Whose legacy is most impacted by the 2018 playoffs?

Do we even need to explain how much this season means to his legacy? Not only does James have a shot at an eighth straight trip to the Finals and ninth overall, but he’s got another shot at his fourth Larry O’Brien Trophy — and this one would come under the roughest regular season in a title year. While nothing will likely bolster his legacy like bringing Cleveland its first tile after falling down 3-1 to the Warriors, another loss in the Finals — or an exit before — could add an extra bit of tarnish that will keep the Kobe and Jordan truthers on the heads of LeBron fans everywhere. 

So much of one’s legacy when you reach this level comes down to delivering titles, no matter how fair that is. James is, and has been, the best basketball player on the planet, but the best basketball player doesn’t always play on the best team. That couldn’t be truer this season. Win a title, and his legacy is nearly untouchable. Lose another one, especially to a team that isn’t the Warriors, and there will be a lot of questions about why LeBron’s career had so many seasons where he didn’t come out on top.

Houston Rockets: James Harden

Unless something completely remarkable happens in the ballot box, James Harden is finally going to bring home that elusive piece of regular-season hardware that he’s been chasing for a few years now. He’s earned the respect as one of the game’s premier offensive weapons and has cleaned up a lot of the issues that plagued him on the defensive end. There’s still one stigma that he’s trying to overcome, however: the idea that he’s been a letdown in the postseason. 

While he hasn’t had the team success, individual numbers say otherwise. Perception is just as powerful as reality, though, and anything less than a trip to the Finals could keep that sticky label on his back for at least another season. To make things worse, his new backcourt mate Chris Paul is dealing with the same thing. Both guys could see their legacies take huge jumps or watch them come tumbling down after a season in which they saw new heights together.

Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry

There probably isn’t much riding on Kevin Durant this season as he’s won the scoring titles, has the MVP and, after last season, has a Finals MVP. Durant carried the team in Curry’s absence this season and can probably carry the Dubs to the Western Conference Finals if necessary. 

Steph is going to have to come back at some point, and he’s going to have to play out of his mind, especially if the Warriors make the Finals. He’s been the face of the franchise since the 2013 season but has seen two teammates walk away with Finals MVP trophies. He’s already regarded as the greatest shooter in the game’s history, but there’s this idea that he’s been underwhelming when the lights have shined the brightest. Despite Curry nearly averaging a triple-double in the 2017 Finals, his presence wasn’t felt in the way that we’re used to. We need to feel Curry, understand that he’s there. His presence should be tangible in a way that it’s impossible to forget to elevate his legacy.

Toronto Raptors: DeMar DeRozan

I suppose you can say Vince Carter kind of holds the mantle of the guy you think of when you think about the Raptors franchise, but DeMar DeRozan has the opportunity to become just that. He’s spent his entire career with the Raptors, and we’ve watched him grow from potential scorer to a complete offensive threat who is willing to adapt his game for the betterment of the team. 

For DeRozan to begin his legacy as "The Man" for the Raptors, there has to be some level of postseason success. This doesn’t necessarily mean a Finals victory (this year), but DeRozan is going to be judged by how he performs against a LeBron-led Cavaliers team. Another quick series in Cleveland’s favor, and these three seasons might be all we remember about DeRozan. A win over Cleveland this year in which he performs well could turn him into a hero.

Philadelphia 76ers: Ben Simmons

With Joel Embiid out for Game 1 with his eye injury, Ben Simmons will enter the postseason as the 76ers' go-to in their first playoff appearance of "The Process" era. Simmons is coming off of what will likely be a Rookie of the Year season and will have to elevate his game even more in a tough first-round matchup with Miami. 

Philly isn’t expected to lose to Miami, and with Boston down and Milwaukee still finding ways to feel like a real basketball team when Giannis sits, Simmons could lead this Philly team to an Eastern Conference Finals. If that isn’t wild enough, Philly wouldn’t be a huge underdog in either series. If Simmons is playing at his peak with Embiid out, he and the rest of the team only gets better when the big man is on the floor anchoring the defense. 

