The focus in the NBA’s first weekend of play has largely been on upsets. But it may be too soon to draw any grand conclusions from the results. That’s because playoff play is a different animal from regular season play. The difference between the two is generally underappreciated.
There are multiple ways that adjustment from game to game is really what the playoffs are about. The extended format allows teams that adjust well to outperform expectations. It also puts additional pressure on teams that can’t change quickly. Fans who grow excited about a first-game shocker can find their enthusiasm curbed in a hurry as teams get into a long, grind-it-out series.
In the regular season, teams in the same conference face each other four times. That’s simply not enough information to draw too many conclusions. The games are mostly spread out over an 82-game season and teams change significantly during that time. Players who face each other night after night in a playoff series get used to the slight tendencies of their opponents. Little fakes or quick moves become less surprising. Patterns and habits of opponents become more obvious.
The games tend to become much more defensive accordingly as series progress. Coaching also becomes much more important in the playoffs. Coaches who can scout a team well early and adjust well in mid-series are incredibly valuable. San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich is a master at the art. He’ll need to be, as his third-seeded Spurs lost at home to the sixth-seeded Dallas Mavericks, 105-97.
Dallas has been coming on strong in recent weeks and has Josh Howard back and the team as healthy as it has been. San Antonio appears to be headed in the opposite direction. Sixth-man spark-plug Manu Ginobili is out for the season and Tim Duncanis slowed by knee injury. But if anyone can redirect this series, it’s Popovich. His players are heady. They take coaching well.
Look for them to pay much more attention to Dallas reserve point guard Jose Barea. Barea made Tony Parker look like a slow old man on both ends of the court. Barea scored 13 and held Parker to 2-6 shooting in the fourth quarter. No doubt San Antonio will be talking about the need to keep Barea from penetrating. That’s something he did with far too much ease in the first game. The Sixers’ last-minute shocker against Orlando on Sunday put a sixth-seeded team ahead of a third-seed that could have been the second or even first seed with a few breaks in the regular season.
Orlando’s Stan Van Gundy is a seasoned veteran, but his team leader is a young Dwight Howard. Van Gundy and his coaching crew will need to find ways to stop Andre Iguodala. Iguodala had 6 assists, 7 rebounds, and 20 points. That included the game-winner with 2.2. seconds left. The challenge for Orlando will be to honor Philadelphia’s outside shooting without overreacting and letting the Sixers blow past them with their superior speed. Although Philly took the game, Orlando can live with perimeter shooting from distance.
In Boston, the seventh-seeded Chicago Bulls defeated the second-seeded Celtics in a game that unexpectedly turned into a face-off of point-guard play. Derrick Rose and Rajan Rondo went at each other all evening. The rookie Rose earned both the statistical edge and the victory in overtime. Rose had 36 points. He made 12 of his 19 shots from the field and all 12 of his free throws. He also had 11 assists and 4 rebounds. Rondo doesn’t need to hang his head too low. He scored 29 with 9 rebounds and 7 assists. If anyone on the Celtics does need to step up, it’s Ray Allen. The All-Star turned in a shockingly awful performance for a player generally considered the best pure shooter in the game. He was 1-12 from the field and had exactly 4 points in 39 minutes of play.
This is a good example of playoff basketball being different. Allen has gone cold in the playoffs for Boston before. But he is also a very experienced player and a shooter who won’t grow too nervous about his shot. Odds are he won’t score only four points in any half from here on out, let alone in a game. Expect Allen to return to form as Boston sets more screens down low for him. At the same time, expect Boston to adjust to Rose. He has most likely had his best game against them. Rose’s speed and skills are for real. But Boston’s ability to bring help defense is one of the best in the league. This is where they most miss their defensive leader, Kevin Garnett. Garnett is out for the playoffs. That may be the biggest adjustment for all for Boston.
