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Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after getting injured during a game against the Golden State Warriors at Staples Center on April 12, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images)
The annual excitement the middle of spring brings with the NBA Playoffs will always be something basketball fans to look forward to. Every team steps their defense up to the next level and the leagues best players look to put their teams on their back for the ride to the Larry O’Brien trophy. However, this year has been different. The absence of such stars from this year’s playoffs has made it easier to count some teams out from even advancing in the first round. With Kobe Bryant (Lakers), Russell Westbrook (Thunder), Derrick Rose (Bulls) and Rajon Rondo (Celtics) all missing from this year’s postseason, not only does their team’s chances of success greatly decline, but so does the identity of the NBA. The four of them combine for 25 All-Star appearances, and when healthy, they all are near the top of the NBA in some statistical category. Their situations are all different but all end with the same result: a star-less team in the playoffs.
Kobe, who endured one of his most frustrating seasons, dealing with drama within the locker room, pressure for his team to excel with the acquisition of two sure fire hall-of-famers and the Los Angeles spotlight, somehow managed to somehow finish 3rd in the scoring race. Down the stretch in his teams desperate push to squeeze in the playoffs, the Black Mamba played an astonishing amount of minutes to ensure his team got key victories to end the regular season. Unfortunately in game 80, Bryant suffered a torn achilles, one of the most painful and difficult injuries to recover from. The Lakers were able to win their final two without him to earn the 7th spot in the West, before being swept by San Antonio in the first round. Kobe is known for his clutch factor and superb performances in the playoffs, and fans around the world were asking the same question as the Lakers struggled this postseason: what if Kobe was playing?
What the Oklahoma City Thunder lost when Russell Westbrook went down in Game 2 with a knee injury (returned to finish the game but was ruled out of the playoffs afterwards), may be more than people even realize. Not only did they lose half of the highest scoring duo in the NBA, they lost a crowd energizer, a great on-ball defender and something more and more teams are beginning to have: a very good point guard. From Deron Williams to Stephen Curry to Chris Paul to Tony Parker, most teams that are successful in the league today are because of their floor general (unless of course you are the superstar ridden Miami Heat). Kevin Durant is an elite scorer and has raised his game this year even more than last year, but you have to question if even he can navigate through a very talented Western Conference, alone.
Derrick Rose #1 of the Chicago Bulls watches from the bench as his teammates take on the Miami Heat in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2013 NBA Playoffs at the United Center on May 10, 2013 in Chicago, Illinois. (Getty Images)
Chicago’s situation differs because the played without their star player for the entire season. The league’s youngest MVP, Derrick Rose, is not only a freak athlete, great penetrator and tremendous finisher, but a good team defender as well. One thing about the Bulls is, they are going to play defense, no matter who is in the line-up, but will defense with inconsistent offense be enough to get through the East? As the Bulls are currently in a series with the Heat, you also have to almost assume if Rose plays during the regular season, they are the 2 or 3 seed, avoiding Miami until the Conference Finals, but like the rest of these situations, we will never know.
Of all the teams, Boston may have gotten the shortest end of the stick of them all. Without Rondo, the C’s turn into a team with an unfortunate mixture of players past their primes and ones with little experience. With Rondo at the helm, the Celtics have been a team you can never count out of the championship equation because he defends, rebounds, scores and most importantly, gets his older teammates the ball where they are comfortable and can contribute. Without them, they are experienced but are simply out-manned by just about any team in the playoffs when it comes to athletic ability.
At full strength, there is no doubt L.A., Oklahoma City, Chicago and Boston are all contenders. However without their stars, they are very vulnerable. Their weaknesses are exposed and the players who are replacing these stars just aren’t quite fit for the role. No knock to Jodie Meeks, Reggie Jackson, Kirk Hinrich/Nate Robinson and Avery Bradley, but if you just look at the numbers you see that there simply is no replacing a superstar. It is an unfortunate situation for these teams, because they all are threats to the overwhelming favorite Heat team at full strength, but now, Lebron and Co. are looking at back-to-back championships.
