NBA Playoffs 2011: Matchup Headaches for Every Playoff Team
The 2011 NBA playoffs are right around the corner and teams are preparing well in advance for every possible outcome.
With the playoff seedings still in a state of flux, teams are constantly planning ahead for whoever they might face in the postseason.
Every team has a weakness, whether it be a positional disadvantage or glaring hole on their roster, and there are distinct matchups each team will look to avoid.
Here's a look at every playoff matchup headache for each team currently in the playoff picture.
Indiana Pacers (No. 8 Seed, Eastern Conference)
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Currently sitting at the eight seed in the Eastern Conference, the Indiana Pacers biggest headache matchup may very well occur in the first round.
The Chicago Bulls starting frontcourt—made up of Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer—have made life hell for the Pacers and they will have difficulty matching up in the size department.
While the Pacers managed to steal the last game from the Bulls—Boozer was out—they're still losing the regular season series, and this potential first-round matchup looks like it will be a sweep.
Roy Hibbert has established himself as an excellent force on both sides of the ball, but even he can't cover both Boozer and Noah.
Hibbert's starting frontcourt mate, Tyler Hansbrough, has proven to be a legit NBA caliber starter, but he has a long way to go before he's considered a defensive stopper.
Boozer has averaged 20 points on 51.9 percent shooting, while Noah has scored 14.5 points on 80 percent shooting—that type of production only makes the Pacers playoff hopes seem bleaker.
Those numbers should only increase as both step up their play in the playoffs against an inexperienced group of Pacers.
Memphis Grizzlies (No. 8 Seed, Western Conference)
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The Memphis Grizzlies appear to have the Oklahoma City Thunder's number, but that can all change come playoff time.
Kevin Durant has had some struggles against the Grizzlies, but overall, he's putting up an impressive 30.5 points on 47.3 percent, 8.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists.
His partner in crime, Russell Westbrook, has been equally effective averaging 24.5 points on 47.2 percent shooting, 4.5 rebounds and 9.0 assists.
Tony Allen has been the main factor in limiting Durant, but as an undersized perimeter player, Durant has a distinct advantage over him.
With Rudy Gay out for the season, Durant can use his height advantage to abuse his player matchups.
Westbrook has a clear athletic advantage over Mike Conley, and he uses it to his advantage in every contest.
Should these two teams meet in the playoffs, expect nothing short of a gritty battle.
New York Knicks (No. 7 Seed, Eastern Conference)
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While the New York Knicks have played well against the Boston Celtics in their three regular season games, they've fallen short in each contest.
The Celtics one-two punch of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett have tortured the Knicks in all three games.
Pierce has averaged 26.0 points on 52.9 percent shooting, 10.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists. Not to mention, he's hit numerous critical buckets over the Knicks when the Celtics needed them the most.
Garnett has been equally effective going off for 22.7 points on 62.5 percent shooting, 11.3 rebounds and 2.7 steals.
It's painfully obvious that the Knicks have no answer for either player.
Carmelo Anthony can be very physical, but he does not put in the effort to guard his man on a nightly basis. The same can be said of Amar'e Stoudemire, who has had no answers for Garnett.
New Orleans Hornets (No. 7 Seed, Western Conference)
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The New Orleans Hornets may be without David West entering the postseason, which would be a huge blow for their playoff hopes.
West's replacement, Carl Landry, is an undersized power forward, and he'll only exacerbate the Hornets weak frontcourt.
Should the Hornets meet up with the Los Angeles Lakers, their frontcourt will simply not be able to contend with them.
Emeka Okafor will have his hands full with Andrew Bynum and Landry will be forced to deal with Pau Gasol.
In three games, Gasol has terrorized the Hornets to the tune of 22.0 points on 73.3 percent shooting, 11.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists.
With Landry covering him, Gasol should have an even easier time scoring on the Hornets.
Philadelphia 76ers (No. 6 Seed, Eastern Conference)
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Dwight Howard is a matchup nightmare for nearly any team, and it's certainly no different for the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 76ers do not have a physical big man capable of handling Howard.
Howard has abused the 76ers this season, averaging 24.7 points on 55.6 percent shooting, 14.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 2.0 blocks.
Elton Brand has seen a resurgence this season, but he is not strong enough to take on Howard.
The team's starting center, Spencer Hawes, is virtually useless against Howard.
The 76ers would be lucky to avoid the Orlando Magic at all costs.
Portland Trail Blazers (No. 6 Seed, Western Conference)
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The Portland Trail Blazers are arguably the most dangerous lower seeded team in the NBA playoff picture.
However, should they face off against the reigning two-time champs, the Los Angeles Lakers, they'll be in for a true test.
Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom, in particular, have had their way with the Blazers.
Odom is averaging 16.7 points on 67.7 percent shooting, 9.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.3 steals.
Gasol, on the other hand, is playing even better putting up 17.3 points on 53.5 percent shooting, 13.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists.
