Ritzy Sharon
Don't Make Me Pull The Oud Out
Eric Bledsoe, Clippers
He still doesn't have a position, but apparently, it doesn't matter. Bledsoe was the breakout performer of the playoffs after turning the Clippers' first-round series against Memphis into L.A.'s favor with his suffocating defense and surprisingly efficient offense. He also provided the few bursts of good news for the Clips in the sweep by San Antonio.
Bledsoe's weaknesses -- running the offense and outside shooting -- didn't hurt as much in the postseason because he was playing off the ball more and made a few more jumpers, hitting 54.7 percent in the playoffs after clocking at 38.9 percent in the regular season. He also cut his turnover rate sharply, although he still has a long way to go there.
But all that misses the major point: His defense has become absolutely suffocating, with his ball pressure handcuffing Memphis' guards in particular. For the playoffs he posted a phenomenal 22.55 PER, but he would have had value with a number half that high -- his regular-season figure (11.24) -- because his defense was so good.
As a result, the 22-year-old enters the summer as the biggest trade chip in the Clippers' arsenal, should they choose to deploy it.
Darren Collison, Pacers
Among players with at least 100 playoff minutes, the top four in player efficiency rating are LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Durant and Tim Duncan. You know who's fifth? Darren Collison!
It's true; he's been a huge catalyst for an otherwise deficient Indiana second unit throughout the postseason, helping himself immensely as he heads into extension talks this summer.
The best part is that he's showing signs of finally getting this whole point guard thing. Collision had 23 assists and just one turnover in Indy's first-round series against Orlando. While he hasn't maintained that pace against Miami, he's also knocking down shots left and right (53.8 percent for the playoffs, with a high free throw rate). Collison is quick and can shoot, and his speed and zeal on defense make up for a lack of size. If he can run an offense as well as he's done in the playoffs, he's a long-term starter who may cash in this summer.
Roy Hibbert, Pacers
It's gonna be an expensive summer in Indy, because joining Collison at the cash register is fellow restricted free agent Hibbert. The All-Star big man has shown his value in the second round, with his immense presence at the rim largely negating the slashing of Miami's James and Dwyane Wade. He's controlling the boards too; for the playoffs he's averaging 11.4 boards and 3.1 blocks, including yanking down 18 rebounds in Indy's Game 3 win.
Hibbert's limitation is that stamina and fouls keep him to about 30 minutes a night, although that makes his per-game numbers even more impressive -- he has the league's second-highest rebound rate in the playoffs, for instance, trailing only the Clippers' Reggie Evans among players who played at least 100 minutes.
For those 30 minutes he's become a poor man's Yao Ming -- he's the tallest guy on the floor every night, he has a soft touch on hooks and turnarounds and he's still improving. Throw in his zest for blocks and rebounds, and it's a tough combo to stop ... and a costly one to keep.
Lavoy Allen, 76ers
He's not "Mr. 500" anymore. The Sixers scored a huge coup when they took the lightly regarded Allen with the 59th pick last June, identifying a rotation big man who can make midrange jumpers.
But then they whiffed on the contract -- inexplicably giving him a one-year deal with no team option beyond this season. That's going to cost them after his series against Boston. Allen has shown the world what an effective post defender he can be, using his wiry strength to effectively defend Kevin Garnett and providing a decent offensive burst himself, with three double-figure games and 61.8 percent shooting. As a result, it's going to cost the Sixers a lot more (and likely eliminate much of their midlevel exception) to keep him eating cheesesteaks next fall.
Boris Diaw, Spurs
While a few of his younger teammates (Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green and Tiago Splitter) are making names for themselves in the playoffs by doing the thing they'd done all season, just now with people watching, it's a very different story for Diaw. He spent two-thirds of the season on one of the worst teams in history and was one of the main reasons it was so awful.
Then he went to an elite team and made it better. This makes no sense, except that it happened. Diaw shot 41 percent as a Bobcat and was visibly overweight and underachieving. Then he shot 58.8 percent as a Spur; somewhere in there he appears to have lost a few hundred pounds, eliminating some of my best material.
