NBA playoffs: Top-five players from the first round
Now that the second round of the 2017 NBA playoffs is here, we take a look back at the top-five players who stood out in Round 1.
Note: List only includes players whose teams advanced to the second round, eliminating potential candidates like Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul.
5. James Harden, Houston Rockets
Statistics - 33.2 points, 7.0 assists, 6.4 rebounds, 1.6 steals, 41.1% shooting, 24.0% three-point shooting, 37.4 minutes, five games
Recap - By his standards, Harden was off in Houston's first-round series with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He struggled to find his shot — particularly from beyond the arc, where he made just 12 of his 50 attempts — and disappeared in Game 4, where he scored just 16 points and afterwards revealed he's been dealing with an ankle injury. Shooting struggles aside, Harden — who trailed only fellow MVP frontrunner Russell Westbrook in points per game in the first round — was still able to do what he does best: get to the basket and draw contact. He got to the line 73 times (playoff leader) and made 90.4% of his attempts.
4. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Statistics - 29.8 points, 6.5 assists, 5.3 rebounds, 2.0 steals, 45.1% shooting, 42.2% three-point shooting, 33.8 minutes, four games
Recap - The rest of the NBA has a problem when Stephen Curry starts shimmying. In the Warriors' first-round sweep of the Portland Trail Blazers, he shimmied. The back-to-back MVP played some of his best basketball of the year, leading the Warriors to four straight wins by an average of 18 points. He was particularly impressive in Game 4, scoring 37 points (on 12-of-20 shooting), knocking down seven of his 11 three-point attempts and tallying eight assists and seven rebounds in just 30 minutes.
3. John Wall, Washington Wizards
Statistics - 29.5 points, 10.3 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 52.5% shooting, 47.4% three-point shooting, 38.7 minutes, six games
Recap - Alongside his backcourt running mate Bradley Beal, Wall willed the Wizards to a first-round win over the Atlanta Hawks in six games, exacting revenge on the team that ended their season in the conference semifinals two years ago. Wall's series was highlighted by fastbreak dunks, chase-down blocks, ankle-breaking crossovers and late-game heroics. The most memorable performance for the lightning-quick point guard? A 42-point, eight-assist, four-steal outing (on 16-of-25 shooting) to close out the series in Atlanta in Game 6.
2. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Statistics - 32.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 9.0 assists, 3.0 steals, 54.3% shooting, 45.0% three-point shooting, 43.8 minutes, four games
Recap - James' dominance in Cleveland's first-round sweep of the Indiana Pacers flew somewhat under the radar for a couple of reasons. No. 1: We've grown accustomed to James' otherworldliness, particularly in the playoffs, where he's won 21 straight first-round games. No. 2: The Cavaliers haven't played since April 23. But make no mistake: Playoff LeBron is here. In addition to nearly averaging a triple-double, carrying the Cavaliers to a 26-point comeback victory in Game 3 and leading all forwards in rebounds, James hit 45% of his three-pointers — his highest percentage in a playoff series since the 2014 Finals.
1. Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
Statistics - 31.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.0 steals, 54.8% shooting, 48.3% three-point shooting, 37.7 minutes, six games
Recap - In addition to the ones above, Leonard's per-game statistics — player efficiency rating (37.0), offensive rating (122.4) and plus-minus (11.7), to name a few — are enough to put him at No. 1. But they don't tell the whole story. In San Antonio's first-round battle with Memphis, Leonard shined in late-game situations. In the Spurs' Game 4 loss, in particular, Leonard poured in 16 straight fourth-quarter points to force overtime and outscored the entire Grizzlies team 24-22 in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter and overtime. What's more, Leonard's first-round dominance led coach Gregg Popovich to dub him the "best player in the league right now."
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