15 Players and Coaches with the Most Riding on the 2012 NBA Playoffs

The 2012 NBA playoffs have come to a screeching halt for some, while others have seen their championship dreams come closer to reality. Regardless of what position you're in, there is something on the line that you cannot afford to lose.

As always, there just so happen to be some with more to gain or lose than others.

Whether it's job security, free agent value or simply adding to your legacy, there is something to be said for a postseason run. Here are the 15 players and coaches with the most to say and the smallest room for error.

15. Derek Fisher, Oklahoma City Thunder

I'm not quite sure whether or not Derek Fisher has the most on the line, but he has as much to gain as anyone on this list.

For pride's sake, at least.

Kobe Bryant's best friend but competitive rival currently has five rings, tying him for the most amongst active players. Should the Oklahoma City Thunder win their franchise's first title, however, it will be Fisher who can retire with one more ring than any other player of his generation.

More specifically, more than Kobe Bryant.

Should he fail to win a title this season, Derek Fisher could potential enter retirement on a rather sour note. That is, of course, assuming the ageless wonder won't continue his NBA tenure.

Postseason Averages: 21.1 MPG—6.0 PPG—1.6 RPG—44.9 FG%—53.3 3PT%

14. Lavoy Allen, Philadelphia 76ers

Lavoy Allen has been phenomenal for the Philadelphia 76ers, putting up points and rebounds as well as anyone on the roster. He's also an undersized rookie who has struggled to find consistent minutes.

Something's got to give.

With Elton Brand aging, although still productive, this postseason could play a pivotal role in Allen's future. The 76ers currently possess the 15th overall draft choice, enabling them to select the 4 of their future. If the rookie continues this level of play, however, that honor could be bestowed upon Allen himself.

Postseason Averages: 20.2 MPG—7.0 PPG—5.0 RPG—57.1 FG%

13. Doc Rivers, Boston Celtics

There is no chance in hell that the Boston Celtics choose to part ways with Doc Rivers. There is a great chance, however, that another failed title run could lead to a decision to leave court-side.

While the Boston Celtics had no trouble taking care of business in the second half of Game 5, their potential matchup with the Miami Heat may not provide them with the luxury of struggling early. Should they fail to defeat the Heat, specifically if the series proves to be one-sided, it's not hard to imagine Rivers stepping away from the game.

Nor is it hard to imagine his leaving upon claiming a second championship ring. After all, he's contemplated the move before.

12. Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs

I was crucified for naming Tony Parker my regular season MVP. But after Parker took care of business against Chris Paul, defensively dominating the best point guard in the NBA en route to a four-game sweep, it became clear that the notion was not so far-fetched.

Evidence is the fact that Paul shot 36.8 percent from the floor and averaged 4.5 turnovers per game.

Now, Parker has a chance to do the same against another premier point guard: Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Should he come through in doing so, a second Finals MVP award may not be too far in Parker's ahead future. Nor will a fourth championship ring.

Should he and the Spurs crumble, however, Parker's brilliance may count for nothing.

Postseason Averages: 35.0 MPG—19.1 PPG—7.1 APG—3.4 RPG—1.0 SPG

11. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder

Some will point to Derrick Rose's higher assist numbers, while others will claim Rose had "nothing around him." The fact of the matter is, he and Russell Westbrook have nearly identical playing styles. Should Russell Westbrook land a championship ring before D-Rose, a rivalry could be created that we never saw coming.

Contrary to popular belief, Russell Westbrook is not a bad passer; nor is he "more fit for the 2."

In a league of short-term memory, we often forget that the former UCLA Bruin averaged 8.2 assists per game in 2011 and 8.0 assists per game in 2010. Rose, meanwhile, has never averaged 8.0 assists in his career.

And if we're really going off of the "today is all that matters" theory, Westbrook averaged more points per game than Rose and thus becomes the "better scorer." He also wins the durability vote, as Westbrook has never missed a game in his career.

Time to acknowledge facts, folks, not favorability. Westbrook and Rose are closer than we'd like to admit. That is, until Westbrook makes the leap or crashes and burns.

Postseason Averages: 24.1 PPG—4.7 RPG—4.4 APG—1.9 SPG—47.1 FG%

10. Lou Williams, Philadelphia 76ers

Lou Williams has the option to enter free agency after the 2012 NBA season officially concludes. Considering he's shooting just 36.4 percent from the field and scoring a full 2.7 points fewer than he put up in the regular season, the prospect of such a move doesn't seem so attractive.

Should Williams turn things around, thus performing similar to Game 4 against the Boston Celtics when he put up 15 points, eight assists, four rebounds and a steal, he could become a top option for quite a few teams. Should he fail to, another year as the Sixers' sixth man could be in store.

Williams has the opportunity to become a starter on the line with each and every minute he plays.

Postseason Averages: 27.7 MPG—12.2 PPG—3.0 APG—2.2 RPG—1.1 SPG—36.4 FG%

9. Ray Allen, Boston Celtics

If anyone from the Big Three is to see their name on a different jersey next season, it's Ray Allen. Due to this fact, Allen must do one of two things: provide evidence to potential suitors that he has enough in the tank to warrant a multi-year deal or win back his starting spot from Avery Bradley.

The latter is less likely.

Thus far in the Celtics' series with the 76ers, Allen hasn't been so encouraging. While bone spurs in his ankle have hindered his play, it's hard to excuse an average of 4.7 points per game over the past three contests. Then again, it's also hard to overlook his defensive brilliance.

Ray Allen has quite the curious case surrounding his name and future.

