> Employee #34: Former Boston Celtic Antonie Walker was nicknamed "Employee #8" when starring for the Celtics a few years back. Yet, it is Paul Pierce who has stuck around and become the heart of the franchise. Pierce added another clutch basket to his clutch portfolio last night, hitting a shot over Dorell Wright at the buzzer to give the Celtics a 3-0 series lead over the Miami Heat. While Pierce made it look easy, Wright made it easier by allowing Pierce go to his strong side (his right). For any future defenders covering Pierce in the clutch, as much as possible prevent him from going to his right.
> Forgotten Point Guard and Head Coaches in Utah: Frequently, players such as Chris Paul, Steve Nash, Tony Parker, and Jason Kidd are named as the best point guards in the league. Yet, Deron Williams only gets mentioned after at least one of the other guys is mentioned. Williams continues to quietly be one of the best point guards--and players--in the NBA. Last night, he finished with 24 points and 10 assists as the Utah Jazz took a 2-1 lead over the Denver Nuggets in their first round playoff series. Likewise, Jerry Sloan has never won Coach of the Year honors in the NBA. Yet, he remains the longest tenured coach in the league, with over 200 coaching changes taking place around the league during his tenure in Utah. His counterpart, George Karl, also does not get as much recognition as he deserves. Denver's morale seems to have taken a huge hit since Karl revealed his bout with cancer.
> Van Gundy's Simple, Yet Effective Comeback Strategy: Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy has worn a microphone enough the past few years for his motivational words to be heard during games. While some question his calmness and his ability to coach in the clutch, one thing he clearly does well is help his team come back from deficits during games. His strategy: having them break down deficits into smaller pieces. This was a big part how they beat Boston and Cleveland last year, and how they have held off Charlotte so far this year.
> Never Count Out the Spurs: The Dallas Mavericks made arguably the best trade this season, swapping out Josh Howard, Drew Gooden, Quinton Ross, and James Singleton for Caron Butler, DeShawn Stevenson, and Brendan Haywood. This put them in position to possibly be the Los Angeles Lakers' biggest challenge in winning the Western Conference. Yet, the Mavericks ended up drawing the San Antonio Spurs in the first round. The Spurs have won 4 championships during coach Gregg Popovich's tenure, including 3 with their current core group of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili. Adding in solid role players with either playoff experience or youthful potential, San Antonio remains a championship contender.
> Bogut's Value: This may be as obvious as any story so far this postseason: the Milwaukee Bucks climbed into the Eastern Conference playoff picture amidst solid play by center Andrew Bogut. While players such as Brandon Jennings, Ersan Ilyasova, and John Salmons remain, Bogut's presence/absence again reiterates the value of having a quality big man as a feature player on a team. The Bucks lack interior scoring with Bogut out, allowing the Atlanta Hawks to control the paint.
> Playing Veterans Versus Young Talent Rising to the Occasion: The Cleveland Cavaliers bolstered their roster this season, making a number of free agent signings and trades. This left their roster stacked with 15 capable players, from superstar LeBron James down to rookie prospect Danny Green. As recent champions such as the Spurs, Heat, and Celtics have shown, having a mix of capable players enables contenders to play the hot hands and make lineup changes as necessary throughout a competitive series. The Cavs have such the opportunity, but have kept improving forward J.J. Hickson and sharpshooter Daniel Gibson on the bench in the first 3 games of their series against the Chicago Bulls. Their reliance on veteran players has left them exposed to Chicago's youth, including a loss in Game 3 Thursday night.
> Game 1 Wake-up Call: Amidst an injury-riddled season, the Portland Trailblazers have been underestimated the past few months. Game 1 was an indication of the team's potential, as they overcame the absence of star Brandon Roy to beat the Phoenix Suns. Yet, their win in Game 1 may have been just what the Suns needed. While the Blazers have been underestimated, the Suns remain a trendy pick by league analysts and fans, based on the presence of Steve Nash, Amar'e Stoudemire, and a high power offense. With Alvin Gentry having a full year with the team--and no midseason trade of Stoudemire--the team may finally be in position to take the West this year. As the Suns have seen in this series, anything less than their best is beatable, but when at their best, they are a difficult matchup.
> Collective Team Effort: Kevin Durant's offense has been billed the Oklahoma City Thunder's only chance to beat the Los Angeles Lakers--not for the series, but for just a single game. Yet, coach Scott Brooks and his squad challenged this hypothesis on Thursday night and seemingly disproved it. While Durant struggled en route to 29 points, teammates Russell Westbrook and James Harden combined for 45 points in a winning effort. While Durant finished at 8-24 shooting, he showed how valuable his defense is, holding Kobe Bryant to 10-29 shooting, including only 2-10 in the clutch fourth quarter. The victory reiterated the selection of Scott Brooks as NBA Coach of the Year and the legitimacy of the Thunder's 50-win season.