Rajon Rondo, Blake Griffin and Stars Who Must Elevate Games

Rajon Rondo and Blake Griffin certainly aren't having bad postseasons—far from it, in fact.

In his first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks, Rondo's scoring and distribution improved upon already impressive regular-season levels. Griffin, meanwhile, has proven that he can score when it matters.

Still, both stars will need to do more for their teams to remain title threats. As much as Rondo has already done, he may have to do even more if Boston has any hope of ruining Miami's chances of getting to the NBA Finals (assuming the Celtics can even make it to the Conference Finals).

Likewise, Griffin needs to be collecting more than 7.2 rebounds a game. The Grizzlies have been able to hang around in this series thanks in large part to offensive rebounds (including 16 in Memphis' Game 2 victory). Los Angeles won't have a chance against the Western Conference elite without a much tougher presence inside.

And that's assuming the Clippers make it out of this first round.

Here are a few other stars who can't afford to let up anytime soon.

Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol—Los Angeles Lakers

While Bynum has had a productive series against the Denver Nuggets, he's struggled to do some of the less visible things Los Angeles needs him to do—like defending JaVale McGee. Gasol, on the other hand, has hardly even been a factor.

Through his first five games against the Denver Nuggets, Gasol is averaging just 12.8 points per game. He has remained a presence on the glass and blocked 2.4 shots a game, but he hasn't been nearly as aggressive on offense.

The Lakers will need more if they want to make it all the way to the finals. These seven-footers are their most significant advantage against most teams, but they're not playing like it at the moment.

Rudy Gay—Memphis Grizzlies

Gay has put up plenty of points for the Grizzlies, but he hasn't done so efficiently. Through five games, he has shot for 40 percent or less three times—including an especially rough 8-for-25 performance in a Game 4 loss.

Despite his up-and-down shooting, Memphis can't afford to go away from Gay. He's the team's best all-around scorer and its best bet in late-game situations. If the Grizzlies have any chance of surviving the first round, Gay will need to hit his stride fast.

Roy Hibbert—Indiana Pacers

Despite struggling in his first two games against the Orlando Magic, Hibbert ended up having a solid series—including especially efficient 18- and 14-point outings in Games 3 and 4 respectively.

Nevertheless, he'll have to do even more against the Miami Heat. The first-time All-Star is arguably the Pacers' lone advantage when it comes to one-on-one matchups. Thanks to his imposing 7'2" frame, Hibbert will pose a major challenge to the Heat's thin front line.

Manu Ginobili—San Antonio Spurs

Ginobili didn't hit a three-pointer or break double-digit points until a 17-point outburst in Game 4 against the Utah Jazz. He still proved to be a valuable asset, though, dishing 10 assists in Game 3 and making a few big plays in key moments.

Still, this hasn't been the Ginobili we've become accustomed to, and that's not entirely surprising given that he missed 32 games during the regular season. San Antonio has gotten by just fine so far, but it might need a lot more from Manu to stay alive in the West.