2014 NBA Playoffs: Playoff MVP's

In typical postseason fashion, some players have beckoned to the call of greatness and other's have been swept away by the immense pressure and demanding excellence that comes with playoff basketball. Which players production has us fans ranting and raving? The Basketball Society is here to highlight the MVP's of the playoffs so far.


Honorable Mention:

Paul George (F, Indiana Pacers):

Although the Pacers have failed to resemble the title contender many branded them as at the beginning of the season, they are still in an unexpected position to claim victory in their first round series with the Atlanta Hawks.

I say unexpected, because nobody anticipated this series going the distance, as Atlanta's offensive scheme has parked disgruntled big man Roy Hibbert on the bench for the majority of the series. Indiana has struggled in this one, including getting walloped twice on their home floor. Although they have played poorly at times, their main cog Paul George has been extremely reliable in this series.

George has shown flashes of dominance on both ends of the floor, and although it's no foreign matter for him to be a commanding figure on the defensive end, the success he's been having offensively is encouraging for Indy.

Paul has been engaged defensively, doing the majority of the defensive anchoring, which usually falls squarely on the shoulders of Roy Hibbert. As mentioned before, Hibbert's abysmal play and ATL's offensive system has minimized his impact, so George has been forced to step up.

This hasn't been much of a challenge for Paul, as he's rebounding, attempting to put the Hawks perimeter attack to a screeching halt, and fighting through screens to cause pandemonium for Atlanta.

George is averaging 22.8 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 4.8 APG and is shooting 45% from the floor and 46% from three. He has upped all of his statistics from the regular season, and is top ten among all players in the postseason in scoring, rebounding, and three point field goal percentage. PG is also tied with Dwight Howard for playoff double-double's at 5. Although Indiana has endured a severe struggle, the 24 year old Paul George has been playing exceptional basketball.

Hopefully for Indiana, he can register a solid performance Saturday against the Hawks as them and the  Pacers will duel in what is sure to be a dramatic game seven.


Nene (PF, Washington Wizards):

The Washington Wizards marched onto the second round of the playoffs after thrashing the offensively anemic Chicago Bulls in five games. The basketball world watched amazed as John Wall, Bradley Beal and Trevor Ariza picked apart the seemingly indestructible Bulls defense with crisp passes, good reads and poised play.

The unheralded component of Washington's surprising domination of Chicago was Nene's play. Although his numbers aren't eye popping, (17.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 3.3 APG and 54% shooting,) Nene's play when pitted against defensive player of the year Joakim Noah was extremely promising.

The offense often ran through Nene, who's catches at the high post usually resulted in something great for the Wizards. Nene was hitting his jumper, steamrolling to the rim and making great reads to open up opportunities for others. Also, for a team who's best players never allotted one minute in a playoff game prior to this year, his experience and toughness was an important aspect in getting the youngsters (Wall and Beal,) ready.

Nene shredded through Chicago's highly respected defense, leaving Noah and the other members of the ball club frustrated. These frustrations became even more apparent in game three, as Nene and Bulls guard Jimmy Butler got in an altercation that resulted in the ejection of Nene and him being suspended for game four.

Nene's value to this team has been apparent all year, as they clung to the hope that better basketball would be played when he returned from injury. Now that he's back, healthy and engaged, Washington may prove to be a formidable foe for any eastern conference team.

Manu Ginobili (G, San Antonio Spurs):

Manu Ginobili had an abysmal 2013 NBA Finals. He averaged 11.6 PPG, 4.3 APG, 2.1 RPG and shot 43% from the floor and 25% behind the arc. He constantly made mistakes, as the ball handling duties landed right into his hands when Tony Parker went to the bench for a rest.

Silly turnovers, questionable decisions and injuries prevented Ginobili from making the positive impact that he's accustomed to making for San Antonio

So far in the 2014 postseason, Ginobili has been exceptional, providing the Spurs with that powerful and potent punch that San Antonio so desperately needs at times. Although Dallas isn't the most intimidating of teams defensively (9th in opponents points allowed this postseason at 98.4, tied for 1st in opponents field goal percentage at 47%,) Ginobili has still been puncturing Dallas' D, showing the flashes of brilliance that eluded him all of last year's playoffs.

Manu is averaging 19.6 PPG (which leads the team,) on 46% shooting (41% from behind the arc,) 4.0 RPG, 4.4 APG and 1.8 SPG. These are all up from the regular season, as are his minutes (29 per game compared to 22.8 in the regular season.) He's showing us the vintage Manu Ginobili that wows with big time plays and a craftiness that seems to be so unique to Manu.

