UNC Basketball Recruiting: No Andrew Wiggins Means Wings Must Step Up
The University of North Carolina may have taken a hit with Andrew Wiggins’ decision to join the Kansas Jayhawks, but it’s hardly the end of the world for the Tar Heels.
There is still loads of talent and potential on this team that could easily make a deep run in the tournament.
However, depth on the wing will be a serious concern for the UNC heading into the 2013-14 season. And former role players will be forced to step up their game.
P.J. Hairston, Leslie McDonald and J.P. Tokoto are the only wings on this squad. With Wiggins, you probably would have seen him at the 3 and Hairston the 2. McDonald would come off the bench as the sixth man and Tokoto would be given a little spot treatment here and there.
Add a returning James Michael McAdoo, a more experienced Marcus Paige and five options at center, and we’re looking at a pretty talented group of starters.
Without Wiggins, one has to assume Hairston will take the 3, McDonald the 2 and Tokoto will be receiving a larger chunk of minutes at both positions. There will be a lot of pressure on Tokoto now to develop a consistent jumper.
On the bright side, not having Wiggins gives Tokoto the room to gain invaluable experience in his sophomore season. In his freshman year, he was already showing signs of becoming an elite defender with his quick hands and feet.
He was also very active on the inside, using his insane hops to crash the boards and slam home putbacks from seemingly out of nowhere. But his poor 10-of-26 free-throw shooting and 1-of-11 effort from downtown is a serious concern.
Tokoto will be one of those question marks that will make or break the Tar Heels this season.
But nobody will have more weight on his shoulders after Andrew Wiggins’ decision than Leslie McDonald. Unless Tokoto plays out of his mind in the offseason, McDonald will finally be a starter through his senior season.
He isn’t the dominant athlete that Tokoto is, but he makes up for that with his experience, shooting ability and smarts.
McDonald was off to a blistering start last season, burying 25-of-58 treys and scoring over 20 points twice. It was the Reggie Bullock and Leslie McDonald show behind the arc.
Then he was suspended for academics and tweaked his knee to boot. He was never the same after missing the next six games. McDonald was only able to muster double-digit points twice through the remainder of the season.
His three-point percentage also took a hit, as he was just 17-of-59 after coming back.
For now, McDonald is looked at as a one-dimensional player that usually offers some pop on the perimeter.
However, I do recall Bullock having the same stigma before he was forced into a starting role. Before you could blink, he turned himself into an elite on-ball defender and an extremely versatile weapon with his shooting, passing and rebounding abilities.
Make no mistake about it, McDonald has that same potential.
Hairston and McAdoo will also receive some extra pressure, as the Tar Heels won’t have a third proven scorer. But either Paige or McDonald could be that guy.
And who knows what will happen at center with Joel James, Desmond Hubert and Kennedy Meeks. Power forwards Brice Johnson and Isaiah Hicks could end up in the mix, too.
Even with Wiggins, there would have been no guarantees. You never really know what a freshman will do when he hits the college hardwood for the first time. How many No. 1 overalls bring home a title their first year?
According to Scout.com’s rankings, Anthony Davis is the only one to bring home a title as a freshman since at least 2005.
Wiggins would have just made them favorites, alongside the Kentucky Wildcats and their loaded recruiting class. But being listed as a favorite means very little. If you recall, Kentucky and Indiana were both considered preseason favorites to cut down the nets in 2013.
Kentucky didn’t even make the tournament—and failed to get past Robert Morris in the first round of the NIT.
I’m not being delusional or downplaying Wiggins’ talent. The Tar Heels would have been better with him, and they certainly could have used the depth on the wing. There is no denying this.
That doesn’t mean today is Doomsday in Chapel Hill. Wiggins is most likely a one-and-done player, and now the Tar Heels have a chance to build for the future.
Perhaps in some strange, demented way, the program is better off without Andrew Wiggins. Unfortunately, we won’t know until we see the development of a handful of Tar Heels.
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NBA Playoffs Bracket 2013: Players Who Must Step Up for Their Team to Advance
The cliche goes that stars are born in the postseason, but truth of the matter is that the playoffs are just when we finally start noticing.
