NBA Players With Most to Prove as Playoffs Approach

The NBA playoffs are quickly approaching, with plenty of questions and legacies in the balance. Here are who has the most on the line with the playoffs approaching. 1. Joel Embiid and James Harden

The Sixers are going for it this year. Joel Embiid’s recent seasons have shown his absolute dominance. However, the team continually comes up short in accolades and playoff stays. He’s disrespected in the media and elite circles, with only a long playoff stint able to silence his critics. Harden’s fight for his legacy is well known. His success in Houston is evident, and now he’s chasing that coveted ring to cap off his career. After the debacle in Brooklyn, he’s made it clear he wants to win in Philly and now has the team to make a deep postseason run. 

If they come up short this postseason, Harden could leave, Embiid might want out, and Philly could have no choice but to blow it up. This is the year.

The odds-on favorite to capture his third straight league MVP, Nikola Jokic, has nothing on his resume but regular season stats and accolades. This season is different. He has the team around him and is the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. There are no excuses to be made if the MVP comes up short; none. If he doesn’t want to drift into the forgotten multi-winner MVP debate with Karl Malone and Steve Nash, the path is there for him to come out of the West this season.

The Grizzlies have to be the biggest talkers in the league, and Ja Morant leads the charge. Morant has publicly spoken about not being worried about opposition in the West, in what he believes is an easy path to the NBA Finals. Oh really, Ja? Well, you’re 5.5 games back from the No. 1 seed and are only tied for the fourth-best odds to win the conference, with the Mavericks and Warriors at +800 on the FanDuel Sportsbook. An early playoff bounce for the Grizzlies would look horrible on Ja and result in a deserved harsh reaction, so all the pressure is on him.

Seated with the best record in the NBA, it can be said that Tatum doesn’t have as much to prove after already reaching the NBA Finals last year. However, as we know in professional sports, the time is now or never. There is no such thing as waiting around because you never know when the opportunity will present itself again. This is the Celtics’ conference to lose, and any scenario where they aren’t back in the Finals would be a disappointment. 

Kevin Durant is one of the greatest players ever to touch a basketball. His excellence speaks for itself. Still, he must capture a title away from the Warriors to further catapult him in the debate among the greatest players ever. It might take him some time to get immersed in the Suns’ chemistry, but Phoenix didn’t acquire KD for fun; results are expected. Surrounded by a young star in Devin Booker and veteran Chris Paul, who also needs a title for his legacy, KD’s prime will likely end with this group. In addition, the West might not be more wide open than it is right now. Why wait KD? Get that ring.