NBA Playoffs 2011 Memes: Miami Heat Vs. Boston Celtics Can Finally Begin

Already, the superlatives have been given. In his pre-series column, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports went where everyone who cares about the history of the game was scared to go.

Truth be told, there’s little snark I can add in here, because sometimes it’s fun to sit back and enjoy the hype. Therefore, I leave you with this from John Krolik.

That’s too easy for me, though. Honestly, I think Durant showed growth as a crunch-time performer on Wednesday. Part of the problem with Durant late in games is that he’s become a little passive this season. Last year, when the starpower of Westbrook wasn’t quite where it was now, Durant took it upon himself to demand the ball. This year, though, that hasn’t happened. Durant has been stymied by aggressive, physical defense, and he’s given up the ball too often at the slightest hint of pressure.

Wednesday night’s performance was a true joy, then, because we didn’t see any of those negative characteristics. Sure, Durant shot all jumpers, and eventually, he’ll need to be better at getting to the rim. But every shot he hit was as a result of a forceful decision. He didn’t wait for the Nuggets to set up their defense on him; he attacked them before they could. When he does that, he’s unstoppable, given his size and shooting ability. When he doesn’t? He makes himself mortal.

This all made for a perfect storyline. See, the Spurs executed down the stretch, and the Grizzlies didn’t. This shows the Spurs just never die, and explains why they are so tough to beat. Nevermind that Ginobili’s shot came off a broken play or that the Grizzlies probably should have beaten the Spurs in a must-win situation that plays right into the home team’s strengths. No, now the Spurs are the ones playing like champions and the Grizzlies are the ones that are rattled.

Thankfully, Ginobili himself swatted that idea away.

It’s tempting to suggest there will be a mental carry-over effect, especially with a young team. Throw in the “SPURS NEVER DIE, THEY ARE COCKROACHES” angle, and you can easily think that the Grizzlies have suddenly shifted to being the underdogs, despite having a 3-2 lead and home-court advantage.

What happened in Game 6? The Warriors blew the Mavericks out, taking a 21-point third quarter lead and winning by 18. So much for the carry-over effect.

In the end, Westbrook struggled. He forced things most of the game, shooting just 3-15 and dropping just four assists. He did defer in crunch time, though, ending zero possessions in the final three minutes as Durant took over. So that’s a positive, I guess. At least he recognized that he didn’t have it this time. (Note: I’m not being sarcastic here. I really do think this was an example of growth and a sign that his issue is more inexperience than selfishness).

Theories flew about what was causing Westbrook to play so poorly. Charles Barkley speculated that he was pouting about the criticism that he shot too much, and decided to prove a point. Kenny Smith said he was listening to the negative press too much and allowing it to affect his game. Both thought Westbrook desperately needed a few days off to calm himself down. I think we’re seeing a 22-year old converted point guard have a couple bad games in a high-pressure situation for the first time in his career. No more, no less.