Playoff Tickets
NBA Playoff Tickets – Top Five Developments in the Playoffs Thus Far
Every postseason, players come out of nowhere to have a tremendous impact and storylines develop from seemingly nowhere. Here are five things we have been able to take away from the postseason so far.
5. Jameer Nelson makes the Magic a different team.
The Magic reached the NBA Finals last year with Jameer Nelson still not being 100% following an injury earlier in the year. This season, however, Nelson is healthy and has made the Magic a noticeably better team offensively. Nelson is the top scorer for the Magic this postseason (as of May 16th) and one of the main reasons that Orlando was able to breeze through the first two rounds of the playoffs. With his mid-range game and ability to take the ball to the rack, Nelson should be a good player for the Magic for a while and could even help them win a title this season.
4. Deron Williams is an elite player.
Some have seen Williams coming for a while but this is the first year that his play had analysts saying that he might actually be the best point guard in the league. Playing with a bevy of second-round draft picks, Williams had another very strong postseason run, though his Jazz simply didn't have the overall talent and size to hang with the Los Angeles Lakers. Williams' playmaking ability is uncanny and he is a nightmare matchup no matter who takes him on due to his strength, quickness, ability to see the floor and knock down jumpshots. He'll be back selling plenty of <a href="http://www.stubhub.com/nba-playoff-tickets/">NBA Playoff tickets</a> in the future.
3. Jason Richardson is huge reason for Suns' success.
The big names that get all the ink for Phoenix, of course, are Steve Nash and Amar'e Stoudemire, and rightfully so. But no matter how well Nash and Stoudemire have played so far in the postseason, they simply wouldn't be where they are without Jason Richardson. After averaging 15.7 points per game for the regular season, Richardson has elevated his game dramatically in the playoffs. Richardson poured in 23.5 points per game during the Portland series, including a 42-point outburst and 28 huge points to help the Suns clinch the series in game six. His ability to drain the three has made the Suns incredibly difficult to beat and he will have a huge role in what should be a very entertaining series against the Lakers.
2. Pau Gasol isn't the best Laker, is he?
Andrew Bynum has largely been ineffective this postseason and still the Lakers have lost just two games heading into the Western Conference Finals. Kobe Bryant obviously has a lot to do with this, but Pau Gasol is just as crucial to the Lakers' success. In the sweep of the Utah Jazz, Gasol was a monster down low, averaging 23.5 points a game for the season and 14.5 rebounds. Gasol also averaged nearly three blocks a game and is a very good passer out of the block. Kobe can get his offensive game going whenever he wants but the offense can also be run through Gasol with a very high rate of efficiency. Even more discouraging for the opposition is that Gasol shoots a remarkably high free-throw percentage for a seven-footer, making him invaluable in big spots down the stretch. The Lakers aren't where they are without the play of Pau Gasol - no matter how good Kobe is.
1. The Boston Celtics were badly overlooked.
The Celtics were done, finished, walking dead. With aging superstars still being focal points of their team, the Celtics were entering the twilight of their dominant run. Didn't you know that? Well, the Celtics have taken outside expectations and thrown them completely out the window, bringing them within striking distance of another title in the process. Kevin Garnett is back to playing really strong defense and is contributing offensively; Ray Allen forgot that he's an aging superstar and is playing like he's 27 again; Paul Pierce hasn't been spectacular but has been there when he's needed; and Rajon Rondo may be playing the best basketball in the entire league.
What truly has made the difference for the Celtics, though, has been their overall defensive intensity. In game one of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Magic could hardly get a decent shot for three and a half quarters on their home court. Though the Magic put together a late run, the game wasn't as close as its 92-88 final score may have suggested. Head Coach Doc Rivers has the Celtics in sync for defensive rotations and has instilled a will to play defense that few coaches can inspire in their team. The Celtics could win the title, and no one outside of Boston would have predicted that before the start of the playoffs.
About the Author
This was written by David James and sponsored by <a href="http://www.stubhub.com/">StubHub</a>. StubHub.com sells <a href="http://www.stubhub.com/nba-playoff-tickets/">NBA Playoff tickets</a>, as well as many other kinds of sports tickets, concert tickets, tickets to special events and theatrical performances.
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