NBA Playoff Schedule 2012: 8 Players Who Will Take over 1st-Round Matchups

After a shortened season, the 2012 NBA playoffs are almost upon us. The postseason is an entirely different season than the regular season due to the number of games played and the length of time necessary to complete. 

The first round starts soon, and fans can't wait to see their superstars in action. The following eight players are going to take over first-round matchups. Some of the players may be facing each other in the first round, creating captivating games early in the postseason. 

Kevin Durant

At this point in the season, Thunder guard Kevin Durant is the most prolific scorer in the NBA. 

Currently Durant leads the NBA in scoring with 28 points per game and won the prior two scoring titles. Defenses simply cannot stop him, and he still shoots at a very high percentage, considering the number of long, contested jump shots he takes. 

There's no way Durant does not go off in his first-round matchup, regardless of opponent, because defenses cannot slow him down. 

LeBron James

LeBron James is tired of the critics. They claim that James is a postseason choker, that he will never win a ring. 

Well, over his career James averages 28 points per game in the playoffs, a stat largely ignored by the fans who rag on James.

In addition, James can close out games. Remember when James scored the Cavalier's final 25 points in a series-changing, double-overtime win against the Pistons when they were still good? How about James' buzzer-beater against the Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals? 

James has always had the talent and has playoff experience. Against the Knicks or 76ers, James will take over the series, and he will be the Batman to Dwayne Wade's Robin. 

Kobe Bryant

Surprise, surprise, Kobe Bryant is on this list. Bryant is obviously one of the greatest scorers in league history and likes the ball in his hands come crunch time. With five rings to his credit, Bryant has been nothing short of phenomenal in the playoffs, and that shouldn't change this year.  

The Lakers will feed Bryant the ball early and often. Bryant is one of the toughest players to guard in the NBA because of his ability to drain wild and erratic shots. 

Carmelo Anthony

Since point guard Jeremy Lin went down for the season with an injury, Carmelo Anthony has been unstoppable. 

In the 15 games since the injury, Anthony is averaging 29.9 points per game, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. Clearly he's a beneficiary from Lin's injury, and now he is the primary option in the Knicks offense. Anthony is the Knicks' go-to man and will put a scare into whichever team he faces in the first round. 

Blake Griffin

For the first time in his career, Blake Griffin will play in the postseason. And he should be just as dominant in the postseason as he is in the regular season. 

Griffin dunks the ball with an immense amount of authority, intimidating opponents after monster slam-dunks, reminding me of a younger Amare Stoudamire. 

Griffin does much more than just dunk. He averages more than 20 points per game and 10 rebounds. The Clippers are back in the postseason for the first time in a while, and Griffin will do everything in his power to make the stay last a while. 

Dirk Nowitzki

Nobody saw their legacy rise as much as Dirk Nowitzki did in last year's postseason. Nowitzki and the Mavericks won the NBA title last year and have played this year with a target on their backs. 

It doesn't matter that the Mavericks are going to receive a poor seed in this year's playoffs, because Nowitzki can bring the Mavericks back from huge holes. His finals performance was one of the more clutch in recent memory.

Like Bryant, Nowitzki is an expert at hitting difficult shots, even when tightly-contested and especially when fading away. Defenses will not be able to contain Nowitzki, and he will go on another blitzkrieg this postseason. 

Josh Smith

In the absence of center Al Horford, Hawks forward Josh Smith has stepped up to the plate. Smith, averaging career highs in points (18.7 per game) and rebounds (9.7 per game), is having a career year and is in his prime. 

Smith is starting to become the franchise's best player, and his game might be more efficient than $120-million man Joe Johnson. This year marks Smith's fifth consecutive playoff appearance, and he should be able to do what he wants to against an older Celtics team. 

Roy Hibbert

For Indiana center Roy Hibbert, the 2012 NBA basketball playoffs mark a time when he can have a breakout performance. 

With superstar Magic center Dwight Howard out and the Magic franchise currently in shambles, look for Hibbert to have a monster first-round series. In the last 13 games, Orlando has a 4-9 record, many of the losses in blowout fashion, and the franchise is making headlines for all the wrong reasons. 

Orlando does not have a player capable of guarding Hibbert's elite 7'2" frame and will likely have to put power forward Glen Davis on him. The matchup advantage gives Hibbert a huge advantage against the slumping Magic.