NBA Playoffs 2012: All-NBA Teams, Playoff Edition

The NBA playoffs are when the best players in the league step up their game, put their teams on their backs and advance to the next round. 

There isn't actually a set of All-NBA teams for the postseason, but these players would populate them if there were. 

From the Third Team through the First Team, these slides detail the best performers through Sunday, May 27. The series opener between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat was not taken into account. 

One caveat before you advance to the next slide: The All-NBA teams are comprised of two guards, two forwards and a center on each squad. You do not necessarily have to have a point guard, shooting guard, small forward and a power forward on each team, as two point guards and two small forwards would indeed suffice. 

Read on and feel free to leave your own opinions on the teams in the comments section. 

Third Team Center: Marc Gasol

Team: Memphis Grizzlies

Team Results: Lost to Los Angeles Clippers (4-3) in Western Conference First Round

Per-Game Stats: 15.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists

Advanced Stats: 19.8 PER, 60.3 TS%, 122 ORtg, 103 DRtg, 1.1 WS, .205 WS/48

There were three elite centers who played as such during the 2012 NBA playoffs, and Marc Gasol was the only one who didn't make it out of the first round. 

Although he performed ever-so-slightly better than my Second Team center, whose name I will not yet reveal, the fact that he couldn't push his team over the top in Game 7 was a bit too much to justify bumping him up to the next level. 

Gasol shot very well from the field and played great, but not quite spectacular, defense. However, he didn't demand the ball from his teammates and was terribly underutilized throughout the opening-round loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. 

If his usage rate had been higher than 17.7, as it should have been, he could have possibly been a First Team center.

Third Team Forward: Carmelo Anthony

Team: New York Knicks

Team Results: Lost to Miami Heat (4-1) in Eastern Conference First Round

Per-Game Stats: 27.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists

Advanced Stats: 22.1 PER, 48.9 TS%, 103 ORtg, 110 DRtg, 0.4 WS, .097 WS/48

Carmelo Anthony definitely has his faults, but it's hard to completely blame him for them. 

Yes, he shoots too much. If you're the New York Knicks, though, wouldn't you rather have Melo forcing up shots instead of Landry Fields, J.R. Smith, Mike Bibby, Tyson Chandler and the rest of the unappealing offensive options jacking them up? 

Yes, he doesn't play defense at an elite level. Then again, he has to spend so much energy and effort on offense that it's somewhat justifiable for him to take it easy on defense and rely on Chandler to back him up. 

For all his faults, Anthony is still a tremendous scorer, capable of lighting it up and almost single-handedly winning a game for his Knicks, as he did with his 41 points in Game 4 against the Miami Heat. 

Third Team Forward: Blake Griffin

Team: Los Angeles Clippers

Team Results: Beat Memphis Grizzlies (4-3) in Western Conference First Round, Lost to San Antonio Spurs (4-0) in Western Conference Semifinals

Per-Game Stats: 19.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists

Advanced Stats: 21.2 PER, 53.3 TS%, 104 ORtg, 104 DRtg, 1.0 WS, .121 WS/48

I've never understood the "Oh, all Blake Griffin does is dunk! He sucks!" argument. 

OK, yes, he throws down some pretty incredible dunks. Guess what, though? If he didn't put the ball through the hoop with such force, he could still just drop in layup after layup and average just as many points. 

Furthermore, it's not true that Griffin only dunks. He also has a tremendous spin move and a developing set of skills in the post. He may use the spin a little too often, but it's so good that it works even when the defensive players are expecting it. 

With the exception of his head-to-head matchups with Tim Duncan, Griffin lit up the scoreboard during his first appearance in the NBA playoffs. 

Expect more solid showings from this young man in the future. 

Third Team Guard: Tony Parker

Team: San Antonio Spurs

Team Results: Beat Utah Jazz (4-0) in Western Conference First Round; Beat Los Angeles Clippers (4-0) in Western Conference Semifinals; Currently in Western Conference Finals

Per-Game Stats: 19.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, 7.0 assists

Advanced Stats: 19.4 PER, 51.9 TS%, 105 ORtg, 100 DRtg, 1.0 WS, .156 WS/48

Tony Parker was absolutely sensational during the regular season. His play certainly merited discussion among the league MVP candidates, even if he was still well behind LeBron James. 

