The Informer’s 2014 NBA Playoff Preview Part V: Most Important Players

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PART I PART II PART III PART IV

Welcome back to The Informer’s 2014 NBA Playoff Preview. The Informer is proud to announce that we have reached the half way point on our journey to 10,000 words.It has been a long and grueling process, but we will get their eventually. Right now, in Part V of our preview, we are going to look at the five most important players in the 2014 NBA Playoffs.

We are talking the stars of stars. The players that can and will decided who is going to be raising the Larry O’Brien Trophy in June.

On this list you are not going to find any big surprises. We have the old timers in San Antonio, a “dunk machine” in Los Angeles, a “King” in Miami and two young guns from Oklahoma City.

While the names are pretty cut and dry, the reasons why these players are on the list may surprise some. And in one case, The Informer even goes out on the limb to make a very bold statement about the NBA hierarchy.

5. Tim Duncan & Tony Parker

Rinse lather repeat . . . Rinse lather repeat . . . Rinse lather repeat.

By now everyone knows the drill. Tim Duncan and Tony Parker play limited regular season minutes, the San Antonio Spurs still win 60 games and then come playoff time they both become 20-10 guys (points/assists for Parker and points/rebounds for Duncan).

With that said, the reason Duncan and Parker are on this list is the same reason The Informer still believes in Santa Claus. Basically, until Santa stops bringing gifts every year, The Informer is going to believe in him. And until Duncan and Parker stop coming up huge in the playoffs, The Informer is going to believe they are going to continue to come up huge in the playoffs.

And anyone who doesn’t think Duncan and Parker deserve to be on this list, check back with me in a month when these two lead the Spurs to the Western Conference Finals for the third straight season and ninth time in 17 years.

4. Blake Griffin

Blake Griffin has legitimately become the third best player in the NBA (behind LeBron James & Kevin Durant) and someone who could literally average 35-20 for an entire series.

The Informer knows this is going to be an unpopular choice for many because some people, who only watch highlights, think Blake is all style and no substances. They will say he is soft, he only knows how to dunk or they will get flat out rude and say he is just plain overrated.

Trust The Informer, the people who think Blake is overrated have not been watching basketball this season. Sure Griffin still “Posterizes” the occasional innocent bystander, but this year he has actually transformed his game from “dunker” to all around great player. He has vastly improved his jump shot, he still rebounds at an elite rate and on top of that he added a new wrinkle to his game with his ball handling.

Yes, The Informer said Blake added a new wrinkle with his ball handling. If you have not watched many Clippers games this year, then you probably haven’t seen Griffin take a rebound and lead the fast break. It is truly amazing to watch. He is like a bigger stronger version of young Charles Barkley, or a slightly less polished bigger version of LeBron.

The Informer swears he is not over-exaggerating.

Anyways, the reason Griffin is on this list is because his potential to dominate a series/entire playoffs is off the charts high. Honestly, The Informer can see a scenario where Griffin is hosting a Finals MVP trophy. And if your ceiling in these playoffs is Finals MVP, you have to be considered one of the Top 5 players.

(P.S. – This is not a jinx attempt so my Warriors prediction comes true. The Informer believes everything he just wrote. Blake Griffin is a bad man on the basketball court.)

3. Russell Westbrook

Healthy Russell Westbrook makes the Oklahoma City Thunder one of the favorites to win the title. As we saw last year, injured Russell Westbrook can keep the Thunder from winning the title.

So yea, he is pretty damn important.

2. LeBron James

Is anyone else excited to see what happens when it is actually announced that Kevin Durant is the 2013-14 NBA MVP? Just saying, there is a good chance that LeBron will take it personally, like Mike did in 1993, and unleash a playoff’s where he averages 38-8-8.

This could actually happen.

If it does happen watch out because the Miami Heat, with a pissed off LeBron, would sweep through the Eastern Conference with ease. Seriously, if LeBron is going to play the entire playoffs with a chip on his shoulder the Heat’s ceiling is almost untouchable.

In the end LeBron is on this list because The Informer is fully expecting Durant to win the MVP followed by LeBron playing the next two months at a level only one other NBA star has the ability to reach.

Believe it or not, that “other star” also happens to be the most important player in these playoffs.

1. Kevin Durant

The Informer is only going to say this one time; Kevin Durant is on the same level as LeBron James. However you want to put it, whether it is 1A or 1B, Durant needs to be mentioned in every “who is the best player in the NBA” conversation from here on out.

I mean just look at what the guy has accomplished: He has won four out of the last five NBA scoring titles. He is going to win his first MVP award before turning 26. He averaged 32-7-5.5 for an entire season. He scored 26 points or more in 41 straight games (the longest such scoring streak in 50 years). He led the NBA with 30 point games (34) 40 point games (12) and 50 point games (2). He is a seven footer who shoots 50% from the field and 40% from the three-point line while averaging 32ppg.

To put that last sentence in perspectives –no one in NBA history has ever averaged 32ppg while shooting 50-40 from the field.

Read that last sentence again –NO ONE IN NBA HISTORY.

And the dude is only 25 years old. Are you freaking kidding me?

The Informer is going to go on record right now saying that after these playoffs we will all be saying the NBA now belongs to KD.

And if the NBA is going to belong to KD, that means “Sniper Jones” is the most important superstar in the 2014 NBA Playoffs.