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2012 NBA Playoffs: The Top 20 Players in the Playoffs
There are some players in the playoffs that can change the tempo of the postseason. These are the top 20 players predicted to be in the 2012 NBA playoffs.
The Big Boston Four (Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett)
may have seen the last of each other loaded on the same squad, but that
does not mean their individual dominance has hit a complete wall.
This is unequivocally not the case when it comes to Kevin Garnett as coach Doc Rivers has switched him off to the center to make his time with Boston more fruitful than he has been all season.
Going into the playoffs, Garnett’s role will become vital to the any Celtics advance in the Eastern Conference. He has become to franchise’s second most important player behind Rajon Rondo.
Bynum is the second-best center in the league, behind the confused and often drama-riddled Dwight Howard,
and he has worked himself into an offensive frenzy by becoming one of
the Lakers’ most solid scorers. Bynum’s health has consistently been a
worry for the Lakers and their playoff hopes, but as of recently it has
become less and less of an issue. Unfortunately, Bynum’s immaturity has
taken precedent.
Despite the fact that his giggle-face after Blake Griffin "posterized" fellow teammate Pau Gasol has been swarming headlines, the Lakers still have a gem in Bynum.
This is unequivocally not the case when it comes to Kevin Garnett as coach Doc Rivers has switched him off to the center to make his time with Boston more fruitful than he has been all season.
Going into the playoffs, Garnett’s role will become vital to the any Celtics advance in the Eastern Conference. He has become to franchise’s second most important player behind Rajon Rondo.
Despite the fact that his giggle-face after Blake Griffin "posterized" fellow teammate Pau Gasol has been swarming headlines, the Lakers still have a gem in Bynum.
Tim Duncan is defying logic as his age and weakened joints have
left San Antonio fans in awe of what he has been able to accomplish in
such a shortened season.
Sure, with some help from coach Gregg Popovich’s random benching, Duncan has been able to achieve some rest in ways that other players fundamentally involved in their franchise’s success haven’t had the chance to.
Still, it is admirable that Duncan has maintained such an elite status throughout a time where the Spurs have been the forgotten contender. They may not fight their way to the Western Conference Finals, but Duncan will have everything to do with how deep the Spurs make it in the playoffs.
Sure, with some help from coach Gregg Popovich’s random benching, Duncan has been able to achieve some rest in ways that other players fundamentally involved in their franchise’s success haven’t had the chance to.
Still, it is admirable that Duncan has maintained such an elite status throughout a time where the Spurs have been the forgotten contender. They may not fight their way to the Western Conference Finals, but Duncan will have everything to do with how deep the Spurs make it in the playoffs.
Unfortunately for Knicks fans,
we may be watching how influential Stoudemire is out of game play than
how strong he can be. It’s just funny how fans can be so quick to think
that the Knicks are a stronger team with him out of the lineup. Before
there was Linsanity and before there was “Melo-Drama”, Stoudemire was
putting in the work in Madison Square Garden to redeem the Knicks’
relevance.
Stoudemire has been criticized for his lack of defense, even by me, and the criticism has been well warranted. He has never been a defensive guru. However, what he lacks defensively, he makes up with stellar offense that has obviously been altered by him playing injured.
The numbers don’t lie. The Knicks missed Stoudemire’s paint presence tremendously in last year’s playoffs and hopefully will not have to endure that same reality this year.
Stoudemire has been criticized for his lack of defense, even by me, and the criticism has been well warranted. He has never been a defensive guru. However, what he lacks defensively, he makes up with stellar offense that has obviously been altered by him playing injured.
The numbers don’t lie. The Knicks missed Stoudemire’s paint presence tremendously in last year’s playoffs and hopefully will not have to endure that same reality this year.
The fiery installment of San Antonio’s playoffs contention this season is and always has been Tony Parker.
From the discussions of his inclusion in the league’s regular season MVP award to 19.1 points and 7.8 assists average on the season, Parker is ridiculously under-appreciated.
Parker’s control alone sets him in a league of his own and his decision making among a bevy of old and new players only shows how swiftly the veteran guard can adapt to his surroundings.
He also manages these types of numbers under the watchful eye of defenses every game he plays. Being the most dangerous person on the roster comes with added attention and closed lanes, which forces Parker into elaborate schemes to keep possessions alive and productive.
From the discussions of his inclusion in the league’s regular season MVP award to 19.1 points and 7.8 assists average on the season, Parker is ridiculously under-appreciated.
Parker’s control alone sets him in a league of his own and his decision making among a bevy of old and new players only shows how swiftly the veteran guard can adapt to his surroundings.
He also manages these types of numbers under the watchful eye of defenses every game he plays. Being the most dangerous person on the roster comes with added attention and closed lanes, which forces Parker into elaborate schemes to keep possessions alive and productive.
If you’ve been a Boston Celtics fan throughout Paul Pierce’s
failures, disappointments and triumphs, then this fact may be hard for
you to swallow.
Rajon Rondo is the Boston Celtics’ Most Valuable Player.