The blazingly-quick point guard has still performed at a supremely high level during the playoffs, but he's had his fair share of struggles, forcing him behind a few other guards during the postseason. 

Parker has struggled with his shot and turnovers throughout the San Antonio Spurs' playoff dominance. The French guard is shooting only 42.6 percent from the field, and he's turned the ball over 3.3 times per contest thus far. 

Don't get me wrong, Parker has been great during the most important part of the season. It's a compliment to him that I have to write this in a pejorative style, justifying a lack of inclusion on the First or Second Team.

Third Team Guard: Ty Lawson

Team: Denver Nuggets

Team Results: Lost to Los Angeles Lakers (4-3) in Western Conference First Round

Per-Game Stats: 19.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 6.0 assists

Advanced Stats: 23.7 PER, 56.7 TS%, 124 ORtg, 111 DRtg, 1.0 WS, .199 WS/48

Ty Lawson is the only guard on any of the All-NBA teams who didn't manage to lead his team out of the first round of the playoffs. 

The lightning-fast point guard was simply sensational during the seven-game series loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, providing the spark necessary to allow the Denver Nuggets offense to hang with Kobe Bryant and company. 

If his team had been able to earn a victory in Game 7 and advance to the next round, it would have been difficult to not move him up even higher. 

Lawson shot over 50 percent from the field, despite playing point guard, turned the ball over just eight times in seven games, despite playing point guard, and produced a ridiculously high offensive rating. 

You can gripe about his defense all you want, but in terms of offense, this guy was truly elite. 

Second Team Center: Roy Hibbert

Team: Indiana Pacers

Team Results: Beat Orlando Magic (4-1) in Eastern Conference First Round; Lost to Miami Heat (4-2) in Eastern Conference Semifinals

Per-Game Stats: 11.7 points, 11.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists

Advanced Stats: 21.1 PER, 53.8 TS%, 108 ORtg, 95 DRtg, 1.3 WS, .180 WS/48

Roy Hibbert was less effective against the Miami Heat than he needed to be, especially in the closing games of the series, when he was plagued with foul trouble and relative futility on the offensive end. 

The young big man from Georgetown still averaged a solid double-double for the postseason during his second, and longest, appearance on the sport's biggest stage. It was his lack of scoring that stopped him from ascending to the First Team at center.

Hibbert did shoot 50 percent from the field, but he hit only two-thirds of his shots from the charity stripe and didn't call his own number too often, preferring to let his teammates shoulder the scoring load. 

It would have been nice to see the seven-footer take over against a Chris Bosh-less Heat squad, but that's not at all what happened. 

Second Team Forward: Kevin Garnett

Team: Boston Celtics

Team Results: Beat Atlanta Hawks (4-2) in Eastern Conference First Round; Beat Philadelphia 76ers (4-3) in Eastern Conference Semifinals; Currently in Eastern Conference Finals

Per-Game Stats: 19.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists

Advanced Stats: 21.3 PER, 55.0 TS%, 101 ORtg, 89 DRtg, 1.9 WS, .186 WS/48

Who is this guy?

It's certainly not the Kevin Garnett we've gotten used to ever since he first put a Boston Celtics jersey on a few years ago. 

If anything, this version of The Big Ticket forces us to recall just how dominant he was during his MVP days with the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

With his sickeningly good face-up jumper from mid-range and his defensive prowess, Garnett has been an absolute beast for the Celtics in the 2012 playoffs and is the main reason that his team is matched up with the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. 

Rajon Rondo may have stolen the headlines in the Game 7 win against the Philadelphia 76ers thanks to his timely scoring and triple-double, but it was Garnett who was the heart and soul of the team for the first three-and-a-half quarters. 

The same has been true during the vast majority of Boston's surprising run through the postseason. 

