Which Players Could Join the Elite List Of Playoff Scorers This NBA Postseason?

With the first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs underway, we have plenty of future Hall of Famers with a lot at stake for their legacies.

Whether we’re talking about LeBron adding a 5th ring, Chris Paul finally getting his first, or one of the young stars like Jokic, Embiid or Tatum trying to start their legacy.

But, some players’ personal accolades are getting a chance to enter rare air, specifically in scoring. So, who in this postseason could add their name to the conversation for best postseason scorer?

First, let’s look at Kevin Durant.

Kevin Durant

Entering his 12th postseason, Durant had 4,359 career postseason points, which was 9th in NBA history.

He’s also done it in the least amount of games, in just 155.

But according to per-game rankings in the same league average, does Durant already have a case for the most efficient scorer in playoff history?

If we were to compare the top members of this list, Durant would average 29.6 a game, which would only trail Kobe Bryant in first place with 32.3 a game.

Durant has always found a way to perform at a higher level in the playoffs, specifically in the first-pass options on the early Thunder teams and when with the Warriors.

But even with a higher usage percentage when he was with Brooklyn, his career still reads a 60% true shooting percentage, which is why his per-game numbers are sustainable.

This year he is averaging 26.7 a night so far in these playoffs, which is under 3 points a night lower than his career pace, and he is currently the age that Bryant was in his final playoff appearance.

But Kevin Durant isn’t the only player this year that can find himself raising his playoff scoring rankings, as Steph Curry entered the postseason ranked 21st, and has already jumped to 16th all-time.

Steph Curry

Averaging 33 a night in his first 7 games, capitalized by his 50-point game to close out the Sacramento Kings in Game Seven, Curry now has 3,806 points in 141 playoff games.

This could allow him to jump into the top 10 depending on Golden State’s run.

But does Curry have a chance to be the best scoring guard in playoff history? He’s currently at 6th all-time, so how would he compare in points per game in a balanced era?

In this example, Curry moves to 5th all-time on the list, with a chance to hold first place if he plays 100 more playoff games.

Comparing players’ playoff numbers always comes with a caveat on the team’s ability to get to the playoffs and to be competitive, which has never been an issue for Curry’s Warriors, but Curry himself is arguably playing at his best so far.

If he continues at this year’s early pace, he could finish with his career-high infield goal percentage, effective field goal percentage, and of course points per night.