Playoff Talking Points: Of Foes and Focus

No one with a wife and kids, or the need to eat leafy greens, has time to watch all this basketball. But we do. So, as a service to the public, here are the Playoff Talking Points you need to fake it at the water cooler:

• The Fool Who Would Be King: It's hard to tell what's going on with the Cavaliers. They're in no danger of being upset, and toward the end of last night's game, it looked like LeBron James was going to put things away himself. He really should have -- or maybe, just maybe, I've overestimated the once and future MVP. I expected the Bulls to win, if nothing else because they'd come so close already.

But are the Cavs underachieving, the Bulls overachieving, or some of both? I'm inclined, after seeing James swoop down and then recede after one crap call, that Cleveland's still not together the way, say, the Lakers are (I know, they lost last night, too.) There's just still too much under construction.

And yet the mind is pulled in the direction of the Bulls. Something's half-full there, isn't it? It's not Derrick Rose -- robotic, vacant, and still figuring out ways to transmute his skills into any kind of rallying point. Dude can play, overpower others at times. Still, you don't feel him lift up the rest of the team with him, no matter how many highlights he reels off, or how heavy the production (first quarter, last night). Face it, Rose lacks magnetism and charisma. He's good, going on great, on a a raggedy team. John Salmons with a gift. That's why, if you want to know why this series feels like something -- and judge accordingly -- it's all about Joakim Noah.

Lots of people hate Joakim Noah. They hate his pampered background, his goofy hair, his big mouth -- albeit more annoying than dangerous -- and with Florida, endless peacocking. On the court, his energy is irrepressible, and his willingness to "do the little things" has put him into the NBA's "character actor" class. Other notable inhabitants: Anderson Varejao, Chris Andersen, and Robin Lopez. Dennis Rodman is a false patron saint, since he's a Hall of Famer hiding behind the cowl of foolishness.

Ron Artest can detach himself from his persona when it's time to play, to the point where his hair -- always a key feature of these energetic weirdos -- seems incongruous with the kind of effort he's expending. Noah brings this series to life not for his underrated play, or facetious stoking of the "Cleveland Sucks" flame -- of course dude's seen the YouTube. He's a character, the loudest, most authentic, unrestrained bit of emotion bouncing around the court. And that's why the Bulls have the slightest tinge of hope to them: they have their very own mascot.



Share But here's where some correction is in order. Noah has this reputation as a goofball that invites notoriety. The same is true of Lopez, and to a lesser degree, Varejao (zany foreigner) and Birdman (tatted-up wack-job with a follow-the-light personal history). But as we're seeing in this series, and first noticed for sure against Boston last spring, Noah is a fully legit, if scrawny, big man.

Sure he's an "energy player", a lightning rod for opposing fans, and a character to get the Bulls faithful believing in something. Like a witch doctor at a cook-out, or a really good Halloween costume at a bar. Noah, though, is closer to Brook Lopez -- projected as a franchise big man for years to come -- than any of his brothers in crazy. He can moonlight as a mascot, and in the short-term, it's his greatest value to this team.

As the Bulls mature, though, Noah's going to be taken seriously, or at least get upgraded from hard-playing motivator to the Bulls' second-most important player. And, just maybe, that squad's real leader. There's no reason that a little bit of personality and hustle need consign him to a supporting role -- however symbolic it may be. Noah's the face of this series, but he's also the guy who is showing most that we need to take him seriously as a player.

• Say It With Thunder: Have I lost my ability to BELIEVE!, in the 2007 Warriors, 2008 Hawks, first seasons of the X-Files kind of way? Maybe I've gone and become too professional, but as through-the-roof as this Thunder win had me, the Lakers still take this series. I didn't feel like immediate jumping on the keyboard to proclaim that the future really was here because, well, we expected a Thunder win here. This game was a carbon copy of the last one, except the Lakers came out even more pointedly, the Thunder broke things open sooner, and in the end, Kevin Durant's defense on Kobe Bryant and OKC's half-court prowess proved this time has the maturity to hang with the favorites (have you seen the Cavs?).

