April 19th. That is when the NBA playoffs officially begin. 16 teams will be vying for a championship and will try to wrestle away the crown from the defending champion Boston Celtics.
The postseason is where legacies are made, but also where pressure is at an all-time high. Some players will be entering the playoffs for the first time, while others are trying to get over the hump and break through. Here are the three players under the most pressure to achieve this playoffs.
3) Donovan Mitchell
Mitchell has been a great playoff performer throughout his career. He has the seventh highest point per game average in postseason history (28.1) and is coming off a playoff run that saw him score 89 points across two games to will the Cavs past the Magic last season. However, Mitchell himself has said he will be judged on championships and this year will be the best opportunity he’s ever had.
The Cavs are 59-14 and are on track to clinch the East’s number one seed. Darius Garland and Evan Mobley are having All-Star and arguably All-NBA caliber years. Head coach Kenny Atkinson is the best head man Mitchell has had. Now it's time for him to deliver. There have been questions about whether or not he is a championship-level number one option.
Mitchell has taken a lighter workload this season in order to make sure he is fresh when the games matter the most. In order for Cleveland to achieve their championship aspirations, they are going to need Donovan Mitchell to be Spida Man.
2) Jimmy Butler
Butler has had an up and down season. He dragged out an almost two month long trade request to force his way out of Miami. Now, he has been the catalyst for Golden State, helping them turn their season around and on the cusp of a top six seed in the West.
Butler has not played to his usual All-Star level with the Warriors yet, only averaging 17 PPG, six rebounds, and six assists and shooting only 44 percent from the field. He has done all of the little things well for Golden State, as he is defending at a high-level, taking pressure off of Stephen Curry and giving him more space, and playing high-IQ basketball.
Butler said that when the time comes, he will take over. Well, the time is coming soon. Golden State brought him in to extend their championship window with Curry and Draymond Green. Butler is supposed to be the difference maker that leads to deep playoff runs. He has to deliver.
1) Giannis Antetokounmpo
Now that Damian Lillard is out indefinitely and his playoff status unknown, the pressure is on for Antetokounmpo. Even with Lillard, Milwaukee was under a lot of pressure coming into the playoffs. Antetokounmpo has said that he wants to win multiple championships and while he would like to do it with the Bucks, he has not been shy about doing what is best for his career.
He has played a grand total of two and a half games in the last two postseasons, both first round exits for Milwaukee. Antetokounmpo is one of the NBA’s best and he needs to find a way to be healthy and available for the Bucks this playoffs. Without Lillard, he will have to take over games and lead Milwaukee to victories. He did it before
If Antetokounmpo doesn’t deliver, wholesale changes will be coming to the Bucks. That is why he is under the most pressure. The complexion of the franchise will change if Milwaukee bows out in the first round again.