Many roundtable discussions have been had over the past couple weeks anointing Stephen Curry a superstar. While Curry’s backbreaking threes have become the bane of the Rocky Mountains’ existence, these past five games have been a mere continuation of an already-brilliant regular season.
Do yourself a favor and take a look at Curry’s per-36 minutes stats. Other than a spike in assists, what we see is a player wholly comparable to the one that showed up in the first 82 games. Curry isn’t different, we’re just invested in actually staying up late enough to watch him play.
Instead, it’s the ascendant secondary player whose late-game heroics or stalwart defensive play on the perimeter that is so often as integral if not more than the star’s contributions. We hear consistently about the Robert Horrys of the world, guys whose careers would have ended long before they did without some postseason glory.
And while that phenomenon is a bit overblown as well—Big Shot Rob is always Big Shot Rob—the disappearances of the Robert Horrys of the world can be crippling. Superstar talents can only carry a team so far, especially in a postseason so riddled with injury.
With that in mind, let’s check in with a few players who need to step up (or keep stepping up) most for their team to avoid an early postseason exit.
(Note: For a complete look at the 2013 NBA playoffs bracket, go here.)
Kevin Martin (G, Oklahoma City Thunder)
It’s become readily apparent that Scott Brooks does not have an answer for the loss of Russell Westbrook—at least for this series. We’re three games into the post-Westbrook era, and outside of a couple minuscule wrinkles, the Thunder coach has been unable to adjust on the fly.
After finishing second behind Miami scoring 110.2 points per 100 possessions during the regular season, Oklahoma City has dipped by over four points, per NBA.com. That would still be a very respectable top-10 rate over the entire season, more than good enough to beat most teams.
But what’s become clear is that the Thunder are struggling to stay that proficient against a bad defensive team—and putting the onus on Kevin Durant to make it happen.
Oklahoma City’s offense has never been the most, shall we say, inventive in the world. Brooks has often simply relied on his two stars to take over games, and the Durant-Westbrook pick-and-roll was an especially deadly crunch-time look. The Thunder have tried putting Reggie Jackson into the Westbrook role, and he’s done an admirable job overall.
But the Rockets don’t respect Jackson the way they did Westbrook, putting the Thunder in need of another reliable scorer—and let’s not go down the Serge Ibaka well. Ibaka is fine at what he does offensively, asking him to do any more only leads to a downtick in efficiency.
That leaves Kevin Martin, who is facing an underrated set of pressures following the Westbrook injury. As of now, he’s the only tangible piece from the James Harden trade on Oklahoma City’s roster—unless you insist on counting perpetual Gatorade fetcher Jeremy Lamb. Martin is the substitute sixth man, the dead-eye shooter who Sam Presti deemed a good enough replacement for Harden in the bench-scoring role.
With Westbrook, that role only increases. Harden was the Thunder’s secondary ball-handler and safety net for them when Westbrook went off the rails. Martin isn’t a great ball-handler so the latter is out of the question, but he needs to provide a scoring safety net for Durant, who is exerting far too much energy on both ends of the floor.
Thus far, Martin has been dreadful in three games without Westbrook. He’s scoring 10.3 points per game, but has shot a pitiful 28.1 percent from the floor, including 28.6 percent from beyond the arc.
Kevin Martin can’t be Russell Westbrook. He can’t be James Harden. We all knew that. But without Kevin Martin being Kevin Martin, the Thunder run the risk of being the first team to ever lose a series when starting up 3-0.
Jamal Crawford (G, Los Angeles Clippers)
For a team that spent the entire season trying to usurp the Lakers for the most beloved team in Los Angeles, the Clippers have begun looking a whole lot like their Staples Center co-tenants. At least when we’re talking about injuries to stars.
Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are both dealing with injuries as Los Angeles heads into Friday night’s Game 6 in Memphis with its playoff livelihood at stake. Paul has a bruised left thumb but will reportedly be in the starting lineup on Friday. Griffin, however, is a game-time decision after suffering a high right ankle sprain and sitting out much of the Clippers’ Game 5 loss, per ESPN’s Arash Markazi.
In the very best-case scenario, Griffin and Paul will start at less than 100 percent.
And while CP3 has answered the Bat-Signal every time his number has been called in this series, it’s looking increasingly likely that he’ll need a more stable Robin. Unfortunately, all he has is Jamal Crawford.
