This year's NBA Playoffs have seen some extremely talented and influential athletes get knocked out already. So, who are they?
LeBron James
The four-time NBA Champion needs no introduction as he is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. LeBron James has been awarded the finals MVP with every ring he received.
However, his hopes of a repeat have been crushed after the Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated from the tournament. This season, James has averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.3 steals.
The experienced 39-year-old is a great leader on the court and a versatile attacker who has a wide skillset, allowing him to score in many ways. Due to his age, James is not as fast or strong, so he has adapted his game by using his incredible vision and basketball IQ to find teammates in good positions for uncontested shots.
This year, the twenty-time NBA All-Star was unable to make it past the first round due to last year’s champions, the Denver Nuggets beating Los Angeles in a comfortable 4-1 series. James will hope to go again next season and try to add to his outstanding achievements.
James Harden
The ten-time NBA All-Star is one of many legendary players in this year’s Los Angeles Clippers side. The stacked roster also has the likes of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook but I have chosen James Harden for this.
Harden has averaged 16.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 8.5 rebounds which demonstrates his unselfishness this season. He also offers help on the defensive end with 1.1 steals and 0.8 blocks per game despite only being six-foot-four.
The 2018 Most Valuable Player has a brilliant offensive arsenal which makes him unpredictable when approaching the basket and difficult to contain. He uses moves like step-backs to create space and can draw fouls for free throws.
The Clippers were eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks where Luka Doncic proved to be too clinical and defeated the fourth-seed side in six games.
Kevin Durant
The two-time NBA Champion is no longer in this year’s playoffs but has seen great success in the league. Kevin Durant has averaged 27.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and five assists this season alongside players like Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.
KD uses his length to his advantage with 1.2 blocks and 0.9 steals per game which allows him to break down the other end of the court for easy buckets. He also offers a great threat in the midrange due to his agility, allowing him to move past players quickly and create space for an attempt at the basket.
The 14-time All-Star shows great composure and is not afraid to shoot from range with a 41.3 three-point percentage, which is a drastic improvement from previous years. However, that talent was not enough to get a single win against the Minnesota Timberwolves who swept the Phoenix Suns in four games.
Durant and Anthony Edwards went head-to-head multiple times in the series, but Edwards’ youthful energy was too much for Phoenix’s defence to handle which led to the dominant victory and left Durant out of this year's tournament.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
The 2020 Most Valuable Player winner Giannis Antetokounmpo is out of this year’s NBA Playoffs alongside his teammates at Milwaukee. The Greek Freak led his side to an NBA Championship in 2021, defeating the Phoenix Suns in six games.
This season, the 29-year-old has averaged an astounding 30.4 points, 11.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists which demonstrates his dominance in the paint and leadership on the court.
Giannis is a threat on both ends of the court which is proven by his 1.1 blocks and 1.2 steals per game, which works well alongside his high points tally and rebounds.
His seven-foot height and large build allow him to push close to the rim and use his versatility finishing at the rim. Giannis can use both hands to get the ball in the basket which makes him extremely difficult to contain from close range.
The Milwaukee Bucks lost the Greek Freak due to a calf injury which was detrimental to their playoff hopes. He was unavailable throughout the entire series against the Indiana Pacers who ended up winning 4-2 and knocking out the Bucks.
Joel Embiid
The 2023 Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid is another extremely talented athlete who will no longer compete in this year’s playoffs with the Philadelphia 76ers. The 30-year-old has been considered one of the best players in the Eastern Conference for many years.
This season, he has averaged 34.7 points, eleven rebounds and 5.6 assists which proves that he is the heartbeat of the 76ers and offers incredible versatility. He also puts in a great effort on the defensive end using his long wingspan to achieve 1.7 blocks and 1.2 steals per game.
Like Giannis, Embiid uses his size to his advantage by dominating in the paint and has also proven to be a threat from range. Despite his large stature, Joel is relatively agile and explosive, which makes him a constant threat to the opposition but can lead to injuries.
Embiid returned from his injury near the end of the regular season and helped his team push to the seventh seed by winning eight games on the bounce and defeating the Miami Heat in the play-ins by a single point.
However, that momentum was not enough to push past the New York Knicks who beat the 76ers in six games to knock them out of the playoffs.
Paolo Banchero
The 2023 rookie of the year has proven why he was chosen as the first overall pick of the NBA draft in 2022 earning his first All-Star appearance earlier this year. Paolo Banchero has been touted as a possible future MVP winner and fans are excited to see what his future holds but that will now have to wait until next season.
He has averaged an impressive 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists this season which is a great achievement for his age. Banchero has the abilities of a guard with great vision and stands at six foot ten, which makes him dangerous on both ends of the court.
The Orlando Magic were defeated 4-3 by the Cleveland Cavaliers in a closely fought contest which went down to the wire. The Magic have a promising future and could go a step further next year with Paolo on the team.