NBA Playoffs 2012: The 4 Major Storylines to Follow

When the Chicago Bulls and Philadelphia 76ers tip off in Chi-town on Saturday, it will mark the beginning of the 2012 NBA Playoffs, the league's first lockout-shortened postseason since 1999.

Elsewhere, the defending champion Dallas Mavericks limped into the playoffs as the seven seed in the West, the Los Angeles Clippers will make their first postseason appearance since 2006 and the Miami Heat and New York Knicks will square off in one of the most anticipated series in recent memory.

Those are just some of the storylines heading into tomorrow, and not even the ones you should pay attention to as the teams dwindle down from 16 to one.

May the Best Bench Win

Bench play is important in winning a championship. Key moments in NBA Playoff history include guys like Robert Horry, James Posey and even the buzzer-beater of Eddie Johnson.  

Last season, Dallas rode their bench (JJ Barea, Jason Terry, Peja Stojakovic) to an NBA championship. They weren't stars, but they made key shots in key moments, and outplayed other teams down the stretch.

This year, San Antonio, Memphis, Chicago, Philadelphia and Dallas again all rely on their bench to score points. It isn't always an indicator for success, but when the first unit is struggling, see which team has the best bench play; they'll likely be moving on to the next round.

Is James Harden good to play?

After the vicious World Peace hit (it just sounds weird, right?), Harden missed the final two games of the regular season. If he's not at full strength, it severely cripples the Thunder's already questionable closing lineup, since Harden, in my opinion, is the best guy to run the offense in late-game situations.

However, he's been cleared for contact, and to play in Game 1 against Dallas tomorrow night. What state will he be in? He's known for craftily getting to the basket and making plays, but will he show any ill affects from the concussion? If so, Dallas could stake a claim as an upset candidate.

Have we seen the last of Dwight Howard?

Dwight Howard won't be suiting up for the Orlando Magic in the opening series, and that will likely mean Orlando won't be suiting up in Round 2.

It's been the soap opera of the league for most of the season, but the question must be asked again: Will D12 even return in a Magic uniform come October?

He signed the ETO, but he's becoming a clubhouse cancer. Maybe the Magic decide with all the shuffling set to happen in the free agent market (Deron Williams, Kevin Garnett) that they're better off looking towards a future of Ryan Anderson as their best player.

Can LeBron James close?

It's the question that is going to be asked until it happens. With only one year under his belt in Miami, you might think the question is premature, but anyone who follows LeBron knows he's long been under the microscope for "quitting on his team" and deferring in key spots.

Last year, the Heat lost a 15-point lead at home to Dallas in Game 2, and LeBron's disappearing act took center stage again. Will he conquer his personal demons of not demanding the ball when the game is on the line? Or will he defer to Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, and again leave us wondering when the best overall player in the league will play like it in crunch time.