While successful NBA careers are made in the regular season, a player cannot be truly regarded as a star until he proves himself under the bright lights of the playoffs. With that in mind, I’ve compiled a list of the eight players in the NBA who have the most to prove this spring’s NBA Playoffs.
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8. BRANDON JENNINGS
It’s been two seasons since Jennings last appeared in the playoffs and this season he and the Milwaukee Bucks have the misfortune of facing the Heat in the first round. Jennings has little to prove to himself, as he already believes he’s the swaggiest swagsman in Swagland. But as he becomes a restricted free agent this summer, Jennings needs to prove to the Bucks and the rest of the league that he’s truly capable of being a winning point guard.
I honestly don’t think he can be. He’s been pouty, inconsistent and, bluntly, a loser since the Bucks acquired J.J. Redick at the trade deadline. He continually puts himself before the team and he seems incapable of effectively using the immense talent that he possesses. Some of the blame for Jennings’ unraveling also must be placed on the Bucks organization and their management of the situation. But the organization isn’t the one who goes out every night and puts up 16 shots per game at a 40 percent clip. The whole situation is a mess and it will be interesting to see which team wastes big money on him this offseason. End rant.
7. PAUL GEORGE
George has been to the playoffs before, but never as the leading scorer on his team. After replacing the injured Danny Granger this season as a go-to guy, George blossomed into an All-Star and catalyst as the Indiana claimed the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference and the Central Division title. In last year’s playoffs, George struggled, shooting only 39 percent with two turnovers a game as the Pacers were eliminated in the second round by the Heat. George has struggled with his shooting this season, but it hasn’t limited his ability to be impactful at the line or on defense. In order to prove he’s for real, George will need to play aggressively, get his teammates involved, and continue his exceptional perimeter defense. I expect him to prove himself capable.
6. BLAKE GRIFFIN
Yes. Griffin has a Rookie of the Year award, three All-Star appearances and numerous national advertising campaigns. But he still hasn’t won big in the playoffs. And in the past nine games he’s been in a funk, shooting 10 percentage points worse and four points per game below his season average. His funk is related to the funk that the entire Los Angeles Clippers team is under as they struggle to figure out an effective offense in the half-court. Griffin needs to prove he is talented enough in the post and on defense to get L.A.’s other team to the Western Conference Finals. I think that any less of an outcome for the Clippers will mark the season as a failure. We all know Griffin is an incredible basketball player, but we are all still waiting for that moment when he proves to us that he is ready to take that next step into superstardom. With a successful postseason, he can get there this year.
5. JOSH SMITH
I don’t think may people, Smith included, expected him to be on the Hawks after this year’s trade deadline. Many Atlanta fans believe he’s the reason for their team’s problems and with his free agency looming this summer, this will most likely be Smith’s last season in Atlanta. So for Smith, this postseason presents him the opportunity to prove not only to Hawks fans, but to everyone in the NBA, that his game is more than just athleticism and that he can be a key contributor to a winning team. I think he can be, but not as a first option. Or a second option. He needs to continue to develop his post-up game and recommit to defense. No more threes or midrange shots or anything that is outside of the paint. There’s no reason for him to continually shoot the Hawks out of games when he’s so strong and athletic in the post. With the right adjustments, Smith can and will be an effective player in this league for a long time. But he hast to prove that this postseason by limiting the negatives of his game and refocusing on the positives to help the Hawks win.
Keep reading to see which four NBA stars have the most to prove this postseason…
4. DWIGHT HOWARD
The entire Lakers team has something to prove this postseason if they actually make it in. But individually, Howard is the most in need of a good performance to show that he’s still the dominate center that he was in Orlando and that he is worthy of the package that Los Angeles (and poor Philadelphia) gave up. With a strong series, Howard could set himself up to bolt from Los Angeles during free agency this summer. He doesn’t seem happy and I wouldn’t be too happy either if I had to deal with a Kobe glare 24/7. The Lakers — if they hold off Utah — will play either the San Antonio Spurs or Thunder in the first round, so while it is highly unlikely, if the Lakers pull off the upset then it will be Howard’s first playoff series win since 2009-10. We probably didn’t even have the Internet back then!
3. STEPHEN CURRY
Curry is the only player on this list who has never played in the playoffs, so he has a lot to prove this year. The leader of the young Golden State Warriors, Curry has done a lot this season to convince us that his offensive game is as special as it looks to be. In the process, he’s leading the Warriors to the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference. The highlight of Curry’s season came in Madison Square Garden when he unconsciously dropped 54 points in a win over the Knicks. Any performance like that during the postseason and Curry will quickly distinguish himself as one of the top-three shooting guards in the league.
2. JAMES HARDEN
This will be Harden’s first taste of the playoffs since his disappointing performance during the 2012 Finals. In that five-game series, he struggled mightily, shooting only 38 percent as the Miami Heat beat the Oklahoma City Thunder for the championship. Now a member of the Houston Rockets, and no longer a sixth-man/third-fiddle, Harden will need to prove that he can both handle the pressure of the postseason and successfully be the leader of his team. That shouldn’t be a problem if he plays like he has all season, averaging 25.9 points, 5.9 assists and 4.8 rebounds on 44 percent shooting. He also gets to the line an incredible 10.1 times per game. Oh, and did I mention that he’s still only 23 years old?
1. CARMELO ANTHONY
Anthony has been playing insane over his past six games, averaging 39.8 points and 10 rebounds per game on 56 percent shooting (93-for-165). And before these six games, he was playing only a little less great as the Knicks steamrolled teams to a 13-game win streak that was finally snapped by the Bulls last night in Chicago. But who cares about the regular season? We already know Anthony is a top-four offensive player in the league. We already know the Knicks are streaky. What we need to learn is if Anthony can ever win in the playoffs. So far the answer is no, he can’t.
Anthony has been to the playoffs nine times in his career (seven times as a Nugget, two as a Knick). He’s moved his team past the first round only once, he’s been swept three times and beaten in five-games four times. For his career, he’s teams are 16-38 in the playoffs (and 6-32 if you take out the 2008-09 season). It’s gross, incredible and a nuisance to Anthony’s legacy. If he ever wants to be viewed as one of the top-10 players of this era, then he needs to put on a show this postseason and prove that he belongs.
Did we miss anyone?
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