2016 NBA Playoffs Heat Check: Ranking Top Performers from Round 1 by Position
The NBA playoffs are getting more interesting by the day.
Some of the weaker elements (the Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks and Detroit Pistons) have been culled from the herd. And some of the more legitimate combatants have been hit with injuries, further leveling the playing field.
The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers have seen three of the game's biggest superstars hit with health problems, while the Charlotte Hornets and Boston Celtics are battling through their own maladies.
But that still leaves plenty of great players on top-notch teams standing amid all the attrition. Without studs like Stephen Curry, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin around to soak up the spotlight, other rising stars have found and will find unforeseen opportunities to shine on the Association's biggest stages.
Here's a look at the top three performers at each position so far based on individual production and team-wide impact. Those whose squads have been ousted aren't eligible for consideration, and those who performed well before succumbing to injury on teams that are still alive have been included as honorable mentions.
Point Guard
3. Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers' Big Three have come to play this postseason, perhaps none more so than Kyrie Irving.
Hobbled throughout last year's playoffs, he returned with a vengeance, scoring a playoff career-high 31 points in Game 1 against the Detroit Pistons, then repeating that feat in Game 4. By averaging 27.5 points per game, Irving joined Dwyane Wade as the second player to ever pace a LeBron James-led team in scoring ahead of LBJ himself during a playoff series.
More impressive, though, was the way he piled up his points. As the Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto pointed out, Irving took—and took and took—what the Detroit Pistons defense gave him:
"Irving shot exactly .471 from the field and .471 on 3-pointers. In the regular season, Irving shot a career-low .321 on 3-pointers. Detroit's strategy was to take away the drive from Irving, giving him some open outside shots. He delivered. Irving was 16-of-34 on 3-pointers. So he took the open long range shots and made them.
"
That's what Cleveland needs most from Irving. As much as most teams might want their point guard to run the offense and move the ball, the Cavs, with James steering the show, are on top of their game when Irving is doing what he does best: putting the ball in the basket.
2. Isaiah Thomas, Boston Celtics
Isaiah Thomas has high praise for Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens, as well he should. Under Stevens' tutelage, Thomas went from a diminutive sixth man to, this season, a bona fide All-Star.
"It sounds crazy," Thomas told ESPN.com's Jackie MacMullan, "but Brad has the potential to be one of the greatest coaches who ever lived."
Thomas' torrid play in Boston against the Atlanta Hawks is just the latest testament to that. With Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder and Kelly Olynyk all hobbled to some extent, Thomas came through with a career-high 42 points in Game 3 and followed that up with 28 more in Game 4—both Celtics victories.
It's no wonder, then, that Thomas' kids had such high praise for their dad.
That's not so crazy considering what they and all of Beantown had just witnessed. Now, the city will wait with bated breath to see if Thomas can return from a mild ankle sprain and a Game 5 drubbing in time to save the C's from elimination in Game 6.
1. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban made headlines for claiming Russell Westbrook is "an All-Star but not a superstar," per ESPN.com's Tim MacMahon.
Kevin Durant's response?
You don't have to take Durant's word for it, though. Just look back at what Westbrook did to Dallas during the Oklahoma City Thunder's five-game series victory. The five-time All-Star torched to the tune of 26.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and a playoff-best 11.2 assists while hitting 46.3 percent of his shots overall and 37.9 percent from three.
At that pace, Westbrook will give the Thunder more than a puncher's chance to upend the San Antonio Spurs in Round 2. If the UCLA product comes through, he can thank Cuban for giving him some extra troll material to fuel an already fierce internal fire.
Honorable Mentions: Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers; Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets
Shooting Guard
3. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
Home is truly where the heart is for Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat. After dominating the Charlotte Hornets twice in South Beach, the Heat got beat twice—badly during Game 3—once their series moved up to North Carolina.
That disconcerting dichotomy has extended to Wade's individual game.
| Home | 22 | 50% | 7.5 | 1.5 |
| Road | 14.5 | 35.5% | 5.5 | 3 |
Fortunately for the Heat, they'll host the Hornets at American Airlines Arena in Game 5 on Wednesday. If the previous pattern holds, Wade should find enough fuel left in his 34-year-old tank to power his team past a scrappy Charlotte squad and back into the series lead.
2. Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors
With Curry on the shelf, Klay Thompson goes from a glorified second scorer to, perhaps, the biggest key to the Golden State Warriors' postseason survival.
The two-time All-Star has already responded with aplomb to his Splash Brother's plight. Since Game 1 against the Houston Rockets, Thompson has averaged 24.7 points and 4.0 assists in a shade under 36.0 minutes per game.
Bleacher Report's Kevin Ding suggested this could be just the start of Thompson's supplementary effort, with Draymond Green as his biggest catalyst:
"Klay Thompson is obviously the guy who will get more shots as a one-two punch with Green, and Thompson's shooting reputation certainly precedes him. The Warriors have played the equivalent of a little more than eight full games to this point in the season with Green and Thompson on the court but not Curry…and Thompson is scoring 35.1 points per 48 minutes in those situations, per NBAwowy.com.
