We know Roy and Aldridge are going to get their 20pts, Przy is going to get his 10 boards, Rudy is going to get his 3 baskets from behind the arc, etc... But who is going to make the crucial baskets down the stetch? Who will make the big stops in the 4th quarter?
I think our guys are going to be tough, but I really think Rudy (having been to the big time before) will really step it up the most. Plus the world is watching, and he's kind of a ham.
Let's ALL step our game up, and try to refrain from any negative (toward our players) posts in playoff game threads. They got here and they deserve our support.
Batum always plays well in the big games so I'm going with him. In fact, I think he will outplay Artest throughout the series, matching Artest's defense (though admittedly with no T-Mac his defense won't be as important) while being a smart, efficient offensive player.
It would be phenomenal if Roy averaged 29pts in the series! It would catapult him to a top 5 status in the NBA. I think Outlaw is going to be the x factor. If he can get his feakish jump shot to keep falling no one can guard him. I think he's going to average 15pts in the series and bring a lot of energy off the bench.
I picked Oden, but I really think Rudy will too. I recently rewatched some of the gold medal game where he kicked ass. Plus, the Denver game. He really seems to step up when the stakes are raised. I'd throw Roy in there too, but he was so good all season already.
I'm hoping it will be Greg, because Greg stepping up would have a bigger impact than anybody else stepping up. However, has Greg put up any big-time performances in a big-time game? I'm not trying to be negative, but I am wondering if he has a knack for this in the NBA this season? It seems that most of his best performances were against the bad teams of the league, ie the Knicks.
I think Oden will step up based solely on the fact that games are officiated differently in the playoffs. I think it will be the NBA's first true glimpse of how good of a defender he can be.
I say Batum, he is used to the tourney format from Europe. Allowing him to face the same players over and over again allows him to use his BBIQ.
Rudy will show more of his expanded game during the course of a series against one team. I won't be surprised if he supplants Outlaw or Blake at the end of games depending on the match-ups.
Greg came up big in the tourney - especially the championship game. The issue with him is conditioning and comfort. He seems like he is getting more fluid and more comfortable with each game. If there is a deep run - I would not be surprised to see him really break out later - but I do not expect him to really shine in the first round.
Has anyone else noticed how Oden has rimchecked himself against the Spurs, then barely made a dunk against Bynum, and then missed another open dunk against Denver? Other times, though, his elevation seems extraordinary, such as his putback dunk against the Clippers.