What's most impressive to me is that Manu is 6th in PER this postseason (I'm excluding DeJuan Blair who statistically is first, because he's only playing 9.3 MPG.) His time on the floor has been efficient and effective, which was not a commonality in last year's postseason campaign.

With star point guard Tony Parker nursing an ankle injury, Ginobili's value to the team increases even more, as the veteran Spurs hope to reclaim their position as the league's champion. With the talent and coaching the Spurs have, this thought isn't too far fetched. With Manu providing a spark like this, the reality of another team defeating the Spurs in a seven game series becomes grim.


Now for the actual rankings...

3. LeBron James (F, Miami Heat):

What would this list be without the league's best player? LeBron James registered a rather quiet 30 PPG, 6.0 APG, 8.0 RPG and 2.3 SPG in the Heat's first round sweep of the Bobcats. Although majority of the basketball world established a new respect for the Charlotte, LeBron and company were simply reestablishing themselves.

As the end of the regular season drew closer, a lot of hoopla livened up about Miami possibly faltering and falling to the Brooklyn Nets or Indiana Pacers in the postseason. A dominant series has all the naysayers hushed temporarily, as LBJ relaxes at home patiently waiting for the second round to begin.

Charlotte was no match for Miami, as big man Al Jefferson was fostering a foot injury that limited him completely. The Cats had no legitimate perimeter scoring option with the exception of Kemba Walker, and their lack of experience didn't help either.

Miami remained clam, cool and collected all series, and it's easy to see why. With a player like LeBron James at the helm, even the most challenging moments can be transformed into a major triumph. James is leading the Heat in scoring, rebounds, assists, steals and is second in FG% behind Chris Andersen.

In addition to leading his team in every major statistical category, he is 1st in scoring among all playoff participants, 1st in field goal percentage among players shooting over fifteen times a game and is 9th in assists. He is also first in PER (again, excluding DeJuan Blair.)

James has been anchoring the Heat all year long, that trend will surely continue as we march deeper into the playoffs. This is very intriguing, because us fans get to see what the best player in the world has up his sleeves to ensure his team a shot at claiming a third straight championship.

2. Dwight Howard (C, Houston Rockets): 

When things go awry in Houston, Dwight Howard is usually the one to blame. Some salivate at the chance to exclaim things like "Coward" or "soft" right in Howard's direction. The slander at times is ridiculous, mostly led by legendary big man Shaquille O'Neal, who isn't shy about pointing out Howard's ineffectiveness on the offensive end.

Instead of preparing to disregard Dwight, fans should take a different approach and learn to appreciate his dominance. Yes I said it, dominance! Where has superstar James Harden been this series? Taking horrible shots, making poor decisions and having his notoriously bad defense in full force. Harden is averaging the same amount of points in this series as he did in the regular season (25.4) but is shooting ten percentage points lower from the floor, and eleven percentage points lower from downtown.

Howard on the other hand understands the ante has been upped majorly. In this series, Dwight is averaging 26.0 PPG, 14.2 RPG and 3.0 BPG. With the exception of field goal percentage (shooting 54% in the series) Howard has seen a rise his numbers from the regular season, including field goal attempts per game (17.6 this series, 11.3 in the postseason.)

He's exerting maximum energy, which could visibly been seen at the conclusion of game five when Howard was simply exhausted in his post game interview with TNT.

DH12 is leading Houston in points, rebounds, blocks and is second in field goal percentage behind newcomer Troy Daniels. For Portland, it's possible that a Dwight Howard eccentric offense is a little less frightening than a James Harden one, but with numbers like these, Howard is striking major fear in the Blazers.

Dwight is leading a ball club who happens to be the youngest out of all participating teams this postseason, and for those that claim Howard is "silly" or "immature," just look at the impact he's having on this series.

He's anchoring the defense which has always been his specialty, but due to Harden's struggles anchoring the offense as well. Most would assume that anchoring an offense is not in Howard's nature, but he's proving that he's extremely capable of doing so.

How much of the offensive load is Howard shouldering? He's taking the second most shots on the team behind Harden's 23.6 per game. After Howard and Parsons 17.6 attempts per game, nobody is attempting more than 11.

Out of all the players on the Rockets shooting more than 8 times per game, only one is shooting better than 45%: Dwight Howard.

He's 4th this postseason in scoring, 2nd in rebounds, 3rd in field goal percentage among players shooting more than 15 times a game, is tied for 3rd in blocks, and is tied for 1st in double-double's with Paul George. To top all of this off, he's 3rd in PER (again, excluding DeJuan Blair.)

