Photo Credit: AP News
The NBA Playoffs are where we separate the men from the boys.
Dozens of NBA players have insanely impressive stats during the regular season; but at the end of the day, isn't it really all about winning a chip?
When it comes to professional basketball, I'm of the opinion that star players really do determine everything. In football, head coaches, offensive and defensive coordinators are extremely important. In baseball, an on-his-game pitcher can simply shutdown your lineup full of all-stars.
But in the NBA? Well hell, if you've been watching these playoffs, just give the ball to Jimmy Butler, Devin Booker and Nikola Jokic down the stretch, then just get the hell out of their way. Let's get into the good stuff.
Frascella's Ranking Criteria & Considerations
1. Playoff game is on the line... can you clear it out for this guy, and he'll make the clutch, winning play for your team?
2. Does he have a recent history of winning?
3. How about a recent championship, or at least a run to The Finals?
4. Is he a leader who has the utmost respect of his teammates?
5. Is he a player who generally and ultimately contributes to a winning culture for his organization?
6. Do they have mental toughness?
7. Do they stay healthy enough? Do they always show up for their teammates when they are in need?
If I can think of anything else, I'll explain along the way...
Honorable Mention
Christian Wood, Mavs: He tends to look good in advanced metrics and gets a decent amount of hype, but I don't see impact on winning no matter where he goes.
Buddy Hield, Pacers: His popularity would probably put him in the top 100 for most people, but I don't like his inefficient shooting. It doesn't really translate to winning in today's NBA.
Devin Vassell, Spurs: Could easily squeeze into my top 100, it's just... the Spurs are so irrelevant these days.
Trey Murphy III, Pelicans: An exciting young player who probably just needs more consistent minutes to crack my top 100.
Nic Claxton, Nets: Metrics and analytics say he should probably be a top 100 player, but as a Nets' fan I can tell you... sometimes it feels like he is hurting us. Just because he can't shoot from the perimeter at all. And his free throw shooting stinks.
John Frascella's Top 100 NBA Players
100. Austin Reaves, Lakers: Has been a key piece for the Lakers throughout the season. When LeBron and AD are out, he can step up and be a top gun. When all the big boys are out there, Reaves is a team player who slips into a key supporting role.
99. Ivica Zubac, Clippers: One of the last of the Old Guard - a traditional, high-percentage center who stays pretty close to the rim. Very efficient player, though.
98. Bennedict Mathurin, Pacers: A very exciting young talent who flashed moments of greatness in his rookie campaign. Needs to play better when the "full" team is on the floor. Only seemed to shine when he had opportunities to hog usage.
97. Mitchell Robinson, Knicks: A dominant defensive center who has played particularly well in the postseason.
96. Derrick White, Celtics: It's not always flashy, but White is a key Celtics' contributor behind the dynamic duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
95. Terry Rozier, Hornets: His stats say 'better than No. 95' but his Hornets never go anywhere. I don't know if there's an actual contribution to winning.
94. Jakob Poeltl, Raptors: Had a fantastic season, but his Raptors and Spurs were both major disappointments. Not sure how much impact he truly has, despite great efficiency.
93. Myles Turner, Pacers: A very talented two-way center who should probably have more impact than he does. Probably needs to increase aggressiveness and tenacity.
92. Zion Williamson, Pelicans: Should be a top 50 player, but he simply doesn't show up for his teammates when they need him. Probably the most frustrating and disappointing player in the NBA... other than Ben Simmons.
91. Immanuel Quickley, Knicks: Probably got screwed on that 6th Man of the Year Award. Given his durability and consistent health, he probably should have gotten it over Malcolm Brogdon, a vet who gets rested.
90. Steven Adams, Grizzlies: We saw what happened to the Grizzlies in the playoffs when they didn't have their Big Man and enforcer. Steve's a very valuable, team-first center.
89. Keldon Johnson, Spurs: Posted very strong stats for the young Spurs this season.
88. Spencer Dinwiddie, Nets: A frustrating point guard on the whole - can rack up assists in bunches, but can never seem to find consistency when shooting from the outside.
87. Franz Wagner, Magic: The type of high-IQ, all-purpose player who would fit nicely on basically any team in the NBA.
86. Rudy Gobert, Timberwolves: He's a dinosaur in today's NBA. Still can't believe how much the Wolves gave up to acquire him initially via trade.
85. Jalen Williams, Thunder: Easily one of the most impressive rookies in the game this season. It's gonna be scary when the Thunder have Williams, SGA, Giddey, Chet Holmgren and next draft's pick.
