seems like he’s fitting in much better than he was earlier this year, and if he can be the shut-down defender we know he can be, doesn’t shoot too much and keeps his behavior from annoying Steve Kerr, he might win yet another ring.

8. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

There are people out there picking the Spurs to win their series against the Nuggets, who are the No. 2 seed in the West but were nearly No. 4. It’s up to the Joker to play like he did all season and not like he did against the Warriors when DeMarcus Cousins did this after shutting Jokic down:

The Nuggets might not be ready for primetime in the postseason, but maybe Jokic takes over and proves that’s false.

7. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

Without him, the Sixers are good enough to win one playoff series and that’s it. With him and a healthy knee, they’re Eastern Conference title contenders.

6. Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors

Sit back and enjoy him torching opponents in the playoffs again. There’s added importance to him this year, too: If the Dubs somehow fall off the rails in a series, he’ll be the one who needs to step in as a leader and get them back on track.

5. Kawhi Leonard, Toronto Raptors

If the Raps are really the team that can buzzsaw its way through the East — and that includes beating the Milwaukee Bucks — it’s going to be on Kawhi to be everything to Toronto on both ends of the floor. And he’s more than capable of doing that (see his 2017 postseason).

4. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

The Freak is only 24 years old and he might be an MVP. If he just does what he did this year, he’ll find himself in the NBA Finals. But what if the spotlight throws him off? What if his teammates — who were almost an addition to this list of important players — can’t find a bucket when he’s doubled? Will he crumble under the pressure?

3. DeMarcus Cousins, Golden State Warriors

Why is he so high up? It makes so much sense: The Warriors already have a death lineup without Boogie. But with him, especially now that he’s gotten past his Achilles tear and his struggles to fit in? They look unstoppable. He’s played great interior defense (see above with Jokic) and when the Warriors need to change the rhythm of a game, they can slow down and let him feast. Scary.

2. Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors

Another player who will do what’s expected of him … except the summer now looms more than ever. There might be questions about what on his mind. There might be adversity for him and his team. If he can shove all of that aside, KD might leave the Warriors with one more ring.

1. James Harden, Houston Rockets

Speaking of pressure: The Rockets have the best chance at taking down the dynasty Dubs. It all rests on Harden, who just finished one of the greatest scoring seasons in NBA history. If he falters along the way, it’s all over for Houston. If he and his teammates shoot 7-of-44 from distance again in a Game 7, can he stop the bleeding somehow? And I’m not just talking about in a series against the Warriors. The Rockets have been up and down all season. Harden hopefully saved his strength to carry his team all the way through the playoffs.