Stein: The postseason of the point guard

[Spurs Brazil]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playof...tGuards-090427

It's the one constant as we proceed into the second full week of the NBA's second season.

LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade might be the consensus top three in the MVP race ... but point guards are at the center of almost every playoff series.

Although we remain fully on course for a Finals showdown pitting Kobe against LeBron on the game's biggest stage for the first time, point guards have undeniably dished out the must-see element of the postseason so far, leading us right into a 1-to-8, series-by-series breakdown of the most compelling PG story lines.

Mavs-Spurs (Dallas lead series 3-1)

North Texas versus South Texas isn't generating any buzz beyond state lines, in spite of the history between these teams, presumably because Manu Ginobili's injury absence has taken such a hefty chunk out of the Spurs. But Mavs-Spurs has to figure prominently if we're having a PG discussion. For two reasons.

Tony Parker rung up 81 points when you add up his totals from Game 2 and Game 4. The Mavs and everyone watching live or on TV know what's coming and still Parker couldn't be contained in those two games until he started getting tired. He's finding ways to get to the basket even when the Mavs drop both defenders into the paint on a pick-and-roll. And he doesn't even have a clear-cut backup at the minute because our beloved Roger Mason has not been able to carry his buzzer-beating touch into his first postseason as a Spur and because George Hill is a rookie who didn't get a real look until he got some of Mason's minutes Saturday.

You can't say enough about Parker's offensive ingenuity, especially when he has to know, (not so) deep down, that this series is unwinnable for San Antonio no matter what he does given the limited amount of support Parker and Tim Duncan are getting. But that's Tony.

As Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News so perfectly put it: "The Spurs have always asked too much of Tony Parker." And that's because Parker has been overachieving since he was a 19-year-old rookie and somehow he's still getting better in his eighth season.

The Mavs are starting two point guards these days to make sure they reach the second round.

You'll recall last week that we detailed the rise of J.J. Barea, who was dubbed "Rudy" by his teammates as a rookie in 2006-07 and generally was treated like a mascot until this season, when he became a fearless and effective scorer/penetrator/perimeter shooter.

The only downside to all the local hoopla generated by Barea and the resurrection of Josh Howard is the lack of appreciation for what Jason Kidd is doing. Which he doesn't deserve after everything he had to hear all season about how much the Mavs allegedly missed Devin Harris.

The numbers aren't gaudy like they used to be in New Jersey, where as recently as 2007 he averaged nearly 15, 11 and 11 in the playoffs. And it's undeniably true that Barea gets more playing time than the Mavs ever envisioned because Kidd doesn't get into the lane or have the defensive foot speed that he once did.

But Kidd has also quietly made multiple momentum-shifting contributions with his smarts, court sense, anticipation and a couple of surprises -- against the team he nearly signed with in the summer of 2003 (and don't forget that almost certainly would have led to Parker leaving the Spurs via trade).

Surprise No. 1: After playing through a bad flu in the first two games, Kidd did a nice, tone-setting job in Game 3 when he urged Mavs coach Rick Carlisle to let him take the first defensive shift on Parker after the Frenchman's 38-point eruption. Surprise No. 2: Kidd has shot the 3-pointer well when the Mavs are putting the ball in Barea's hands and asking him to spot up on the weak side, which has never been his forte.

[SenorSpur]

You can't say enough about Parker's offensive ingenuity, especially when he has to know, (not so) deep down, that this series is unwinnable for San Antonio no matter what he does given the limited amount of support Parker and Tim Duncan are getting. But that's Tony.

As Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News so perfectly put it: "The Spurs have always asked too much of Tony Parker." And that's because Parker has been overachieving since he was a 19-year-old rookie and somehow he's still getting better in his eighth season.

Couldn't agree more. And Pop expects Tony to play 40+ mins a night, without a suitable backup. Which puts even more of a burden on the kid. Besides Duncan, TP doesn't trust his teammates to hit shots, therefore he's looking to score practically all the time. It's a terrible position for him to be in.