NBA TAKE 5: Playoff Points

Indeed it is still early in the NBA playoffs, but it is never too early to bring more hoops opinion to the masses. They deserve it. In fact, if you have been watching close enough it isn’t anything you couldn’t have figured out for yourself. Each season playoff basketball reveals something new – good or bad – about the players and the league they play in. Here are five things we’ve noticed so far…

1. NATE MACMILLAN deserved the coach of the year award, but you won’t get any hate for Scottie Brooks from us. The OKC Thunder’s 27-game turnaround was bananas, particularly since it was led by the same cast of rookie-contracts that he was developing in 2008/09. Still, Much like Rick Adelman’s snuffing in recent years, MacMillan seems to have gotten muted respect for the job he did in raising the wounded Portland Trailblazers to playoff heights. Say what you want, but loving to play for and trusting your coach plays a big part when a player requests to be activated just eight days after surgery. That’s exactly what Brandon Roy did last week in order to salvage something from an injury-depleted Blazers season. Greg Oden, Joel Przybilla, Nicolas Batum and Roy all suffered through extended absences and guiding that punctured Portland vessel through 311 man-games lost and 50 wins is remarkable. Guiding them through a neck and neck series versus the Phoenix Suns is even more impressive.

2. To elaborate on the above-mentioned point, BRANDON ROY is a soldier. Yes, many have criticized him and the Blazers organization for having the franchise player on the court just eight days after the arthroscopic right knee surgery that was supposed to have ended his season. While it is doubtful that team doctors would allow him to play if he was risking serious damage, how many other players in the NBA would even think about it, let alone do it? Roy is a rare breed of player who signed his contract and is intent on earning it. It is also another notch for MacMillan, who is doing something right when a player is willing to go down with his ship and captain despite having every excuse not to. His Game 3 return resulted in a win thanks in part to a late game three-pointer he hit to turn the tide. They may not be long for the playoffs but tone setting and bar raising are the responsibilities accepted by great leaders and who has done it better than Roy over the last week? Quite simply, he is everything you want in a franchise player.

3. JOAKIM NOAH is a star, Cleveland taunts most definitely included. Noah gets the game - both on the court and in front of the camera - and could very well be the Charles Barkley of this generation. His scoring numbers may never be as high and dependable as the Round Mound but his defense, rebounding, passing and hustle are on par and is a big reason his Chicago Bulls were able to sneak into the playoffs on the last day of the season. When Noah missed 10 games with plantar faciitis in early March the Bulls went on a 10-game losing streak. ‘Nuff said. In their first round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers Noah not only riled the entire city of Cleveland by opining its bland city life but he backed up his talk with ridiculous numbers. Through a chorus of deafening boos in Game 2 Noah dropped 25 points and 13 rebounds. In Game 3 back in Chicago he registered 15 rebounds, 10 points and five assists in a big 108-106 victory. Although the team took a 121-98 beating in a Game 4 loss that put them down 3-1 in the series Noah dropped a wowing 21 points and 20 rebounds while shooting 7 for 8 from the free throw line. After the Bulls took the Boston Celtics to seven games in their first round series last year it was dubbed Noah’s coming out party. Nah, son. This is it.

4. DIRK NOWITZKI is NOT a franchise player. I just can’t see it. That Jason Kidd was able to go into Dallas and basically taking over the locker room speaks volumes. Still, nothing is louder than the cry Nowitzki let out four seasons ago when his Mavericks started losing their grip on an NBA Final series they ended up losing to the Miami Heat. His post-game pressers were filled with doubt and fear and all kinds of other stuff you don’t want in your “franchise” guy. Those statements still ring loudly. Now they look like a first-round victim to a team everybody thought was toast, this after winning the highly sought after second seed in the playoffs. In 2007 the Mavs were upset by the eighth seeded Golden State Warriors and this year they are falling to the seventh seeded San Antonio Spurs, who have absolutely out-toughed the Mavs. Nowitzki and reserve guard Jason Terry are the only remaining parts of the core that lost to the Warriors on the roster and since their Finals appearance in 2006 the Mavericks have been first-round ousters in 3 of the last 4 seasons … including this one.

5. KEVIN DURANT is the second best player in the western conference. Not only is he an unstoppable scorer who was in the running for both the MVP and Most Improved Player of the year awards but his defense is sound as well. So is his leadership. It wasn’t just Scottie Brooks that led this unlikely band of youngsters to 50 wins, not with Durant’s astonishing maturation as the leash on the dog. He notched 30.1 points per game this season to become the youngest scoring champion ever and in the playoffs where it is harder to score Durant is averaging 26.8 points a night over his FIRST four postseason contests. Yes, his 38.4% shooting from the floor is horrid but his 9.3 rebounds per game is an improvement of nearly two over his regular season number and his 1.75 blocks is a nice bump too. Oh, and the wins. Both at home to tie up their first round series with the Los Angeles Lakers nobody, including us, thought they would be in. In pivotal Game 3 the Thunder draped Durant across Kobe Bryant’s game down the stretch to great effect with Bryant struggling under K.D.’s defense in the turning point match. The Thunder won 23 road games this year (tied with the Lakers) and over the entire 41 game road schedule (Durant played in all 82 games this season. Durable.) Durant’s averages were pretty much the same as they were at home in OKC. Aside from a couple of scoring points and a 45% shooting dip (his home percentage in 50.2%) his numbers remained static across the board. Consistency. Why does it matter? Because the Thunder will have to win on the road to have a chance of stealing the series and with Durant having shook the shadow of Ron Artest for the moment, who knows? We think we do by saying the Lakers will take this series but it won’t diminish the powerful statement Durant and his Thunder have made.