It’s infinitely easier said than done to tell Crawford “go score.”
The problem is that Crawford is utterly useless without putting the ball in the basket. He doesn’t stop shooting when the ball isn’t going down, and defense is apparently a curse word in all Crawford households across the country. (see: Crawford, Jordan for additional proof)
These are things we and the Clippers knew about Crawford. But one of the major reasons their bench was so brilliant during the regular season is that Crawford wasn’t rendered completely rudderless. He was such a force that even when Bad Jamal came out to play, teams had to respect he could combust at any minute.
Memphis doesn’t fear Crawford—at least not in the way the Clippers need them to. Lionel Hollins has done a masterful job of pegging Tony Allen early in games to throw Crawford off his rhythm, and it’s worked. Crawford has gone into a major funk in the series’ last three games, knocking down only 37.1 percent of his shots as Allen has suffocated him on the outside.
There’s no blueprint to defeating Allen. He’s the league’s best on-ball defender for a reason, a masterful combination of smarts, physicality and foot speed.
But the great thing about Crawford—at least what had been the great thing all season—was that he would render defenses equally befuddled. Perhaps only J.R. Smith hit a more varied and difficult arrangements of shots, with each look doubling as a heat check and a head-scratcher.
Crawford’s game won’t change Friday, nor will Allen’s. The shots just have to start falling for the Clippers to have a remote shot of forcing this series back to Staples Center.
Jeff Green (F, Boston Celtics)
We go from two players who desperately need to get out of a funk to one whose ascent has been critical to his team’s resurrection. The Boston Celtics, who went down 3-0, bear little resemblance to the ones that will head into Friday night down 3-2. They’ve gone from a battered assemblage of used-to-bes fighting on their last legs to a squad that many feel could join an elite class of Boston history.
The ascent’s root? Boston’s journey from turn-back-the-shot-clock putridity on offense to being just plain old bad.
Over the first three games, Doc Rivers was running a ton of offense through Paul Pierce at the top of the key. What Pierce would do from that set was mostly up to him—whether that be post-up, set an isolation or distribute to a cutter—but it became obvious that the Knicks knew how to stop Boston if the status quo was kept.
That meant making adjustments—specifically a renewed emphasis on Jeff Green’s place within the offense.
The Celtics may take on the personality of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce—gritty, defensive-minded and fight-to-the-last-breath tough—but their offensive star this series.
Oft-questioned after signing an above market value contract this offseason, only once during these five games has Green no-showed (Game 2). He’s scored 22.7 points over the other four contests, including an extremely efficient 18 on Wednesday night.
The city of Boston may wistfully remember Garnett’s gritty 16-18-5 stat line, and rightfully so. But it was Green’s eight-point run late in the fourth quarter that helped stymie the Knicks’ torrid comeback attempt.
TD Garden may be the loudest arena of the entire playoffs on Friday. Just don’t be surprised if it’s Green the fans wind up cheering for rather than No. 34 or No. 5.
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NBA Playoffs 2013: Players Who Must Step Up to Help Their Teams Advance
For a number of first-round matchups in the NBA playoffs, the action is just beginning. The rest of these series will be decided by the performances of a few players.
In reality, teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics could likely start planning for the offseason after falling behind 3-0. However, the remaining matchups could go either way after the first few games.
These players might not be the biggest stars in the league, but they will determine which teams advance to the second round of the NBA postseason.
Deron Williams, Brooklyn Nets
As one of the most talented point guards in the NBA, a lot is expected out of Deron Williams. After an up-and-down season, he has been disappointing in the playoffs.
After leading the Nets to a Game 1 victory with 22 points and seven assists, he has followed that up with two poor performances in the next two games. He took bad shots and missed open ones, as well as struggled to find teammates consistently.
Unsurprisingly, this led to two losses as the Chicago Bulls took a 2-1 lead in the series.
Even though he is facing one of the top defenses in the league, Williams must provide more production to help lead his team to victories on the road and at home. If he cannot become more efficient, the Nets will be going home early.
Kenneth Faried, Denver Nuggets
It is obvious that Kenneth Faried is still not 100 percent healthy after injuring his ankle at the end of the regular season. However, Denver desperately needs a big performance out of the big man for the rest of the series.