84. Bobby Portis, Bucks: Consistently one of the best and most valuable bench players in the NBA.
83. Jonas Valanciunas, Pelicans: One of the best of the 'old school' centers, to me. Very sure hands, super effective finisher around the cup. Surprisingly skilled and coordinated for his immense size.
82. Scottie Barnes, Raptors: I think he became overrated after a solid rookie campaign. He's a 'nice' player, but he doesn't really knock my socks off.
81. Jarrett Allen, Cavs: Considering both ends of the floor, he's probably the best of the 'old school' centers. He's also a better free throw shooter than basically all of those other guys.
80. Cam Johnson, Nets: An excellent young shooter who plays with veteran poise and calm. Very good player for a team-first environment.
79. Aaron Gordon, Nuggets: The perfect No. 4 in Denver behind Jokic, Jamal Murray and MPJ. The skillsets of this foursome work particularly well together.
78. Jordan Clarkson, Jazz: One of my favorite players in the NBA. A one-on-one assassin who never lacks confidence from a scoring perspective.
77. Fred VanVleet, Raptors: Really looked like a key contributor when the Raptors won the NBA title; but maybe Kawhi was just making everybody look better around him.
76. Kevin Huerter, Kings: Was arguably the X-factor for the exciting, young Kings during the regular season, but he slunk into the background during their first-round playoff exit.
75. Draymond Green, Warriors: Was up there amongst the league leaders in assists, and we already know about his all-around impact on the game for Golden State.
74. Alperen Sengun, Rockets: One of the most dominant fantasy centers throughout the season. Good things are brewin' in Houston with Sengun, Jalen Green, Kevin Porter, Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason.
73. Dejounte Murray, Hawks: Didn't really move the needle in his transition from the Spurs to Hawks.
72. Norman Powell, Clippers: Exploded for some really terrific games this season. Did a great job as an offensive leader whenever Kawhi and Paul George were out of the Clippers' lineup.
71. Harrison Barnes, Kings: Was a key veteran presence at the heart of the Kings' franchise resurgence this season.
70. Tobias Harris, 76ers: Just keeps on doin' what he does. Steady fourth man behind Embiid, Harden and Maxey in Philly.
69. Kevin Porter, Rockets: An exciting young guard who can absolutely fill up the stat sheet.
68. Anfernee Simons, Blazers: Should be a young guard to get excited about, but I just don't see the wins coming in Portland.
67. Malik Monk, Kings: Played some pretty incredible ball for Sacramento in the postseason. Known as a 'shooter' but he's actually quite adept at attacking the rim. Just a very talented two-guard who improves on a yearly basis.
66. Michael Porter Jr., Nuggets: A very good No. 3 behind Jokic and Murray in Denver. But is he good enough to help them win an NBA title?
65. Malcolm Brogdon, Celtics: A crafty veteran who simply knows his way around a basketball court. Knows how to manipulate opposing defenses with moxie.
64. Jalen Green, Rockets: A natural scorer. Had some absolutely explosive offensive outputs.
63. Bojan Bogdanovic, Pistons: Had a monster season in Detroit. I was genuinely surprised a contender didn't nab him before the trade deadline. His veteran skillet is very useful in a variety of different ways.
62. Russell Westbrook, Clippers: Probably the most polarizing player in the NBA. Had a helluva playoff series for the Clips, though!
61. RJ Barrett, Knicks: We see flashes of greatness, but where's the consistency? He seems like he'll stay one notch below All-Star. Just a good young player.
60. Kyle Kuzma, Wizards: Had a fantastic season in Washington - I like his high-energy, disruptive style of play. Would love to see him on a contender.
59. Tyler Herro, Heat: Needed to stay healthy these playoffs. Could have potentially been a back-end top 50 player.
58. D'Angelo Russell, Lakers: Not as good as he once was on my Nets, but he's ballsy and he's not afraid to make big plays. Fits nicely with LeBron, AD, Reaves and Rui in my opinion.
57. Brook Lopez, Bucks: Had a jaw-dropping season in Milwaukee. Probably should have won Defensive Player of the Year over Jaren Jackson Jr... plus Brook never seems to miss a three these days!
56. Cade Cunningham, Pistons: An explosive combo guard who simply needs better, more seasoned players around him.
55. Kristaps Porzingis, Wizards: Had a monster season on the stat sheet... but that's sort of who he is, right? Shouldn't the Wizards have at least made the East's play-in ladder with Porzingis, Kuzma and Beal?