In 2008-09, the Thunder had a terrible record, but every NBA snob on the planet was all about their bright future. They took a leap this season, and in the playoffs, are even further putting it all together. The team that's showing up now, they probably deserve to be seeded much higher. Think of this not as a terrific upset in the offing, but an ever-shifting team of youthful brilliance that, dumb as it sounds, responds to all challenges, gets better every day, and is playing now like a squad the Lakers should face in Round Two.

All sobriety aside, though, I think it's pretty much impossible to not come away from that game positively beaming. If you love basketball of the forward-looking, creative variety, the Thunder are easily the hottest thing going. So what if they're going to lose this series, maybe even starting with Saturday's next game at home -- I'm DVR-ing it and attending a Spanish modern dance performance, so don't text me. This is what marriage is all about.

But, at the risk of drooling straight through my keyboard, this team is really unlike anything I've seen in years. It's the Warriors with more than a prayer, the Hawks with a plan ... they're the promise of LeBron as an entire team. Just think about it: Kevin Durant, who compensated for dingy shooting with a 19-rebound night and a lockdown job on Kobe late, is 21; Russell Westbrook, looking increasingly unstoppable and in control, also just got his drinker's license. Just keep sleeping on Jeff Green; he matters and is but 23 years of age. Rookie James Harden is 20, and Serge Ibaka, perhaps the biggest surprise of these playoffs, also just 20. Okay, so defensive specialist Thabo Sefalosha is 25.

You see where I'm going with this? I don't want to turn this into Sam Presti-worship, but really, to put together this core of talent, and have them already seriously challenge the league's elite is pretty unreal. What's more, while they do play like adults, we're increasingly seeing OKC do what I asked: cut loose, run, shoot, use their boundless ability and skill in the open court. Durant on Kobe was the perfect example of that. Why not stick the hyper-competitive, long-as-all-rivers team leader on an aging superstar whose iron will just might bend to KD's? Turning Ibaka loose has proven to be a key factor in OKC's latest leap forward.

It's not just that this team is so good, so young, or getting better so quickly. Or the perfect fusion of chemistry and advanced basketball logic seems to be what guides their make-up. This was history last night, not because of Oklahoma got a playoff win. It was the first win for a Thunder team that, unless there's an awful accident or Toni Braxton-like scandal, is rising fast and might be the only thing messing with LeBron in this coming decade.

• Artest Goes to Work: Enough orgasmic OKC ramblings. The Lakers were positively commanding to start this game, all-business, and unraveled only because they clearly haven't prepared -- or aren't prepared -- to tackle the Thunder's playmaking head-on. But for anyone who wondered all season what the shape of this true team was, or whether Ron Artest's semi-coherent role on the Lakers was proof that Ron Ron was still crazy ... well, you were wrong. Artest has been pure solider, always in the right place, seriously hampering Durant, and even knocking down shots when necessary. This is exactly why LA signed him, and so far, he's done nothing but make the team tougher, more spirited and yes, more disciplined. Ron "Precision" Artest, coming to a theater near you.

• James Harden Update: Well, that answered that. Coach of the Year Scott Brooks shook up his line-up, giving James Harden extensive minutes where the rookie SG was simply expected to go in and provide offense. And that he did. Maybe Harden's vagary, or tricky, unassuming game would seem to mask secrets. But here's why the pick was right: As Westbrook emerges as more and more of a dominating force across all ends of the point guard spectrum, he deserves a back court mate who can keep up with him. Harden may not be Sefalosha's equal as a defender, but when he's confident -- i.e., when his offense is flowing -- he's got his bearings. His offense, too, is crucial when Durant's preoccupied with someone like Artest.