Second Team Forward: Tim Duncan

Team: San Antonio Spurs

Team Results: Beat Utah Jazz (4-0) in Western Conference First Round; Beat Los Angeles Clippers (4-0) in Western Conference Semifinals; Currently in Western Conference Finals

Per-Game Stats: 17.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists

Advanced Stats: 25.0 PER, 55.6 TS%, 114 ORtg, 93 DRtg, 1.5 WS, .250 WS/48

Speaking of rejuvenated big men, Tim Duncan has been even better than Kevin Garnett during the 2012 NBA playoffs. 

This veteran, the best power forward of all-time, was supposed to be a bit washed-up, ready to take up a supporting role in the San Antonio Spurs' quest for another championship. Yeah, about that...

Duncan has been absolutely sensational on both ends of the floor. Just ask Blake Griffin about the defense if you're curious. 

With his bank shots and fundamental work in the post, Duncan has hit 52.3 percent of his shots from the field while passing the ball well and almost completely minimizing his turnovers, averaging just over one mishap per game. 

As good as Tony Parker was during the regular season, Duncan has become the driving force for the Spurs as they try to extend their record winning streak. 

Second Team Guard: Rajon Rondo

Team: Boston Celtics

Team Results: Beat Atlanta Hawks (4-2) in Eastern Conference First Round; Beat Philadelphia 76ers (4-3) in Eastern Conference Semifinals; Currently in Eastern Conference Finals

Per-Game Stats: 15.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 12.3 assists

Advanced Stats: 22.1 PER, 48.8 TS%, 102 ORtg, 93 ORtg, 1.8 WS, 0.170 WS/48

Now we come to the triple-double machine, a man who you might have expected to appear on the First Team. So, why didn't he? 

1. Rajon Rondo's jumper may have looked significantly better than normal during the first few rounds of the playoffs, but he's still a limited player on offense who allows the defense to focus on his teammates a bit more than ideal. 

2. Rondo also misses a lot of layups when he tries to get too fancy, and even sometimes when he's attempting ones that I could make in my sleep. His 48.8 true shooting percentage is just not good at all. 

3. He turns the ball over way too often. Rondo has averaged 3.8 turnovers per game through the first two rounds of the playoffs, and quite a few have come at inopportune times. 

Second Team Guard: Kobe Bryant

Team: Los Angeles Lakers

Team Results: Beat Denver Nuggets (4-3) in Western Conference First Round; Lost to Oklahoma City Thunder (4-1) in Western Conference Semifinals 

Per-Game Stats: 30.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists

Advanced Stats: 25.0 PER, 52.5 TS%, 109 ORtg, 112 DRtg, 1.5 WS, .149 WS/48

If Kobe Bryant had managed to somehow upset the Oklahoma City Thunder, he might have been able to keep scoring at a high enough level to make it to the First Team, but he's just barely falling short here. 

Kobe's 30 points per game were nothing short of spectacular, even if he did shoot just under 44 percent from the field to do so. 

However, Bryant's defense certainly didn't appear to be the performance of someone who just made yet another All-Defensive Team. Then again, Bryant made that on reputation alone. 

His 112 defensive rating doesn't appear particularly pretty, but it looks even worse when you realize that only Steve Blake and Ramon Sessions posted worse marks out of the entire LA Lakers rotation. 

First Team Center: Andrew Bynum

Team: Los Angeles Lakers

Team Results: Beat Denver Nuggets (4-3) in Western Conference First Round; Lost to Oklahoma City Thunder (4-1) in Western Conference Semifinals

Per-Game Stats: 16.7 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists

Advanced Stats: 23.2 PER, 54.5 TS%, 118 ORtg, 107 DRtg, 1.6 WS, .168 TS%

Call him soft if you will. Call him immature. Question his future with the Los Angeles Lakers. Accuse him of not going all-out during the Western Conference semifinals loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

By all means, feel free to bash Andrew Bynum as much as you feel is necessary. However, do not under any circumstances question his elite production on the court. 

In a postseason filled with question marks at the center position, Bynum clearly stood out as the best the playoff field had to offer. 