Dwight has been fantastic this postseason, again cementing his status as the league's best center. How long he remains the alpha dog at this position remains to be seen, but highly regarded threats Roy Hibbert and Joakim Noah simply don't compare.

Noah is at home pondering what else he can sprinkle into his game to stave off early elimination next year, and majority of fans are calling for the benching of Roy Hibbert immediately. Hibbert's the first all-star to have back to back scoreless playoff games since the 60's, how could that ever compare to Howard's production?

To compare, Noah averaged 10.4 PPG, 12.8 RPG, and 4.6 APG this postseason in route to being bounced by the Wizards 4-1.

Hibbert is averaging 4.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG and is shooting 30% from the floor. How does that warrant praise as the league's top center?

Am I in no way attempting to undermine the accomplishments of Joakim and Roy, as they are fantastic talents and contribute to their teams in fantastic fashion, but rather fully illustrate Howard's dominance.

Of course, if Houston loses majority of fans will poke fun at Howard for departing Los Angeles just to endure another first round heartbreak, but maybe some will be able to appreciate his excellent play in this series.

It's somewhat fair to place a pinch of blame on Howard if they lose the series, because his acquisition was suppose to place them over the top, but it would be silly to discard his numbers in this series just for pure enjoyment. He's been great, and will have to continue to be if Houston hopes to make more noise this postseason.


1. LaMarcus Aldridge (F, Portland Trailblazers)

Aldridge's consecutive 40 point games in game one and two contribute heavily to this ranking, but he's been solid all around in the Blazers first round matchup with the Houston Rockets.

In the opening contest of the series, Aldridge splurged onto the playoff scene in a forceful fashion, posting a 46 point, 18 rebound stat line en-route to a surprising Blazers win. How would he follow up this mesmerizing performance? Aldridge again ushered in a stint of dominance by posting 43 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks as the Blazers claimed victory and a 2-0 series lead.

LaMarcus is a huge reason why Portland maintains a 3-2 series lead, and has the fantastic opportunity to close the series out tonight in Portland. His 29.8 PPG average makes him the 2nd highest scorer this postseason, and his 10.8 RPG makes him the 4th highest rebounder.

He's leading PDX in rebounding, scoring, blocks and is 2nd on the squad in field goal percentage behind Robin Lopez.

His scoring numbers are up from the regular season campaign, which saw LaMarcus average 23.2 PPG, on 45% shooting.

He's butting heads with Dwight Howard, and attacking fearless and aggressively. His bravery in the paint has turned into utter dominance, as he's launching shots over the freakishly athletic Howard and connecting with great accuracy.

LaMarcus is shooting 50% from the field, promising to be efficient when he touches the ball. His effective has LMA been? He's 2nd in PER this postseason (for the last time excluding DeJuan Blair,) and is leading an elite Portland offense.

Everyone in Portland's starting 5 with the exception of center Robin Lopez possesses the ability to shoot the ball and pass exceptionally well.

This puts immense pressure on Houston's defense to minimize mistakes, or get burnt from every nook and cranny of the court. LaMarcus has pierced the defense with a flurry of midrange jumpers, but also some attacks of the paint.

This mixed bag makes it hard for Houston to hone in on the former Texas Longhorn, explaining why they elected to start Omer Asik and combat Portland with a "twin towers" look. This notion, paired with Howard's incredible effort in game five stalled what Portland hopes to be in the inevitable: Houston's departure from the postseason.

In game five, Aldridge played poorly, only pouring in 8 points on 3-12 shooting and 8 rebounds. Knowing LaMarcus, expect him to bounce back fiercely, especially being backed by the bonkers Portland crowd.

What's also been extremely impressive in this series is Aldridge's strength on the defensive end. He's averaging 3.2 blocks per game, which is 2nd highest in the postseason. Being paired with the defensive minded Robin Lopez has done wonders for LaMarcus, who is becoming more dependable on that end of the floor.

LaMarcus has been fantastic, and for the Blazers excellence to be sustained, he will have to lengthen the string of dominance he's reeled out in this series.


Who do YOU believe is the MVP of the playoffs so far? Hit me with thoughts and opinions on Twitter (@wcboyer24) and continue to support The Basketball Society. 

NBA Playoffs: Opening Weekend Thoughts

After craving for the start of playoff basketball, casual and die hard NBA fans had their itch comfortably scratched with some fantastic Game 1's on Saturday and Sunday.

