Five players to watch in NBA playoffs second round

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BOSTON – The second round of the NBA playoffs is all but set with very few first-round upsets.

However, we have seen a number of players who have elevated their games to, ‘Damn, I didn’t know he had game like that...” status.

Here we take a look at some of the postseason ballers who have stepped their play when their respective teams needed them most:

 

1. DeMarre Carroll, small forward, Atlanta Hawks

POSTSEASON NUMBERS: 17.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists per game; shooting 54.3 percent from the field, 46.7 percent on 3s.

The lone Atlanta Hawks starter to not be an All-Star this season, Carroll was arguably the Hawks’ most consistent scorer in their first-round series with the Brooklyn Nets while leading the team in scoring. He will be a free agent this summer who wants to re-sign with the Hawks. But if Carroll plays against Washington like he did in the first round, the asking price to retain him will only continue to rise.

 

2. Courtney Lee, shooting guard, Memphis Grizzlies

POSTSEASON NUMBERS: 17.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists. Shooting 66 percent from the field, 54.5 percent on 3s.

The Grizzlies have gotten a huge postseason boost by a former Celtic; but it’s Lee and not Jeff Green. With Michael Conley’s uncertain status (facial surgery) for the Golden State series, Memphis will continue to look for Lee to pick up the scoring slack as well as make the Warriors pay if they leave him wide open.

 

3. Andrew Bogut, center, Golden State Warriors

POSTSEASON NUMBERS: 6.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2 blocks per game. Shooting 63.2 percent from the field.

The video game-like numbers Golden State puts up may grab your attention, but it is the defense of Bogut that gives them a great shot at getting past Memphis and the Grizzlies’ 1-2 punch in the frontcourt of Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol.

 


4. Joakim Noah, Power Forward, Chicago Bulls

POSTSEASON NUMBERS: 6.5 points, 11.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.0 blocks per game. Shooting 47.5 percent from the field.

Noah’s versatility will be key in this series for the Bulls. Noah, unlike most big men in the NBA, has the talent to impact games in every major statistical category, which will go far in their efforts to knock off LeBron James and the higher-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers.

 

5. Jason Terry, guard, Houston Rockets

POSTSEASON NUMBERS: 7.8 points, 2.2 assists and 1.0 steals per game: Shooting 47.1 percent on 3s.

He doesn’t score like he used to (who does when playing with James Harden?), but Terry has showed a renewed shooting touch in the playoffs. With so much attention being paid to Harden as the Rockets continue through the playoffs, the need for a long-range shooter becomes even more imperative. And Terry, more than any other Rockets player, has the veteran experience you want as you go deeper into the playoffs.

 

 

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