The NBA playoffs can easily be compared to a masterfully crafted novel, with each game serving as a small part of a larger storyline that unfolds over a two month period.
The players serve as the characters in the novel, whose talents, personalities and histories can elicit admiration or disdain from fans. Each postseason is a great story, which is part of an even greater anthology of NBA postseason history.
Recently, I was listening to one of Bill Simmons’ podcasts. One of the subjects Simmons touched on was the most intriguing players in this year’s postseason. Two of the names that were mentioned were Dirk Nowitzki and Zach Randolph.
There is no doubt Nowitzki and Randolph are two characters in this year’s “novel” that are making the postseason all the more rich and complex. Nowitzki and Randolph have arguably been the two best players in the playoffs thus far.
First, before we can talk about their roads to redemption, we must first provide a little background on each player’s shortcomings.
In 2006, Nowitzki and the Mavericks were two wins away from clinching the franchise’s first championship, but the Miami Heat would go on to win the next four games and claim the championship.
The following season, the Mavericks won 67 games and Nowitzki was named league MVP. It looked as though Dallas was primed to get back to the Finals for the second straight season. However, Dallas became the first number one seed to lose to an eighth seed in a best of seven playoff series, as Golden State humiliated them in six games.
The Mavericks would then lose in the first-round of the playoffs two of the next three seasons. All of the postseason shortcomings had people starting to question Nowitzki’s toughness and ability to lead the Mavericks.
So far, the 2011 postseason has been somewhat of a revenge tour for Nowitzki and the Mavericks.
In their first-round series against Portland, despite having a better record, many people were picking the Trail Blazers to upset the Mavericks, based on the team’s previous playoff meltdowns.
The Mavericks would overcome blowing a 20 point lead in Game 4 to finish off Portland in six games. Although the Mavericks partially conquered some of their demons by defeating Portland, few expected the Mavericks to have a legitimate shot of beating the Lakers in their semifinal series.
The Lakers had no idea what hit them, as the Mavericks swept the Lakers in four straight games. Now the Mavericks are awaiting either the Thunder or Grizzlies in the Western Conference Finals.
Nowitzki is arguably playing the best basketball of his career. Also, the Mavericks have one of the deepest teams in recent memory. If the Mavericks keep up their current play, there could very well be a championship parade in the Lone Star State this summer.
Despite decent career statistics and flashes of brilliance, Zach Randolph was far more recognized for his negative behavior, before joining the Grizzlies prior to the 2009-10 season.
The moments most associated with Randolph’s career had nothing to do with basketball. Randolph was best known for punching both a teammate and opponent in 2003 and 2009, respectively. Randolph built a reputation as a lazy, inconsistent head case. He would eventually be exiled by two futile franchises: the Knicks and Clippers.
Once Randolph signed with Memphis before the 2009-2010 season, things began to turnaround for the power forward. For the 2009-10 campaign, Randolph averaged 20 points and nearly 12 rebounds. In the process, Randolph was named to his first career All-Star team.
Things continued to improve for the Grizzlies this season, as Randolph and Marc Gasol have led the Grizzlies back to the postseason for the first time since 2006.
The Grizzles were not content with just making the playoffs. The team upset the San Antonio Spurs in the first-round of the playoffs, becoming only the fourth number eighth seed to beat a one seed in a playoff series. The Spurs’ aging, thin frontcourt had no answer for Randolph, who averaged 21 points and nine rebounds in the six game series.
Now the Grizzlies are in a dogfight with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the chance to play Dallas in the Western Conference Finals. The semifinal series is currently tied 2-2.
Thanks to his emergence as one of the best players in this year’s postseason, people are actually talking about Memphis making a run for a title.
If the Grizzlies are able to beat the Thunder, Nowitzki and Randolph will face one another for a chance to play in the NBA Finals.
Both Nowitzki and Randolph are well on their way this postseason to hurdling some of the obstacles that have haunted them in the past.
It’s very hard not to root for both of them as they silence their critics and slay some of the Western Conference powerhouses in the process.
Sometimes in stories unexpected characters rise to the occasion and leave the reader in awe.
Although the story is not quite finished, Nowitzki and Randolph are well on their way to rewriting their own.
Joshua Sexton is a lifelong basketball fanatic, who watches as many games as possible. In addition, He has played and coached the game at the high school level. He has recently started writing about the game of basketball.