With the Blazers opting to play a lot of smaller lineups with their new acquisition, Gerald Wallace, that puts the team at an even bigger disadvantage should these two face off.
Historically, the Lakers have had trouble against Portland, but that's not the case this year as the Lakers have swept them in three games thus far.
Atlanta Hawks (No. 5 Seed, Eastern Conference)
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The Atlanta Hawks will be a dangerous team come playoff time, but they aren't favored to advance very deep into the playoffs.
If the Hawks can somehow manage to avoid LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the early rounds, that increases their chances of postseason success exponentially.
The Hawks were blown out in their first meeting, but made adjustments to their roster for the second meeting and just barely edged out the Heat.
However, the last time these two teams matched up, James made adjustments of his own and ended up scoring 43 points on them on 76.2 percent shooting.
For the season, James is averaging 33.0 points on 51.6 percent shooting, 6.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists against the Hawks.
With Joe Johnson occupied with Dwyane Wade, it will be up to Josh Smith or Marvin Williams to cover James.
Smith is a physical freak in his own right and can match James in strength, but he does not possess the speed to cover James from the perimeter. Williams has neither the physical tools nor defensive prowess to cover James.
It's clear that the Hawks will have to play team defense to stop James, but sending multiple defenders at James only frees up Wade or Chris Bosh.
Denver Nuggets (No. 5 Seed, Western Conference)
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The retooled Denver Nuggets have played extremely well since trading Carmelo Anthony, and the argument can be had that they're an even better team without Anthony.
With that being said, not many are expecting the team to do serious damage come playoff time. However, there's no question that they're a dangerous team that most teams will look to avoid in the postseason.
In trading away Anthony, the Nuggets lost their primary perimeter threat. While Anthony was never known to be a defensive stopper, his physical play will be missed if they happen to face off against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Kevin Durant has abused the Nuggets this season to the tune of 33.0 points on 52.6 percent shooting, 5.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocks.
The Nuggets are likely to use a combination of Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler to cover Durant, but neither are equipped to guard Durant effectively.
Gallinari has the length to guard Durant, but neither speed or defensive prowess to make a large impact.
Chandler has a solid combination of size, speed and strength, but not many expect him to be able to keep up with Durant.
Orlando Magic (No. 4 Seed, Eastern Conference)
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Orlando's GM, Otis Smith, took a big gamble when he made a pair of blockbuster trades back in December. In the process, he lost his top perimeter defender in Mickael Pietrus.
Now, the Magic are forced to rely on Jason Richardson, Quentin Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu as their primary perimeter defenders.
That does not bode well for the team should they face off against the Miami Heat.
In their four matchups, the Orlando Magic have simply not found an answer for the perimeter attack of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
For the season, James is averaging 30 points on 59.7 percent shooting, 7.3 rebounds and 5.8 assists against the Magic.
James also recorded a near triple double in February against the Magic on his way to 51 points on an absurd 17of 25 shooting, 11 rebounds and eight assists.
While Wade hasn't been nearly as effective as James, the Heat's devastating one-two punch will wreak havoc on the Magic.
Oklahoma City Thunder (No. 4 Seed, Western Conference)
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The Oklahoma City Thunder have a rather unexpected and unheralded headache to worry about come playoff time—Tony Allen.
The Thunder have only won one game out of four against the Grizzlies and Allen is a big reason why.
While undersized, standing at only 6'4", Allen has had the unenviable task of guarding Kevin Durant throughout some of their battles. Durant has been relatively effective over the series, but Allen has given him fits throughout.
On the other side of the ball, Allen has been no slouch either.
Allen is averaging 18.8 points on 57.1 percent shooting against the Thunder and just over 22 points in the Grizzlies three victories.
Miami Heat (No. 3 Seed, Eastern Conference)
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The biggest knock on the Miami Heat's roster is their lack of a defensive force in the middle.
Miami has a plethora of big bodies in their rotation, but when it's made up of players like Chris Bosh, Udonis Haslem, Joel Anthony, Eric Dampier, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Juwan Howard, it doesn't exactly instill fear in opposing frontcourts.
The Heat's in-state rivals, the Orlando Magic, just so happen to feature the best center in the league, Dwight Howard. Should these Florida powerhouses meet up at some point in the playoffs, the Heat will have their work cut out for them.
With no one on the roster capable of covering Howard one-on-one, they'll have to swarm him and double him up every time he touches the ball.
That should leave the Magic's excellent perimeter shooters to knock down open shots should Howard decide to kick the ball out.
While the Heat and Magic have split their four regular season matchups, covering Howard in a seven game series is a whole different animal.
Howard has had some foul trouble throughout their battles this season, but the Heat cannot expect the whistle to bail them out in the playoffs.
Dallas Mavericks (No. 3 Seed, Western Conference)
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Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili make for one of the most devastating backcourts in the NBA.
