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

The New York Knicks enter the playoffs off a strong season that saw them finish as a top-five offense and top-ten defense. Now, with a championship in their sights, our heroes open their first-round series against a retooled Atlanta Hawks team that has benefited from breakout seasons by Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, veteran scoring from CJ McCollum, and a balanced, defensive-minded rotation. While Atlanta brings pace, shooting, and opportunism, New York’s edge lies in its physicality, rebounding, and late-game shot creation—especially in the hands of Captain Clutch.

Tip-off is 6:00 pm EST on Amazon Prime Video. This is your game thread. This is Peachtree Hoops. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Be cool and enjoy the ride. And go Knicks!

The thought of being back on this stage had Deandre Ayton’s blood boiling.

He quipped that he was ready to do backflips out of excitement because of what was ahead for him and the Lakers. 

That’s how much Ayton is relishing the opportunity to be a part of the NBA playoffs again, with the Lakers playing the Rockets in a first-round series.

“Personally, I’m very excited,” Ayton said recently. “I haven’t played playoff basketball in quite some time.” 

It had been nearly three years since Ayton last played postseason basketball.

Before Saturday, his last playoff game was 35 months ago while he was with the Suns. He had 14 points and nine rebounds in a loss to the eventual NBA champion Nuggets in Game 5 of the second-round series on May 9, 2023, sitting out the Nuggets’ series-clinching Game 6 victory two days later.

Ayton was traded to the Trail Blazers 4 ½ months later, missing the playoffs during both of his seasons in Portland before joining the Lakers last summer. 

“I love playing this game, and I take great passion [for] playing on both ends of the floor,” Ayton said of what he wants to prove during the playoffs. “I still believe just being a two-way player in this league, that’s truly my second nature, and that’s how I want to be noted as in this league. I can play hard on offense; I can play hard on the defense. So that’s just really my goal, running the floor always, and closing out [possessions] with rebounds and protecting the rim. Just trying to enhance everything I can coming into the playoffs.”

Ayton isn’t the only Laker making their return to postseason play after having to watch from home the last couple of years.

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Marcus Smart, who was consistently in the playoffs to start his career, hadn’t played postseason basketball since his Eastern Conference run with the Celtics in 2023.

Smart appeared in the postseason in each of the first nine years of his career, playing in 108 playoff games for the Celtics, which included five conference finals appearances and the 2022 NBA Finals. 

He’s back in a familiar setting after not playing in postseason basketball with the Grizzlies and Wizards the previous two seasons. 

“It means everything,” Smart said. “It has been a minute, but for me this is where things tend to start going up for me, and my play starts to turn up. I’m very excited to be back in the playoffs. I’m very excited to be on this team and help them do what we can, win some games and go as far as we can go. We don’t know how far that is, but we’re going to go out there and fight until we can’t fight no more, and that’s what I’m very excited about.”

Ayton and Smart played important roles for the Lakers en route to a 53-win season that secured the fourth seed in the West. 

Smart was the Lakers’ best defender, playing in 62 games (54 starts), his most since 2022-23. 

Ayton played in a career-high 72 games, the second most on the Lakers, and shot a career-high 67.1% from the field. 

He got a taste of what Lakers playoff basketball is like as a visitor when his Suns beat the Lakers in six games in the first round of the 2021 playoffs. 

“Especially being on this side of town now, playing in LA when I was on the other side, this place can get pretty loud,” Ayton said.

“Coming out of these practices, [coach] JJ [Redick] gives you so much. And you have to dissect it sometimes, and you’re thinking about the environment, you think about the fans, thinking about the first game as a Laker in the playoffs. So I just try to find some time to catch myself, gather and just relax. I’ve been here before, but I am truly excited. I’m in the purple and gold, and I just want to really just play hard as hell to contribute to wins.”

The Spurs will return to the playoffs after a six-year drought as the second seed, following a surprising and fantastic season. They have looked like a contender, exceeding expectations and eliciting praise from the entire league. Now it’s time to prove that the success from the regular season is sustainable in the playoffs.

The Trail Blazers will be there in the first round to try to play the spoiler after winning their play-in game against the Suns. Portland has proved to be a deep, scrappy team that found a centerpiece in their breakout star, Deni Avdija. They are a massive underdog heading into Game 1, but they are not to be taken lightly despite their flaws.

Let’s take a closer look at what should be a fun series between two teams with vastly different goals and expectations.

