Jeff: Top 3

With the NBA playoffs starting tonight, I thought we'd look at things in 3's...

The Big 3...
Although neither Cleveland, Miami or Denver is favored to reach the Finals, the 2006 playoffs creates another opportunity for Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Carmello Anthony to make a statement about who really is the best player from the '03 Class. There's no doubt in my mind that the most pressure is on James. Dwade, even without help from the Diesel and a nice supporting cast, proved last year he can be The Man when it matters most. Melo's Nuggets are flying well below the radar as usual and aren't even expected to get out of the first round, let alone get to the Finals. But Lebron has been The Savior from day one, and after his first MVP-caliber season, he's EXPECTED to make the leap this year. Sure nobody's picking them to beat the Pistons in the 2nd round, but they're still expecting him to continue scoring 30+ a night. I think they're going to need him to be other-worldly just to get out of the 1st round.

3 most underrated/overlooked players...
Gilbert Arenas, PG, Washington Wizards: How can a guy who AVERAGED 29.2 pts, 6 assts, and 2 stls a game be practially unheard of? Gilbert would like to know too. He plays his best with a chip on his shoulder, as he has most of his career. In what will be one of only two nationally televised series in the first round, don't think Gilbert doesn't see an opportunity to show the world people should be looking at him and not Lebron.

Jason Terry, PG, Dallas Mavericks: Dirk deserves all the MVP talk he's received, but people haven't been paying enough attention to Terry. The 28 yr-old has averaged 17 pts, 3.8 assts, and 1.3 stls, but it's his leadership and shot-making ability (47% FG, 41% 3's, 80% FT) that's been a key in Big D this season. One of the few good free agents available this summer, Terry knows he can make a lot of green lighting it up in blue for the Mavs in crunch time.

Jason Kidd, PG, New Jersey Nets: What is it with point guards? While Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson grab the highlights and headlines, with their spectacular dunks and scoring, don't forget it's Kidd getting them the ball. At 33, he'll never be as explosive as he was before the knee injury, but JKidd has reinserted himself among the top 3 PG's in the game. His scoring is down slightly (13.3 ppg) and his shooting continues to be woeful (40.1% FG, and would probably shoot better blindfolded from behind the arc), but his all-around game (7.3 reb, 8.4 ast, and 1.9 stls), as well as being a proven playoff performer, mean he's the one guy the Nets can count on.

Most to prove (besides Lebron)...
Vince Carter, SG, Nets: The Nets know what they'll get from JKidd, but what about Vinsanity? The postseason memory still for Vinsanity is him missing a game-winning 3 against Philadelphia, and Carter hasn't been back since. He was off the radar in Toronto until now, where again he's going to be his team's go-to guy. Carter HAS to score for the Nets to win, so after hibernating in TO for a few years, the spotlight is firmly planted back on #15. If he fails, there's going to be plenty of critics and cynics calling him in those damn cell phone commercials.

Dirk Nowitzki, F, Dallas Mavericks: When things go well, like they have this year for the Mavs, Dirk gets all the credit. When things go bad, like they have every postseason that Dirk's been in Big D, he gets all the blame. For me, his stellar regular season will mean nothing if the Mavs flop in the playoffs once more. This is not the most talented team Dirk's been apart of, but I believe it's the one best built for success. The big German has expanded his offensive repetiore by shooting over or posting up smaller athletic guys that used to give him fits, and he's not a complete liability on D anymore. He's been scoring over double and triple teams all year, but can he do it now when it REALLY matters? As much as I love Dirk, my image of him is still chewing out Jason Terry for taking and missing a game winning shot in regulation against the Suns, and then Dirk responding with an 0-5 OT and a Mavs loss. We'll see if the big fella can back it up this time around. And don't underestimate the fact he hasn't shaved his head. He might be Samson-like with the long locks.

Kobe Bryant, SG, LA Lakers: Well this is what Kobe wanted: his own team and the spotlight entirely on him. If you can overlook the fact he single-handedly destroyed a shot at 3 or 4 more titles by getting rid of Shaq (I can't but to more power to you if you can), Kobe's first season sans The Big Aristotle has been everything he's wanted. He's been a man among boys all season, and he's proven in the past to perform at his best in the playoffs. 7 seed or no 7 seed, if he truely wants to Be Like Mike, Mamba needs to carry the Lakers past a more talented Suns squad (and although I don't think Mamba will ever be as great as Mike, I don't think it's absurd to think Kobe could be in MJ's league by the time his career is done. More on this next week).

Best (as in best to watch) 1st Round Series...
Washington vs. Cleveland
I won't believe Lebron can carry a team through the playoffs until I see it happen, so I'm picking the Wiz to upset Cleveland. Washington took 3 of 4 from the Cavs this year, and in the three W's, the Wiz held James to an average of 20 a game. On the other hand, Arenas will be a man possessed, and he's got a nice supporting cast in Jamison, Butler, Haywood and others. The Wiz not only think they can beat Lebron, they KNOW they can beat him, and I think it happens in 6 games.

Denver vs. LA Clippers
The world might be coming to an end: not only are the Clips in the playoffs, but they're actually FAVORED in the first round! Denver, who's got one of my favorite players in Melo, and one of my favorite coaches in Furious George, takes on a Clips team that you can't help but cheer for. There'll be a lot of good story lines and a lot of scoring, which means it should be very fun to watch. Can ANYBODY else step up for the Nuge and help Melo? I don't think it happens, and the Clips win in 5, but it'll be a very entertaining 5 games.

LA Lakers vs. Phoenix Suns
Speaking of fun series and scoring, it doesn't get much better than this. I'm not a Kobe fan, but he makes for good TV, and when he's pitted against Nash and the run-and-gun Suns, well you count me in for this series. I DO think Kobe goes for 35+ a night, and maybe even 40, but it's still not going to be enough to slow down Nash and Marion and the rest. Kobe's heroics will steal at least one game, and maybe 2, but the Suns will need only 6 at the most to advance.