Playoff series are decided by star power.
That's been the truth of the NBA for decades and decades. Which teams has the best and most stars? Teams with Top-5 players win championships, and teams with just one star need the perfect mix of supporting talent to have a shot. In part, that's why the exceptions -- the 2004 Detroit Pistons, for example -- stand out to such a shocking degree.
As the Cleveland Cavaliers enter the Eastern Conference Playoffs Sunday with their eyes set on a title, do they have the star power to compete? How does their combination of star power match up with the very best other teams have to offer?
To answer those questions, we need to know the star power of the other teams in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Here, therefore, is a ranking of the stars in the East, starting with the only East player in the field to win MVP.
Ranking Eastern Conference stars
No. 1: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo put up another dominant season and essentially carried the Milwaukee Bucks to the playoffs. He is one of the most difficult players in the league to defend and has won a title before, making he and his team a dangerous out no matter the talent drain that has pulled them down the standings.
No. 2: Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
The best player on the defending champions, Jayson Tatum has hovered around the 5th to 8th best player in the league for the last half-decade. He is an underrated defender and lethal offensive player at the league's most important position, and if Giannis falls off at all next season he will likely lead these rankings for another half-decade.
No. 3: Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers
We come quickly to Evan Mobley, who has ascended to become the best player on the Cavaliers. It's valuable to note that while Mobley is the third-best player in the East, he is something like the 10th or 11th best player in the NBA; such is the talent level in the Western Conference, where 7 or 8 of the Top-10 players in the NBA compete. Mobley is an elite defender who now can detonate offensively in the paint and hits a respectable amount of his 3-pointers. This postseason could be his coming-out party.
No. 4: Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
Donovan Mitchell had a slightly down season but his potential to explode in the playoffs has been proven over the years. He ranks seventh all-time in playoff scoring and can attack mismatches more readily with opposing defenses forced to account for Mobley and Darius Garland. His slight advantage athletically to make an impact on defense puts him a hair above No. 5 on this list.
No. 5: Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
The offensive engine on one of the best offenses in the lerague, Jalen Brunson has blossomed into a legitimate MVP candidate and Top-15 player in the league. His size is a hurdle but not a barrier for him to overcome, and he proved in last year's playoffs just how incredible he can be.
No. 6: Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers
After starting last season as an MVP candidate, a series of hamstring injuries slowed Haliburton and turned him into less of a lethal offensive force. Finally, after a calendar year of merely good play, the last four months he has blossomed into that singular offensive fulcrum, shooting and passing and protecting the ball like the ideal modern point guard he has become.
No. 7: Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
The reigning Finals MVP has had a bad season, at least by his standards. This ranking acknowledges what he accomplished in last year's playoffs, but a nagging knee injury could spell doom for Brown before things even begin.
No. 8: Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers
Here we come to the crux of the matter: the Cleveland Cavaliers will not have the very best player going into a series with the Bucks or Celtics, but only one other team has even two stars on this list before the Cavs have three, and three teams don't have anyone. Garland has been a sublime offensive force and is an ideal third banana on the league's best offense.
No. 9: Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks
Cleared to return sometime in the next couple of games, Damian Lillard has been a playoff assassin over his career and the Bucks hope he has some magic left in the tank.
No. 10: Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat
Bam Adebayo is a versatile two-way player in the middle, but he is much better suited to be the co-star than the top option. He is one of the best defenders in the East and will make the Heat a tough out in round one.
No. 11: Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks
Towns is a poor solitary rim protector, but he's not a terrible defender in the right role and his offensive game is truly sublime. Few bigs in league history have shot as well as Towns and his touch everywhere on the court is impressive.
No. 12: Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
Cade Cunningham has risen up the rankings in his breakout season, but he has never played a moment in the playoffs before this year and has something to prove before he is anointed.
No. 13: Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic
The lack of an outside shot is troubling for his long-term ceiling, but he is really good at just about everything else. The Magic, as the seventh seed, have the lowest-ranked "best player" in the East field.
No. 14: Kristaps Porzingis
When healthy, Kristaps Porzingis remains a truly special big man, a rim-protecting monster and a versatile offensive scorer. If he is available for the vast majority of the postseason, the Celtics have an excellent shot at repeating as champions.
No. 15: Derrick White, Boston Celtics
The question to answer for the Eastern Conference playoffs: Can the Celtics' four Top-15 players outweigh the Cavaliers' three Top-8 players? Derrick White is a shot-blocking afficionado at the guard position and has become a knockdown shooter.
Numbers 16-25
16. Paolo Banchero
17. Pascal Siakam
18. OG Anunoby
19. Mikal Bridges
20. Jarrett Allen
21. Tyler Herro
22. Jrue Holiday
23. Josh Hart
25. Myles Turner