Tag: 2011 NBA Playoffs (Page 8 of 16)

Russell Westbrook strikes again!

May 14, 2011 / John Paulsen

Regular readers know that I’m no fan of Westbrook’s performance in the Playoffs. He posts gaudy numbers in virtually every game, but when it comes down to crunch time, he has been inconsistent.

Take Game 6 in Memphis. Westbrook finished with 27 points (on 11-for-22 shooting), four assists and three rebounds. Great, right? Not quite.

A closer look at Westbrook’s performance in crunch time reveals an entirely different story. After entering the game with 9:04 to play, he turns the ball over on three of the next four OKC possessions. The Grizzlies capitalize with a pair of Zach Randolph buckets. The four-point lead swells to seven.

Trailing by that margin with 3:29 to play, Westbrook misses a layup. On the next Memphis possession, Westbrook closes on an O.J. Mayo catch too quickly and Mayo goes by him for a 19-foot stop-and-pop to push the lead to nine. When Westbrook misses a 17-foot jumper with 2:23 to play, the Thunder are all but done.

He went 3-of-7 (0-2 from 3PT) with zero assists and three turnovers in the final 9:04, and his team was -8 during that span.

Can the Thunder win a title with Russell Westbrook at the point? Unless he finds a way to suddenly become much more efficient, I’d say no. He’s young, but he’s been in the league for three years and is still playing inconsistent ball in crunch time.

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2011 NBA Playoffs Russell Westbrook

Who’s still stepping it up in the NBA Playoffs?

May 13, 2011 / John Paulsen

A couple of weeks ago, I took a look at the numbers to see which players were producing at a higher rate in the Playoffs. Now that we’ve about closed down the second round, I thought it would be a good time to refresh the data.

I calculated Efficiency Per Minute for both the regular season (EPMr) and playoffs (EPMp) and took the difference as a percentage of their performance during the regular season. The resulting percentage is the gain (or drop) in their statistical production in the postseason.

Below you’ll find a table with the 18 (of 71 eligible) players that have managed to step up their games in the Playoffs. Keep in mind that I’m only looking at players that made it to the second round, so the sample size is a bit smaller.

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2011 NBA Playoffs statistical studies

LeBron can’t beat the Celtics without slamming the Cavs

May 12, 2011 / John Paulsen

On the heels of his (dare I say majestic?) performance in Game 5 — 33 points (5-of-7 from 3PT range), seven rebounds and four assists — which helped to finish off the aging and injured Celtics, LeBron had this to say (ESPN):

“I knew deep down in my heart, as much as I loved my teammates back in Cleveland and as much as I loved home, I knew I couldn’t do it by myself against that team,” James said.

Why, LeBron? Why must you say stupid s#!t like this? You just helped to upend the team that has best represented the East for the last three seasons and then you have to turn around and slam your former teammates for not being good enough when you played Boston in the past.

It’s not even that you said they weren’t good enough. You said, “I couldn’t do it by myself” as if your teammates in Cleveland didn’t even show up for those series against the Celtics, like you were out there playing one on five. (No jokes about Mike Brown’s offense, please.)

LeBron was terrific down the stretch in Game 5, going 4-for-4 from the field (including 2-for-2 from 3PT range) and one assist in the final 3:43. Who knows, had he brought some of that game when he was with the Cavs, they may have won.

It also helped that the Celtics’ bench looked a little like an emergency room, with multiple players working out knee or ankle injuries while others lay prone on the floor, icing their backs.

In the waning moments, the Heat had the look of a team that just won the title, not one that won a Conference Semifinal. Maybe they’ll be able to put that emotion behind them to focus on the Bulls (or the Hawks, if they pull the upset), but that was quite the celebration for a team that has only won two playoff series.

I guess we should expect nothing less from the organization that held a celebration fit only for a title late last summer.

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2011 NBA Playoffs LeBron James Miami Heat

Where do the Lakers go from here?

May 9, 2011 / John Paulsen

Even before the final buzzer sounded in the Mavs’ Game 4 sweep, fans and pundits alike were talking about what the Lakers do now that their quest for a three-peat is over.

We (think we) know this: Phil Jackson won’t be coaching the Lakers next season.

The first step is to find a coach that meets Kobe Bryant’s approval, because he’s still the centerpiece of the franchise. Brian Shaw’s name has been mentioned, but I’m sure there will be other candidates.

Magic Johnson suggested recently that the team would need to be “blown up,” and said that Kobe is the only untouchable player on the roster. So the Lakers could trade Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol or Lamar Odom, or some combination of the three. Someone might also be interested in Steve Blake and/or Shannon Brown, but that’s about it in terms of trade chips.

Below is the payroll situation for the Lakers, which I downloaded from ShamSports, a great site that is always on top of the financials for every NBA franchise.

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2011 NBA Playoffs 2011-12 NBA season Los Angeles Lakers