In the playoffs he's guarded Blake Griffin and Paul Millsap reasonably effectively and put up crazy Boris Diaw lines of old like the 7-12-5-3 he had in Game 1 against the Clips; he followed that with a 7-for-7 in Game 2. And he is a free agent this summer who may be able to cash in heavily (sorry) if he helps the Spurs to a title.
Derrick Favors, Jazz
Here's the crazy plus-minus stat of the playoffs: Utah was minus-1 in its 116 minutes with Favors on the court in the four-game demolition by the Spurs, and minus-63 in the other 76 minutes. His impact was so obvious that the Jazz started him in Game 4, producing their only near-win, and one surmises Game 3 will be the last time he comes off the bench for a very, very long time.
The 20-year-old is still coming along offensively yet had double-doubles in Games 3 and 4, but his real calling is at the defensive end. With his size, athleticism and mobility, he has a chance to be a defensive player of the year down the road. In the short term his playoffs will have a different impact this offseason, because it makes it almost certain that the Jazz will trade one of Millsap or Al Jefferson to make room for Favors in the lineup.
Kevin Garnett, Celtics and Tim Duncan, Spurs
I doubt either of these guys are going anywhere, but it bears mentioning that these two 36-year-olds -- arguably the two best players of this century's first decade -- head into free agency playing some of their best basketball in a long time. Duncan is fourth in playoff PER among those with at least 100 minutes; Garnett is 13th and has been a monstrous defensive presence in addition. All of which is likely to earn both players a few extra ducats from their present employers this summer.
JaVale McGee, Nuggets
Turns out he's not just a punch line. McGee showed more development in two months in Denver than he had in four years in Washington, particularly on the offensive end where he showed some refinement with a sweeping hook shot.
McGee still takes ridiculous chances on blocking shots he has no hope of reaching and leaves his feet constantly on the defensive end. On the other hand, he went for 21-14 against an elite frontcourt to key a close playoff road win, rejected a phenomenal 22 shots in 181 minutes, and had three 14-rebound efforts in seven games.
In other words, while he's still something of a project, he's a productive project. Which makes him one of the league's most interesting names in restricted free agency. We know he's an athletic freak who probably has the highest leaping reach in basketball, so if he can just get halfway decent on the mental aspects he'll be a star. That tantalizing possibility, as the first round made clear, may cost Denver a lot more now that he's shown signs of possibly achieving it.
Jordan Hill, Lakers
Hill has his detractors, but say this for the third-year pro: The dude can rebound. He showed that again in the playoffs, getting some of his first meaningful minutes in an L.A. uniform and immediately vacuuming up missed shots around the basket; his 74 boards in just 211 minutes translated into the league's fourth-highest playoff rebound rate.
Hill doesn't offer a ton else, but as a big man off the bench he doesn't really have to; his rebound rate is so high that if he's just ordinary in other respects he'll still rate as a valuable player.
Although Hill is only a third-year player, he will be an unrestricted free agent this summer because the Rockets didn't pick up his option for 2012-13 before trading him to L.A. He has some limitations, particularly defensively, but the prolonged TV exposure he got this postseason likely ruined a few GMs' summer dreams of getting a rebound machine on the cheap.
Ty Lawson, Nuggets
Watching Lawson carve up the Lakers' defense with his transition forays and then make them pay in the halfcourt with his 3-point shooting, one can appreciate the Nuggets' conundrum. He's extension-eligible this summer, for starters, but Denver also has a second very good point guard in Andre Miller, who will be an unrestricted free agent. Yet how could the Nuggets realistically keep both?
And how could they not commit to Lawson after he followed up a strong regular season by torching the Lakers' guards in the playoffs? He's ninth in playoff PER among those who played at least 100 minutes, delivering 42 assists against just eight turnovers while averaging 19.0 points on 51.4 percent shooting. Lawson also came up biggest when it mattered most, scoring 56 points in the final two games as Denver nearly pulled off an unlikely comeback from 3-1 down.