54. Nikola Vucevic, Bulls: Just not really feeling his impact anymore.
53. Deandre Ayton, Suns: Not much of a headline anymore with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant controlling everything in Phoenix.
52. Evan Mobley, Cavs: Has had a great start to his career, but I don't know if you can win in the playoffs with Jarrett Allen and Mobley up front. Need the true perimeter shooting, right? Mobley's mid-range game sort of caps his impact.
51. Khris Middleton, Bucks: If he could just stay healthy, we know he'd be a top 40 player.
50. Paolo Banchero, Magic: The NBA's deserving Rookie of the Year!
49. Jordan Poole, Warriors: I don't think you realize how important this kid is to the Warriors' overall success.
48. CJ McCollum, Pelicans: Just starting to annoy me at this stage of his veteran career. So many wild, contested shots.
47. Chris Paul, Suns: Another polarizing player, a la Westbrook. Guess what? CP3 got hurt in the playoffs... again. Some things never change.
46. Josh Giddey, Thunder: An excellent all-around young player who is wise beyond his years on the basketball court.
45. Julius Randle, Knicks: Polarizing like Westbrook and CP3. Randle seems to play a lot worse in the playoffs than he does during the regular season.
44. Jrue Holiday, Bucks: A calming veteran at the point guard position.
43. Desmond Bane, Grizzlies: A productive wingman for Ja Morant's offense in Memphis.
42. Andrew Wiggins, Warriors: The quiet 'glue' player for one of the most successful franchises in the NBA.
41. Darius Garland, Cavs: A lightning-quick, electric offensive player who is fun to watch.
40. LaMelo Ball, Hornets: One of the best fantasy options, for sure... but can we keep him healthy? And can his Hornets ever win anything?
39. Bradley Beal, Wizards: Where's the winning?
38. Karl-Anthony Towns, Timberwolves: Not even really sure what to think or write about him anymore.
37. Paul George, Clippers: Enough is enough - just stay healthy and get out on the court when your team needs you.
36. Kawhi Leonard, Clippers: Same exact sentence I just wrote about Paul George.
35. Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers: One of the most promising young guards in the game. Had his Pacers on a surprise playoff track pre-injury. Great things are coming.
34. Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies: Defensive Player of the Year, yes... but he really disappointed me with piss-poor all-around play in a first-round exit at the hands of the veteran Lakers.
33. Mikal Bridges, Nets: Once he got increased usage in Brooklyn, he became one of the best and most productive players in the entire NBA.
32. Pascal Siakam, Raptors: We pretty much know who he is, at this point.
31. Brandon Ingram, Pelicans: Everything feels so messy with the Pelicans. It's an icky situation, overall. Ingram got hurt a bunch this year, while Zion just doesn't wanna play when the games matter. Ingram needs to get out of dodge and start fresh elsewhere.
30. Kyrie Irving, Mavs: Played well after his trade to the Mavs... but their team collapsed overall. This is becoming a disturbing trend.
29. Tyrese Maxey, 76ers: Love his confidence and guts. Could be a good No. 2 player elsewhere, but he has Embiid and Harden in his way in Philly.
28. Domantas Sabonis, Kings: A great regular season player - didn't like the way he disappeared (often) against the Warriors in the Kings' first-round exit from the postseason.
27. Bam Adebayo, Heat: A pivotal two-way force for Spo and Jimmy's always fiery Heat.
26. Zach LaVine, Bulls: One of the most gifted offensive players in the league.
25. Lauri Markkanen, Jazz: Seemingly every year you can make a case for him as the Most Improved Player in the league. True stardom appears to be on the horizon.
24. Damian Lillard, Blazers: Where's the winning? Can you be a successful franchise with Lillard as your main guy?
23. DeMar DeRozan, Bulls: Always a bridesmaid, never the bride.
22. Donovan Mitchell, Cavs: Pretty much done with him after the Cavs' putrid playoff performance against the less-talented and lower-seeded Knicks.
21. James Harden, 76ers: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in this head-spinning second-round series against the Celts. Harden is doing some incredible things, for sure.
20. Trae Young, Hawks: He's a ballsy kid. Not really sure why his reputation has taken such a hit. Rest of the Hawks' team needed to play better against Boston.
19. Jamal Murray, Nuggets: I love the control of his game. He's a quiet maestro at the point guard position. Ultimately, he's one of the key players in the entire NBA because the Nuggets need him fully healthy to win it all.
18. Klay Thompson, Warriors: One of the league's top overall contributors to winning. Can still turn it up and come through in the clutch when he needs to.