"
In other words, watch out, world. Here comes Klay.
1. James Harden, Houston Rockets
Say what you will about James Harden's half-cheeked defensive effort or the collapse of the Houston Rockets on his watch this season. Just don't forget that this guy is an offense unto himself.
This spring, that's amounted to 24.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 9.0 free-throw attempts in 39.1 minutes per game. He hasn't been entirely absent on defense, either, chipping in 2.5 steals a night.
Harden's hardly been efficient racking up those big numbers. He's shot 37.7 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from three, with 4.8 turnovers to boot. Those issues have contributed to Houston falling into a 3-1 hole against the Warriors despite Curry's incapacitation since Game 1.
Then again, if not for Harden's heroics—legal or otherwise—the Rockets would've already seen their postseason end in a first-round sweep.
Honorable Mentions: C.J. McCollum, Portland Trail Blazers; J.R. Smith, Cleveland Cavaliers
Small Forward
3. Paul George, Indiana Pacers
Paul George piled up 39 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Indiana Pacers in Game 5. Had Solomon Hill shot quick enough to give George his ninth assist or PG-13 taken the last shot himself, the Pacers might have hit overtime and be heading back to Indianapolis with a 3-2 series lead.
Instead, they'll fly home on life support after dropping a 102-99 decision to the Toronto Raptors north of the border. The Raptors closed on a 27-7 run during which George scored just once in four attempts with two turnovers.
On the whole, though, George has been brilliant during this series, enough so to keep the offensively challenged Pacers in the game. Through five contests, he's poured in 28.8 points on 47.3 percent shooting (41.9 percent from three), 6.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 9.6 free-throw attempts in 37.8 minutes per night.
2. Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
Another year, another burst of postseason brilliance from Kawhi Leonard.
The former Finals MVP started things off by averaging 21.5 points on 52.7 percent shooting (61.1 percent from three), 4.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.8 steals and 2.8 blocks in just 31.5 minutes to secure a first-round sweep for the San Antonio Spurs over the Memphis Grizzlies.
This, despite drawing more attention than ever from the opposition.
Or, could Leonard's turn toward superstardom this time around be his response to the pressure?
"He's getting fired up now, I think," Tim Duncan told NBA.com's David Aldridge. "He's trying to earn the respect of the opponents, and officials, and everything else. I think he's getting to the point now where people are being a lot more physical with him, but people are still allowed to get away with a lot of stuff. And that gets him fired up, rightly so."
Not that you'd know it by watching or listening to the guy. No matter the circumstances, Leonard is as cool as a cucumber—an ideal temperament for the hothouse of the playoffs.
1. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Poo-poo James' first-round credentials all you want, but you can't get to six NBA Finals, including five in a row, if you don't win the opening series.
By helping the Cleveland Cavaliers wrap up the Detroit Pistons in four games, James extended a slew of impressive personal marks, including:
- His streak of first-round games won, to 17 in a row.
- His run of first-round series wins, to a perfect 11-of-11.
- His overall first-round record, to 44-7.
James' own numbers to that end were strong this year: 22.8 points on 48.7 percent shooting, 9.0 rebounds and 6.8 assists in just under 42.0 minutes per game. Unlike years past, he did the vast majority of his damage on the interior. According to NBA.com, James took 44.9 percent of his shots against Detroit within five feet of the hoop and made 74.3 percent of those.
As the Washington Post's Josh Planos detailed, James opened up the floor for a historic offensive output from the Cavs:
"Cleveland averaged 115.8 points per 100 possessions in the series, the most of any LeBron-led team in the conference quarterfinals and nearly three points higher than the Cavaliers averaged over any month this season. The Cavaliers produced 1.16 points per possession, the highest mark of any LeBron team in the opening round and the highest of any team this postseason.
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No player at his position—or, perhaps, any in the NBA—can dictate terms as efficiently and effectively as James still can, even at the age of 31.
Honorable Mentions: Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder; Luol Deng, Miami Heat
Power Forward
3. Paul Millsap, Atlanta Hawks
Through three games, the Boston Celtics had kept Paul Millsap under wraps. After averaging 22.5 points and 10.3 rebounds against the C's substandard frontcourt during the regular season, the three-time All-Star managed a mere 8.7 points and 8.0 rebounds while shooting 31.3 percent from the floor.
Then…well, Game 4 happened. Millsap popped off for a personal playoff-best (and league-wide postseason-high) 45 points—26 in the first half—with 13 rebounds, three assists, four blocks and two steals for good measure.
Still, it wasn't enough for the Hawks to hold on to a 16-point lead before falling in overtime, 104-95.
"We've had opportunities to put people away all year and haven't gotten it done for whatever reason," Millsap said, per MassLive.com's Jay King. "And now's the time for us to learn that lesson and try to implement it."
The Hawks certainly did, dominating the Celtics in a 110-83 win. Millsap chipped in 10 points, eight rebounds and six assists in under 28 minutes while combining with Mike Scott up front to blow the game wide open.
2. Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers
Now this is the Kevin Love the Cavaliers thought they were getting when they sent Andrew Wiggins to Minnesota.
That is, a sweet-shooting (39.1 percent from three) big man who cleans the glass (12 rebounds per game).
"Kev is our guy," J.R. Smith said in praise of his teammate after Cleveland completed its sweep of Detroit, per the Plain Dealer's Pluto. "When he's aggressive, it means so much."
Love as a legitimate scoring threat opens up the court for Irving to drive and James to operate out of the low post. He also gives Cleveland an offensive trio that would be the envy of just about every team in these playoffs, the Warriors (when healthy) included.
He ought to be effective on that end. Otherwise, his defensive deficiencies would render him an almost complete liability.
| With Kevin Love | 113.4 | 29.4% | 80.7% | 53.9% |
| Without Kevin Love | 91.8 | 11.4% | 83.7% | 47.1% |
| Difference | minus-21.6 | minus-18% | plus-3% | minus-6.8% |
1. Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
Harden's winning jumper in Game 3 for the Houston Rockets shouldn't have counted, but it wouldn't have mattered either way if Green had handled his team's last possession better. Instead, Green lost control, and the Warriors lost the game, 97-96.
As Green recounted, per ESPN.com's Marc J. Spears: "It was tough walking into the locker room knowing that I cost us this game. It isn't every night that I cost us the game. But I cost us the game. Knowing Steph is out, I got to step up and be better. I'm kind of pissed off. It happened. I will bounce back fast."
True to his word, Green was dynamic in Game 4. He scored 18 points, grabbed eight rebounds, dished out six assists and captained a Golden State defense that held Houston to 94 points on 42.3 percent shooting—and Harden to 18 on 4-of-13 shooting from the field—during a 27-point pounding in the Warriors' favor.
That's what makes Green so special: not just that he talks a big game, but that he backs it up with an even bigger one. With Curry out for at least another two weeks, the Warriors will need their heart and soul to play even better to ensure a successful title defense.
Honorable Mentions: LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio Spurs; Serge Ibaka, Oklahoma City Thunder
Center
3. Hassan Whiteside, Miami Heat
Hassan Whiteside is no fan of the Charlotte Hornets for the work they've done drawing the attention of referees.
"The flop-offs, man," he said after the Miami Heat's 89-85 loss in Game 4, per the Palm Beach Post's Jason Lieser. "I thought the playoffs was physical. This ain’t physical, man."
The heaps of fouls (four per game) that Whiteside has accrued within that milieu haven't slowed him too much. He's finished an NBA-best 76.7 percent of his field-goal attempts, logged the third-most points among centers (14.8), fourth-most rebounds overall (12.3), and blocked three shots per game—second only to someone else on this list (more on that in a moment).
For all that Whiteside offers as an interior deterrent, though, his work at the rim hasn't quite been elite. According to NBA.com, he's held opponents to 47.4 percent shooting within five feet of himself and the hoop—14th-best out of 30 players who've faced at least five such shots per game in these playoffs.
2. DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers
OK, so air-balling back-to-back free throws in the Clippers' 98-84 Game 4 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers wasn't a good look for DeAndre Jordan. Nor does Jordan's overall percentage from the stripe in this series (32.5 percent on 10 attempts per game) strengthen his standing.
But when it comes to things centers are expected to do well, Jordan has excelled. He leads the league in playoff rebounds (15.3 per game) and blocks (3.25 per game). Among players who have defended at least five shot attempts at the rim per game, he's posted the sixth-lowest opponent field-goal percentage (38.9 percent) while getting whistled for just 2.3 fouls a night.
L.A. will need Jordan to excel in all those ways and more if the team is to survive without Paul and Griffin, both of whom suffered series-altering injuries Monday.
And if Jordan can draw more than air on his foul shots, even better.
1. Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks
Of all the top centers in this year's playoffs, Al Horford is the least efficient from the field at 38.6 percent. Some of that can be chalked up to his time on the perimeter; although, he's hit three-pointers at a 38.5 percent clip on 2.6 attempts per game.
He's more than made up for any other shortcomings in his game, just as he has throughout his career. Through the first five games of the playoffs, he ranks 10th overall in rebounds (9.4 per game), is fifth in blocks (2.6 per game) and sits second among centers in assists (3.8 per game), behind only the shockingly share-happy Mason Plumlee (6.5 apg). When it comes to protecting the paint, Horford has held his foes to 39.6 percent shooting within five feet of the rim, per NBA.com.
All this while playing with a strained groin from the fourth quarter of Game 3 onward.
That injury appeared to take its toll in Game 4, when Horford managed just five points on 2-of-8 shooting in a 104-95 loss to the Boston Celtics. His touch didn't return in time for Game 5, though his six points (on 2-of-11 shooting), eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block were more than enough for Atlanta to score a 110-83 win and take a commanding 3-2 lead on the C's.
Honorable Mentions: Dwight Howard, Houston Rockets; Jonas Valanciunas, Toronto Raptors
Stats per NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise cited and accurate as of games played on April 26, 2016.
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