NBA playoffs - Top risers - ESPN
you don't want to go after Javale, Hibbert is the one you want.
He still doesn't have a position, but apparently, it doesn't matter. Bledsoe was the breakout performer of the playoffs after turning the Clippers' first-round series against Memphis into L.A.'s favor with his suffocating defense and surprisingly efficient offense. He also provided the few bursts of good news for the Clips in the sweep by San Antonio.
Bledsoe's weaknesses -- running the offense and outside shooting -- didn't hurt as much in the postseason because he was playing off the ball more and made a few more jumpers, hitting 54.7 percent in the playoffs after clocking at 38.9 percent in the regular season. He also cut his turnover rate sharply, although he still has a long way to go there.
But all that misses the major point: His defense has become absolutely suffocating, with his ball pressure handcuffing Memphis' guards in particular. For the playoffs he posted a phenomenal 22.55 PER, but he would have had value with a number half that high -- his regular-season figure (11.24) -- because his defense was so good.
As a result, the 22-year-old enters the summer as the biggest trade chip in the Clippers' arsenal, should they choose to deploy it.
Darren Collison, Pacers
Among players with at least 100 playoff minutes, the top four in player efficiency rating are LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Durant and Tim Duncan. You know who's fifth? Darren Collison!
It's true; he's been a huge catalyst for an otherwise deficient Indiana second unit throughout the postseason, helping himself immensely as he heads into extension talks this summer.
The best part is that he's showing signs of finally getting this whole point guard thing. Collision had 23 assists and just one turnover in Indy's first-round series against Orlando. While he hasn't maintained that pace against Miami, he's also knocking down shots left and right (53.8 percent for the playoffs, with a high free throw rate). Collison is quick and can shoot, and his speed and zeal on defense make up for a lack of size. If he can run an offense as well as he's done in the playoffs, he's a long-term starter who may cash in this summer.
Roy Hibbert, Pacers
It's gonna be an expensive summer in Indy, because joining Collison at the cash register is fellow restricted free agent Hibbert. The All-Star big man has shown his value in the second round, with his immense presence at the rim largely negating the slashing of Miami's James and Dwyane Wade. He's controlling the boards too; for the playoffs he's averaging 11.4 boards and 3.1 blocks, including yanking down 18 rebounds in Indy's Game 3 win.
Hibbert's limitation is that stamina and fouls keep him to about 30 minutes a night, although that makes his per-game numbers even more impressive -- he has the league's second-highest rebound rate in the playoffs, for instance, trailing only the Clippers' Reggie Evans among players who played at least 100 minutes.
For those 30 minutes he's become a poor man's Yao Ming -- he's the tallest guy on the floor every night, he has a soft touch on hooks and turnarounds and he's still improving. Throw in his zest for blocks and rebounds, and it's a tough combo to stop ... and a costly one to keep.
Lavoy Allen, 76ers
He's not "Mr. 500" anymore. The Sixers scored a huge coup when they took the lightly regarded Allen with the 59th pick last June, identifying a rotation big man who can make midrange jumpers.
But then they whiffed on the contract -- inexplicably giving him a one-year deal with no team option beyond this season. That's going to cost them after his series against Boston. Allen has shown the world what an effective post defender he can be, using his wiry strength to effectively defend Kevin Garnett and providing a decent offensive burst himself, with three double-figure games and 61.8 percent shooting. As a result, it's going to cost the Sixers a lot more (and likely eliminate much of their midlevel exception) to keep him eating cheesesteaks next fall.
Boris Diaw, Spurs
While a few of his younger teammates (Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green and Tiago Splitter) are making names for themselves in the playoffs by doing the thing they'd done all season, just now with people watching, it's a very different story for Diaw. He spent two-thirds of the season on one of the worst teams in history and was one of the main reasons it was so awful.
Then he went to an elite team and made it better. This makes no sense, except that it happened. Diaw shot 41 percent as a Bobcat and was visibly overweight and underachieving. Then he shot 58.8 percent as a Spur; somewhere in there he appears to have lost a few hundred pounds, eliminating some of my best material.
