The playoffs are where regular-season reputations get tested. Some players raise their level, some stay the same, and others make every weakness easier to see.
So far, this postseason has already given us a few rough cases. Some players came in with All-Star expectations. Others had major roles on teams trying to win a series. A few were supposed to be reliable third or fourth options, but have not given their teams enough scoring, defense, rebounding, or decision-making.
This list is not just about bad numbers. It is about the gap between what the player was expected to provide and what he has actually given. With that in mind, here are the five most disappointing NBA players in the 2026 playoffs so far.
5. Naz Reid – Timberwolves
Naz Reid is not having a disaster series, but he is still below what the Timberwolves need from him. That is why he fits at No. 5. He was one of the best bench bigs in the league during the regular season, averaging 13.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while giving the Timberwolves real shooting and frontcourt scoring. In the playoffs, that production has dropped to 10.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists on 43.5% from the field and 31.6% from 3.
The rebounding has been fine. The problem is the scoring rhythm. Reid is supposed to punish the Nuggets when they go smaller, space the floor when Rudy Gobert is on the bench, and give the Timberwolves another reliable frontcourt scorer when the offense gets slow. He has had moments, especially his 17-point, nine-rebound Game 4, but he has not been consistent enough across the series.
With Anthony Edwards hurt, that becomes even more important. The Timberwolves need extra offense from Reid, not just solid minutes. If he is only giving them 10 points per game with average efficiency, the bench advantage becomes easier for the Nuggets to manage. Reid has not been awful, but for a player with his regular-season value and his role in this matchup, he has been disappointing.
4. Keldon Johnson – Spurs
Keldon Johnson won Sixth Man of the Year and had a strong regular season, but his first playoff series has been quiet. He averaged 13.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 82 games, shooting 51.9% from the field and 36.3% from 3. In the playoffs against the Trail Blazers, those numbers dropped to 6.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 18.8 minutes per game, with 35.5% shooting from the field.
That is a big fall for someone who was supposed to be one of the Spurs’ best bench weapons. The Spurs still won the series 4-1, so this did not hurt them too much, but Johnson was not close to his regular-season level. He scored 3, 7, 5, 9, and 7 points in the five games. That is not enough scoring punch for a player who built his season around physical drives, second-unit energy, and efficient finishing.
The Spurs got enough from Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox, Julian Champagnie, Devin Vassell, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle to close out the Trail Blazers. That helped hide Johnson’s struggles. But once the second round starts, the Spurs will need more from him. If he is not scoring with force, getting to the line, or winning bench minutes, his role becomes much easier to replace. For a Sixth Man of the Year winner, this was a disappointing first-round showing.
3. Brandon Ingram – Raptors
Brandon Ingram was supposed to be the Raptors’ best playoff scorer. That is why his series has been so disappointing. He had a strong regular season, averaging 21.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while shooting 47.7% from the field and 38.2% from 3. Those are clear top-option numbers, especially for a Raptors team that needed half-court shot creation.
In the playoffs, the drop has been sharp. Ingram is averaging 14.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in four games, shooting 33.9% from the field with a 45.2% true shooting mark. That is not enough for a player with his role. The Raptors do not just need him to score. They need him to create clean shots late in the clock, draw help, and make the defense react. So far, he has not done that consistently.
The efficiency is the biggest issue. Ingram is still taking 14.0 shots per game, but the payoff has not been there. His midrange game has looked forced, and he has not punished matchups enough when the Raptors try to get him into space. He is not turning the ball over at a crazy level, but the offense feels too heavy when he has to create by himself.
For a player who averaged 27.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists in his best previous playoff run, this has been a clear step back. The Raptors needed that version, or at least something close to it. Instead, they are getting a low-efficiency scorer who has not controlled the series. That puts him at No. 3.
2. Mikal Bridges – Knicks
Mikal Bridges is the easiest player to put near the top because the Knicks gave up a lot for him, and his playoff role has already started shrinking. He averaged 14.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in the regular season, playing all 82 games again and giving the Knicks a two-way wing they could trust every night.
But the playoffs have been a different story. Bridges is averaging only 7.2 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists through five games against the Hawks. He is shooting 43.8% from the field, but only 26.7% from 3, and he has a minus-11 rating in the series. The biggest problem is not only the scoring. It is that he has not looked like a major factor on either side for long enough stretches.
That has already changed the rotation. Miles McBride’s minutes have gone up, and his bigger role has come largely at Bridges’ expense. That says a lot. A player with Bridges’ reputation should not be losing important playoff minutes because the Knicks need more speed, ball-handling, and defensive pressure from someone else.
Bridges still has defensive value, and the Knicks are up 3-2, so this is not killing their season yet. But for a player acquired to be a high-level playoff wing, this has been way below expectations. He is not spacing the floor enough, not creating much, not rebounding, and not giving the Knicks the kind of two-way impact they expected. That is why he belongs at No. 2.
1. Jalen Duren – Pistons
Jalen Duren is the clear No. 1 because the gap between his regular-season and playoff series is too big to ignore. He was an All-Star this season and looked like one of the best young centers in the league, averaging 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while shooting 65.0% from the field. For a 22-year-old center on the No. 1 seed in the East, that looked like the start of a real jump.
The playoffs have been different. Through four games against the Magic, Duren is averaging 9.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 3.0 turnovers. His scoring has basically been cut in half, and he has not controlled the paint the way the Pistons needed. That is the biggest issue. Duren does not have to be a 25-point scorer, but if he is not finishing, dominating the glass, or creating easy pressure at the rim, his offensive value drops fast.
The matchup with Wendell Carter Jr. has made it look worse. Carter is averaging 11.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in the series, and he has looked like the more stable center. In Game 3, Carter had 14 points and 17 rebounds while Duren finished with eight points and nine rebounds before fouling out. In Game 4, Carter added 12 points and 11 rebounds as the Magic took a 3-1 lead.
That matters because Duren is heading into a major contract summer. The Pistons have to decide how far they are willing to go for him, and this series has made the decision harder. He is still young and still worth paying, but right now, he has not looked close to a max-contract center. That is why he has been the most disappointing player of the 2026 playoffs so far.
