5 Eastern Conference players who deserve to be in the playoffs

Team sports can sometimes be unfair on individual players. More than their personal stats, players are judged by their team's collective performance at the end of the day.

It has been observed in the past that elite talents often land in rebuilding franchises through the draft process, and end up grinding multiple years in the same uniform. Or sometimes, a trade bargain throws them off into an unsettling scenario, where it becomes tedious for them to carry the team on their own.

Of the 16 teams in each conference, only 8 manage to bag a postseason berth every year. As far as the status quo in the Eastern Conference is concerned, teams that are unlikely to make it to the playoffs this season are Washington Wizards, Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers.

In this piece, we look at five quality individual talents that deserved to make a playoff appearance - and would have, had it not been for their team's shortcomings.

#1 Trae Young - Atlanta Hawks

Young's scoring numbers are off the charts

Trae Young's offensive prowess soared throughout his sophomore year, resulting in him averaging almost 30 ppg (second-highest in the league at one point). His scoring barrage got him an All-Star starter spot from the Eastern Conference in just his second year in the league.

Despite the Atlanta Hawks' disappointing show all year long, Trae's individual numbers have been eye-popping. The 21-year-old is currently averaging 29.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 9.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game, while shooting 38% from beyond the arc.

Playing over 35 minutes per contest, Young has taken over the reins of the lowly Hawks franchise this year and is giving his everything on the floor. While his team's 17-42 (0.288) record might raise some eyebrows over his ability to lead, the youngster is doing all he can at such an early stage of his career to make things work.

#2 Zach LaVine - Chicago Bulls

LaVine has had visible issues with Coach Boylen

Zach LaVine has worked hard in the recent past to transform his image from an explosive dunker to an all-round basketball player. He has put in the work during the offseason, and the results are pretty evident.

While Lauri Markkanen hasn't been as effective as expected for the Chicago Bulls, LaVine has emerged as their go-to guy in clutch scenarios. The 24-year-old is putting together career-high numbers in 25.2 points, 4.8 boards, 4.2 assists and 1.5 steals per matchup, while also shooting over 38% from deep this season. LaVine also made his first career appearance in the All-Star 3-point contest this year.

He has started in all of the 58 games for the Bulls so far, and has managed to compete at a high level despite apparent differences with the coaching staff.

#3 Bradley Beal - Washington Wizards

Beal recently dropped 50 in back-to-back losses

Bradley Beal's utter misfortune has become a talking point across the league. And he has every right to get mad at the way things are playing out.

The Washington Wizards shooting guard became the first player to average 28+ ppg and still get snubbed from the All-Star game. Moreover, he recently became the first player to drop back-to-back 50-point games since Kobe Bryant in 2007, but both the matchups ended up in frustrating losses.

The 26-year-old is currently averaging 30.1 points (career-high and league's second-best), along with 4.3 boards, 6 assists and 1.1 steals per game. Despite his astounding stats, the Wizards are slated to miss another postseason.

Unfortunately for Beal, he was left alone to carry this team when John Wall went down with a season-ending injury, resulting in a pretty forgettable campaign for the franchise.

#4 Devonte' Graham - Charlotte Hornets

Graham has made 190 three-pointers this year so far

Devonte' Graham's three-point shooting took the league by storm when it was first discovered in Charlotte. Despite his recent slowdown, Graham still is the among the league's top five when it comes to three-pointers made (190) this season. He has also attempted the fourth most three-point shots (516) this year.

When all eyes were on former Celtic Terry Rozier, Graham took the opportunity to make a massive sophomore leap for the Hornets. He and Rozier are currently leading the scoring for their team with 17.6 ppg each.

Graham's long-range bombs fell in line with the changing league, and are hugely responsible for his early season fireworks. The Hornets are 19-37 (0.339) on the season, currently down at the 11th spot in the East.

#5 Derrick Rose - Detroit Pistons

Although the Detroit Pistons have been a sheer disappointment for quite some time now, the recent addition of Derrick Rose to the lineup did turn out to be a god decision. The future Hall of Famer is scoring 18 points per game, which is at par with his scoring rate from the previous season.

Rose is leading the Pistons squad in the offensive category at 31 years of age and also making over 86% of his free-throws this season. The former MVP has been tirelessly working on his craft despite no media attention whatsoever, and has elevated his mid-range game to an impressive 49% shooting clip.

With a little over 26 minutes of playing time on average, Rose has been the quintessential backup point guard for Detroit, providing a vital scoring boost in a short span during the game.