Great PG Play Headlines NBA Playoffs

With both conferences in their semifinal rounds, some of the great performances of this postseason have come from point guards. Among the 7 teams remaining, each team has gotten stellar play from their point guards to make it this far. Let's take a look at each point guard's performance during the playoffs.

Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
24.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 6.9 APG
Westbrook has been criticized often for taking too many shots for the Thunder, and he arguably cost the Thunder Game 3 against the Grizzlies with his poor decision making. His field goal percentage has dropped 3% in the playoffs. However, Westbrook has still been able to score and manage the Thunder to the second round of the playoffs.

Mike Conley, Memphis Grizzlies
15.9 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 6.2 APG
While Conley has not accumulated the stellar numbers Westbrook has, he has surprised many with his strong play so far this postseason. In the first round, Conley outplayed stellar PG Tony Parker of the Spurs. His performance so far in the semifinals against Westbrook and the Thunder has been even more promising to Grizzlies fans. So far in the series, he's been able to score more, averaging 19.0 PPG in the second round of the playoffs. For the Grizzlies to continue their stunning run, Conley will have to continue to play well.

Jason Kidd, Dallas Mavericks
10.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 7.2 APG
While Kidd has not scored as much as the other two, he's continued to showcase his superior passing abilities. His 7.2 APG have been one of the reasons the Mavericks have played so well in the playoffs. The Mavericks' most valuable weapon has been the 3-point shot, and Kidd has certainly provided some of that. He's shooting about 37% from long range, and if he continues to play well, expect the Mavs to contend for a championship this year.

Jeff Teague, Atlanta Hawks
11.4 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 2.8 APG
Teague was barely a factor at all in the Hawks' first round series against the Magic, averaging only 2.5 minutes per game. After Kirk Hinrich went down, Teague stepped into a heavy role in the Hawks offense. In the second round matchup against the Bulls, Teague is averaging 42 minutes per game, 17.3 points per game, and 3.7 assists per game. Teague's second round performance has been solid so far, and he will need to lead the Hawks well to defeat Derrick Rose and the Bulls.

Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
28.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 7.3 APG
The regular season MVP has been terrific so far in the postseason, shredding defenses to average just about 29 points per game. Rose's performance has been even further elevated in this second round series against the Hawks, averaging 31 points per game, and 9 assists per game. Rose has continued his rise to becoming one of the top players in the NBA, and has definitely made a great case for being the best point guard in the league.

Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics
15.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 11.1 APG
Rondo tore through the Knicks' subpar defense in the first round, but has met some much tougher defense against the Heat. His production has dropped 8.7 points per game and 2 assists per game. Rondo's gutsy return from a dislocated elbow in Game 3 Saturday was heroic, but many wonder if he will be healthy for Game 4. Rondo is listed as a game-time decision, and the Celtics will surely need their point guard to come back in this series against Miami.

Mario Chalmers, Miami Heat
7.4 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 2.3 APG
Unlike many of the other point guards listed, Chalmers' job does not involve being a huge offensive presence. The Heat are led by LeBron James and Dwayne Wade, and Chalmers' job appears to be to make 3's when needed. Chalmers is hitting 3's at a 36.1% rate, and he is certainly capable of hitting clutch three's in important games. Chalmers doesn't have as much of a role in his team's offense, but the Heat have proven to the doubters that they have the ability to win in the postseason.

Here are my rankings of the remaining point guards so far in the postseason:
1) Derrick Rose
2) Rajon Rondo
3) Mike Conley
4) Russell Westbrook
5) Jason Kidd
6) Jeff Teague
7) Mario Chalmers

Where Does Rajon Rondo's Playoff Performance Place Him Among NBA PG's?

In the Boston-Cleveland series, the leader of the Celtics for the entire series was PG Rajon Rondo. In the Celtics 2008 title run, Rondo was the young PG feeding the ball to the Big Three and staying conservative. This year, Rondo is the leader of the team, the NBA's leader in steals, and a walking triple-double threat. Rondo had been criticized by many for his lack of a jump shot, and the fact that his supporting cast is one of the best in the NBA. After this great postseason, where does Rajon Rondo rank among the top NBA point guards?

