NBA Playoffs: Game Changers
by Bodog Sportsbook | May 27 2008
Everyone knows Kobe needs to play well for the Lakers to win. Likewise for Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Rip Hamilton and Tim Duncan. However, it can't be them alone. There are a few players who are not quite household names that hold the NBA playoff fortunes of their respective teams in their hands. These players must play well in order for their teams to keep their championship dreams alive. These are the game changers to watch.
Manu Ginobili must make a huge impact if the Spurs want to win another NBA title.Detroit Pistons - Antonio McDyess Coming out of Alabama the 33-year-old McDyess could have been a star in the league leading a team if his career hadn’t been derailed by injuries. Now he makes valuable contributions to the team-oriented Pistons. McDyess provides the hustle plays by hitting the offensive boards and playing tough defense. Having his best game of the series in Game 4, McDyess showed how well the Pistons can play when he contributes good production. When he recorded 21 points and 16 rebounds, Detroit blew out the Celtics 94-75.
Boston Celtics - Rajon RondoRondo has been sharing a lot of time with Sam Cassel until this series; then he began to handle more minutes after his energetic play helped lift the Celtics over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now, Rondo looks tentative on the floor, passing up open 12-footers and shying away from attacking the basket. While Ray Allen continues to slump, Rondo has to become more aggressive in order to help open up his all-world teammates Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.
San Antonio Spurs - Manu GinobiliGenerally, when Manu scores over 20 points, the Spurs win. He has been the Spurs’ best player on many nights this season and Manu’s disappearing act in the first two games versus the Lakers again demonstrated the value of his play. The exclamation point was when he exploded early in Game 3, hitting back-to-back 3-balls, and the Lakers never really recovered. If the Spurs are going to best the Lakers and move on to the NBA finals, Manu will have to continue to play well through the rest of the series.
Los Angeles Lakers - Derek FisherPeople have overlooked the importance of Derek Fisher to this Laker team’s title hopes. When the Lakers signed him as a free agent last summer, Fisher also brought back something that was lacking on this Lakers team: trust. Trust that Kobe Bryant had in his teammates. Fisher will be counted on to be aggressive on both ends of the floor, and he has to keep the Spurs defense honest by knocking down open jumpers. If Fisher is on his game, he opens up the floor, allowing Bryant more room to go to work doing what he does best: dominate basketball games.
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