17. Anthony Edwards, Wolves: Sky's the limit for this kid. Just a truly electric talent.
16. Ja Morant, Grizzlies: Selfish behavior throughout the season. Didn't do enough to beat the Lakers in the playoffs, either.
15. Jalen Brunson, Knicks: Turned the Knicks' entire franchise around in just one season. Mavs fell apart without him, too. Now that's value.
14. De'Aaron Fox, Kings: The NBA's first-ever "Clutch Player of the Year" was exactly that - every time the Kings needed a big bucket, Fox delivered in a major way. Was an absolute joy to watch throughout the entire season.
13. Anthony Davis, Lakers: Sometimes he looks top five. Other times we wonder if he's even top 50.
12. Jaylen Brown, Celtics: An assassin. Arguably the most underappreciated player in the world right now.
11. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder: May have actually been the best player in the NBA this season. Solid, consistent, reliable and insanely productive. A great leader at a young age.
10. Luka Doncic, Mavs: Didn't even make the playoffs, and his leadership skills have been called into question.
9. Jayson Tatum, Celtics: Great run to The Finals last season. Locked in a 2-2 battle with the Sixers right now. Let's see where he ends up!
8. LeBron James, Lakers: Still doin' it big at 38 years of age. Utterly incredible.
7. Joel Embiid, 76ers: I need to see him close the deal in the playoffs, for once.
6. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks: Got too full of himself this season, then totally choked in the first round of the playoffs. Couldn't make a free throw to save his life.
5. Kevin Durant, Suns: Playing better with Devin Booker than he did with Kyrie Irving. Better flow, a bit more spacing.
4. Devin Booker, Suns: He's been the absolute best player in the postseason this year. Averaging 37 points per game while shooting SIXTY-TWO PERCENT from the floor. Have we ever seen anything like this from a two-guard?
3. Jimmy Butler, Heat: He's an old-school superstar at heart - all grit, all toughness, doesn't really care about political correctness. He's a swiss army knife - can beat you driving, mid-range shooting, shooting threes, free throws, playing defense and/or rebounding. If you don't respect Jimmy Butler's all-around attack, then you don't really understand basketball.
2. Stephen Curry, Warriors: The reigning NBA champ just scored FIFTY points in a Game 7 closeout of the feisty, young Kings. Still got it, Steph.
1. Nikola Jokic, Nuggets: He's breaking so many records I can't even keep up with them:
- Most points in a playoff game for a Nugget (53)
- 1st player in NBA history to record 30+ points, 15+ rebounds and 15+ assists in a playoff game.
These also, via Wikipedia:
- Highest single-season player efficiency rating in NBA history (32.85).
- Highest single-season player box plus-minus in NBA history (13.72).
- Fastest triple-double in NBA history (14 minutes and 33 seconds).
- Only NBA player to be selected in the second round of the common era draft to win the MVP award.
- Only NBA player to reach at least 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 500 assists in a single season.
- Only NBA player to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists per game on 60% field goal percentage in a single season.
- Only NBA player to average at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists per game on 52% field goal percentage in a single season.
- Only NBA player to average at least 25 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 assists per game in a single season.
- Only NBA player to lead his team in all five major statistics (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks) and field goal percentage in the same season.
- Only NBA player to record a 15+ assist triple-double while shooting 100% from the field.
- Only NBA player to record multiple 35+ point triple-doubles while shooting 90% from the field.
- Only NBA player to record multiple 30+ point triple-doubles without a turnover.
- Only NBA player since the NBA-ABA merger to post 35 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists in multiple games in a single season.
- Only NBA player since the NBA-ABA merger to post 30 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists in multiple games: Denver Nuggets, 2019–20 and 2022–23
- First player in NBA history to average at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists through their first 50 career playoff games.
- Third NBA player since the NBA-ABA merger to post 30 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists in a game: Denver Nuggets, 2019–20 and 2022–23
- Also achieved by David Lee (New York Knicks, 2009–10), DeMarcus Cousins (New Orleans Pelicans, 2017–18), and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks, 2022–23)
- Sixth NBA player to lead his team in all five major statistics (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks) in the same season: Denver Nuggets, 2021–22
Nikola Jokic is quickly becoming one of the greatest to ever play the game of basketball.
John Frascella is a published sports author and professional sports writer for Razzball, FanSided and Recruit Certified. Follow him on Twitter @LegendSports7 for all things NBA, NFL and MLB throughout the year.
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