NBA Playoffs 2013: Players Who Must Step Up After Poor Conference Finals Starts

While some of the NBA’s best have stepped up during the playoffs—I’m looking at you, LeBron James—others have been far from stellar.

In the postseason, teams have to play well as a team in order to win. It’s not all about one player, although a dominant performance could obviously lead to a lopsided victory.

When key players fail to execute when given the opportunity, bad things happen. Just ask the Indiana Pacers, who, even though didn’t have Roy Hibbert on the floor late in overtime, couldn’t stop James from driving to the basket for the game-winning layup.

If poor play from the following players continues throughout the remainder of the conference finals and potentially the NBA Final, then their teams could be in big trouble.

Ray Allen, Miami Heat

The Heat barely escaped the Pacers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, but it wasn’t because Ray Allen did much of anything. Sure, Allen has a plus-10 plus/minus rating in the series’ opening game, but that number is skewed.

As long as a player can play solid defense and be on the court alongside of players like James and Dwayne Wade, their plus-minus is going to be high. What’s concerning, though, is how poorly Allen has shot the ball.

For those who don’t know, Allen has made more three-pointers than any other player in the history of the game. That’s one of the main reasons the Heat wanted him—aside from the fact he used to play for one of their top rivals, the Boston Celtics.

In Game 1, Allen attempted just four shots from beyond the arc, hitting just one. Allen has been pretty cold from three throughout most of the postseason. He shot 46.4 percent from downtown against the Milwaukee Bucks in the opening round but just 23.5 percent in the quarterfinals against the Chicago Bulls.

Miami desperately needs Allen’s hot hand in order to continue winning. Going 1-of-4 or even worse on a night-to-night basis isn’t going to cut it. Allen knows that and is probably working on fixing it at this very instant.

George Hill, Indiana Pacers

Since sustaining a concussion during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the New York Knicks, George Hill just hasn’t been the same player. Throughout the season, Hill averaged 14.2 points in 34.5 minutes per game while shooting 44.3 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from downtown.

In Game 6, in which the Indiana Pacers clinched a trip to face the Heat, Hill was ice cold. In 42 minutes, he shot 2-of-10 from the field and 1-of-6 from three-point territory. He finished the game with 12 points, but seven came from the charity stripe.

With a couple of days off, it was fair to assume that Hill would be his normal self for the start of the Eastern Conference finals. But that didn't turn out to be the case. In 45 minutes, he went 2-of-9 from the field and had just five points in the Pacers’ Game 1 loss.

Hill is more than essential to Indiana’s success. If he’s still feeling the after-effects of the concussion, that’s one thing, but if he’s healthy and just underperforming, the Pacers are doomed.

Hill may only have been the third-highest scorer on the team during the year, but Indiana is considerably worse without him on the floor. But as we’ve seen lately, he’s been bad when he’s on the court, too. Right now, if Hill doesn’t get his act together, it’s a lose-lose situation for the Pacers.

Zach Randolph, Memphis Grizzlies

Zach Randolph was on fire to start the postseason but has since cooled off considerably, which should have Memphis Grizzlies fans somewhat worried. It was almost as if Randolph couldn’t miss a shot during the first round of the playoffs. He shot 56.8 percent from the field, 10 points higher than he did in the regular season.

Obviously, it’s a smaller sample size, so the percentage is skewed, but still, that’s an impressive shot percentage for a six-game series. His offensive abilities led Memphis to a second-round matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder. In the quarterfinals, he shot 43.9 percent from the field.

Then in Game 1, Randolph was more than shaky each time he attempted a shot. He hit just six of 18 attempts on the night, dropping the opener of the series to the San Antonio Spurs. To add insult to injury, he only hit three free throws despite attempting eight. Those are points the Grizzlies certainly missed.

Now, I understand that Randolph’s game is not all about offense. He did grab 18 rebounds in Game 1, which helped Memphis keep the game close. But if he and his teammates can’t capitalize when he brings one in, then what’s the point? Seven offensive rebounds are worthless if he doesn’t hit the put-back.

The Spurs are very fundamentally sound and Randolph needs to either shoot better or give up the ball if he’s not going to be making shots. If not, Memphis could end up getting swept.