Preface
As the playoffs progressed, three teams have now been eliminated, and they have been forced to accept the fact of a first-round tour due to the poor performance of the core of the team. So far, there have been too many players in the playoffs who have played well below expectations, and even compared to their regular season performances, there is a huge gap.
The next six players have been miserable in the playoffs so far, and some of them have become regulars on this list, seeing them play in the playoffs again and again almost every year.
6. Russell (Lakers)
In the playoffs, he averaged 14.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game while shooting 38.4% from the field
Russell's performance in the regular season this season can be said to be quite good, averaging 18+3+6 per game, and the offensive efficiency is also very efficient, but in the playoffs, Russell doesn't seem to be able to play again. Russell's performance throughout the series can be described as unpredictable, with his individual scoring of 13 points, 23 points, 0 points, 21 points, and 14 points in five games, and his three-point shooting rate has been below 30% in three games.
Russell is the engine of the Lakers' offensive end, and once he turns off, the Lakers basically have no chance of winning, and it turns out that he really can't afford to be the main point guard of the championship team. After the Lakers were eliminated, Russell's future has become more uncertain, and it is unknown whether he will choose to continue to compete for championships with the Lakers or get a big contract with another team.
5. Garland (Knight)
In the playoffs, he averaged 12 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists per game, shooting 41.9% from the field
In the playoffs of the past two years, Garland has proved with practical actions that he is indeed not worthy of his maximum salary contract, and no matter how well he plays in the regular season, he will still be stable in the playoffs. Garland's performance this year is even worse than last year, averaging only 12 points per game to rank fourth on the team, he has six assists and three turnovers, and he has almost no means of consistent scoring except for three-pointers on the offensive end, let alone on the defensive end.
Seeing that the Magic equalized the score, Garland only scored 5 points and 14 points in these two games, and if the Cavaliers were really reversed by the Magic in the end, then he would undoubtedly be blamed. If the team continues to build around Garland, the Cavaliers' ceiling is estimated to be the playoffs, and there is almost no solution to Garland's problems, and his physical fitness makes it difficult for him to be the core of a championship team.
4. Bill (Sun)
In the playoffs, he averaged 16.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 44.1% from the field
If you look at Beal as an average player, his performance in this year's playoffs is decent, but the problem is that his contract is too big, and his annual salary of 46.74 million can rank sixth in the league this season. Other players with the same level of annual salary include James, Lillard, George and others, as well as thick eyebrows and Doncic, whose annual salary is lower than Beal's.
In the series eliminated by the Timberwolves, G4 Beal only contributed 9 points on 4-of-13 shooting, plus 6 turnovers and 6 fouls, but as long as he played a normal point, the Suns would not be swept. At the moment, Beal is also unsolvable, he is 30 years old and has three years of contract in the future, and the annual salary is getting higher and higher every year, and the Suns can only wait for his contract to expire in addition to paying a few draft picks to send him away.
3. Ingram (Pelicans)
In the playoffs, he averaged 14.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 34.5% from the field
Prior to that, Ingram had only played in the playoffs once, and he averaged 27 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game that year, and his play at that time could be quite impressive. But only two years later, Ingram seems to be completely unaccustomed to the confrontation and intensity of the playoffs, and he was helpless by Dort's limitation in the whole series, without a 20+ performance in 4 games, and the shooting rate in 2 of them was only 29.4% and 14.3%.
In the game of life and death G4, Ingram scored only 8 points on 2-of-14 shooting, and the Pelicans were swept directly in the end. There's no problem with saying that Ingram is the biggest war criminal in this series, and fans don't expect him to play against Alexander, but at least he has to play at the level he deserves. Now it seems that the Pelicans can completely give up Ingram, and at the age of 26, he has little development value, so it is better to make a move as soon as possible in exchange for a player with more immediate power or more potential.
2. Leonard (Clippers)
In the playoffs, he averaged 12 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists per game while shooting 45.8% from the field
Most people may not expect to see Leonard's name on this list, you must know that he has always been one of the representative players of the "regular season bug playoff dragons", but this season due to injuries and age, Leonard is indeed a little unable to do so in the playoffs. In the two games he played, Leonard scored 15 points in one game and 9 points in one game, as long as he was on both ends of the court, it was almost a side effect on the team, so the team also decided to let him continue to rest, but instead they won the G4.
And if attendance is also taken into account in terms of personal strength, then Leonard has even more reason to be on the list, he has never played from beginning to end in all these years, except for the 2020 playoffs, and the Clippers can only watch their big boss sit on the bench at the end of the playoffs, so it makes no sense for the team to give him a super cap salary, and signing an All-Star with 30 million is better than watching Leonard play or not.
1. Tatum (Celtics)
In the playoffs, he averaged 23.3 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists per game, shooting 41.2% from the field
In recent years, Tatum has left the deepest impression on people that the team's lineup has always been top, but the key is that he, the big man on the surface, is not strong, and his key ball ability is not good. This year's playoffs Tatum also "proved" once again that this is not a simple impression stream, and his playoff performance is indeed much worse than many superstars.
So far, Tatum has a shooting rate of less than 40% in 3 games, which is still the offensive efficiency played by the Green Army with the best offensive space in the league, if it weren't for the Green Army's lineup is too strong, this year's Heat may really have a chance to repeat last year's "Black Eight Miracle". Now the gap between the two sides is so big that even if Tatum doesn't play later, it will be difficult for the Heat to win. However, it is clear that the goal of the Green Army this season is not as simple as beating the Heat, they are going to compete for the championship, but if Tatum only has this level, let alone compete for the championship, it is one thing whether they can break out of the East.