Magic Johnson was able to lead the Lakers to a title in year one. Can Simmons do the same with the same amount of versatility? Philly already has one title this year — Simmons will go down as a legend forever if he can make it two.

Portland Trail Blazers: Damian Lillard

Damian Lillard has been slowly creating one of the most mysterious legacies. For those who don’t watch the NBA on a nightly basis, Lillard just pops up every once in a while with a wild 40-point outburst or a complete domination of a fourth quarter to lead the Blazers to another win. Every year, he’s in the conversation about guards who might get left out of the All-Star Game despite his brilliance. He comes and he goes, but he’s always around finding new ways to destroy an opponent. 

This could be the year Dame explodes out of the depths of a small market and into the postseason with remarkable performances that we’ll talk about for a lifetime. He has the ability to do it, and Portland has the atmosphere to elevate it.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Carmelo Anthony

All season long, Melo has been getting killed for his inability to regain the form he had in his prime. Everything feels like it should be going better for him, but things just haven’t worked. He’s no longer the scorer that he used to be and has had trouble finding a rhythm without the ball in his hands all the time. 

Russell Westbrook and Paul George have been more consistent, and their youth has allowed for them to come out of their funks using their athleticism in ways that Melo just cannot. However, Russ wants a deep playoff run in the worst way, and one could be the only way to keep PG away from the Lakers this summer. If it’s going to happen, Melo is going to have to turn things around — and if he does, it could do more for his legacy than all those buckets he dropped in his youth.

Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo

His averages of 27 points, 10 rebounds and five assists on 53 percent shooting aren’t going to be enough from Giannis Antetokounmpo if the Bucks want to have a deep run in the postseason. He’s not only going to have to elevate his game on both ends of the floor, but he’s going to have to elevate a collection of teammates who have talent but have not found a way to put everything together. 

The Greek Freak is long and fast enough to win a couple games alone, but few players have more to gain from an impressive playoff performance — even if it’s just one round — than Giannis. For many casual fans, this might be the first time that they actually sit down and watch him play in meaningful games, and his explosiveness and sheer ability to take over a game are going to win a lot of people over. At 23 years old, he’s going to have a long time to win over everyone else.

Washington Wizards: Bradley Beal

John Wall missed a large chunk of the season with a knee injury, and Bradley Beal assumed a lot of the responsibility left over in Wall’s absence. Wall will likely go down as the better of the two when it’s all said and done, but Beal has turned a corner this season. His three-point shooting has taken a dip (.375 from deep this season), but he’s become a much better playmaker and has elevated to one of the better perimeter defenders, posting the most defensive win shares of his career this season. 

Everyone remembers the 1-8 upsets, and if Beal has himself a series, he could be what Baron Davis was for the We Believe Warriors.

New Orleans Pelicans: Anthony Davis

Playing in New Orleans keeps one of the NBA’s premier talents out of the national spotlight for much of the season. Davis, however, is one of the few men who can completely dominate a game on both sides of the floor. He leads the NBA in blocks and has myriad insane statistical performances that stand out more than his signature unibrow (don’t worry, he didn’t really shave it off). Davis has recorded 40 points and 15 rebounds six times this season and even had a 53-point, 15-rebound night earlier this year. 

This is only the second trip to the postseason in the Anthony Davis era, and it shouldn’t have even happened after DeMarcus Cousins went down. Davis annihilating the Western Conference would help his case as he works to become one of the best bigs in the game’s history.

San Antonio Spurs: Gregg Popovich

If there were any round to face the Golden State Warriors, it’s the first round, considering there still isn’t a timetable for Steph Curry’s return. The Warriors still have Kevin Durant and the rest of the team, but they’ve been struggling on the defensive end and seem just a tad bit vulnerable. That sliver of vulnerability is all a coach like Gregg Popovich needs to turn in one of the best coaching performances of his career. 