Toronto Raptors (3) vs Brooklyn Nets (6):

In Toronto on Saturday, we saw the youthful Toronto Raptors try to claim Game 1 in their home building, but the experience of the Brooklyn Nets made it tough for them to prevail. The Raptors inexperience and nervousness was evident, as all-star DeMar DeRozan shot 3 of 13 from the field, appearing to be rattled by the monumental stage of the playoffs and the length and athletic ability of Shaun Livingston on the defensive end.

Toronto also doomed themselves with 17 turnovers, while Brooklyn only had 8. It's hard enough to win a professional basketball game, and giving a team such as the Nets 17 extra possessions simply generates a recipe that leaves disaster promptly on Toronto's doorstep.

Nets point guard Deron Williams scored 24 in the contest, netting 18 in the first half. If BKY wants to surprise the entire basketball world and march to the Eastern Conference Finals, this type of productivity is imperative out of D-Will, who use to be mentioned in the same breath as CP3, Tony Parker and Rondo as best point guards in the league.

Injuries and team issues have put that thought on the back burner, but a solid postseason could help to resurrect those thoughts.

Brooklyn shot 4-24 from beyond the arc, which is frightening for Toronto as the Nets were still able to prevail.

Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett came up huge down the stretch, hitting some clutch shots to propel Brooklyn to victory. That's what veterans do. Garnett swam in uncharted waters on Saturday, as he was held scoreless in the first half for the first time in his postseason career, but hit an important bucket in the 4th quarter.

No matter how the previous quarter or minutes have gone, great players find a way to swings in their favor. They step up to the occasion and steer the results in their favor. The keyword in this series is experience and Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Joe Johnson and Deron Williams have a boatload of it.

Los Angeles Clippers (3) vs Golden State Warriors (6):

The Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors matchup was riveting, as the contest came right down to the nitty gritty. The referees put their stamp on this game, as Blake Griffin fouled out and was limited to 19 minutes.

Warriors swingman Andre Iguodala also found the refereeing to be problematic, as he also fouled out and was able to play only 20 minutes.
Despite the constant tweaks, it didn't slow the teams from an offensive efficiency standpoint. Both ballclubs shot above 40% from three, connecting on at least 10. GSW scored 109, LAC scored 105.

The point guard matchup proved to be an anticlimactic duel in a sense, as Steph Curry didn't have his best game (14 points, 6-16 FG, 2-6 3PT FG, 7 AST, 7 TO,) and Chris Paul have some unexpected end of game blunders that ultimately costed the Clips the game.

Paul had 28 points on 10-23 FG (5-9 3PT FG,) 7 REB and 8 AST, but also had an uncharacteristic 6 turnovers. One of these miscarriages came at the end of the game, in addition to two missed Paul FT's that would've tied the game.

Regardless of all of this, the game still proved to live up to the hype that clung to the series as soon as it was known that these two would square off. The up and down action, the hatred these two teams possess for each other and the talented players participating make it such awesome basketball, and hopefully in Game 2, the teams best players aren't plagued by foul troubles and are able to stay on the floor. This would only better the great product that is the Golden State Warriors vs the Los Angeles Clippers.

Indiana Pacers (1) vs Atlanta Hawks (8):

For the Indiana Pacers the inconsistencies continue. The panic has been heightened and the frustrations have amassed.

Watching their Game 1 misstep made one thing evident: this team is in dire need of a wakeup call. That wakeup call may present itself in the form of a playoff matchup with the Miami Heat, but this occurrence may be considered far fetched with the current horrific play of Paul George and company.

Indiana's body language is funky. Their demeanor is teetering between confused and disgruntled. After clinching the best regular season record in the Eastern Conference, the Pacers have fans wonder if they were worthy of this feat after dropping Game 1 at home vs the Atlanta Hawks 101-93.

The Pacers at times looked extremely confused, not running crisp sets or anything close to resembling an efficient offense. A lot of standing around, looking, wondering who would step up to the occasion. Paul George and Lance Stephenson both forced at times (a combined 14-36) and nobody else resembled an explosive offensive force.

Their defense was extremely flawed, as Atlanta's three point shooting bigs drew Roy Hibbert out from his domain: the painted area. Pero Antic and Paul Millsap shot a combined 9 three's, extracting the lanky and intimidating Hibbert from the paint.

This greatly assisted Jeff Teague, who proceeded to have a field day with little to no rim protection for Indiana. Teague's 28 points and 5 assists led the way for ATL, as they hope to swipe Game 2 away from Indiana.

