2019 NBA Playoffs: Ranking the 5 Most Important Players
The 2019 NBA Playoffs are finally upon us and it promises to be a fascinating 2 months of action. Both the Golden State Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks are the #1 seeds in their conferences and currently loom as title favourites.
That said, there are a ton of excellent NBA players that could really have a strong impact throughout the playoffs. This article will focus on the 5 top players who are incredibly important to their chances of playoff success.
We’ve focused primarily on their 2018-19 regular season, while also taking into account their previous playoff performance. Without further ado, let’s get into it.
5. James Harden
After an incredible MVP campaign last year, Harden had another spectacular regular season. He averaged an insane 36.1 points per game, maintaining relatively efficient numbers on high volume.
Harden was also much more well-rounded this season, completing his stat-line with averages of 7.5 assists and 6.6 rebounds. He also showed noticeably more effort on defence in 2019, managing 2 steals per game.
Despite leading Houston to an impressive 53 wins, Harden will face an uphill battle in the 2019 playoffs. He opens the campaign against a very impressive Utah Jazz side who have one of the best defences in the NBA.
Should he make it past Utah unscathed, he then likely has to face the dynastic Golden State Warriors again. The Warriors have been a thorn in Harden’s side in recent years, eliminating him in 3 of the last 4 playoffs.
That said, the case can definitely be made that Harden is coming off the best season of his career. On his best nights, he is close to unguardable against even the best opposing defences. If he can replicate this with a deep playoff run this year, it could go a long way to cementing his legacy.