Sunday Shootaround

BOSTON — The breakout star of the first round of the NBA playoffs has been the postgame podium. We may marvel at Kawhi Leonard’s exploits or John Wall’s hyper-speed bursts in real time, but tomorrow’s talking points are dictated by what happens on the makeshift stage tucked into the back of the arena.

We’re barely two weeks into the postseason and already we’ve had David Fizdale’s epic “Take that for data” soliloquy, and a handful of other tense moments. That tension can reveal much. No one understands this better than Russell Westbrook, whose podium fashion choices are sublime and for whom media tension is a way of life. Only Russ can inspire thinkpieces about the nature of journalism by simply being Russ.

Other moments are revelatory blips. When Chris Paul went CP3 on a random query he revealed a bit of his dark side. When Fred Hoiberg ended his six-minute interrogation from the relentless Bulls press corps with a simple “No” and a walk-off it revealed the futility of his case against Isaiah Thomas’ dribbling habits.

Both had reasons for their tension. In Paul’s case, his response was directed toward a local known for asking oblivious questions. Hoiberg was terse to a leading question. Above all, this is great theater and that’s what we want from our sports.

The postgame podium has long played a role in the league’s larger narrative. Once coaches figured out that they could use their bully pulpit to try and influence the officiating in their favor, a five-figure fine merely became one more business expense. A well-timed rant can also become a rallying cry for the troops watching back in the locker room, and offer an indication that the coach has their back.

Stars have realized that they can send messages, either subtle or overt, to their teammates or opponents, and writers parse words for telltale signs. The master of this move is LeBron James, whose podium appearances are beamed all over the league whether they are sermons from the mount or merely sly hints.

The most underrated podium maestro is Chicago’s Dwyane Wade, who makes his presence known by slipping the microphone out of its holster and cradling it in his hand like he’s giving a TED talk. It’s a canny move, both inviting and informal. He’s letting the audience know that they can throw anything at D-Wade and he will handle it because he is in control.

For LeBron, D-Wade, and other stars the podium is an obligation that they can use in whatever manner they wish. At its best, the podium becomes a kind of performance art. And in that, it is also perfect for social media.

In recent years another sub-genre has emerged, that of the Podium Game, a term coined by ESPN’s J.A. Adande. A Podium Game is reserved for those lesser-known players who play a key role in that night’s outcome. It’s an honor that should be tracked by Basketball-Reference.

For newcomers it can be a slight shock when they face the hot lights and open mics. If the player has a sense of humor, his Podium Game performance can create a slight ripple in the universe resonating beyond that night’s box score.

It was into this media maelstrom that Avery Bradley appeared following a Game 5 Podium Game performance against the Bulls. Bradley is no star and analytics have never been kind to his game, but his value is evident to anyone who watches the C’s on a nightly basis. He was one of the Celtics’ best players in their comeback from a 2-0 deficit against the Bulls, picking up some much-needed scoring slack and guarding Jimmy Butler with his trademark ferocity.

The unassuming Bradley is an unlikely podium participant. When he first appeared on the scene at the end of the KG-Pierce era, he was shy and reticent with the press. After seven years in Boston he’s grown comfortable with his role and his emergence as the team’s conscience. Bradley isn’t one to draw attention to himself, but when the C’s falter he’s usually the sternest voice in the locker room.

Unlike many of his teammates, Bradley also has a few scars from his days with KG and Pierce and in many ways he is a veteran voice for this still developing group. These Celtics had never won a playoff series together before closing out the Bulls on Friday, and before Game 5 they had never even led a playoff series in three tries. I asked Bradley what the Celtics had learned about themselves during this comeback.

“It’s kind of been the story of our team, being able to fight through adversity,” Bradley said. “No matter what we go through we would overcome it. And I think this group of guys — our coaching staff — we believe. We believe in one another. I said it earlier, we went to Chicago knowing that we were going to win those games, not hoping. We knew that we were going to take two games and come here and take care of home and now it’s our job to continue to play the same way and finish the series in Chicago.”

That self-possessed confidence lies at the heart of the Celtics’ success. When they are on, they believe they can compete with anyone in the league. That allows them to achieve greater things than one might imagine. When they are not, it tends to get grim. With the exception of Isaiah Thomas, there is no one who can reasonably be expected to put the game on their back, leaving would-be comebacks to stall in a blur of errant threes.

There have been other successful outfits where the whole needed to be greater than the sum of its parts. But only one of them won a championship in the superstar era that has defined the league’s ethos since Bird and Magic arrived. That was the 2004 Pistons, who had far more talent than is generally remembered simply because their players won so few individual honors. On paper, those Pistons were a juggernaut compared to these Celtics.

What the C’s are trying to accomplish, then, is fairly audacious. IT is a marvel, Bradley and Marcus Smart are defensive terrors, Jae Crowder is an ideal swingman for the modern game, and Al Horford performed like a max-level star during their comeback. Bench players like Kelly Olynyk and Terry Rozier also provided major boosts with their play. They can beat you in a lot of ways, but it becomes a struggle when one or more of those things get out of whack.

Winning their first round series with Chicago was crucial. Given their top seed, a loss would have been devastating, of course. Beyond that, it was the way they rallied to beat the Bulls that mattered. They played horribly at home and faced a reckoning on the road. Taking care of business in Game 5 and closing it out in Chicago was a fine testament to their abilities and mental toughness.

It was barely a week ago when their critics were out in force, questioning everything from their talent to Danny Ainge’s master plan, and even Brad Stevens’ coaching acumen. Beating the Bulls provided validation for all three, and now it gets harder.

The Wizards come to Boston on Sunday for Game 1 of the semifinals barely 36 hours after dispatching the Hawks on the road. While this will be Washington’s third trip to the second round in four years, the Wizards are seeking their own breakthrough. It’s an opportunity for both teams to further establish themselves in the league’s pecking order.

They also don’t like each other even a little bit. They split their four regular-season games, and each one offered slices of drama. In November, John Wall was ejected after tussling with Smart. The Wizards responded by declaring a Funeral Game, dressing in all black for the occasion to which Thomas shot back, “That’s cute.” Back in Boston a few weeks later, the C’s evened the score and Crowder bopped Wall on the nose in a postgame argument.

After their respective playoff series had concluded, both teams offered choice words from their podium perch. Bradley said he felt disrespected by Butler that his offense didn’t receive enough credit. From Bradley’s considered view, that kind of talk was pointedly brazen.

Wall, meanwhile, took particular delight in dusting the Hawks and trash-talking Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones in the process. “I told them I was going to get 35 or more and we was going to win,” Wall said. “We did that. For the culture.”

Other second-round series may offer more compelling basketball or even higher stakes. Few offer the kind of dynamic tension that already exists here and the podium spotlight awaits.