If the Pacers want to be considered an elite team, and Paul George wants to be considered a legitimate superstar, he and the team must bounce back strongly after a miserable effort in Game 1. If Indiana is serious in terms of being a title contender, they will have a dominant Game 2 effort, to begin to reassert themselves as one of the leagues best.

Oklahoma City Thunder (2) vs Memphis Grizzlies (7):

Kevin Durant flexed his soon to be MVP muscles on Saturday, helping OKC excel in their Game 1 contest against Memphis. Durant tallied 33 points on 13-25 FG (3-7 3PT FG,) 8 REB and 7 AST. The Thunder's lead ballooned to 25 points at halftime, but the resilient Grizzlies refused to be strangled by doubt.

They stormed all the way back, carving the lead down to two points, before Zach Randolph picked up his 5th personal foul which changed the tide of the remainder of the contest.

The Grizz's main focus was the interior, and that proved to be effective as they totaled 50 points in the paint. Randolph finished with 21 points (7-21 FG,) and 11 REB. Marc Gasol had 16 points (7-19 FG,) 6 REB and 4 AST.

The Grizzlies fought back hard, but it's tough to claw all the way back from a 25 point deficit on the road against a team such as OKC. If Memphis wants to steal home court, they are going to have to refrain from going down big, or it could just result in another unsuccessful rally. Memphis had to exert so much energy coming back, that Randolph's foul woes and fatigue became too much to overcome. They hope this isn't the case in Game 2.

San Antonio Spurs (1) vs Dallas Mavericks (8)

All season long Dallas was tormented by end of game woes. I've watch them blow games against Golden State, Brooklyn, the Clippers and other teams as well. This misfortune shadowed them into the postseason, as they failed to cling onto their 10 point lead in the 4th quarter.

A Brandan Wright three point play gave the Mavs a 81-71 lead with 7:45 left in the 4th, from their the San Antonio onslaught commenced. The Spurs went on a 15-0 run to grasp a 86-81 lead.

Dallas' output sputtered as they missed their next 12 shots and committed three turnovers as time dwindled down in the contest. The Mavericks starters went a combined 16-50 from the field, including Dirk Nowitzki who was only 4-14.

Meanwhile, Tony Parker chipped in 21 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds, as he ripped Dallas defense to shreds as they continued to switch on pick and rolls and honor the Spurs remarkable three point shooting ability. Parker's various flip shots and spin moves mesmerized fans and terrorized Dallas, as they failed to contain the veteran.

Also, Tim Duncan continued to gulp from the fountain of youth, hammering Dallas with 27 points and 7 rebounds. The Spurs only connected on three 3 pointers, but Duncan's incredible performance made this notion easy to ignore.

Dallas put up a fight, and I expect Dirk to have a much better performance in Game 2. If he does, and is able to get 19 points and 5 assists from Devin Harris off the bench, the Mavs stealing Game 2 is a completely feasible thought.

Miami Heat (2) vs Charlotte Bobcats (7)

Charlotte's only hope of making this series competitive was by playing through big man Al Jefferson. Miami's weakness in the interior is absolutely no secret, and the Bobcats center has been thriving all season long. Now, with Jefferson hobbled by ripping something in his plantar fascia. He was laboring in pain during majority of Game 1, and awkwardly trotted up and down the court.

Jefferson lacked explosion and quickness in his movements, but still finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

The Bobcats aren't the most talented team, but they are an extremely cohesive unit. It's that togetherness that allows them to play top notch defense which keeps most contests close for them. The unity this team flirts with makes them fantastic to watch, and if they are able to acquire a legitimate wing scorer and or playmaker, they will truly be a force to be reckoned with.

Simply put, Charlotte cannot handle Miami. Every basketball fan that watches Miami Heat basketball knows they may go through lulls, but they can usually turn up the intensity at any given moment. How a team counteracts this run that usually comes via trapping the ball handler on pick and rolls, forcing turnovers and three point barrages is a huge determining factor on who wins the game.

Charlotte didn't respond to the run well, as Miami utilized a 18-4 4th quarter run to prevail over the Bobcats. LeBron James finished with 27 points and 9 rebounds, and Dwyane Wade contributed 23 points and 5 assists. Also behind this blitz was James Jones, as his 12 points and 2 three pointers was huge for Miami.

Last year, Mike Miller proved to be the shooting threat off the bench that greatly aided Miami. Although Jones doesn't possess Miller's playmaking or rebounding ability, his shooting is incredibly valuable to this team as they began their quest for a 3rd straight NBA championship.