Faried battled his way to 15 points and seven rebounds in the Game 3 loss to the Golden State Warriors, but the team needs more help on the defensive end.
The quick opposing guards have had an easy time scoring in the lane throughout the series. Stephen Curry and Jarrett Jack combined for 52 points in the latest contest, and that includes only four three-pointers total.
Denver needs someone to defend the interior and make it harder for these players to get shots off inside. Additionally, Faried is needed to dominate the glass like he did all year after the team was out-rebounded last game.
While Faried has the injury excuse, he still must provide more for the Nuggets to win the series.
Kevin Martin, Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City is in a lot of trouble after potentially losing Russell Westbrook for the postseason with a knee injury (via ESPN).
While Kevin Martin is not expected to take over point guard duties for the Thunder, he will be absolutely vital in replacing the scoring load that the team just lost.
Westbrook averaged 23.2 points per game during the regular season and is one of the best pure scorers in the NBA. Martin needs to use his slashing ability to make things happen around the basket, as well as hit open shots on the perimeter.
Kevin Durant will obviously remain the go-to option for the Thunder, but he will not be able to do it all by himself. In order to keep pace with the high-scoring Houston Rockets, the team needs secondary players to step up to take pressure off the superstar.
Martin needs to be someone to do that after scoring only 26 points combined in the first two games of the series.
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Duke Basketball: Who Will Step Up and Be Blue Devils’ Leader Next Season?
The 2013-14 Duke Blue Devils appear to be a team with an incredible amount of potential.
Andre Dawkins returns to the team after a redshirt year and could be an extremely explosive offensive player.
Rodney Hood will be eligible after transferring from Mississippi State. He’s a slashing wing player who brings tremendous versatility to Duke.
To go along with those two, the Blue Devils will also receive the services of three incoming freshman, including Jabari Parker, one of the best high school recruits in the country.
Still, with all this new talent, Mike Krzyzewski must find a player who can emerge as this team’s leader. This is especially important considering that last season’s team had three senior starters who all had a great deal of experience.
However, the player ready to take on the role of leading next season’s team doesn’t even figure to be one of the starters.
The starting spot won’t matter—Tyler Thornton is ready to lead the Blue Devils.
Thornton is a rising senior who has only averaged 3.1 points through his first three season at Duke. Clearly, scoring doesn’t tell much of the story of what Thornton means to the team.
The 6’1″ guard from Washington, D.C., is the ultimate “glue guy” for a basketball program. He is a physical defender who is willing to do whatever his team needs from him and makes plays that don’t always show up in the box score.
As Mike Kline of DukeReport.com noted:
He is clearly respected by the coaching staff who believe in his abilities. He isn’t the most talented player, not by a long shot, but he is a guy that can make the guys around him better.
Thornton needs to take on a vocal leadership role with next season’s team and he’s shown the ability to make his voice heard in the past. With the experience of winning an ACC tournament championship and playing in numerous hostile environments, he will be a player who can help mentor Duke’s new faces.
There is no doubt that next season’s team will have plenty of talent. What Mike Krzyzewski needs is for his players to learn their roles and put the pieces together so the team will become a championship contender.
And Tyler Thornton’s role will be to lead this talented group.
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Hiring Mike Brown Would Be Giant Step Backward for Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are on the hunt for a new head coach, as Byron Scott was fired last week after three seasons.
If owner Dan Gilbert and the team brass make the avoidable mistake of hiring former coach Mike Brown for a second tenure with the club, the Cavs deserve to remain mired in mediocrity for the foreseeable future.
While Brown never missed the postseason during his five seasons with the organization (2005-10), much of that success and credit belongs to LeBron James, as the superstar put a woeful group of teammates on his back and dragged them there.
Had LBJ been replaced with an average player, there is no feasible way Brown would have been able to attain a 272-138 regular-season record or been able to navigate Cleveland through to the NBA Finals in 2007.
Instead of hiring a coach that Gilbert fired in 2010 for failing to advance to the NBA Finals and capture a title with one of the league’s best rosters, the Cavs need to start looking for proven winners.
