NBA Playoffs 2012: 6 Superstars and Their 'Blue Bloods' Counterparts

The NBA playoffs are in full swing right now, with just seven teams remaining, only five of which I believe have a realistic shot at a title. Those five teams are the Thunder, Celtics, Heat, Spurs and Lakers, in that order.

For fans of the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers, forgive me, but I simply don't believe either of those teams has a realistic shot at a title this season. I do, however, believe that they have a very bright future ahead of them and that the Pacers do, in fact, have a 45-percent chance or so of knocking out the Heat in the second round of the playoffs, if everything breaks just right.

Prime time CBS drama Blue Bloods is a fascinating television show that I believe could become one of the longest-running programs in history when it's all said and done. Blue Bloods is also a show that contains six primary characters, each one of which seems to perfectly represent a primary player in this year's NBA playoffs.

Without further ado, I give you the list of this year's NBA Blue Bloods.

Former Police Commissioner Henry Reagan: Tim Duncan

Former Police Commissioner Henry Reagan: Tim Duncan

Henry Reagan, the elder statesman of the Reagan clan, may not be the imposing force he once was when he served as police commissioner, but he undoubtedly still wields a massive amount of influence over his family and therefore over the entire city of New York.

Tim "The Big Fundamental" Duncan can truly be looked at as the elder statesman and former commissioner of the NBA these days. The 36-year-old Duncan has won four NBA titles, three NBA Finals MVP trophies and two NBA MVP trophies in his magnificent 15-year career.

Despite Duncan's brilliance and continued efficiency in these the latter years of his career, he has been somewhat of an afterthought since winning his last title in 2007. In fact, coming into this season, many talking heads felt this would be Duncan's final season in the NBA and that he would ride off into the sunset with little more than another first-round playoff exit to his credit. However, Duncan and, more specifically, the Spurs team have had a bit of a renaissance this season.

While I was certainly one writer who wrote the Spurs off as being Texas Toast and not real title contenders, and while I still believe they will not win the title this season, the Spurs, under the magnificent tutelage of future Hall of Fame coach Gregg Popovich, the dominance of superstar Tony Parker and the steadying hand of Tim Duncan have turned themselves into a true force to be reckoned with. It is not outside the realm of possibility to believe this Spurs team could the 2012 equivalent of the 2004 NBA champion Detroit Pistons.

Just as Henry Reagan does to the Reagan clan, Tim Duncan will be exercising what amounts to a great deal of unseen influence on these playoffs. I believe Kobe Bryant will feel the pressure of trying to stay ahead of Duncan in the NBA titles category and the entire Oklahoma City Thunder team will feel the pressure of trying to take home court advantage away from the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals.

Come Finals time, either Kevin Garnett will feel the pressure of trying to beat Duncan in an NBA Finals and hopefully ascend to what he feels is his rightful spot atop the list of greatest power forwards in NBA history, or LeBron James will feel the weight of the world on his shoulders in trying to carry the Miami Heat to a victory over Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs.

Police Commissioner Frank Reagan: Kobe Bryant

Police Commissioner Frank Reagan: Kobe Bryant

Frank Reagan is not merely the police commissioner, he is "the man" on Blue Bloods. Commissioner Reagan rules with an iron fist, sticks to his principles and refuses to change under any circumstances, whether it be refusing to bow to the mayor of New York asking him to make a decision he doesn't personally agree with or refusing to put the safety of his loved ones ahead of the needs of his city. Frank Regan is a man of principle, a man who sticks to his guns and a man who is going to do things the way he feels is best, period.

Kobe Bryant is very similar to police commissioner Frank Reagan. The Black Mamba has been considered by a great many fans and followers of the NBA to be "the man" since the 2002-03 NBA season, the first season in which he lead the team in both regular-season and playoff scoring and the season in which he supplanted Shaquille O'Neal as the true leader of the Lakers franchise.

Ten years later, Kobe Bryant is generally considered to be not only the greatest Laker ever (for those who disagree and place him behind Magic Johnson, please remember that Magic Johnson himself said Kobe eclipsed him to become the greatest Laker after he won his fifth title against the Boston Celtics in 2010), but one of the five greatest players (along with Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul-Jabaar) in basketball history.

By the time Kobe's marvelous career ends, he will almost assuredly have bested Michael Jordan in both career regular-season and career playoff points, rebounds, assists and wins, and he has a very good shot to become the all-time NBA scoring leader.

This regular season has been a strange one for the Lakers, starting with the trade confusion surrounding Chris Paul, the trades of both the reigning sixth man of the year Lamar Odom and team captain Derek Fisher and ending with the seven-game suspension of Metta World Peace. The playoffs are a different season, however, and one thing is certain: While the Lakers may not have the goods to win it all this season, you can believe that Kobe Bryant and his gang will play with toughness and strike fear into the heart of every opponent they face.

Police commissioner Frank Reagan seriously considered retiring in the second-to-last episode of Season 2, and we recently learned that Kobe Bryant secretly wondered if retirement may be his best option after not being able to play up to his abilities due to serious knee pain in last year's playoffs. However, just as Commissioner Reagan decided to stay the course and continue to give his all to the city of New York, Kobe Bryant came back more healthy and hungry than ever after having offseason knee surgery, and he is determined to lead the Lakers back to the top of the NBA mountain.

Whatever happens, it should be a fun ride to watch!