Chicago Bulls (4) vs Washington Wizards (5)

Many consider the Wizards to be underdogs in this series, but the belief they have in themselves and their personnel was on full display Sunday evening in Chicago.

Washington prevailed 102-93, as their offense was facilitated through Nene while John Wall and Bradley Beal both played sluggish games. Wall scored 16 points, but shot only 4-14 from the field. He also dished out 6 assists and corralled 6 rebounds. Beal had 13 points, but shot an abysmal 3 of 11 from the floor.

Nene was stellar, registering 24 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists. The Bulls energy early hurt Washington, was the Wizards guards were allowing an unhealthy amount of penetration, which allowed an abundance of offensive rebound opportunities for Chicago.

Offensive rebounds may have been the most effective scoring method for the Bulls, as no player scored more than 16 points. DJ Augustin shot 3-15, and defensive player of the year hopeful Joakim Noah only had 10.

Washington had Chicago right where they wanted them at the end of the game. Chicago was yearning for someone to step up, shoulder the offensive load and lead them to victory. Instead, the Bulls clanked shot after shot, gazing amongst themselves looking for someone to breakthrough offensively.

Having the Bulls in this position made this game a must win for the Wizards, and that's exactly what they did. The Bulls cannot be happy giving up 102 points in the first game of the 2014 postseason, and I fully expect them to come out fully engaged in the next game, looking to make Washington squirm on the offensive end.

Houston Rockets (4) vs Portland Trailblazers (5)

The best game of the weekend took place in Houston, as the Blazers and Rockets combated each other till the end.

The Blazers emerged victorious against the Rockets in a overtime thriller that saw a legendary performance by Portland big man LaMarcus Aldridge. The final score was 122-120, and Aldridge had 46 of those points. He also snagged down 18 rebounds and had 2 blocked shots.

LaMarcus fouled out in overtime, and that's when the Damian Lillard takeover commenced. Dame had been harassed all night by Patrick Beverley, but found overtime to be a breath of fresh air. Lillard had a game tying three pointer in regulation, and then proceeded to drill two free throws which ultimately would win Portland the game.

Adidas newest main cog finished with 31 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists, as Portland snatched home court away from Houston.

This game was filled to the brim with excitement, and the rest of this series should follow suit. The Houston crowd was energized from the start of the game, as they roared with a ferociousness that had been absent for quite some time.

James Harden pinned the blame on himself, as he shot 8-28 from the floor and 3-14 from beyond the arc, including bricking the potential game winning shot for Houston.

The blame can't be placed squarely on Harden, as his running mate Dwight Howard didn't perform too greatly in crunch time either. DH12 finished with 27 points, 15 rebounds and 4 blocks, but also fouled out the game and his inconsistencies at the free throw lined allowed Portland back into the ballgame.

Portland pulled this one out, but they need better production from their bench. The bench tallied 7 total points, and Mo Williams (the guy I highlighted as an x-factor for PDX,) was 1-6 from the field and scored 3 points.

With both benches so slim in terms of production, this series may be reliant on who doesn't feel fatigue first. Especially for Portland, as every starter with the exception of Robin Lopez played at least 42 minutes.

LaMarcus Aldridge ushered himself into some rare company with his virtuoso performance, as he shouldered a major load for Portland. Take a look here:

If LMA keeps this up, this series will be swung heavily in Portland's favor. They absolutely need better production from their bench if they plan on thieving this series away from the favored Rockets. They can't expect Harden to shoot 8-28 from the field every night, or for Houston to shoot 23% from three point land.

All in all, this was a VERY exciting opening weekend for playoff basketball. 5 road teams prevailed and we saw some stellar performances from some fantastic players. For how great the basketball was, the refereeing was subpar, as quick whistles and silly technicals took away from the game.

This is playoff basketball. The athletes that compose the NBA dreamt of this moment since adolescence. Assessing technical fouls for a display of emotion or a high level of intensity is silly. Let these guys show force and desire. It's a treat to see professional athletes ooze energy and intensity. It's an inspiration. The refs need to realize this and let the players play.

Extra Notes:

Josh McRoberts did THIS 

Raptors GM Masai Ujiri said this

And Blake Griffin did THIS

What was YOUR favorite part of the 2014 NBA Playoffs opening weekend? Have any of your predictions changed after the 1st games? Which series are you most looking forward to now? Hit me with thoughts and opinions on twitter (@wcboyer24) and remember to continue to support The Basketball Society.