Success in the NBA regular season brings wealth and fame, but becoming a true legend is achieved through remarkable playoff performances. This principle has long been, and remains, the ultimate benchmark in the league.
Charles Barkley, despite his immense talent, is often judged, fairly or unfairly, for his inability to capture a championship. Conversely, Kevin Garnett transformed his image from a player struggling to get past the first round in Minnesota to the epitome of leadership after winning a title in Boston. Jerry West, an indisputably great player, saw the anguish of losing his first eight trips to the NBA Finals significantly shape the narrative of his career. As Pat Riley, a man with nine rings, famously stated, “there is winning and there is misery.”
More recently, MVP winners like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic used their championship runs to validate the individual accolades they had already received.
As the playoffs get underway, here are six prominent players who have yet to win a championship and could significantly boost their standing in the game with a deep playoff run this season.
Luka Doncic
Luka Doncic did not request a trade, nor did he specifically push for a move to Los Angeles, unlike many stars throughout NBA history. However, he is now a Laker, and that comes with a unique set of expectations.
Doncic`s outstanding performance leading the Lakers to the Finals last season, including a spectacular Western Conference Finals where he averaged 33 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 steals, only amplified the pressure. Yet, his statistics declined in the Finals, particularly his 24% three-point shooting and 23 turnovers over five games against the Boston Celtics, which fell below his usual standards. His disqualification in Game 3 further highlighted the need for a stronger showing on the biggest stage.
Doncic has started the current playoff campaign well, scoring 37 points in Game 1 of the Lakers` first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, though the team suffered a significant 117-95 defeat. Another extended playoff run, now with his new team, would not only be impactful for the still-disgruntled Dallas Mavericks fan base but would also serve as strong validation for the Lakers organization, both in the immediate future and long-term.
James Harden
James Harden`s career path as a superstar has been unconventional. Following the negative reaction stemming from three trade requests within five years, his play over the last two seasons has arguably left him underrated. He contributed seven of his team-high 32 points in overtime during the Clippers` Game 1 loss and then took a less prominent scoring role behind Kawhi Leonard in Game 2 while still posting a solid 18 points and seven assists.
The 11-time All-Star and 2017-18 NBA MVP, unfortunately, has a notable history of underwhelming playoff performances, which has contributed to a perception that he struggles in crucial moments. Despite this, he has played in over 125 career playoff games, a testament to an often-overlooked statistic: Harden has reached the playoffs in all 16 of his NBA seasons. However, he hasn`t appeared in the NBA Finals since the 2011-12 season with the Oklahoma City Thunder (his third year in the league) and hasn`t advanced beyond the second round since 2018 with the Houston Rockets (three teams ago). Leading the Clippers to the Finals this year would significantly silence many of his long-standing critics who doubted his ability to achieve such a feat.
Donovan Mitchell
Donovan Mitchell has been a key player on teams achieving a .600 winning percentage or better in five different seasons. Twice, he has led his teams to win over 70% of their games, including the Cavaliers` 64-win campaign this season. Mitchell has compiled numerous excellent individual seasons, earning six All-Star selections and expected to receive All-NBA honors for the second time this year. While he has made the playoffs eight times – five with the Jazz and three with the Cavaliers – he has yet to lead his team past the second round. Last season, the Cavaliers were eliminated by the eventual champions, the Boston Celtics, in a series where Mitchell missed two games.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
After finishing as the runner-up last year, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) is the primary contender for the MVP award this season. This distinction carries significant prestige and is a strong indicator of a future Hall of Fame career.
With this potential honor comes the clear expectation that only one achievement remains: leading a team to a championship. Gilgeous-Alexander, despite a resume that is about to include three consecutive first-team All-NBA selections and three straight top-five MVP finishes, is now entering a new realm of pressure. Following an early exit last year despite the Thunder being the top seed in the Western Conference, failing to make a deep playoff run this year will have reputational consequences – something Gilgeous-Alexander has not yet experienced.
Jalen Brunson
Jalen Brunson`s standing in New York is exceptional. He led the Knicks to their first consecutive 50-win seasons since Pat Riley`s era in the 1990s and is the first Knick since Richie Guerin in the 1960s to average 25 points and five assists in back-to-back seasons.
However, there is a growing sense of impatience that the Knicks` current competitive run hasn`t yielded more success and that this team, which made significant trades last summer, may not be able to end the franchise`s championship drought, which dates back to 1973. As the central figure of this core group, Brunson embodies both the team`s achievements and its shortcomings. The Knicks` 0-10 record against top teams like the Cavaliers, Celtics, and Thunder this season has only intensified the pressure to reach the conference finals for the first time since 2000.
Jimmy Butler
No one questions Jimmy Butler`s capacity to perform under pressure; during his tenure in Miami, he guided the Heat through a series of upsets and to two NBA Finals appearances. However, the unfavorable circumstances surrounding his departure from Miami and the way he handled his trade request process, ultimately leading to a lucrative extension from the Warriors, make consistent postseason dominance a necessity. In essence, he needs to prove he`s worth the investment.
Typically, he delivers. Butler has established a pattern of reserving his best performances for the playoffs (he hasn`t been an All-Star since 2022 and has made only one All-NBA team in the last five years). His new team – a dynasty in the Bay Area – is counting on this tendency.
He`s begun the playoff campaign positively. After narrowly escaping the play-in tournament this season, the Warriors secured a Game 1 victory in their first-round series against the Houston Rockets. Butler contributed 25 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals. What Playoff Jimmy has never accomplished? Winning a championship.