Assistant District Attorney Erin Reagan-Boyle: Kevin Durant

Assistant District Attorney Erin Reagan-Boyle: Kevin Durant

Assistant district attorney Erin Reagan-Boyle is one tough cookie! Reagan-Boyle is often overlooked and underestimated by the rest of the Reagan clan but is nothing short of a powerhouse with the skills and determination necessary to be the most valuable member of the family. In fact, the mayor of New York actually offered Reagan-Boyle the job of deputy mayor which, had she accepted, would have made her the de facto boss of her father, police commissioner Frank Reagan.

Kevin "the Durantula" Durant is a long, lean 6'10" small forward who is quite possibly the most difficult player in the NBA to defend. His shot is nearly impossible to block, and his efficiency is nothing sort of remarkable for a wing player. Durant has been in the league just five short years but has already won the NBA Rookie of the Year award and three scoring titles.

While Erin Reagan-Boyle may have turned down the chance to become the boss of "the man," police commissioner Frank Reagan, Kevin Durant will not be so generous to Kobe Bryant, the current commissioner of the NBA and "the man" if he has the chance to knock Bryant's Lakers out of this season's playoffs.

Durant may not have won the MVP trophy this season, but he is most definitely ready to become "the man," knock out Kobe's Lakers and win the NBA Finals trophy!

Detective Danny Reagan: LeBron James

Detective Danny Reagan: LeBron James

Detective Danny Reagan is the most dominant force in the Reagan family yet is also the most misunderstood. Detective Reagan routinely accomplishes his work with both skill and brute force, and he also finds himself embroiled in drama in both his workplace and family.

Yet for all of Detective Reagan's obvious issues and faults, there is no doubting his professional excellence, and for all of the drama that seems to follow him, there is no real doubting that deep down he desires to be loved and respected.

Simply put, the above description couldn't fit LeBron James any better.

LeBron James is, in my my honest opinion, the most physically gifted basketball player ever created. James' blend of size, speed, strength and athleticism has never been seen before, and yet it's his intelligence, extremely high basketball IQ, passion and love for the game that make him truly great.

LeBron James is just 27 years old and already has two conference titles and three MVP awards. At the same age, Michael Jordan had just one MVP award and had not yet sniffed the NBA Finals. Jordan won his first NBA title at the age of 28, and, if all goes according to plan, LeBron could have two titles, four conference championships and four MVP awards by the same age, dwarfing Jordan's accomplishments.

Of course, not everything "goes according to plan"—just ask Dan Gilbert and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

LeBron James may have already accomplished more in his first 27 years of life than any other NBA player before him on an individual level, but he knows that until he leads his team to an NBA championship, he will never truly be considered one of the top five, or possibly even 10 greatest NBA players in history.

Detective Jackie Curatola: Dwyane Wade

Detective Jackie Curatola: Dwyane Wade

Detective Curatola is the irreplaceable sidekick of detective Danny Reagan and has been a star in her own right many times on Blue Bloods. Simply put, the Reagan/Curatola team wouldn't be the same without her. Yet for all of her excellence, she is often overlooked and considered as little more than an understudy to Detective Reagan.

Dwyane Wade can certainly sympathize with Detective Curatola. It is Wade and not LeBron James who has already lead a team to an NBA title and captured an NBA Finals MVP trophy, and while only a supreme Wade fan or ultra LeBron hater would claim that Wade is the superior player, Wade has had more postseason success (yes, Shaquille O'Neal was a huge part of that).

This 2011-12 NBA season has not been a very good one for Wade. He will watch again as Kobe Bryant makes first team All-NBA ahead of him, and his popularity has taken a beating as well. Between the ridiculous foul that broke Kobe Bryant's nose in the All-Star game,  the ridiculous statement that NBA players should be paid to play in the Olympics and the childish and hypocritical rant against the Indiana Pacers' tame "celebration" after their second-round playoff series Game 2 victory, Wade's popularity has taken a severe hit.

If Dwyane Wade wants to truly get the respect he obviously feels he deserves, he needs to not only win another NBA championship this season but have a strong playoff performance and perhaps earn another NBA Finals MVP award to go along with it. 

Police Officer Jamie Reagan: Rajon Rondo

Police Officer Jamie Regan: Rajon Rondo

Police officer Jamie Reagan is the young pup in the family business, which just happens to be keeping an entire city safe. Officer Reagan is often viewed as being aloof and not as dedicated to the police force as he should be by detective Danny Reagan, who seems to feel his younger brother would be better served being an attorney than a cop.

However, while Jamie may not be cut from the same cloth as his brother, he most definitely can hold his own as a police officer and has proven his mettle on many occasions. In fact, Officer Reagan has served as an invaluable undercover agent and has indeed earned the respect of his family, including assistant district attorney Erin Reagan-Boyle and police commissioner Frank Reagan.

Rajon Rondo is one player who should feel a kinship with Officer Reagan. Rondo was never considered one of the Celtics' "Big 3," never considered a bona fide superstar and never even considered irreplaceable by Celtics GM Danny Ainge, who offered to trade Rondo for Chris Paul and was said to have also offered him in a trade for Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry. However, Rondo has not merely become part of a "Big 4" in Boston, the Celtics have become his team, or a "Rondo plus the Big 3" if you will.

Rajon Rondo is one of the only players in the entire league who can dominate a game without scoring a single point. He is the engine that runs the Celtics, and while Paul Pierce may score more points and Kevin Garnett may grab more rebounds and each member of the "Big 3" may be more vocal leaders, rest assured that if the Celtics want to win another NBA title, it will come from being led to that title by the young Mr. Rondo.