A really late update today/tonight/this morning. For two reasons: 1) I've had a busy day and 2) There won't be an update tomorrow because of Good Friday and I don't feel like it. So instead you'll get an update in between the two days. I just finished watching the Suns hold off the Mavericks 117-105. The loss keeps the Mavericks 1.5 games behind the Spurs who also lost tonight, to the Magic 92-80. Steve Nash had an odd 6 points, 5 boards, and 13 assists. Shawn Marion was the same Shawn Marion that dominates a game and still gets overlooked.
Today, I wanted to come at you with my top ten list of players to watch during this postseason. These are in no particular order, and are just some of my thoughts on why you should watch some of these players during the playoffs. Without further adu:
1. LeBron James -- Why not? He's arguably the best player in the league at age 21 and it's his first playoff appearance. Not many guys can average almost 32 points a game, grab 7 rebounds per game and give out 6 assists a game. And even less can do it at his age with all the pressure and attention he gets. So give him a little more attention and watch him play.
2. Ron Artest -- Are you serious? Why would you not want to watch him play. The guy is almost a ticking time bomb, waiting to go off when his team needs him the most. He's like a whole season of 24 wrapped up into one person. Oh yeah, and he's pretty good too.
3. Ben Gordon/Andre Iguodala -- It's still not clear which player's team will get into the playoffs, so we're gonna put both of them in one spot. Iguodala is one of the more exciting swingmen in the game and you can practically watch him improve as the game goes on. Ben Gordon? Commissioner Gordon is the coldest fourth quarter scorer not named Kobe, LeBron, or Carmelo.
4. Rasheed Wallace -- See # 2. Although he has tuned it down some the last few seasons. The real reason to watch Sheed? The only player in the league who can guard Tim Duncan one on one. Watch Sheed's long arms, good position, and experience against Duncan frustrate Duncan into some bad shots at times. Plus he has one of the best inside-outside games of any big man, and maybe the best fadeaway jumper off the block in the league because of his long arms. And his tattoo is awesome.
5. Elton Brand -- Why Elton Brand? Because he just doesn't get enough shine. Plain and simple, a great player whom everyone knows is great, but he still doesn't get the recognition he deserves.
6. Smush Parker -- He has an awesome name. That's all.
7. Josh Howard -- If he's healthy, he's one of the most complete swingmen in the game. A very underrated player who does whatever the Mavericks need him to do. Part of that comes from playing as an athletic post player at Wake Forest. Nevertheless, one of the up and coming players in the L.
8. Andrew Bynum -- What were you doing when you were 18 years old? I'm guessing it was playing in the NBA playoffs, with one of the best players in the game, and making millions of dollars. I know I wasn't. Okay, so he probably won't play that much and is still a few years away from contributing a lot, and the Lakers will probably get bounced by either the Spurs or Suns quickly, but still, the kid looks like a teddy bear. Good enough for me.
9. Tim Duncan -- If you are a post player, or your kid is a post player, watch Tim Duncan. Especially now that he's got plantar faciitis and can't dunk. If you want to know how to score the ball in the post, TD is your man. He's got all the post moves, and he actually uses the backboard when he shoots. And he's one of the top four interior defenders along with Big Ben, Sheed, and Marcus Camby. The best pivot since Hakeem Olajuwan, and might even be better than the Dream.
10. Kobe Bryant -- If you or your child is a wing player, do not let them watch Kobe. He'll jack shots until his arm falls out of its socket. It's all well and good on NBA Live, but not in real life. But the potential to go for 80 or higher, and watching him do his best to imitate Michael Jordan, right down to the facial expressions, makes Kobe must see NBA TV.
So there you go, ten reasons to watch the NBA playoffs. As if you needed any right? We'll see you on Monday, happy Easter.