Postseason Averages: 9.9 PPG—4.1 RPG—1.4 APG—0.9 SPG—43.4 FG%—27.5 3PT%

8. Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs

Quietly but surely, Tim Duncan is approaching his fifth NBA title—a mark that would tie him with Kobe Bryant and spark "greatest of the era" debates worldwide.

Should Duncan fail to reach the mark, however, Kobe Bryant's consistent 40-point performances may be enough to keep the warranted conversations amongst Spurs fans.

It's all about legacy here, folks.

Postseason Averages: 17.6 PPG—9.1 RPG—2.9 APG—1.9 BPG—1.0 SPG—54.0 FG%

7. Leandro Barbosa, Indiana Pacers

At the 2012 NBA trade deadline, the Indiana Pacers made one of the more high-profile trades by swapping a second-round draft choice for speedster Leandro Barbosa. The expectations were high for Barbosa, as he hit Indiana riding the coattails of an impressive postseason in 2007.

Seriously.

Thus far, Barbosa has yet to live up to those five-year-long expectations. He's averaging just 6.3 points per game on 38.7 percent shooting from the floor, failing to reach double-digit scoring since Game 2 of the Orlando Magic series.

In order for Barbosa to continue to be considered a true playoff contributor for the remainder of his career, he must turn things around. Otherwise, his team will go home empty-handed, and his nice reputation will take a major hit.

Postseason Averages: 22.0 MPG—6.3 PPG—2.2 RPG—1.2 APG—38.7 FG%—18.8 3PT%

6. Chris Bosh, Miami Heat

Should the Miami Heat win an NBA championship with Chris Bosh sidelined, one can only imagine what the media will have to say about the man Skip Bayless calls "Bosh Spice." Should the Miami Heat fail to win an NBA championship upon Chris Bosh's potential return, I won't even turn on my television for the sake of Bosh's self-esteem.

With all of this being noted, a heroic return from the injured Chris Bosh could save his legacy a bit. As would the team winning an NBA championship with a strong performance from the former Toronto Raptor.

Let's all pray for the best.

Postseason Averages: 6 GP—14.7 PPG—6.8 RPG—0.7 BPG—51.7 FG%

5. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

While I fail to agree with the notion that Kobe Bryant passed the torch to Kevin Durant, especially considering Bryant outplayed everyone on the court on a nightly basis through five games, I do believe LeBron James could provide that action. By LeBron James, of course, I'm speaking of his supporters and detractors.

Should Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder upset the San Antonio Spurs, move on to the NBA finals and win the franchise's first title, there will be a surplus of writers jumping at the gun to crown Durant as the NBA's best. Should he fail to do so, however, he'll likely remain where he is now: in consideration.

A major turning point in Kevin Durant's career.

Postseason Averages: 26.7 PPG—8.1 RPG—3.4 APG—1.3 SPG—1.1 BPG

4. Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers

The first of two who have already departed, Pau Gasol has quite a long offseason ahead of him.

After he was nearly traded for Chris Paul just one year ago, Gasol is likely to find himself at the heart of new trade speculation. Rightfully so, as the Spanish superstar failed to do anything but disappoint with the season on the line.

For that matter, he failed to do anything but disappoint in almost all of the postseason games. Right, Kobe?

Postseason Averages: 12.5 PPG—9.3 RPG—3.7 APG—2.1 BPG—43.3 FG%

3. Erik Spoelstra, Miami Heat

Not only are the Miami Heat in a come-from-behind series with the Indiana Pacers, but head coach Erik Spoelstra had a widely reported blow-up with star guard Dwyane Wade. Considering it was Wade who led the Heat to a title in 2006, it's hard to imagine him being the one to go if one man is in fact on the way out.

Although speculating a coach's job security has never been my cup of tea, it would be foolish to overlook the possibilities. The Heat are in year two of their Big Three experiment and have had very little success to show for it. As the Orlando Magic have shown, the blame will inevitably fall onto the shoulders of the head coach—even when it shouldn't be that way.

With all of this being said, the Miami Heat could take home the ring. Spoelstra's job security would then be right around 100 percent.

Until next season.

2. Mike Brown, Los Angeles Lakers

It's all over for the Los Angeles Lakers, and for Mike Brown, the same could be said.

The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a heartbreaking 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder, which was highlighted by Brown consistently sitting down and failing to be vocal with his team. It should also be known that poor play calling and execution led to a handful of blown late-game leads throughout the series.

What must be acknowledged is the fact that Mike Brown was never granted an offseason with this team, thus forcing his system to become an on-the-go learning experience. Nevertheless, Brown never found a way to motivate Pau Gasol, and the team often seemed to be coached more by Kobe Bryant than Brown.

Great basketball mind, very good basketball coach, terrible fit in Los Angeles.

1. LeBron James, Miami Heat

No matter the statistics and accolades, LeBron James will forever live on with a glaring asterisk beside his name. This isn't a columnist's opinion as much as it is an evaluation of the theory behind the eyes of millions.

That is, of course, unless he can bring home an ever-elusive NBA title.

In 2012, LeBron James has a chance to placate those fans who argue on behalf of the asterisk. James also has a chance to go a step further and defeat the critics who would place an asterisk beside his name for winning a title with the Big Three, as Chris Bosh remains sidelined with an abdomen strain.

If he loses, however, the doubts and unwarranted hatred will continue. No one, I repeat, no one has more on the line during the 2012 NBA playoffs than LeBron James.

Or any postseason following this year's madness.

Postseason Averages: 39.9 MPG—29.0 PPG—8.9 RPG—5.6 APG—2.6 SPG—47.6 FG%—25.8 3PT%