First we must start with who the best point guard in the NBA is. There are three guys I think can be mentioned here. Chris Paul, Deron Williams, and Steve Nash. Paul was hurt for the majority for the 2009-2010 season, playing in 45 games and 18.7 PPG and 10.7 APG. Williams had nearly identical numbers, with 18.7 PPG and 10.5 APG in 76 games. Steve Nash, the only of these three still in the playoffs, played in 81 games and amassed more assists, but slightly less points. Nash averaged 16.5 PPG and 11.0 APG this year for the Suns. I think when healthy, Chris Paul is the best PG in the NBA, followed by Steve Nash and then Deron Williams. While all three are close, Paul's playmaking ability puts him above the pack.

In the next tier is where I think Rondo can be mentioned, a group containing Derrick Rose, Tony Parker, Chauncey Billups, and Rondo. Rose is just a sophomore player, but has impressed many with his ability to lead the Chicago Bulls. Rose had a great year this year with 20.8 PPG and 6.0 APG. In the Bulls short playoff run (they were eliminated by Cleveland in the first round), Rose elevated his play to 26.8 PPG and 7.2 APG. Tony Parker was hurt for much of this season, starting only 50 games. However, Parker averaged 18.6 PPG this year, but I would take Rose over Parker right now. Chauncey Billups of Denver scored more points than ever in his entire career (19.5 PPG), but saw a drop in his assists, averaging only 5.6 APG, while he had previously averaged a high of 8.6 APG. Rondo 13.8 PPG and 9.8 APG. In addition, Rondo was the leader in steals with 2.3 SPG. In the playoffs, Rondo had 18.0 PPG and 11.1 APG to lead the Celtics past the Cavs in the conference semifinals. Of this group, I would take Rondo, followed by Rose, Billups and Parker.

So my PG rankings in the NBA look like this:
1. Chris Paul, Hornets
2. Steve Nash, Suns
3. Deron Williams, Jazz
4. Rajon Rondo, Celtics
5. Derrick Rose, Bulls
6. Chauncey Billups, Denver
7. Tony Parker, Spurs

Other players deserving mention are Russell Westbrook, Andre Miller, Brandon Jennings, and Monta Ellis.

With the conference semifinals complete, the two matchups are Lakers-Suns and Celtics-Magic. Enjoy!

Previewing the Western Conference Semis

Taking a break from the NFL Draft recaps, let's take a look at the NBA playoffs. The Eastern Conference still has one series (Bucks-Hawks) going to game 7, but the Western Conference bracket is set for the semis. Let's take a look at each matchup.

(1) LA Lakers vs. (5) Utah Jazz
The Lakers played a solid series against the young Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round, winnning 4-2 on a Pau Gasol putback buzzer beater to win in game 6. The Jazz defeated the Nuggets 4-2 in a very good series for Utah. Kobe had a good first round, averaging 21.8 PPG, but Pau Gasol is really the Lakers' key player. Gasol averaged a double-double against OKC, with 20 PPG and 11 RPG. Deron Williams played a huge series against the Nuggets, averaging 28 PPG and 12 APG. Carlos Boozer also average a double-double, with 23 PPG and 12 RPG. The Jazz had three other players average double figures, in Paul Millsap, CJ Miles, and Wesley Matthews. I feel that the Jazz have great guard play, and that Williams should play well against veteran Derek Fisher for the Lakers, but the Jazz are similar to the Thunder in that they don't have a real big man to compete with Bynum and Gasol. I like the Jazz roster, but I think the Lakers advance to the Western Conference Finals in 6 games.

(3) Phoenix Suns vs. (7) San Antonio Spurs
The Suns beat the Blazers in 6 games, with solid play from Jason Richardson averaging 24 points a game. Amaré Stoudemire contributed 20 PPG and 6 RPG. Steve Nash provides solid play at the PG postition, and Channing Frye has emerged this year as a decent offensive option. For the Spurs, they topped second seeded Dallas in 6 games. Manu Ginobli and Tim Duncan each averaged 19 PPG, and Tony Parker and George Hill amassing a combined 30 PPG. The key to this series will be the Suns' ability to handle the three guard attack San Antonio will throw at them, with Hill, Parker, and Ginobli. A key for San Antonio will be the play of Richard Jefferson. If he can play better than the Dallas series (8 PPG), the Spurs can throw a multitude of scorers at Phoenix. Phoenix needs to get Jason Richardson going to win this series. I'll take San Antonio in 7.

Tomorrow the Celtics-Cavs series starts, and the Eastern Conference bracket is yet to be finalized. I'll post a preview of the Eastern Conference later this weekend. Enjoy the playoffs!