He was the right pick. Stephen Curry? No way. Zero defense and basically a less well-rounded, less athletic Westbrook who couldn't possibly guard twos. Tyreke Evans? I love Evans, but that's a depth-charge to chemistry, if nothing else because there's always a hierarchy that must be tended. Why do you think OKC is so harmonious? The emergence of Ibaka, which I'd always wished upon a star for, gives the Thunder some force and dynamism inside that, in truth, this draft lacked. The main thing was Presti's decisions to trust in Westbrook's development, a decision that obviously worked out. I can't believe he wasn't Most Improved.

LOOKING AHEAD:


• Beyond Hype and Hair: It seems like weeks since Jazz/Nuggets last graced our television screens, but make no mistake, this is the "must-watch" series of the first round. I can gush about the Thunder until they close this place down, except they'll lose Game Two, and then all my enthusiasm must retreat back underground until next season (or maybe the draft). This one, on the other hand, has so far yielded two equally intense, hard-fought games, split right down the middle. The Jazz has injuries, the Nuggets have, as usual, gotten more flighty the more serious the stakes become -- then again, the absence of George Karl might have something to do with that in this season.

I guess I'm trying to tell you this: WATCH THIS SERIES. Both games have come down to the wire. Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams are going head-to-head in grand fashion, with the kind of superstar duel we've artificially expected from Bron/Dwyane Wade or Bron/Kobe these last couple of playoffs. Yes, the depleted Jazz line-up is a story, but it takes away from how dope it is to see Williams getting to move with some youngsters, or see Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap shuffle around between the high and low-post. Plus, while the offensive numbers are through the roof, it's not effete ball. Denver is its usually physical self, despite giving up points galore, and Utah's playing with a chip on its shoulder -- if not the usual Jerry Sloan grind, there's certainly that undercurrent of eff-you seriousness.

Even Kyle Korver seems to have some swagger to him. You sometimes hear it said that the Nuggets have "attitude," and that this is bad for the honor of the league. But you know what? When Korver feels inclined to prove his manhood and make sure you noticed -- all in the midst of a blistering playoff game -- you realize why the likes of J.R. Smith may forever be good for this league. By the way, did you know that Smith hires a personal chef to cook him vegetables, then refuses to eat them? Thanks, un-linkable ESPN Mag item.

• Buying into the Lottery, Revisited: For the Jazz, there's no one as key as C.J. Miles. Okay, bit of an exaggeration there. But the fifth-year swingman now finds himself with real opportunity. Ronnie Brewer is gone, long live C.J. Miles. In these playoffs, so far, Miles has responded with 17 points and 4 boards a game. Nothing stellar, but he's the kind of athletic youngster (23 years) that Utah always seems to lack, and who really comes in handy against the Nuggets' up-tempo attack and bunches of runners and leapers.

Smart of the Jazz, then, to sign Miles to a free agent deal in 2008. Watching him now, there are shades of the "buying into the lottery" meme I've tried to start with Andray Blatche. Miles came out of high school in 2005, and went in the second round, along with Louis Williams, and Monta Ellis. If you had to re-do the 2008 draft, all three of these players would be high-lottery picks. Once again, a hidden loophole of the high school draftee era that is gone forever. Charles Garcia, you are our only hope!

• Dead in the Water: Not to get all 2010, or freak out unduly. But either the Heat need to do something so Wade remembers there's a team there, or he needs to go off, lest Chris Bosh or even Amar'e Stoudemire leap-frog him (practically speaking) in the off-season, team-building fantasies.

• Grown Man Stuff: I feel weird saying this, but I'd like to see the Spurs win tonight. The way the Lakers are being tested, I want to see Dallas -- not the most obvious number two seed -- also catch some scars early on in the playoffs. Assuming they go deep.

• More Avatar: The latest one was the most ridiculous. The Tree of Souls actually contains a flat-screen that loops footage of Melo shooting a three? I get that both Kobe and Bron had to be depicted as the Chosen One that spores love, but isn't this an even bigger honor?

• Zeitgeist Alert: Chris Webber making an In Living Color joke made me uncontrollably happy. The Fab Five and that show are inextricably linked in my mind. Is that nostalgia? Or just the excitement that comes when you realize that, indeed, basketball does have some interface with culture at large.