San Antonio Spurs

Record: 62-20

Offensive rating: 118.7 (3rd)

Defensive rating: 110.4 (3rd)

Net rating: 8.4 (tied 2nd)

Portland Trail Blazers

Record: 42-40

Offensive rating: 113.1 (21st)

Defensive rating: 113.5 (12th)

Net rating: -0.4 (19th)

The Spurs’ offense will be tested

Portland has built its identity around defense. Despite dealing with multiple absences at different times in the season, they finished in the top half of the league in efficiency on that end and are arguably better than their numbers suggest. Their biggest asset is size. Even their smaller guards, Scoot Henderson and Jrue Holiday, have impressive wingspans and strength. Their collection of defensive-minded wings is vast. and they are anchored by Donovan Clingan inside, with Robert Williams backing him up. They thrive when they can cause turnovers, which they often achieve by playing a long rotation and pressuring opponents into mistakes.

Unfortunately for the Trail Blazers, they are facing a Spurs team that seems designed to counter their strengths. The Silver and Black have one of the lowest turnover percentages in the league and have several ball handlers they can turn to to relieve the pressure of any specific matchup. They play fast, trying to attack before the defense is established, and normally counter size with speed even in the halfcourt. Their offense is not the most sophisticated, but it doesn’t have to be. Drive-and-kicks and any play involving Wembanyama are normally enough to get them a good look. And they are even feisty on the offensive glass, punishing defenses that overcommit to contesting everything or try to be too aggressive.

There will be key matchups to monitor. In all three regular-season games, the Blazers used Toumani Camara on De’Aaron Fox, even when they had Henderson and Holiday available. Fox got to the paint at will, so they might adjust and try to match his speed with a smaller but quicker defender. Even if they do contain Fox, who torched them this year, the Spurs can turn to Castle to run the show or try to get Deni Avdija, a solid but not outstanding defender, on switches to trigger rotations. The midrange shot and floaters could be deadly against an opponent that often plays drop defense to wall off the rim but doesn’t have switchable bigs.

Speaking of bigs, Victor Wembanyama missed all three games against the Blazers in the regular season, but should thrive in this matchup. Clingan, in particular, should not be able to deal with his agility, and he can draw him out with his range, leaving the back line exposed and the Blazers susceptible to offensive rebounding. Portland has hidden Clingan on non-shooters against stretch bigs, but it might be hard to find somewhere to do so against the Spurs. Castle seems like the better option on paper, but he’s been shooting better and can use his athleticism to attack him. We might see a lot of zone from Tiago Splitter’s team.

Ultimately, it will come down to execution. The Blazers have a lot of long-armed defenders to throw the Spurs’ ball handlers’ way and to punish any distraction or laziness on offense. They have no answer to Wembanyama, but could force others to beat him, so the shooters should be ready to fire away if left open, and San Antonio’s superstar might need to be patient if the entire game plan is geared towards stopping him. The Silver and Black should be able to score, but will need to be under control on every possession against an opponent that only has a chance to make the series competitive if they can rattle them.

Defensively, discipline will be key

While the Blazers can be tricky to deal with on defense, their offense is simply not good enough. Their outside shooting is among the worst in the league, and since they don’t have a true stretch five despite Clingan’s improving range, the paint can be crowded at times. They have some talented shot makers, a star in Avdija, and some momentum after closing the season with several role players shooting better, but it’s incredibly hard to see them scoring consistently against an elite defense like San Antonio’s, provided the Spurs are locked in.

It will be important for the Silver and Black to not fall back into bad habits. The Blazers know their limitations in the half-court and will look to run, even after makes. If the Spurs can limit easy points on the break and force Portland to play against a set defense, they should cruise to the second round. It’s easier said than done, since the Blazers have multiple ball handlers who can push the ball up the floor, including Avdija, who is lethal in space, but San Antonio has been great at preventing fastbreak points this year.

Another area where focus will be required on every possession is the defensive glass. The Spurs led the league in defensive rebounding percentage, but could struggle against an opponent that puts a big emphasis on getting extra possessions. Luke Kornet is not a great defensive rebounder, and Victor Wembanyama can be moved out of the way, so it will take a team effort to limit second-chance opportunities, a key factor for Portland, which finished the season with the fourth-highest offensive rebound percentage in the league and led all teams in second-chance points. Clingan is a specialist and will recover some misses, but San Antonio has to fight for every board.

The engine of the Blazers’ half-court offense is Deni Avdija. He led the league in drives per game and was efficient in those forays to the paint in part because opponents couldn’t stop fouling him, something that Castle, likely his main defender, will have to avoid. Avdija’s combination of size and vision makes him a handful, but he hasn’t faced Wembanyama yet this season, and it will be interesting to see how much challenging the best rim protector in the league affects him. It might push him to do what he seems to prefer on drives: passing. The problem for Portland is that Wemby will likely make lobs impossible, forcing Avdija to spray to the perimeter to questionable shooters.

