Quarterfinals Top Performers:
Paul George (IND): 23.1ppg, 10.1rpg, 4.6apg (in 8 playoff games)
John Wall (WAS): 17.8ppg, 7.0apg, 2.0spg (in 6 playoff games)
The Pacers In: It's quite a miracle that the Indiana Hawks have survived a resilient Atlanta Hawks team that has nothing on the Pacers except their midrange big men (against which all-star center Roy Hibbert are ineffective against). Coach Frank Vogel owes a lot to Paul George for willing the whole team back into competitive mode following a 3-2 series lead by the Hawks. Now that they are facing another team that perhaps delivers a stronger firepower than the Hawks, the question heading into the second round is how they are going to make adjustments that will guarantee them the win. Perhaps that includes providing a different role for Lance Stephenson and giving way for other bigs such as David West and Luis Scola on the defensive end.
The Wizards In: John Wall and Bradley Beal have already proven their point, and now they can stroll around saying that they are playoff winners in their first appearance ever. For these two, nothing has changed, for they just played their roles quite well during their stretch against the Chicago Bulls. The real surprise comes with frontcourt members Nene and Marcin Gortat, who took their offense on the outside while sealing the paint on the D. They keep this up, and they are headed for another upset.
What could be: If Indiana gets their momentum back, then Washington ought to be afraid of what a number one team can do. Pacers in 6.
[as of press time, the Wizards took Game 1 of the series with a 102-96 win]
Miami Heat (2) vs. Brooklyn Nets (6)
Quarterfinals Top Performers
LeBron James (MIA): 30.0ppg, 8.0rpg, 11.0ftapg
Paul Pierce (BKN): 13.4ppg, 4.4rpg, 0.465fg%
The Heat In: Technically, the Heat got a free pass into the semifinals. The Charlotte Bobcats, in their last season, had most of their players entering the playoffs for the first time, had their best player at forty percent and hobbling, and as a consequence blew three out of their four playoff games. What Coach Erik Spoelstra has to be concerned with is how Miami can get back into their championship groove, without taking the next opponent lightly, and he can start motivating by displaying LeBron as an example.
The Nets In: One big psychological advantage that the Nets have over the Heat is the fact that they swept all their regular season games against the Heat. This is not a big thing, but it presents a real possibility that they can take the series. But more than just that, their actual advantage comes in the Boston migrants, specifically Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. All the while, these two provided the veteran support needed to keep the Nets afloat, leaving space for Joe Johnson and Deron Williams to do what they're used to. In fact, one can say that with the way the Nets are brightly decorated with stars as the Miami Heat, they really can pull off an upset. It's just a matter of timing and execution.
What could be: Brooklyn might have all the weapons, but Miami still has the time and experience to go back to their playoff ways just in case they have lagged behind. Heat in 7.
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