basketball

As NBA playoffs tip off, these are the 10 best players ready to define the postseason

•Yahoo Sports

As the NBA playoffs tip off, these 10 players are best equipped to define the postseason and help their teams chase a championship.

The 2026 NBA playoffs have officially tipped off. The best NBA players showcase their skills and talent through an 82-game regular season, but the playoffs are where legacies are made – or tainted. The postseason is where performance determines who is the star of stars; who will rise to the occasion and who shrinks when the lights are brightest.

With 16 teams left competing for the coveted Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy to be crowned NBA champion, someone will ascend themselves above the rest during the biggest moments with everything on the line. Here's a ranking of the 10 best available players in these NBA playoffs. The list does not include players who have been considered out for the first round, including Los Angeles Lakers guards Luka Doncic or Austin Reaves.

NBA PLAYOFF PICKS: USA TODAY predictions for every first-round series Best players in 2026 NBA playoffs Here are the top 10 best players competing during the NBA Playoffs. 10. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns The Suns guard plays both sides of the ball, can score with the best of them, and don't sleep on his playmaking ability and willing to defer to the hot hand.

You saw that in the Suns' play-in game for the No. 8 seed against the Golden State Warriors. Booker averaged 26.

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