The 2023/24 NBA season is starting to reach its business end and the playoffs aren’t too far away. However, despite that, the current regular season has an unfamiliar look. In the Western Conference, four of the top five teams were all floundering in the doldrums of the rankings just a couple of years ago, but now they find themselves battling it out amongst each other to secure a spot in the league’s upper echelons.
While the usually heavyweight Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers struggle to keep pace, it is the Oklahoma City Thunder who currently top the pile. Canadian point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is in the midst of an MVP-caliber year, leading the league in terms of steals while third overall in points per game, and his blistering performances have led his side to the top of the West Coast pile.
Behind them come the Minnesota Timberwolves. Despite being without a postseason series victory in two decades, NBA betting online bookies have made them a +1800 sixth-favorite for the Larry O’Brien this season. The addition of French center Rudy Gobert back in 2022 has seemingly transformed the previously ailing franchise’s fortunes, and they may very well be dead set on ending decades of postseason misery.
Should they make it that far, they will find themselves in and amongst the league’s biggest stars who all perform at their very best inside the pressure cooker. Over the past decade, numerous players have risen to the occasion, delivering clutch moments and setting records that fans will recount for generations to come. Here, we reminisce about the four best postseason performances that the playoffs have witnessed over the past ten years.
Jordan Poole’s Breakout Brilliance – 2022
Jordan Poole’s ascension from a promising talent to a postseason phenom is a narrative punctuated with exclamation points of dazzling displays. In 2022, he announced himself on the playoff stage as he donned his Golden State Warriors jersey with unparalleled confidence. The former Michigan Wolverine’s performances were crucial for his team, as they sought to reclaim the championship mantle.
However, unlike years gone by, this time around they were somewhat unfancied after finishing behind both the Phoenix Suns and the Memphis Grizzlies, with the former of those managing to pick 63 wins throughout the course of the campaign. He proved to be a valuable ally for Steph throughout the course of the postseason, top-scoring twice against the Nuggets in the first round and once against the second-seed Grizzlies in the conference semifinals.
His year would culminate with him securing his first championship ring and the Warriors’ fourth title in seven years. However, three years on from his breakout campaign he has been shipped on to the Washington Wizards, with the capital city outfit hoping that he can be the man that leads them toward the promised land. Unfortunately for him, however, his side is second-bottom in the Eastern Conference and will have to continue waiting for a first title since 1978.
Steph Curry’s Golden Touch – 2017
Steph Curry, the master of long-range marksmanship, delivered a playoff run for the ages during the Golden State Warriors’ dominant march to the 2017 championship. The baby-faced assassin led the NoCal outfit’s ruthless offense. He was not just making shots; he was crafting a legacy as one of the greatest shooters the game has ever seen. Throughout the playoffs, Curry demonstrated why he is a generational talent, helping his side to a 4-1 series victory against LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers in the third of four straight meetings between the two sides in the finals.
Dirk Nowitzki’s Maverick Masterpiece – 2011
The 2011 postseason saga of Dirk Nowitzki was akin to an artist painting his masterpiece. Each stroke of his indomitable will and each contour of his exceptional skill brought the Dallas Mavericks closer to their first title. With his silky smooth fadeaways and unguardable one-legged jump shots, he led a veteran team through a formidable West Coast lineup with the particular highlight being a 4-0 sweep of the top seed reigning back-to-back champion Lakers in the conference semifinals.
In the West Finals against a young Oklahoma City Thunder side, the German sensation’s performance was nothing short of legendary. He was his team’s top scorer in all five games and posted a mighty 48 points in game one and a further 40 points in game four. That set the stage for the Mavs to secure a first Larry O’Brien in championship history as they finished off their fairytale story by defeating a star-studded Miami Heat side in six.
LeBron James’ Herculean Effort – 2016
LeBron James’ magnum opus came in the form of the 2016 Finals, where he led his beloved hometown Cleveland Cavaliers in a historic comeback from a 3-1 deficit against the 73-win Golden State Warriors. The King’s performances were a tour de force of basketball excellence, demonstrating his all-around dominance on both ends of the floor.
His ability to control the game, whether it was scoring, distributing, rebounding, or defending, was unmatched. The current Los Angeles Lakers man etched his name in history with a triple-double in Game 7, which included the iconic “block heard around the world” on Andre Iguodala.