The lineup is loaded with potential, including bona fide superstar Kyrie Irving, up-and-comer Dion Waiters and a lottery pick in the upcoming 2013 draft. The Cavs have the makeup as a playoff team in the Eastern Conference right now. They just need the right head coach to guide them.
One option is Phil Jackson, the 11-time champion that the organization has reportedly (h/t ESPN) reached out to about the coaching vacancy.
However, with potential competition from the Brooklyn Nets and the Sacramento Kings (pending relocation), the cost for the Zen Master could be quite high. Instead of buckling under his contractual demands, Gilbert needs to realize that going back to the same coach that couldn’t win it with LeBron isn’t the answer and pay the proven winner.
It’s certainly not as if Brown found success after leaving Cleveland, as the coach joined the Los Angeles Lakers, led them to a middling 41-25 record during the lockout shortened 2011-12 campaign and early exit to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the postseason.
He was fired just five games into the 2012-13 season, after going 0-8 in the preseason and 1-4 with a retooled roster that featured a rejuvenated Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Steve Nash and more.
Before the Cavaliers make a monumental error and rehire Brown to a job he wasn’t right for in the first place, Gilbert needs to think about the past and if he truly wants his franchise to contend in the future.
If he’s serious about winning and making a championship run, he’ll hire Jackson (or another experienced winner) to put at the helm of this up-and-coming club.
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Kobe Bryant Injury: Players Who Must Step Up in Absence of Lakers Star
Regardless of whether the Los Angeles Lakers make the playoffs this April, their championship hopes have taken a devastating blow in the wake of Kobe Bryant‘s probable Achilles tear Friday night against Golden State.
With two tough games still left to play against San Antonio and Houston, who are both vying for better playoff seeding in the Western Conference, the Lakers are in serious danger of missing the playoffs altogether this spring unless they can get some timely contributions from a few key players.
Below we’ll highlight the players who must step up the rest of the way in Kobe’s absence.
Steve Nash
A two-time NBA MVP, Steve Nash can be more than just a facilitator if he comes back from injury. The 39-year-old point guard is one of the most accurate shooters in NBA history, and will need to help carry the scoring load for L.A. while Bryant sits.
Nash is averaging just 12.7 points per game this season, but shooting 50 percent from the field and 44 percent from beyond the arc. He’s got to attempt more than nine or 10 shots per game from here on out; he’s too good a shooter not to.
Though Nash can stroke it from anywhere on the floor, the veteran floor general is arguably at his best when creating opportunities for others. And Kobe’s absence from the Lakers lineup should allow him more touches and therefore more chances to create for the L.A. big men.
If Nash can play a role similar to the one he had in Phoenix, taking what the defense gives him, then the Lakers will be in good hands.
Antawn Jamison
Like Nash, Antawn Jamison has been around a long time, and understands what it takes to win in the NBA. Unfortunately, the 36-year-old power forward has been up and down this season, sometimes settling for outside shots far too often.
If the Lakers are going to make the playoffs and make noise this postseason, Jamison can’t afford to go 0-of-4 from beyond the arc like he did Friday against Golden State. Instead, the 6’9″ veteran needs to attack the rim with a purpose and use his size to get easy looks and opportunities at the free-throw line, where he’s a 72 percent career shooter.
Don’t get me wrong, Jamison is a lethal three-point shooter when he’s on his mark, but with Kobe out, he must become a more reliable scorer off the bench.
Jodie Meeks
With Kobe going down, backup shooting guard Jodie Meeks will have no choice but to step up his game in order to keep L.A. in the mix.
The fourth-year player out of Kentucky is shooting just 39 percent from the field this year, but has been decent from downtown, knocking in 36 percent of his three-pointers in 2012-13. Meeks should put up better numbers with more minutes, but he’ll have to become more efficient as well.
He’s averaging just 5.2 points on 32 percent shooting in nearly 27 minutes per night for the month of April. There’s no way the Lakers can afford to receive similar production from Meeks in Kobe’s absence and still contend.
Meeks has also got to ratchet up the heat on the defensive end, where Kobe Bryant often excels. No one expects Meeks to take over the game on that side of the ball, but he doesn’t need to. So long as he’s pressuring his man and forcing tough shots L.A. will be in decent shape moving forward.
Follow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Patrick Clarke on Twitter.
