Players under the most pressure this post season

[Mask the Embiid]

1. Jokic - His fans keep calling him a top 4 player ever so he has no excuse to not perform like one. He is in his absolute prime. There are no excuses!! (Another post season flop losing to a player under 23 years old; could banish him outside of the top 20 forever)

2. Shai - The MVP always has the bright lights on him in the post season. Has to prove he's truly the best player in the world.

3. Celtics - They have to prove it wasn't just a injury riddled fluke ring.

4. Cavs - are they the pretenders we all truly know they are?

5. Luka - LeBron James took the backseat to him even though he is the better player. So he better do something with the car keys.



Honorable mentions (jimmy butler, ja morant, knicks)



edit: and this is not a thread where everyone makes their own list. That ^ is the list— in the correct order.

[Manny98]

Agreed on everything outside of Jokic

He's already proven with a championship

[Real Men Wear Green]

Jokic will average a 30 point triple-double and you will say he's a failure when they get eliminated. Celtics could go 16-0 and you would still be talking shit. If the Cavs loss to the Celtics you are"right." If the Celtics lose to the Cavs you are "right." And is course you will trash Doncic if/when they lose with a narrative you conceived before a single game is played.

But you know who has nothing to prove? Embiid.

[Neal Romer]

Pressure huh? That sounds tricky to deal with.

Those guys may wanna consider faking a knee injury in order to avoid it.

[Mask the Embiid]

Jokic will average a 30 point triple-double and you will say he's a failure when they get eliminated. Celtics could go 16-0 and you would still be talking shit. If the Cavs loss to the Celtics you are"right." If the Celtics lose to the Cavs you are "right." And is course you will trash Doncic if/when they lose with a narrative you conceived before a single game is played.

But you know who has nothing to prove? Embiid.

You are correct....No he doesn't

https://i.postimg.cc/Fs9xky7V/2024-08-10-T224815-Z-622073217-UP1-EK8-A1-RCDP0-RTRMADP-3-OLYMPICS-2024-BASKETBALL.jpg

[tpols]

You still somehow made this a Jokic thread. When he has no pressure to win ring with his team riddled with injury and coach fired for no reason.

Jokic could average 50/20/10 en route to a chip with Westbrook as his sidekick on some pinky n the brain shit and you'd still hate because of some weird fetish towards the guy you have.

Only body with pressure on them are Cleveland and OKC who have to prove they're not fugazi after being runaway 1 seeds. Everything else is a toss up.

[Im so nba'd out]

I don't guard no picks, no screens, and im not closing out
But im a 3 time mvp baby, cast your vote on me, baby
I'm vanilla, baby, Im choking, cause I ain't no killer, baby
IM 30, but my fans telling me I'm still a baby
I get love in Denver like the mayor baby
And the thing about your boy is
I don't guard no picks, no screens, and im not closing out
But im a 3 time mvp baby, cast your vote on me, baby



https://youtu.be/Iq8h3GEe22o

[Axe]

No sixers team will play this off-season. :ohwell:

[Wally450]

"Players" under pressure, mentions a team.

[SouBeachTalents]

Embiid would've had the number one spot had he actually managed to make the playoffs. He's the only MVP in history to never make a conference finals.

[StrongLurk]

The answer is easily Shai.

[imdaman99]

You still somehow made this a Jokic thread. When he has no pressure to win ring with his team riddled with injury and coach fired for no reason.

Jokic could average 50/20/10 en route to a chip with Westbrook as his sidekick on some pinky n the brain shit and you'd still hate because of some weird fetish towards the guy you have.

Only body with pressure on them are Cleveland and OKC who have to prove they're not fugazi after being runaway 1 seeds. Everything else is a toss up.

When are you fools gonna give up on the westbrook = scapegoat narrative? Figured with him being the 5th option that y'all would get over it already. But nope, it's the same old tired shtick.

BTW jokic plays bad defense. Couple that with MPJ and Murray defense. You don't think that had a hand in the coach being fired? OK

[k0kakw0rld]

1. Jokic - His fans keep calling him a top 4 player ever so he has no excuse to not perform like one. He is in his absolute prime. There are no excuses!! (Another post season flop losing to a player under 23 years old; could banish him outside of the top 20 forever)

2. Shai - The MVP always has the bright lights on him in the post season. Has to prove he's truly the best player in the world.

3. Celtics - They have to prove it wasn't just a injury riddled fluke ring.

4. Cavs - are they the pretenders we all truly know they are?

5. Luka - LeBron James took the backseat to him even though he is the better player. So he better do something with the car keys.



Honorable mentions (jimmy butler, ja morant, knicks)



edit: and this is not a thread where everyone makes their own list. That ^ is the list— in the correct order.

https://i.postimg.cc/nrzPzszG/Screenshot-20250409-233950-Chrome.jpg (https://postimg.cc/njykShqX)
Shai balled in the playoffs. He outplayed Luka but none of his teammates stepped up to help him.

This season J Dub has emerged as a solid #2 and Chet is back healthy.

[999Guy]

1. Lakers FO(in bid to keep Luka long term)
2. Shai/OKC core
3. Warriors(title window closing rapidly)
4. Clippers/Kawhi(same as GS and lots of lost time to make up for)
5. Denver actually. That core is getting blown up unless something miraculous happens


6. Celtics. Unless I'm underestimating new ownership and their current cap situation, they're pretty stable and not in dire need of a blow up or at risk of a blow up should they lose to Cleveland in the ECF or WC team in the finals. However, they don't wanna get knocked out early.