There is no Kawhi Leonard, and Tony Parker has lost his starting job. The Spurs won 10 of their last 15 anyway, and Rudy Gay has been incredible off the bench. Dejounte Murray has emerged as one of the best defenders at his position, and Kyle Anderson is coming into his own. 

Upsetting the Warriors in the first round to set up a meeting with Portland or the Pelicans would be just as impressive as the 2014 Finals run. While the talent isn’t exactly there, San Antonio just might be able to out-execute even a fantastic Warriors team.

Boston Celtics: Al Horford

For everything that went wrong during the year for the Celtics, they’re still the second seed in the Eastern Conference with a winnable series against the Milwaukee Bucks. In Boston, legends are made in the postseason, and Horford can become just that if he can lead this young roster on a deep postseason run without Kyrie Irving or Gordon Hayward. 

Horford keeps this team fantastic on the defensive end of the floor — and with the offense running through him, expect even more off-the-ball movement in Brad Stevens' offense. Not much is on the line should Boston go down early, but if you find the C's in the ECF because of Horford, he’s going to be loved forever in New England.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Jimmy Butler

The Timberwolves pretty much fell apart in Jimmy Butler’s absence. Minnesota lost nine of the 17 games in which he was gone but finished the season with three consecutive wins once he returned. 

Butler is one of the best two-way players in the NBA, and considering the pressure facing the Rockets, he is the perfect player to disrupt a team that thrives on rhythm. Butler is going to need some help, but if he can lead the Timberwolves to a series victory in their first postseason appearance since 2004, he will literally own Minneapolis for as long as he’s there.

Indiana Pacers: Lance Stephenson

Why are you even thinking about the legacy of Lance Stephenson? Great question. This is a guy who will never go down as one of the all-time greats, but he could go down as one of the NBA’s all-time characters. 

When Stephenson is in his bag, he’s one of the most fun players in the NBA. His shifty, flashy style can get any crowd going, and his idiosyncrasies have gotten under the skin of quite a few players, one of them being the best player in the world. It’s one thing to have an impact on an NBA team; it’s another to go down as one of the most memorable players of your era just because of who you are. 

Indiana wasn’t expected to be here at the beginning of the year, but the Pacers can shake up the balance of power in the East with a first-round upset. The only way that happens is if Lance Stephenson shows the vagaries of his on-court persona.

Miami Heat: Erik Spoelstra

Ever since LeBron James left Miami to go back home, Erik Spoelstra has had to work with rosters that just don’t look like what you’d consider the construct of a modern basketball team. In all except that first year after Bron left, Spo’s teams have been at least .500, and they’ve made a trip to the East semis. While Spo is probably one of the five best coaches in the NBA, it largely goes unnoticed since a) all of his success came while coaching LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and b) his rosters since that era have been wildly bizarre. 

What he lacks in contemporary talent he makes up for in scheme, and if Miami is going to win one or two playoff series this year, it’ll be off the strength of his ability to game plan. Philly is a tough first-round draw, but Spo figuring out a way to stop Simmons and Embiid while finding open looks against a fantastic defensive team could do wonders for his post Big 3-era legacy.

Utah Jazz: Rudy Gobert

There is a place in the annals of NBA lore for rim-protecting big men. Dikembe Mutombo built a career and earned post-career endorsements for his ability to protect the rim. Rudy Gobert may not have the charisma that Mutombo has, but he can certainly have the same effect on the game. 

We remember those who do the most when it matters, and Utah’s first-round matchup with the Thunder will put Gobert in a position to showcase his skills against a team with three high-profile players. Many will tune in for the Thunder but could leave enamored with Gobert’s ability to stifle such a collection of talent. The Jazz have the kind of defense that can carry them to the Western Conference Finals, and Gobert has the kind of talent to stand out above the rest of the team.