(The author of this article is B/R writer Andy Bailey, and the views expressed in this article do not represent the views of the author and the platform)
Every year, the NBA playoffs give stars who have already made a name for themselves in the league a chance to prove themselves.
However, the pressure is relative. Anthony Edwards may feel like he has a lot to prove, but he's only 20 years old and enjoying his first playoff trip. What he has proved so far doesn't have much weight, but he still has years to flesh out his resume.
And the stars who need to prove themselves the most have already made it to the playoffs, and some have had multiple playoff experiences. For the rest of their careers, winning a championship (one of whom needs to get it again) is the only thing they need to do.
For any of the players below, this summer could make them change their "legacy" like Dirk Nowitzki in 2011 or Matthew Stafford, who won the Super Bowl this year. But if they don't win the championship, there will be more skepticism about them, and they may be asterisked like Charles Barkley, John Stockton and Carl Malone.
Although the players who appear on this list are based on their playoff appearances, career achievements, and the time spent remaining in their careers, it is entirely subjective for the author to appear on this list in the end and who will prove that they are under the most pressure.
Fifth place: Nikola Jokic
Honestly, this list starts with Jokic and feels a bit far-fetched. The absence of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. has made the pressure on last season's MVP winner and denver Nuggets to be expected of them less (after all, in the absence of a complete lineup, it makes sense not to win the championship).
But he has now reached the point where the only missing honor in his career is the championship. He won the MVP in 2021 and seems to continue to lead this year's MVP selection. From now until he wins the championship, people will evaluate him around "yes, but what did he achieve in the playoffs?"
Forget about his 25.9 points, 11.3 rebounds and 6.4 assists in the playoffs. Also, forget about his playoff BPM (team contribution) second only to Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
The only thing he has to do now is to make 16 wins in the playoffs in a single season. While this is unlikely to be done without Murray and Porter Jr. (who have not yet been completely ruled out of a comeback this season), that is the basic requirement for him from now on.
Fourth place: Kyrie Owen
Irving's pressure wasn't as great as we thought, and the reasons were obvious. He has already won a championship trophy for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. In G7 of that year's Finals, his three-point shot was like a cold-blooded dagger, killing his opponent's hopes of winning the championship. But the failures of past few seasons and the dramatic events off the pitch have made him need to prove himself again.
From forcibly leaving Cleveland, to leaving Boston after telling Celtics fans "I'm going to renew my contract with the team," to playing less than half of the game after joining the Nets, that's enough to keep him surrounded by skepticism, so there's nothing wrong with him being on this list.
Although he is still the second choice after Durant, if Irving can't play and play at his best, I'm afraid the Nets won't be able to compete with the Eastern Conference giants like Celtics, Heat and Bucks.
Of course, it should be noted that Irving's situation is similar to Jokic's. The Nets' roster is far from healthy. Even if Ben Simmons returns at some point in the first round of the playoffs, it's hard to fit into his new role at the start. Similarly, Joe Harris, who lacked the space to pull away, had a big impact on the Nets.
But if the Nets did badly in this year's playoffs, and Irving was a big reason for that, don't use these injury situations as an excuse.
Third place: Rudy Gobert
For years, there has been a rumor circulating online that "Gobert can't stay on the field in the playoffs."
Why do people say that? Because if the opponent sets up a small lineup, scatters the jazz players in various positions, and forces Gobert away from the box, then he becomes a "burden".
This was evident in last year's Jazz's game against the Clippers without Leonard. Clippers guards and wing players kept pounding the basket, forcing Gobert to make up for it before passing the ball to the empty shooter in the bottom corner.
But this problem that started on the defensive end wasn't Gobert's fault.
"The Jazz have an elite-caliber defender and a defensively sound player, but they have eight point-giving boys." Former Dallas Maverick executive Haralabos Voulgaris tweeted, "Now you tell me again how Gobert can't play the playoffs." ”
Although voulgaris and others have defended Gobert, he remains the main target of condemnation for the team on the brink of disintegration.
If the Jazz are out early again this season, especially in the hands of teams that are good at playing small lineups, then I expect Gobert to be a scapegoat.
Second place: Chris Paul
Whether or not Paul wins a championship trophy, he's one of the greatest point guards of all time and will certainly be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
He is the only player in NBA history who has averaged at least 18 points, nine assists and two steals per game in his career. He is sixth on the all-time BPM list, tied for 15th on the all-Star list in history, and 30th on the all-time MVP shares (a statistic weighted by the average player's MVP vote per season).
But whether his historical status is closer to that of Magic Johnson or Stockton depends on whether he can win an NBA championship. And this year is the perfect time for him to win the championship.
As great as Paul is, this season is his second season of leading a team to 60+ wins in the regular season and becoming the number one seed. When he was playing for the Hornets (now the Pelicans), Clippers and Rockets, his opponents at the time happened to be great teams of all time, such as the Lakers led by Kobe Bryant, the Spurs led by Duncan and the Warriors led by Curry.
But somehow Paul seems to be the "evergreen tree." He will turn 37 in May, and he has been in the league for 17 years. And this season's Suns may be the best and most complete team he has ever played for.
The Suns may have been a strong contender for the championship in recent years, but Paul is on his way to four and his chances are limited.
Number one: James Harden
In any case, James Harden is one of the representatives of the NBA player empowerment era.
Almost from the moment Harden joined the Rockets, he took control of the team. After leaving Dwight Howard, Paul and Russell Westbrook, he moved to the Nets. And this season, he pushed the team to trade him to the 76ers.
These series of events, combined with past poor performances in the playoffs, have made Harden the star who needs to prove himself most in the playoffs this season.
Of course, as a member of the 76ers, he is clearly the second choice for the team. Joel Embiid is the first choice and he will be taken care of by the focus of the defence. But if Harden still can't stand up at a critical moment, and the 76ers can't go further in the playoffs, then he still can't escape condemnation.
Written by Andy Bailey
Compilation: Can't hold the basket at all