NBA Playoff 2012 Schedule: Best Individual Head-to-Head Matchups for 2nd Round

The second round is going to offer us more intriguing individual battles than team matchups. 

The first round isn't over yet, but it is hard to see any team that is currently trailing in their series coming back to win. So, for the sake of this article, we are just going to assume that the series leaders are going to advance.

And, to be honest, that shapes up for a round full of duds. The only compelling series looks like it will be the Thunder vs. Lakers.

That doesn't mean the round doesn't offer up some compelling matchups. Here are the three best. 

LeBron James vs. Danny Granger

If the Pacers are going to make any noise in this series, then Granger is going to have to play the best basketball of his career. 

There aren't many matchups where Granger is clearly overmatched, but this is one of them. This is no slight on Granger. He is a fantastic player. It's just he is going against LeBron James, who is playing the best basketball of his career. 

Granger is really going to have to bring it on the defensive end. He has the tools to play excellent defense, but he is inconsistent on that end of the floor. 

Offensively, Granger is great at penetrating the lane. This will be no easy task against LeBron, but he needs to stay aggressive and try to get James into foul trouble.

Tony Parker vs. Chris Paul

Head-to-head matchups don't get much better than this. These are two elite point guards playing at the peak of their abilities. 

Both are tremendous floor leaders. Paul gets the edge with his outside shot, but Parker is better at penetrating the lane. 

Both of these guys are also solid defensively. Paul knows how to swipe steals and play the passing lanes, and Parker has always been an underrated defender. 

Parker enjoys the benefits of a better surrounding cast, which certainly makes his job easier, and is the reason the Spurs will be the overwhelming favorites in this series.

If the Clippers are going to make things interesting in this series, Paul is going to have to be absolutely amazing. 

Paul Pierce vs. Andre Iguodala 

Iguodala is not nearly the same offensive weapon as Pierce, but he can bring it on the defensive end. This is going to be a pivotal matchup in this series, and A.I. has the tools to make things rough on Pierce. 

"The Truth" is going to need some help from his teammates, in the form of screens, to get open looks. Otherwise, he is just going to be stroking his jumpers with a man in his face to get his points. 

Offensively, Iguodala likes to get his points in the open court—where he is a fantastic shooter. He is a terribly inconsistent jump shooter, which will allow Pierce to sag off and play the passing lanes.