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Michigan vs. Louisville: Bench Players Who Need to Step Up
The Louisville Cardinals and Michigan Wolverines both have loaded starting lineups. There’s plenty of star power to entertain on college basketball’s biggest stage.
If those stars balance each other out on Monday night, the bench players will decide which team is victorious.
Louisville’s starting line-up has averaged 55.7 points per game to this point in the season, and Michigan’s starting five have averaged 62.7 points per game. Louisville’s bench needs to provide offense to compensate for that scoring difference, while Michigan’s bench needs to play solid minutes to effectively rest the bulk of their firepower.
Here are the three bench players to keep an eye on in the championship.
Montrezl Harrell, Louisville, F
Center Gorgui Dieng was a ghost on the offensive end against Wichita State. Montrezl Harrell stepped up on a night when Dieng had zero points.
The 6’8” freshman went 4-for-4 from the field and added four rebounds. In a surprisingly tight game against the Shockers, Harrell was a huge difference-maker.
Harrell will probably log about 15 minutes of playing time against Michigan, and Louisville needs him to score above his season average of 5.7 points per game during that time.
Harrell’s defensive performance against emergent Mitch McGary will also be important. When Dieng is out, Harrell needs to play strong against the fellow freshman. Harrell doesn’t need to block shots the way Dieng does, but he needs to keep McGary off the boards and out of position for easy points.
Spike Albrecht, Michigan, G
The diminutive freshman has enjoyed a lot of media attention for his stellar tourney (UMHoops described him as the “unlikely NCAA tournament star”). Albrecht cannot disappear against the Cardinals.
The back-up point guard played sparingly during the season, but he saw serious minutes against VCU (15), Kansas (11) and Florida (14).
The importance of those minutes cannot be overstated. Trey Burke scored in single digits against South Dakota State and Syracuse while shooting an abysmal 3-for-20 (15 percent) from the field.
Burke scored over 15 in each of the three games Albrecht played 10+ minutes, and he shot a combined 39.2 percent from the field.
In the tournament, Burke’s play has depended on Albrecht’s play.
It’s more than just resting Burke though. Albrecht needs to be a steady leader when he’s on the floor for Michigan.
He is more than capable.
The freshman hasn’t looked rattled in a single game so far in the tournament: Albrecht has three turnovers total and hasn’t missed a three-point attempt. Michigan is hoping this is his biggest game yet.
Luke Hancock, Louisville, G/F
After his 20-point explosion against Wichita State, Hancock is probably the most visible bench player for either team.
Unfortunately, that 20-point game is his second-highest total for the season (after the five-overtime thriller) and far above his average of 7.7 points per game.
The Cardinals may need something close to that against Michigan though.
Hancock showed some consistency down the stretch against the Big East, so he’s not incapable of turning in solid performances back-to-back. He also doesn’t need to drop 20 again, but he does need to score in double digits.
Hancock’s three-point shooting and reliability at the charity stripe easily make him the best scorer off the bench for either team.
In what will almost certainly be a close game, expect Hancock’s performance to impact which school emerges as national champion.
*All statistics from ESPN.com.
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Milwaukee Bucks Role Players Who Must Step Up in NBA Playoffs
Despite the Milwaukee Bucks finally clinching a playoff berth Saturday night, their hopes of winning a playoff series—or even pushing a team to the brink—grow dimmer with each completed game due to poor play.
In order to do either of the aforementioned, they’ll need strong performances from certain role players this postseason.
Plagued by inconsistency and a complete lack of effort defensively in recent games, the Bucks haven’t been able to get over the hump and claim the seventh seed—or better.
And while the team as a whole needs to find a way to come together and start playing better basketball, the Bucks won’t get anywhere without their role players stepping up.
Some will—and need—to be more productive than others.
But who will those players be, how will they increase their roles and what will an increased impact mean to the team?
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Jazz vs. Nuggets: Utah Players Who Must Step Up with Playoffs on Line
The Utah Jazz play host to the Denver Nuggets Wednesday night. The Jazz are currently tied for the eighth and final seed in the Western Conference with the Los Angeles Lakers, but they hold the tie-breaker.
With the Nuggets holding on to the third seed in the West, this is a gut-check game for the Jazz, and one that they could really use a win in.
