NBA Playoffs 2012: What We Learned from 1st Weekend of Postseason

We learned a lot from the opening weekend of the playoffs. 

Some series are going to be better than we thought they would be, some aren't going to be as close as we thought they would be and some are going to be exactly what we thought they would be. 

We were reminded that the game can lift your spirits, bring them down as soon as they are at their zenith.

We found out that some teams and players will never give up. 

Here is one thing we learned from every series. 

Andrew Bynum Is a Beast

Kobe Bryant is always ready to take things to another level come playoff time. The question last year was who was going to help him, and the answer was no one. 

This year, the answer is pretty clear. Andrew Bynum stepped up in a big way in Game 1 against the Nuggets, racking up 10 points, 13 boards and 10 blocked shots. That's right, 10 blocked shots. 

Kobe Bryant finished with 31 points but there were five other Lakers who scored in double figures. 

It looks like Kobe is going to be getting all the help that he needs. 

San Antonio Isn't Slowing Down

The Spurs are starting to remind me of African army ants. Lethal and swarming, yet precise and organized in their ubiquitous attack.

They come at you in waves, relentlessly punishing and wearing down the opposition. 

Some thought that there could be a repeat of last year where the Spurs got bounced in the first round in spite of having the No. 1 seed. I'm looking to you Stephen A. Smith.

Clearly, they aren't letting that happen again. The Spurs came out and absolutely smashed the Utah Jazz. By the time fourth quarter rolled around, the Jazz were, metaphorically speaking, just waiting for it all to end. 

The Spurs played 11 players, 10 of them at least seven minutes and all 10 of them scored at least four points. Tony Parker had 27 points and eight assists, but his was an "army ant" win with San Antonio's depth devouring the Jazz from start to finish. 

Boston's Experience Was Overrated

It's not that the Celtics came out expecting the Hawks to roll over, or that that they got trounced from bell to bell. It's not even Rajon Rondo's monumentally foolish "bump the ref" move. 

It was all of the above. 

The Celtics were a sleeper pick to make it to the NBA Finals, but they might not even make it past the first round. 

Frankly, Atlanta looked like they were every bit as experienced as the Celtics and not planning to roll over for anyone. 

Orlando Isn't Going Down Without a Fight

Virtually everyone counted out the Magic as even having a chance against the Indiana Pacers. There was, however, a small group of believers: the Orlando Magic players and their coaching staff. 

All we've heard about for the last two years is how miserable the team would be if it weren't for Dwight Howard. Methinks the rest of the team might be tired of hearing about how bad they are. 

This was supposed to be the easiest series of all to pick. It coud end up being the biggest upset. 

LeBron James Is Ready for the Postseason

LeBron James had a marvelous regular season but was still derided by haters that believe nothing matters until the postseason. Well, the postseason is here, and LeBron James is ready. 

By that I mean he beat the living snot out of the New York Knicks virtually single-handedly. That's not to say he didn't get any help—not like he needed it. 

James raised his game to another level. He made Carmelo Anthony, who has been playing fantastic basketball, look like a middling small forward, holding him to 11 points on 15 shots. 

Meanwhile, he scored 32 points—two more points than the Knicks starting offense combined. And he did it on 10-of-14 shooting from the field. How's that for efficiency?  

Oklahoma City-Dallas Is Everything We Could Have Hoped for

Nothing says, "I love playoff basketball" like a game-winner with 1.5 seconds left to go. 

Everyone expected the Thunder and Mavericks to have a spectacular, hard-fought series. "Darned tootin!" to put it in local-speak. 

Kevin Durant, whom you may have heard of, sank the biggest shot of his life. Let's not kid ourselves either, he's hit plenty of big shots. 

However, it was the first postseason game-winner of his career. I suppose if you're going to pick a team to cut your teeth on when it comes to postseason heroics, it might as well be the defending NBA champions. 

My advice? Watch this series. 

The Memphis Grizzlies Are Aptly Named...Almost

For the first 44 minutes, the Grizzlies looked like they were aptly named. What do I mean? Well, in this video, the Grizzlies are grizzly, and the Los Angeles Clippers are fish. Is that graphic enough for you? 

The comparison is dead-on accurate. Memphis caught "Lob City" out of the air, and proceeded to maul and chew them until the Clips were nothing more than a satisfying sensation deep in their bellies. 

Now, imagine if the half-eaten fish had suddenly climbed out of the bear's belly, reassembled itself and started slapping the bear around like a rag doll? That fish has no business making a comeback, and neither did the Clippers. 

But they did, and arguably in the most remarkable comeback in the history of playoff basketball. 

Perhaps no one cheered more loudly than Vinny Del Negro, who was far beyond reproach after the game. 

Dreams Can Shatter in an Instant

For Chicago Bulls fans, a moment of complete bliss shattered in an instant. Derrick Rose of 2012 was looking like Derrick Rose of 2011, slashing to the basket, dropping threes and scoring at will. 

He was the general on the floor. He was seeing the court. He was watching the ball come off the boards. He was closing in on a triple-double. 

The Bulls were looking like the best of both worlds, with the "sans-Rose" ball movement being sewn neatly together with the MVP's ability to slash to the rim in the blink of an eye. 

Unfortunately, it all ended as we saw Rose writhing in pain and grabbing his knee. It was horrific for just about anyone to watch, much less Bulls fans. 

With all that being said, the Bulls have shown tremendous heart all season and certainly aren't going to give up now. 

As Kyle Korver posted on his Facebook page: 

"

"Right about now, the disbelief has faded, anger has subsided and were all wondering... why? Why. Why. Why Derrick, again? Derrick is more than an MVP to our team. He's our friend, our brother he inspires us to be the very best we can be, just by who he is and how hard he plays. We send him our prayers, our love, our good wishes that he heals and comes back stronger, better, healthier than ever before.

"Bulls fans. Now is not the time to ask why or to get bitter. Now is the time to refocus and ask 'How are we going to win this Championship?' We have the best Team in the league. This season has proven, we are a TEAM and it has taken us ALL to have the best record."

"

The comment has received over a hundred thousand likes and counting. 

Maybe the dream isn't quite so dead after all.