The one-sided situation in the playoffs in the 2023-24 season once caused the older generation of stars led by Jandou Kuden to fall one after another. Among the teams that reached the division semifinals, the leader of their respective teams, the oldest is tantamount to 29-year-old Jokic, which shows that the replacement of the old and the new has begun to flow seamlessly on this stage, and although it is unexpected, it will still come. In addition to the age of the super leader, among the 8 teams that have been promoted, more than 30+ players who are still the core competitiveness of the team are also rare, and these veterans are the only ones left on this stage, allowing them to continue to survive.
Today, let's take stock of the five great juniors who survived in the playoffs.
Fifth place: Reggie Jackson 34 years old
Reggie Jackson, as a veteran born in 1990, has played for many teams such as the Thunder, Clippers, and Nuggets during his career. In the Clippers period, Reggie, who was born as a veteran with a base salary, once played the demeanor of a star in the 2020-21 season in the division semifinals, and after the Leonard season was reimbursed, he teamed up with George to break into the stage of the division finals, and then became the pride of the Clippers, after the double-star truce, the team's super leader, but since then, the nerve knife attribute has been exposed again, and he was traded to the Nuggets in the 2022-23 season, due to the nerve knife attribute, and the outstanding performance of Brown, Green and other bench bandits, so that Reggie did not have a chance to play and win the championship trophy.
In the 2023-24 season, Brown and Green left the team after winning the championship, Reggie was ordered to be in danger and played a good competitive role in the regular season, during the playoffs, Reggie played an average of 10.9 minutes per game, and will still be an important rotation player for the team, still occupying a certain position and energy in the team, and is also among the players above 30+, who can continue to have the ball to play.
And make Reggie one of the few survivors who can still enter the division semifinals at such an age, excellent performance, plug-and-play performance, and even excellent organizational skills, as well as explosive output ability, also make this nerve knife will still be a reliable player for the Nuggets in a desperate situation, after all, the attributes of the nerve knife make it a secret weapon for counterattacks, and there is still a fight power.
4th place: Jrue Holiday 33 years old
Holiday was born in 1990 and has played for teams such as the Pelicans, Bucks, and Celtics throughout his career. As the best star in the Holiday family, in the 2020-21 season, Holiday joined the Bucks and played a phenomenal performance with the team, leading the team to the finals stage as a three-in-command, and won the championship trophy, making him a champion guard.
In the 2022-23 season, after experiencing the humiliation of the Black Eight, Holiday was traded by the team, and after experiencing the Trail Blazers, he was sent to the Celtics. Holiday played an average of 35.5 minutes per game, able to cut 8.8 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists, although the data has dropped significantly, but Holiday advantage is not in the data, his defensive efficiency, and organizational ability, will be the team's most urgent key, but also an important factor for the team to defeat the Heat, eliminate the demons.
In the face of the young Cavaliers, Holiday is still gratifying in the defensive end, and it also makes him a star to be reckoned with, and even undertakes the most difficult tasks and work of the team, even if the data cannot explain Holiday greatness, but the team can get to where it is today, and even has the strength to compete for the championship, Holiday Holiday's contribution to the team is still indelible, and it also makes this experienced, tough style of play, and outstanding defensive ability of the veteran star, will still be the absolute secret weapon for the team to continue to compete for the championship. The team's killer feature at key moments will also be Celtic's ability to handle the ball at critical moments and control the tempo.
3rd place: Al Horford 37 years old
Horford, as a veteran who entered the league in 07, wandered in many teams such as the Celtics, 76ers, and Thunder in his career, and after returning to the Celtics in the 2021-22 season, he once entered the Finals stage with the team. Continue to fight for the road to the championship, and let this aging veteran continue to look for the light and continue to fight on the road to the championship, so that he can become a veteran star at such an age who can still become the core competitiveness of the team, and also become the best star on the court in the 07th class after Durant.
In the 2023-24 season, Horford's performance is still mediocre, and after Porzingis joined, Horford has also become the team's bench bandit, with rich experience, so that he can still contribute an average of 7.8 points per game, bringing great competitiveness to the team and becoming an important factor for the team to rank first in the East.
After the start of the playoffs, Horford, as a 37-year-old veteran, still gave a good competitiveness, playing an average of 26 minutes per game, cutting 7.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists.
Second place: Mike Conley 36 years old
Conley as a veteran star, career in the Grizzlies, Jazz, Timberwolves and other teams, in the Grizzlies period, Conley played the peak of his career performance, extreme performance, and the temperament of the leader, so that Conley once became the absolute competitiveness on the court, but also once let the team retire its jersey, so that this veteran of a hundred battles, still won the recognition of the old club, in the Jazz period, Conley also played the style of a veteran, and helped the team become the first record in the West, Let Conley become a core competency that cannot be underestimated.
In the 2023-24 season, during the regular season, Conley's performance was decent, and his performance with his own manual became an important factor in Gobert's continuous rampage, which also made the Timberwolves play more team and collective.
During the playoffs, Conley's outstanding performance, as well as the change of pace, have made Conley a team to stabilize the lead, but also an important factor in turning the advantage into a grand momentum, Conley's rich experience, but also made him a veteran star, one of the few key factors to continue to stay on the court, Conley's immortal performance, but also let it continue to improve and sublimate, so that this key gentleman, become the Timberwolves are expected to win the championship, one of the few at such an age, after the old generation of stars have abdicated, is expected to win the championship with the team, even in his youth, continue to achieve great things, and continue to be the only remaining core competitiveness among veteran stars.
1st place: Kyrie Irving 32 years old
As a superstar, Irving has played for the Cavaliers, Celtics, Nets, and Mavericks teams in his career, and his excellent scoring ability has made Irving once known as an offensive kaleidoscope on the court, dazzling offensive skills, and the attributes of a big heart at critical moments, all of which allow Irving to give what he wants on the court, and help the team win the championship trophy, making him an all-round star with an elegant style of play, a variety of playing styles, and a comprehensive range of skills, a fairy style of play, and phenomenal performance. All of them allow Irving to continue to improve his competitiveness and make him a true superstar.
In the 2023-24 season, the performance of the regular season is still remarkable, excellent performance, and increasing lethality, all of which make Irving the most outstanding core star around Doncic, the ability to advance quickly, and the efficiency of counterattacks, all of which make Irving continue to instigate the team's competitiveness, and also make the team's record continue to improve, during the playoffs, Irving's extreme performance has become a secret weapon against the Clippers, and the 32-year-old veteran can still dominate the stage as a young man. Continuing to play a key role also allows Irving to continue to write legendary moments.
Even in the case of young people taking over the game, Irving has become the last hope and glory of the older generation, and Irving's extreme performance in the playoffs, and played an average of 39.6 minutes per game, cutting 25.6 points, 5 rebounds and 4.4 assists, and comprehensive statistical performance, making Irving the best assistant next to Doncic, and also making Irving's explosion in the second half can always become the key to the team's counterattack game.
Irving's transformation, as well as his increasing competitiveness, make him a unique existence among the 30+ stars, and also become the first person to continue to be the second leader of the team at such an age, the first person in this playoffs, after all, after Janduku left this stage one after another, Irving has also become the last glory of the team to write the glory of the older generation, Irving's old and strong, and once became the rise of a new generation, making it the last hope of the older generation of stars, and the Mavericks are currently not dominant in the face of the Thunder, Whether Owen can keep the last glory and glory of the older generation will also be the last hope and the last redeemer of the team for Owen to keep the last glory and glory of the older generation.