5 best stars left in the NBA playoffs

Stars such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry and JImmy Butler are enjoying their time in Cancun as the young stars come alive. Besides the winner of the NBA Finals, these playoffs will let you know one thing. The NBA is in GREAT HANDS going forward. Players such as Devin Booker (24), Donavan Mitchell (24), and Nikola Jokic (26) and 2020-2021 NBA MVP are causing havoc and have not even hit their primes. Numerous young stars are putting the NBA on notice. Their time is not coming, it is now. The five best stars left in the NBA playoffs starts now!

The number 5 star: Joel Embiid

A mixture of dominance like Shaquille O’Neal and footwork like Hakeem Olajuwon, Joel Embiid comes in at number five. Embiid has a torn meniscus in his right knee and still went at the Hawks for games one and two! Despite the injury, Embiid put up 39 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists,3 blocks and 57% FG in a valiant effort to bring the 76ers back in game 1 that fell just short. In game two, Embiid put up 40 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 52% FG in a win. Not bad for having a torn ligament. Embiid is head and shoulders above every NBA Center besides Nikola Jokic and all understanding, Jokic is the MVP. Embiid is the number five best star left in the NBA playoffs and not higher due to the injury history.

The number 4 star: Donavan Mitchell

Long ago, there was a guard taken in the 2003 NBA draft with the third pick by the Miami Heat. Fast forward 14 years later and there was another guard taken this time from Louisville with the 13th pick by the Denver Nuggets but now resides in Utah. Donavan Mitchell is the second coming of Wade with the same heart, passion and keep going attitude. Mitchell exploded onto the scene in 2017 and has not looked back. Averaging over 20 points a game his rookie season, he took the Jazz to the playoffs and beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in six games. Mitchell has more 45 point playoff games than players such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard. Mitchell is only 24 years old. The prime for one of the five best stars left has untapped potential, the sky is really the limit for Donavan Mitchell.

The number 3 star: Nikola Jokic

All in all, this might be the funnest player to cover. At age 26, Nikola Jokic aka The Joker became the first Center since Shaquille O’Neal in 2000 to win MVP. Jokic is now in line to receive the largest contract in NBA history with a grand total of $241 million dollars. When Jamal Murray went down, Jokic stepped up big time with keeping the Nuggets in the top half of the Western conference standings and finished the year with 26.4ppg, 10.8 reb, 8.3 ast and 56.6% FG. Without Jokic, the Nuggest dont go. Although, he may not look like the athletic type, Jokic is here to stay. What else do you need to see from one of the five best stars left who has better point guard abilities than some of the guards in today’s game?

The number 2 star: Kawhi Leonard

To continue, the “Fun Guy” Kawhi Leonard comes in at number two and with good reason. Get traded to a place you had no say in and win a championship. That is one of the biggest boss moves in NBA history. Kawhi necessarily broke up the Golden State Warriors dynasty. After a brutal seven game series with the boy wonder Luka Doncic, Kawhi came out on top. Kawhi averaged 32.1 ppg, 7.8 reb, 4.5 asts and 61% FG! As a wing player taking an average shot with a distance of 13 feet and 4 inches, Kawhi does things unimaginable. He can really be the the number one out of the five best stars left but the man above him deserves a whole page. Kawhi is a winner and the mentality of an assassin.

The number 1 star: Kevin Durant

The “Slim Reaper” comes in as the number one of the five best stars left in the NBA playoffs. Durant ruptured his achilles tendon June 10, 2019 in game five of the NBA finals. News flash, Kevin Durant came back and might even be better. Durant finished the regular season with 26.9 ppg, 7.1 reb, 5.6 asts and 53.7% FG! Durant is shooting his best from the field and his best from behind the three point line in his career. Not too shabby for someone rupturing their achilles tendon. In these playoffs, he has the Brooklyn Nets up 2-0 vs the Milwaukee Bucks, averaging 32 points and has 50/50/90 splits. Durant is number one of the five best stars left in the NBA playoffs.