With the start of the NBA's Conference Finals here, we power rank the top 10 players featured in both the East and West.
As we head into the Conference Finals (with the Boston Celtics playing the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals and the Minnesota Timberwolves playing the Dallas Mavericks in the West), I will be giving you my top 10 players of the conference finals.
(*Note that I did not include Kristaps Porzingis in this top 10 due to the uncertainty about his availability for the series, although he would have been included if healthy.*)
Honorable Mentions: Jrue Holiday (Boston Celtics), Jaden McDaniels (Minnesota Timberwolves), Naz Reid (Minnesota Timberwolves), Myles Turner (Indiana Pacers)
10. Derrick White (Boston Celtics)
One of the most crucial players for the top-seeded Celtics (the only top-two seed remaining), Derrick White is the first player in our top 10.
In the regular season, the best of White's career, he averaged 15.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game on 46.1% shooting from the field and 39.6% shooting from three (while receiving some Defensive Player of the Year votes).
For the playoffs as a whole, White is currently averaging 18.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game on 48.5% shooting from the field and 43.5% shooting from three. Back in the first round, White was one of the best players on the court averaging 22.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game on 57.7% shooting from the field and 47.7% shooting from three.
White cooled off a bit in the middle of the Eastern Conference semifinals, but still ended up with averages of 14 points, four rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game for the series (although he shot just 38.1% in the series, but he did also shoot 39% from three).
9. Rudy Gobert
The 2024 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Rudy Gobert continues to make a massive difference for the Timberwolves as he has helped lead them to their first Conference finals since the Kevin Garnett days.
In the Conference semifinals (in which the Timberwolves knocked off the defending champs in seven games), Gobert averaged 10.3 points and 10.8 rebounds per game on 60.5% shooting (he did miss one game in the series). Overall for the playoffs, Gobert is averaging 12.2 points and 10.9 rebounds per game on 60.9% shooting.
In the regular season, Gobert averaged 14 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game on 66.1% shooting from the field. He again won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, the fourth of his career.