Bynum was completely dominant, easily averaging a double-double during the Lakers' two series. Roy Hibbert and Marc Gasol were both very good, but they weren't dominant. 

First Team Forward: Kevin Durant

Team: Oklahoma City Thunder

Team Results: Beat Dallas Mavericks (4-0) in Western Conference First Round; Beat Los Angeles Lakers (4-1) in Western Conference Semifinals; Currently in Western Conference Finals

Per-Game Stats: 26.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists

Advanced Stats: 26.5 PER, 59.7 TS%, 113 ORtg, 102 DRtg, 1.9 WS, .219 WS/48

Kevin Durant won yet another regular season scoring title, and his scoring prowess has carried over to the postseason as the OKC Thunder easily moved through the first two rounds of the playoffs. 

Durant isn't just scoring in volume, though—he's doing so with efficiency. Picking and choosing his spots carefully, the smooth small forward is shooting 48.1 percent from the field with a 61 percent true shooting percentage. 

However, Durant's scoring isn't what has impressed me most during the playoffs. 

His defensive intensity has increased tremendously, and he's shutting down his opponents while maintaining the same level of activity on offense. Plus, his facilitating is great, and he has no qualms about involving all teammates in games.

First Team Forward: LeBron James

Team: Miami Heat

Team Results: Beat New York Knicks (4-1) in Eastern Conference First Round; Beat Indiana Pacers (4-2) in Eastern Conference Semifinals; Currently in Eastern Conference Finals 

Per-Game Stats: 29.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.9 assists

Advanced Stats: 32.7 PER, 57.7 TS%, 116 ORtg, 93 DRtg, 3.1 WS, .337 WS/48

It's almost silly that I have to justify this.

If you don't think LeBron James belongs on the All-NBA First Team for the playoffs, then you've been drinking way too much of the haterade. 

The man has been absolutely incredible on both ends of the court. When it matters most, he's stepped up his game even more. When the game isn't close, he's still dominated. 

You aren't supposed to be able to post a 32.8 PER through two rounds of the playoffs. You aren't supposed to have 3.1 win shares at this point, much less do so without playing in a seven-game series. 

LeBron has, though. 

First Team Guard: Dwyane Wade

Team: Miami Heat

Team Results: Beat New York Knicks (4-1) in Eastern Conference First Round; Beat Indiana Pacers (4-2) in Eastern Conference Semifinals; Currently in Eastern Conference Finals

Per-Game Stats: 23.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists

Advanced Stats: 24.7 PER, 53.6 TS%, 106 ORtg, 99 DRtg, 1.7 WS, .206 WS/48

There was a time when Dwyane Wade appeared to be falling apart. More specifically, that would be when the shooting guard had a 2-of-13 shooting performance against the Indiana Pacers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semis. 

"Yeah, enough of that," Wade said. At least, that's what his play said for him. 

Since that terrible performance, Wade has just torn it up. 

He averaged 33 points per game for the rest of the series, but contributed across the board. There aren't enough ways to describe just how ridiculous his performance has been ever since the supposed downfall. 

First Team Guard: Russell Westbrook

Team: Oklahoma City Thunder

Team Results: Beat Dallas Mavericks (4-0) in Western Conference First Round; Beat Los Angeles Lakers (4-1) in Western Conference Semifinals; Currently in Western Conference Finals

Per-Game Stats: 23.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists

Advanced Stats: 25.3 PER, 52.8 TS%, 111 ORtg, 105 DRtg, 1.4 WS, .189 WS/48

Not only has Russell Westbrook been deserving of a spot on the First Team, but I'd go as far as saying that he's been the single best guard in all of the playoffs, including both point guards and shooting guards. 

The knocks on Westbrook are that he shoots too much and turns the ball over. Well, Westbrook responded to critics quite nicely during the 8-1 run thus far in the postseason. 

He's shooting 45.7 percent from the field while maintaining a usage rate of 31.6, and he still only turned the ball over four times during the five-game series against the Los Angeles Lakers. That's pretty incredible.