Watch Colin Cowherd count down his rankings of the top 10 players remaining in the NBA Playoffs.
10. LeBron James
“He can disappear at times but I’m going to put LeBron in here out of respect. In spurts he is instrumental. Did you watch his effort at the end of the game last night? He is one of the smartest guys who has ever played this sport.”
9. Jaylen Brown
“He’s the most efficient Celtic, leading scorer in the second half for the Celtics, but he’s not in the same class as a Steph, an AD, or Embiid in terms of pure talent.”
8. Kevin Durant
“I don’t think he’s playing quite the defense as he did in his prime, but he’s played the most minutes of any player in the postseason. They have no bench and they’re leaning on KD heavily.”
7. Joel Embiid
“He looked gassed last night but he leads the team in everything that matters. 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
“I like Booker over Tatum because Booker will always take the shot, and I think Jayson Tatum continues to lack the ‘IT’ and 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
“He’s great right now but it’s not sustainable. He has the worst defensive rating among all remaining players giving you 30 a night. He’s the one bad defensive player of all the stars left. The Suns are +9 when Booker is on the court and +7 when he’s off the court. He doesn’t have nearly the impact of an Anthony Davis, Steph Curry, or Jokic, he’s just on an unbelievable heater.”
4. Jimmy Butler
“He’s banged up a lot and he’s not as healthy as the first three guys. He’s the third-leading scorer in the playoffs, although he’s playing sort of above himself. He’s shooting 56%, which is just remarkable, especially against a good Knicks defense.”
3. Nikola Jokic
“There are defensive limitations with Jokic, but he’s the leading scorer in the conference semifinals, and leads the Nuggets in everything.”
2. Steph Curry
“The Warriors are not a playoff team without him. The team is +56 this postseason when he’s on the court, and -52 when he’s off it. He has the most points and the most threes in the postseason.”
1. Anthony Davis
“He has the highest plus/minus of any player in the playoffs. 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 has literally changed how the Golden State dynasty runs their offense.”
FULL segment above.
Colin Cowherd on Lakers' 3-1 Lead on Warriors: 'It Doesn't Make Any Sense'
Colin Cowherd Says Warriors Will Beat Lakers in 7, Overcome 3-1 Deficit
Colin Cowherd Drops His Most 'Shocking' NFL Team Prediction For Next Season
Colin Cowherd on NBA Not Suspending Nikola Jokic: 'We Already Screwed Him For MVP'
Bronny James Announces His College Decision
Jason Whitlock: Angel Reese Made a Career Out of Taunting Caitlin Clark
Colin Cowherd Gives His 'Safest' NFL Futures Bet of the 2023 Season
Jason Whitlock on Brittney Griner: 'She's Not a Victim, She's a Dummy'
Colin Cowherd Says This Would Be the Perfect Destination For Dillon Brooks
Colin Cowherd on Joel Embiid Winning MVP: 'It Was Anti-Nikola Jokic Vote'