Beyond the transition buckets, second chance opportunities, and Avdija-generated points, Portland has viable but not consistent weapons. Veterans Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant can still fill it up occasionally, but neither can act as a first option. Scoot Henderson is progressing as a shooter, defender, and shot creator, but at this point, he’s more of a role player than the star many thought he would immediately be. Shaedon Sharpe might drop 30 or take bad shot after bad shot. The Camara-Murray-Thybulle trio will hit some threes, but it doesn’t inspire fear from beyond the arc. The lack of firepower is real.

Prediction: Spurs in 4

The Trail Blazers are likely better than the numbers suggest, but this is a terrible matchup for them. San Antonio is good at preventing what Portland does well on offense, namely getting transition points and offensive rebounds. Avdija, who can shoot but is at his best when he touches the paint, will face a challenge because the Spurs will live with some threes from Clingan if it means Wembanyama gets to shut down the paint. They are deep, but so is San Antonio. Their defense is stout, but Wembanyama presents a riddle they might not be able to solve. They have no significant edge in any area.

A safer bet than a sweep would be to give Portland at least one game, based on the Spurs’ inexperience, Avdija’s brilliance, and the Trail Blazers’ ability to make teams uncomfortable with their defense. The games should likely be close, but in the end, if San Antonio is locked in, they should come out on top in every single one.

The Cavaliers protected home court this afternoon, handily defeating the Raptors 126-113 on the strength of Donovan Mitchell’s and James Harden’s combined 54 points.

The Raptors have been branded as optimistic underdogs in this series. While sweeping Cleveland in the season series 3-0, those losses came early in the season before their acquisition of James Harden, a presence Toronto would feel heavily in today’s game on the road. Going into Rocket Arena, the Raptors had the weight of the country on their shoulders as they sought to steal a first game on the road.

The game was close in the first quarter, with Scottie Barnes looking like every bit of the superstar that he is, knocking down threes and facilitating his teammates, leading the Raptors to an early lead that was quickly caught up to by the Cavs. The connection between James Harden and Jarrett Allen activated early on, scoring with pick and rolls, layups, and three pointers, with Harden showing off his scoring chops and ability to run an offence. Max Struss, off assists, dropped in four points at close range to break a tie and put the Cavaliers up 4, 35-31 at the end of the first quarter.

Toronto and Cleveland traded blows throughout the beginning of the second, with RJ Barrett activating to get thoroughly involved in the offence. Harden continued his onslaught of scoring and assisting, and with a pass to an Evan Mobley dunk, got the lead to seven points, that after a three-pointer from Struss, would be extended to double digits near the end of the quarter.

Things began to unravel for the Raptors in the third quarter, as the Cavaliers continued to push their lead into the teens with unrelenting force at the rim and on the perimeter. Up 14, Max Struss hit two threes in a row to push the Cavaliers’ lead to 20, 80-60, as RJ Barrett pushed back, getting to the line, and assisting on a Jamal Shead three. Scottie had a picture-perfect assist to Jakob Poeltl, threading the needle past two defenders to drop the rock off to the big man for an easy bucket at the rim. As the Raptors began to claw their way back into the game, the Cavaliers refused to relinquish their lead, as Donovan Mitchell hit jump shots and free throws to keep the Raptors buried under the 20 point deficit.

The writing was on the wall by the beginning of the fourth, though Jamal Shead and Scottie Barnes did what they could to put up points on the board. Barnes was everywhere, hitting free throws, facilitating, or scoring at the rim. But halfway through the last quarter, the Cavs still led 115-95, with James Harden assisting or scoring to patch up any hole the Raptors made in the Cavaliers’ lead. With two minutes left, the Cavaliers pulled their starters, the death knell on the hardwood, as Trayce Jackson-Davis hit two free throws in garbage time to end the game.

Donovan Mitchell led all scorers with 32 points and James Harden all facilitators with 1o assists, Cleveland’s guard combo operating at its maximum efficiency. The Raptors spread minutes across their big men, with Jakob Poeltl, Collin Murray-Boyles, and Sandro Mamukelashvili all playing around 20. The rookie played well in his first postseason game, dropping in 14 points with 4 boards and assists and piece. Brandon Ingram underperformed with 17 points, 7 of them from the charity stripe, however, as RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes shined. Ultimately, the Raptors were out-rebounded and outscored, with the Cavaliers’ backcourt looking unstoppable. The Raptors will play the Cavaliers next on Sunday for their second matchup for this first round series, before heading back home to Scotiabank Arena.