National Basketball Association

Colin Cowherd's top 10 players left in NBA playoffs

Published May. 9, 2023 8:14 p.m. ET

Who are the best players remaining in the NBA playoffs?

There are more than a handful of superstars still taking the floor, so on Tuesday's edition of "The Herd," Colin Cowherd laid out his top 10 players still competing for a title.

Jokic, Steph Curry, LeBron highlight Colin's Top 10 players in NBA playoffs

10. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

What Cowherd said: "He can disappear at times, but I'm gonna put LeBron in it out of respect. In spurts, he is instrumental. Did you watch his defensive effort at the end of the game [Monday] night [against the Warriors]? He is one of the smartest guys that have ever played this sport."

9. Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics

What Cowherd said: "He's the most efficient Celtic. Leading scorer in the second half for the Celtics, but probably in this top 10, he's not in the same class as a Steph or an AD or an Embiid in terms of pure talent."

8. Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns

What Cowherd said: "I don't think he's playing quite the defense he did in his prime, but he's played the most minutes of any player in the postseason. They [Suns] have no bench, and they are leaning on KD heavy, but he's been the second-best offensive player on this team."

7. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

What Cowherd said: "He looked gassed in the last game, but he leads the Sixers in everything that matters: blocks, rebounding, points. But they're 1-2 since he returned, so if you're going to be valuable, you should have a winning record when you're on the floor."

6. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

What Cowherd said: "I think Jayson Tatum continues to lack the 'it' — the alpha — in big spots. He struggles at the end of games. He's got fewer field goal attempts in clutch time than Marcus Smart. That worries me."

5. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns

What Cowherd said: "He's great right now, but it's not sustainable. By the way, he has the worst defensive rating among all remaining players giving you 30 [points] a night, so he's the one bad defensive player of all the stars left. The Suns are also plus-9 with Booker on the court and plus-7 when he's off the court. He doesn't have nearly the impact of an Anthony Davis, a Steph Curry or a Jokic — he's just on an unbelievable heater."

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4. Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat

What Cowherd said: "He is banged up a lot, so he's not as healthy as the top three guys. He is the third leading scorer in the playoffs, though. He's playing sort of above himself. He's also shooting 56%, which is just remarkable, especially against a good Knicks defense, but he's not available as much as the other guys."

3. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

What Cowherd said: "There are defensive limitations with Jokic but leading scorer in the conference semifinals, leads the Nuggets in everything. Pass, size, rebounding, intensity, but again, unlike AD, he's not gonna give you much on the defensive end."

2. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

What Cowherd said: "The Warriors are not a playoff team without him. They're plus-56 when he's on the court, minus-52 when he's off it. He has the most points and the most 3s in the postseason, and we are in a 3-era. Maybe we've just overvalued the Warriors overall roster? If [Andrew] Wiggins is their second-best player, is this a playoff team without Steph Curry? I don't know if it is."

1. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers

What Cowherd said: "All you need to know, he has the highest plus-minus of any player on any team in the postseason. He not only leads the NBA in blocks, he has 14 more than anybody else, and he also leads the playoffs in contested shots — he's got 150. He has literally changed the way this dynasty runs its offense. He's eliminated gimmes down low. ... I think he has just been a complete monster in the playoffs."

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