The Dallas Mavericks have been abused by this duo for years now, and even with all this experience playing against them, things have not gotten any easier.
This year, Parker is averaging 18.5 points on 51.6 percent shooting, while Ginobili is putting up 20.5 points on 44.4 percent shooting.
The combination of speed and explosiveness put the Mavericks at a disadvantage with their aging point guard, Jason Kidd, unable to handle them.
While the Mavericks have a plethora of quick guards to face off against the Spurs fearsome duo, that takes their floor general, Kidd, out of the game.
Kidd's experience and basketball IQ make a drastic difference for the team, and taking him off the court changes the team's dynamic.
Parker and Ginobili are simply too much to contain, and in the Spurs fast-paced offensive attack, it becomes even more difficult.
Boston Celtics (No. 2 Seed, Eastern Conference)
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After the Boston Celtics shocked the NBA community by trading away Kendrick Perkins, they left a glaring hole in their frontcourt.
If the Celtics run into the Orlando Magic at some point during the playoffs, they're in for a world of trouble.
Simply put, the Celtics don't have someone equipped to handle Dwight Howard's physical presence over a seven game series.
While they still have Shaquille O'Neal and Jermaine O'Neal on the roster, the two aging big men won't be able to provide the same type of impact that Perkins had. Not to mention, their health comes into question.
The team's current starting center, Nenad Krstic, is nothing more than a ragdoll for Howard to abuse in the low post.
The same can be said of Troy Murphy.
Kevin Garnett—while still playing at an extremely high level—doesn't have the strength to match up with Howard. Plus, the Celtics can't afford to have Garnett fatigue himself or get into foul trouble by covering Howard.
The Celtics can rotate a number of big bodies on Howard, but there's only so much they can do to limit him. In all likelihood, they'll tire themselves out before they slow down Howard.
Los Angeles Lakers (No. 2 Seed, Western Conference)
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The Los Angeles Lakers may be the hottest team in the league right now, but even they have concerns heading into the playoffs.
The playoff matchup that may end up giving the Lakers the most trouble could come from the Oklahoma City Thunder, but it's not from Kevin Durant.
The Thunder gave the Lakers fits during last season's playoffs, and it was Westbrook, not Durant, who was the most effective against them.
Westbrook has proven to be a matchup nightmare for the reigning two-time champs.
In two games this season, Westbrook has averaged 27.0 points on 51.3 percent shooting, 5.5 rebounds and 9.0 assists.
Derek Fisher stands no chance of guarding Westbrook one-on-one, and the same can be said of the team's reserves.
Kobe Bryant has been forced to cover Westbrook on numerous occasion, but that alters the dynamic of the Lakers unit on the court.
With Bryant covering Westbrook, that either forces the Lakers to use an unconventional lineup or puts Fisher on the Thunder's shooting guard. Either way, Fisher is put at a significant disadvantage if he's on the court and that disrupts the Lakers' defensive schemes.
Chicago Bulls (No. 1 Seed, Eastern Conference)
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While the Chicago Bulls have swept the regular season series against the Miami Heat, each win came by no more than four points.
LeBron James was only available for two of the three matchups, but he showed his impact in each contest.
In two games, James has averaged 27.5 on 56.4 percent shooting, 9.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.0 steals.
Luol Deng has really stepped it up on defense this season, and he is arguably the team's best perimeter defender, but even he cannot guard James one-on-one. Deng simply does not have the physical tools to consistently stay in front of James and keep him from bullying his way to the paint.
Carlos Boozer is a poor defender and not much of a threat to James on drives.
Joakim Noah, however, is an excellent defender, but hasn't had a lot of success stopping James.
It seems as if James can get anywhere he wants to on the Bulls. If he can do that consistently in late-game situations against Chicago, the Bulls will be in for more than they bargained for.
San Antonio Spurs (No. 1 Seed, Western Conference)
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The San Antonio Spurs have dominated the regular season with a league-leading 57 wins, but even Greg Poppovich knows that the playoffs are drastically different from the regular season.
Tim Duncan's recent injury scare hampers the team, but they should be ready to go for the playoffs.
The Spurs have a number of threats to dethrone them from their No. 1 ranking, but their in-state Texas rivals—the Dallas Mavericks—may end up being the most difficult for them with Dirk Nowitzki leading the way.
In four regular season games, the Spurs have beaten the Mavericks three times.
However, Nowitzki was unavailable for two of those losses.
In two games, Nowitzki has averaged 24.5 points on 73.3 percent shooting, 8.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists.
It's clear that the Spurs do not have an answer for Nowitzki.
While Duncan is still playing at a high level, he simply is unable to consistently chase Nowitzki out to the perimeter. The same can be said of Antonio McDyess.
DeJuan Blair is undersized and can do little to stop Nowitzki when he pulls up over him for a jumper.
It will take a team defensive effort to stop Nowitzki, and even then, it may not be enough.
