Ten most dangerous players heading into the NBA Playoffs

Role players sure do find a way to make an impact when the NBA Playoffs come calling. Last season alone, a bench player for the Golden State Warriors earned the Finals MVP.

That said, postseason contests around the Association are primarily about star players. Who can take over a game in a heartbeat? Who steps up the most when his team needs it? Who will pull the next Michael Jordan?

These are questions that are asked every year. And like clockwork, they are answered every June.

Here are the 10 most dangerous players heading into the playoffs. You will see a combination of former champions and MVP’s as well as a couple role players with significant impacts on how their respective teams perform.

From reigning NBA MVP Stephen Curry to Paul George in Indiana, here’s a look at those who will dominate the landscape of the NBA Playoffs.

1. Stephen Curry, guard, Golden State Warriors

When Curry has it going, there’s not a player in NBA history that can keep up with him from a pure scoring standpoint. He’s connected on nine-plus three-pointers six times this season. When he goes all unconscious, the Warriors are simply unbeatable.

Let’s Look at Sunday’s win against the Portland Trail Blazers as an example here. Aided a great deal by Curry’s stealth-like shooting, Golden State put up a season-high 136 points. It shot 57 percent from the field, 60 percent from three-point range and 82 percent from the free-throw line.

No team is going to beat the defending champs when they put up that type of display on offense.

This is where Curry comes into play. Including Sunday’s 39-point outing, the Warriors boast a 51-4 record over the past two seasons when Curry puts up 30-plus points. He’s averaging over 30 points per game this season. You can do the math from there.

2. LeBron James, forward, Cleveland Cavaliers

If James plays up to the level we have seen in the postseason over the past several years, he will be making an unprecedented sixth consecutive trip to the NBA Finals. We can talk about James’ supporting cast all we want.

However, it’s all going to be on James’ shoulders much like it was during last year’s run to the NBA Finals. Sure Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love are healthy. Sure the team has a deeper bench. Again, that’s fine and dandy.

As we have seen throughout his near two seasons in Cleveland, James is the sole x-factor here.

Cleveland boasts a 4-13 record when James doesn’t suit up since the start of last year. It’s 104-38 when he actually plays during that very same span. That’s what you call MVP caliber right there.

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