NBA Best Players 2018: Ranking The East's Top Five Stars With Kawhi Leonard In, LeBron James Out

Who is the best player in the NBA’s Eastern Conference? For the first time in a decade, there is no easy answer to that question.

LeBron James held that distinction with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and then again with the Cavs during his second stint with the team. The league’s best player has now decided to head west and join the Los Angeles Lakers, leaving a vacancy that he once filled.

There’s no debating that most of the NBA’s best players reside in the Western Conference, but the top of the East might be tougher than it has been in years, even with James’ departure. The number of budding superstars that play in the East and a recent blockbuster trade will make it fascinating to see which team emerges as the conference champion.

Let’s count down the five best players in the East for the 2018-2019 NBA season.

5) Victor Oladipo, Indiana Pacers

No one could’ve predicted Oladipo would’ve made this list a year ago when the Indiana Pacers were universally criticized for acquiring him in exchange for Paul George. All Oladipo did in response was set career highs in points (23.1 ppg), rebounds (5.2), assists (4.3 apg) and shooting percentage (47.7 pct). Indiana had a six-win improvement after swapping their best player for Oladipo (and Domantas Sabonis), and the Pacers took Cleveland to seven games in a grueling first-round series.

Oladipo led the NBA in steals and was a First-Team All-Defense selection. It should be interesting to see how he performs next season when expectations are much greater.

4) Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

Maybe Ben Simmons will prove to be the better player next season, but Embiid gets the nod over his teammate largely because of the way Philadelphia’s 2017-2018 campaign ended. Simmons was a ghost at times in the team’s second-round series with Boston, even failing to make a single field goal in an entire game. Embiid averaged 23.0 points and 14.0 rebounds per game in the five-game series, and he was an All-NBA Second-Team selection.

The 76ers went on a winning streak toward the end of the regular season when Embiid was injured, but Philadelphia struggled against the league’s best teams when the center didn’t play. He was second in Defensive Player of the Year voting and even received some top-five MVP consideration. Having played fewer than 100 NBA games, Embiid should only be better in 2018-2019.

3) Kyrie Irving, Boston Celtics

We saw how much Irving meant to Cleveland when the team didn’t have him as their starting point guard last year. James was barely able to drag the Cavs to the NBA Finals after finishing with the No.4 seed in the regular season. Irving thrived with Boston before a knee injury ended his season, averaged 24.4 points and 5.8 assists per game on a career-high 49.1 percent shooting. His defense also improved while playing for the NBA’s best defensive team.

Irving’s true worth comes in the playoffs when he’s able to make difficult shots against tough defenses. He scored at least 30 points in five of his last 10 NBA Finals’ games against the Golden State Warriors, including two 40-point performances. If Boston hopes to upset Golden State next year, Irving’s ability to score could ultimately be the difference.

2) Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

You can certainly make the argument that Antetokounmpo deserves to be No.1. The “Greek Freak” continues to get better every year, and it might not be long before the 23-year-old is the best basketball player on the planet. Antetokounmpo has improved his scoring, rebounding and shooting percentage in each of the last three years. With averages of 26.9 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.5 steals per game in 2017-2018, Antetokounmpo was a one-man wrecking crew in Milwaukee.

Now that the Bucks have one of the league’s best head coaches in Mike Budenholzer, it’s time to see what Antetokounmpo can do in the postseason. He’s too good to have another first-round playoff exit.

1) Kawhi Leonard, Toronto Raptors

Let’s not forget how good Leonard was before getting hurt last year. He was in the conversation with Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry regarding the NBA’s second-best player. Leonard was the best player on consecutive 60-plus win teams, and the San Antonio Spurs dropped to 47 wins in his absence. After proving to be an elite defender with back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year Awards, Leonard’s offense caught up as he became a top-10 scorer in 2016-2017.

Most importantly, Leonard has come up big in the playoffs. He was on his way to a historic postseason in 2017 with averages of 27.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists on 16.8 shots per game before an injury cut his postseason short. Leonard won the 2014 NBA Finals MVP award and is a 42.7 percent three-point shooter in the playoffs. By swapping DeMar DeRozan for Leonard, Toronto is a legitimate threat to reach the 2019 NBA Finals.