Trading Rondo would not only have killed Boston’s chances in the postseason and pulled them out of contention, it would have also made it that much harder to recruit any more talent to the roster.
A move like that would have shown that no matter the contributions to the success of the franchise, the Big Three would always take precedent, no matter how nonexistent their influence had become.
Rondo has a strong hold on his position in Boston’s franchise and it only plays into Boston’s hands that he hops into 2K mode when it comes to performing in a nationally televised game. Rajon’s need to prove will always provide the Celtics with an edge over their competition as Rondo’s triple-doubles always sprout up unexpectedly.
Rajon Rondo is the Boston Celtics’ Most Valuable Player.
Trading Rondo would not only have killed Boston’s chances in the postseason and pulled them out of contention, it would have also made it that much harder to recruit any more talent to the roster.
A move like that would have shown that no matter the contributions to the success of the franchise, the Big Three would always take precedent, no matter how nonexistent their influence had become.
Rondo has a strong hold on his position in Boston’s franchise and it only plays into Boston’s hands that he hops into 2K mode when it comes to performing in a nationally televised game. Rajon’s need to prove will always provide the Celtics with an edge over their competition as Rondo’s triple-doubles always sprout up unexpectedly.
Can we stop degrading Russell Westbrook’s talent just because
he plays beside Kevin Durant? The line, “He’s not even a point guard” is
becoming a bit brash and redundant given all that Westbrook has done
when Durant’s hot-hand grows cold.
It may not be conventional to shoot 20-plus shots in a game for the run-of-the-mill guard, but it is what works for the OKC Thunder. They are not riding on Durant’s stroke and slightly improved post-game alone.
Westbrook’s agility is something that creates mismatches almost every night he plays. The only time you can expect to see his athleticism consistently challenged is against the likes of the Miami Heat where he is contested by multiple defenders of Miami’s rotation. It’s what would make the matchup in the NBA Finals so intense.
It may not be conventional to shoot 20-plus shots in a game for the run-of-the-mill guard, but it is what works for the OKC Thunder. They are not riding on Durant’s stroke and slightly improved post-game alone.
Westbrook’s agility is something that creates mismatches almost every night he plays. The only time you can expect to see his athleticism consistently challenged is against the likes of the Miami Heat where he is contested by multiple defenders of Miami’s rotation. It’s what would make the matchup in the NBA Finals so intense.
Dwyane Wade may be cruising through this season without an inch
of criticism parading through the headlines, individually, but that
does not mean he will not feel the pinch in the playoffs, as he should.
Wade had been Miami’s closer up until lately when it seems LeBron has
gotten a stretch of confidence in the fourth quarter a bit more
consistently.
He is also the team captain, alongside co-captain Udonis Haslem, and neither has been showing up in the way they should.
Wade needs to step it up when it comes to the playoffs, because he has been playing distracted and James and Bosh do not need anyone coming up short in the postseason. This is probably the most critical point in Miami’s history as it could determine if the Heat are going to set the pace for the next five years or if they are going to come up short in a head-scratching fashion again.
Wade is the second-key to winning a championship for the Heat and he has got to act like it all the time for the Miami to exhaust their potential.
He is also the team captain, alongside co-captain Udonis Haslem, and neither has been showing up in the way they should.
Wade needs to step it up when it comes to the playoffs, because he has been playing distracted and James and Bosh do not need anyone coming up short in the postseason. This is probably the most critical point in Miami’s history as it could determine if the Heat are going to set the pace for the next five years or if they are going to come up short in a head-scratching fashion again.
Wade is the second-key to winning a championship for the Heat and he has got to act like it all the time for the Miami to exhaust their potential.
There are no words to explain how amazing this man is and how
amazing he still has the energy and ambition to be. Bryant has reached
his peak of greatness so there is nothing that he can do that we have
not seen, unless he goes backwards.
Even then, the past creates zero limitations for his performance in this year’s playoffs. From what we have been exposed to in the last several games that have featured Kobe, nothing has changed.
His determination surpasses any amount of pain the game has forced him to reckon with and he propels the Lakers above and beyond what predictions scripted coming into the season after a botched CP3 trade.
Bryant has notched five 40-plus point games this season, four of which were within a five-game stretch. Not to mention, lately he has reintroduced the public to his clutch gene. Not that we assumed it had been filtered out to adjust to any schemes coach Mike Brown had in mind, but Kobe is in rare form right now.
He has tunnel vision and we know what he sees at the end of that tunnel.
Even then, the past creates zero limitations for his performance in this year’s playoffs. From what we have been exposed to in the last several games that have featured Kobe, nothing has changed.
His determination surpasses any amount of pain the game has forced him to reckon with and he propels the Lakers above and beyond what predictions scripted coming into the season after a botched CP3 trade.
Bryant has notched five 40-plus point games this season, four of which were within a five-game stretch. Not to mention, lately he has reintroduced the public to his clutch gene. Not that we assumed it had been filtered out to adjust to any schemes coach Mike Brown had in mind, but Kobe is in rare form right now.
He has tunnel vision and we know what he sees at the end of that tunnel.
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