For that to happen, there are two players that must step up in order to beat the Nuggets.
Mo Williams, PG
With Nuggets’ point guard Ty Lawson reportedly out for a few weeks with a foot injury, Mo Williams has a chance to step up for the Jazz. Andre Miller is the primary backup to Lawson, so that’s who Williams will be primarily matched up against.
Williams is currently averaging just over 12 points and six assists per game. Not gaudy numbers by any means, but numbers that should improve with the absence of Lawson.
Teams that want to make late playoff pushes must have solid play at the point guard position. If the Jazz want to put distance between themselves and the Lakers, Williams will have to step up, not just against the Nuggets but for the rest of the season.
Paul Millsap, PF
With Lawson out, expect the Nuggets to look inside more to take the pressure off the guards. That means more touches will be going to Kenneth Faried, who Millsap will be guarding down low.
Millsap is the better scorer of the two, averaging nearly 15 points per game, compared to Faried‘s 11.7. However, Faried pulls down nearly two more rebounds per game than Millsap, with the two averaging 9.2 and 7.2 rebounds a game, respectively.
However, each time these two have faced each other this season, Faried has gotten the better of Millsap. The Nuggets are 2-1 this year against the Jazz. Faried averages 18 points per game against the Jazz, compared to Millsap who only averages 10 against the Nuggets.
Millsap has established himself as a quality power forward in the NBA. But when the big boys like Denver come into town, he has to solidify that reputation with solid play. And with the playoffs hanging in the balance, there hasn’t been a better time for Millsap to step up and have a big game.
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NCAA Basketball Tournament 2013: Stars Who Must Step up on Friday
The Sweet 16 is about to get “Russ-diculous.”
Russ Smith has been one of the best players in the country up to this point. He’s had a strong regular season and is continuing that play into the Big Dance. Smith was never one to shy away from the spotlight, and he’s only continuing to embrace the stage.
The Louisville Cardinals have looked next to unbeatable this tournament, in large part to the stellar play of Smith. There’s every reason to think he’ll have another huge game against the Oregon Ducks. If that happens, it could very well turn into another Cardinals win.
Smith is just one of the star players in action Friday night. Here are three players who most need to step up in order to help their teams advance to the Elite Eight.
Ben McLemore, Kansas
Ben McLemore sure isn’t playing like the Jayhawks’ leading scorer. He’s only scored 13 points in Kansas’ two tournament wins, which is still 2.8 points short of his per-game averages.
McLemore‘s struggles were especially pronounced in the 70-58 win over the North Carolina Tar Heels. Bill Self was asked if he would run plays to get McLemore in the game. Almost on cue, Kansas ran a play that gave the star the opportunity to finish an alley-oop. He promptly missed.
There’s no way the Jayhawks can win if McLemore doesn’t improve. Getting by the Heels and 16th-seeded Western Kentucky Hilltoppers is one thing. It’s another thing to have your leading scorer absent against the Michigan Wolverines.
Trey Burke, Michigan
Speaking of the Wolverines, Trey Burke rebounded in Michigan’s romp of the VCU Rams. He really had a hard time against South Dakota State in the round of 64. The Jackrabbits held him to just 2-of-12 from the floor and six points.
It followed a less-than-stellar performance from Burke in the Big Ten tournament. In the Wolverines’ 68-59 loss to the Wisconsin Badgers, Burke only shot 8-of-22 for 19 points.
Having Burke score 20 points is good for the Wolverines, but only if those points come in an efficient manner. Michigan can’t have him taking 20-plus shots and only making six or eight. He needs to find his shooting stroke against Kansas.
Damyean Dotson, Oregon
Only averaging 11.3 points a game, Damyean Dotson has stepped his game up in a major way during the tournament. He’s scored 40 points over the Ducks’ two wins. Even more importantly, Dotson has shot 8-of-15 from three-point range.
Dotson will need to continue that strong play if Oregon is to have any shot of upsetting top-seeded Louisville. The Cardinals have looked like the best team in the tournament. Smith in particular has played great for Louisville, easily living up to the hype.
A large part of the reason for Oregon’s strong showings against the Saint Louis Billikens and Oklahoma State Cowboys is the play of Dotson. Should he struggle against the Cardinals, the Ducks will be dead in the water.
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