In the playoffs he's guarded Blake Griffin and Paul Millsap reasonably effectively and put up crazy Boris Diaw lines of old like the 7-12-5-3 he had in Game 1 against the Clips; he followed that with a 7-for-7 in Game 2. And he is a free agent this summer who may be able to cash in heavily (sorry) if he helps the Spurs to a title.
Derrick Favors, Jazz
Here's the crazy plus-minus stat of the playoffs: Utah was minus-1 in its 116 minutes with Favors on the court in the four-game demolition by the Spurs, and minus-63 in the other 76 minutes. His impact was so obvious that the Jazz started him in Game 4, producing their only near-win, and one surmises Game 3 will be the last time he comes off the bench for a very, very long time.
The 20-year-old is still coming along offensively yet had double-doubles in Games 3 and 4, but his real calling is at the defensive end. With his size, athleticism and mobility, he has a chance to be a defensive player of the year down the road. In the short term his playoffs will have a different impact this offseason, because it makes it almost certain that the Jazz will trade one of Millsap or Al Jefferson to make room for Favors in the lineup.
Kevin Garnett, Celtics and Tim Duncan, Spurs
I doubt either of these guys are going anywhere, but it bears mentioning that these two 36-year-olds -- arguably the two best players of this century's first decade -- head into free agency playing some of their best basketball in a long time. Duncan is fourth in playoff PER among those with at least 100 minutes; Garnett is 13th and has been a monstrous defensive presence in addition. All of which is likely to earn both players a few extra ducats from their present employers this summer.
JaVale McGee, Nuggets
Turns out he's not just a punch line. McGee showed more development in two months in Denver than he had in four years in Washington, particularly on the offensive end where he showed some refinement with a sweeping hook shot.
McGee still takes ridiculous chances on blocking shots he has no hope of reaching and leaves his feet constantly on the defensive end. On the other hand, he went for 21-14 against an elite frontcourt to key a close playoff road win, rejected a phenomenal 22 shots in 181 minutes, and had three 14-rebound efforts in seven games.
In other words, while he's still something of a project, he's a productive project. Which makes him one of the league's most interesting names in restricted free agency. We know he's an athletic freak who probably has the highest leaping reach in basketball, so if he can just get halfway decent on the mental aspects he'll be a star. That tantalizing possibility, as the first round made clear, may cost Denver a lot more now that he's shown signs of possibly achieving it.
Jordan Hill, Lakers
Hill has his detractors, but say this for the third-year pro: The dude can rebound. He showed that again in the playoffs, getting some of his first meaningful minutes in an L.A. uniform and immediately vacuuming up missed shots around the basket; his 74 boards in just 211 minutes translated into the league's fourth-highest playoff rebound rate.
Hill doesn't offer a ton else, but as a big man off the bench he doesn't really have to; his rebound rate is so high that if he's just ordinary in other respects he'll still rate as a valuable player.
Although Hill is only a third-year player, he will be an unrestricted free agent this summer because the Rockets didn't pick up his option for 2012-13 before trading him to L.A. He has some limitations, particularly defensively, but the prolonged TV exposure he got this postseason likely ruined a few GMs' summer dreams of getting a rebound machine on the cheap.
Ty Lawson, Nuggets
Watching Lawson carve up the Lakers' defense with his transition forays and then make them pay in the halfcourt with his 3-point shooting, one can appreciate the Nuggets' conundrum. He's extension-eligible this summer, for starters, but Denver also has a second very good point guard in Andre Miller, who will be an unrestricted free agent. Yet how could the Nuggets realistically keep both?
And how could they not commit to Lawson after he followed up a strong regular season by torching the Lakers' guards in the playoffs? He's ninth in playoff PER among those who played at least 100 minutes, delivering 42 assists against just eight turnovers while averaging 19.0 points on 51.4 percent shooting. Lawson also came up biggest when it mattered most, scoring 56 points in the final two games as Denver nearly pulled off an unlikely comeback from 3-1 down.
NBA playoffs - Top risers - ESPN
you don't want to go after Javale, Hibbert is the one you want.