The 2024 NBA Playoffs will again feature the very best players in the game fighting to call themselves champions in May. However, 10 specific All-Stars are feeling much more pressure than many of their contemporaries this year. With that in mind, let’s look at the 10 players with the most to prove in the 2024 playoffs.
10. Joel Embiid
Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid would be higher on this list if not for two reasons that will get him a bit of a pass. Firstly, after they traded James Harden before the season expectations for the team fell significantly. Then there is the fact that he is likely playing through a knee injury and won’t reach his MVP form.
Nevertheless, if they are ousted in the first round by the Knicks it would still be a disappointing finish to the season and add to a long history of Embiid not being healthy when it matters most. The 2022-23 MVP needs to at least reach the second round this year.
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9. Luka Doncic
The Dallas Mavericks are seen by some as a dark horse in the Western Conference NBA Playoffs this year and with good reason, Luka Doncic is having another career year and is a serious candidate to win MVP. That is why the Mavs have to make some solid noise over the next month.
Doncic has a star wingman in Kyrie Irving and better defense than in years past. If he does not go far in the 2024 NBA Playoffs it would create a discussion about if he needs to alter his game to actually make Dallas a serious title contender next season.
8. Anthony Davis
Anthony Davis played a massive role in the Los Angeles Lakers surprise run to the Western Conference Finals last year. Not only was he a force on offense but he was, arguably, the best defensive player in the entire postseason. While he won a championship in 2020, being bounced by the Nuggets in Round 1 would be another wasted year of his prime and why he is feeling the pressure in the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
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7. Paul George
There have been rumblings in recent weeks that Paul George has not signed an extension with the Los Angeles Clippers because he is heading to Philly in the summer. Whatever team he lands with he has put himself in a position where he needs to stay healthy and have a good postseason so he can up the value on what will be his final big-time contract. If he does not deliver he may not have the leverage he is hoping for in NBA free agency.
6. Damian Lillard
Over the summer Damian Lillard forced his way out of Portland and got what he wanted: To play with another star on a legitimate title contender. Well, as the playoffs get underway the Bucks are the most talented mess in the league. Adding more pressure to a situation that includes a new head coach who arrived two months ago is that Giannis Antetokounmpo may not be available in the first round.
Now, the onus is on Lillard to prove that he is also a superstar and lead Milwaukee at least out of the opening round and avoid a second straight early exit.
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5. Donovan Mitchell
Donovan Mitchell developed a reputation as a good but not great player when it mattered most during his time in Utah. Last season when the Cavaliers were bounced by the Knicks in Round 1 he and Cleveland were given a bit of a pass. That won’t be the case in the 2024 NBA Playoffs and Mitchell and the team can’t have another first-round elimination. It might solidify the idea that the five-time All-Star is not a true 1A player.
4. Lebron James
There is always pressure on Lebron James during the playoffs. That’s what happens when you go to 10 NBA Finals, lose in six of them and you’re knocking on the door of 40 years old. Furthermore, this is the team that he forced on the Los Angeles Lakers, and if they perform worse this year than they did in 2023 it won’t be a good look for the ageless wonder.
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3. Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo would be in the top spot of this list if not for a late-season injury that has completely put his availability in doubt over the first two rounds of the 2024 NBA playoffs. Still, there is a great deal of pressure on him after he got the coach and fellow superstar he wanted in the offseason and both could end up being letdowns.
Don’t be surprised if the two-time MVP ends up rushing back to the court due to a belief that he has something to prove this year after a shocking Round 1 elimination in 2023.
2. Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant forced his way out of Brooklyn last year and was given a pass when the Phoenix Suns did not go far in last year’s playoffs. Hopes are not high for the Suns this year after an underwhelming regular season. It has put added pressure on the 14-time All-Star to prove he is a championship player without Stephen Curry. Being a few months from 36 and on the backside of his best years doesn’t help either.
1. Jayson Tatum
There have been many great players labeled as disappointments in the playoffs until they finally broke threw and won their first championship. Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum is about to join that group if he can’t get it done this season. The Cs have been to the postseason every season during his career and four Eastern Conference Finals.
While he is adored in Boston, patient Celtics fans have seen many championship teams and the pressure already on the five-time All-Star will only intensify in Beantown if another championship-level team disappoints in the 2024 NBA Playoffs.