FOX Sports on MSN - NBA - Quest for excellence includes X-factors Quest for excellence includes X-factors
by Randy Hill
While the Most Valuable Player derby conveniently intersects with the NBA championship quest, the league's middle class is being summoned.
This does not suggest that attainment of ultimate basketball glory will be had without astonishing contributions from our superheroes. The Cleveland Cavaliers, for example, probably aren't going very far if LeBron James fails to walk the chalk.
And we realize all things in Los Angeles flow from Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard leads the Panic Attack in Orlando, ubuntu is a fine concept that can't replace Kevin Garnett's defensive commitment in Boston, and Chris Paul has managed to remain more important in New Orleans than RuPaul.
But any NBA Finals reckoning usually requires a timely performance or two from league employees without (for now, at least) superstar portfolio. Less appreciative observers often refer to these grinders as "role players."
We like to call them "X-Factors."
Our list of seeming title contenders will offer players who may seem like obvious X-Factor candidates and others who may occupy a more realistic space in the ongoing chase for the big trophy:
Eastern Conference
Boston Celtics
# Obvious X-Factor: Well, the Big Three — as a collective or sold separately — are eliminated from this category. They're Hall of Famers ... of course KG, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce are important. But the Celtic who may have inspired immediate consideration is newcomer Stephon Marbury.
Unfortunately, Steph (especially after watching him struggle to bring the ball into the frontcourt against pressure from Detroit's Will Bynum) could be an X-Factor in reverse.
# Real X-Factor: Eddie House — and his potential for timely sniping — was a contender, but his lousy ballhandling requires someone else to dribble with the second unit. That would be Marbury, who — because Eddie is the size of a point guard — has to guard bigger guys, such as Detroit's Walter Hermann. Against Marbury, Hermann looked like Larry Bird after an MTV makeover.
How about Kendrick Perkins or Big Baby Davis? Nice candidates, but no.
Our winner is point guard Rajon Rondo, whose importance also seems obvious. But now we remind you that the Cs are unbeaten when Rondo scores 18 points or more. Here's a bit more ... Rajon, who's making 51 percent of his field-goal tries on the season, is an icy 38 percent in Boston's 14 losses.
This means Rondo attacking the rim and making teams pay for giving him that defensive cushion is fairly critical.
Cleveland Cavaliers
# Obvious X-Factor: No, Mo Williams is an All-Star. We already realize he has to bring it. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Andy Varejao and Joe Smith seem like reasonable picks, but Cleveland can survive if they're a healthy dose of marginal.
# Real X-Factor: Congratulations if you selected shooting guard Delonte West, who missed 17 games with that wounded wrist. OK, so the Cavs' winning percentage is about the same with or without West.
But Delonte's ability to make shots and earn big minutes means less time for backup Wally Szczerbiak, who's expiring contract is a lot easier to tolerate than his expose-able defense.
Orlando Magic
# Obvious X-Factor: Take a bow, Rafer Alston. With All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson on the goner list, it seems pretty safe to assume that acquiring Alston from Houston could produce a huge swing either way.
# Real X-Factor: Take a bow, Rafer Alston. Although he may set a bad precedent for old-school coaches (from And 1 Tour to the league), the schoolyard legend has the kind of pass-the-rock attitude that really blends with a team full of knock-down shooters and the league's bounciest center.
Orlando checks in at 6-2 since the deal for Alston, who is shooting a miserable 20 percent from 3 for the Magic and has produced a 15-percent drop in free-throw accuracy in his new uniform.
He'll need to make shots to keep defenders honest and help the Magic skip into the later rounds.
Western Conference
Los Angeles Lakers
# Obvious X-Factor: We're going plural again here, listing Lamar "Rollercoaster" Odom, Andrew Bynum and Andrew Bynum's knee. Sure, the Lakers are filthy when L.O. plays like a junkyard dog, and Bynum's importance near the rim isn't exactly a secret.
# Real X-Factor: The pick is small forward Trevor Ariza, whose length and quickness make him a nice defensive option against players such as, oh, Paul Pierce.
But Trevor needs to make open jumpers so we don't have to watch Luke Walton try too hard to prove he's a swell passer or get blistered on defense.
New Orleans Hornets
# Obvious X-Factor: We're going to pass on Tyson Chandler's ankle and his toe, although the toe was factor enough to keep him in New Orleans. Notice how the Hornets are pretty salty now that their 7-foot rebounder, shot-blocker and screen-roll lob dunker has returned? We'll also go thumbs down on James Posey ... that's way too obvious.
# Real X-Factor: The Hornets aren't bad with Peja Stojakovic missing more than 60 percent of his 3s. If Peja starts finding the range, Paul's driving lanes will be even wider.
Utah Jazz
Andrei Kirilenko is a suspect shooter, but his defense is key for Utah. (David Sherman/NBAE / Getty Images)
# Obvious X-Factor: Right, how will Paul Millsap perform after the return of Carlos Boozer (Paul, who's averaging 14 points per game, has slipped to 9 over the last four)? That's an important ingredient, but not the X-factor. We also like the fans in Salt Lake City, who are considered by many opposing coaches and players to be the least hospitable in the NBA.
# Real X-Factor: We're going with Andrei Kirilenko, who — if he remembers that his role is defensive stopper — has the ability to do for Utah what Bowen has done for San Antonio.
San Antonio Spurs
# Obvious X-Factor: Roger Mason Jr. and Matt Bonner would be fine choices and may qualify as real X-Factors by the end of the playoff run. Rookie point guard George Hill has been a fine sub for Tony Parker, but just may lose playoff minutes to veteran Jacque Vaughn.
# Real X-Factor: In a conference loaded with gifted wing players, playing on a team that puts a premium on defense, someone who can help create a stop during a game's crucial stage is X-Factor enough for us. On this team, it's Bruce Bowen, whose diminishing minutes may require something like a timely, bench-clearing shove to create sufficient impact for the Spurs to advance.
Denver Nuggets
# Obvious X-Factor: Well, Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony must play well for the Nuggets to prevail, but they're considered stars. We suppose fine inside play from Nene would seem like an easy pick for X-Factor duty, but go ahead and exhale on this guy.
# Real X-Factor: In keeping with the theme of guarding top-notch wing players when the chips are down, our choice is sub Renaldo Balkman, the player immortalized by Isiah Thomas, who selected him for the New York Knicks with a first-round pick. Balkman's on-ball defensive chops have been made by attempting to prevent teammate J.R. Smith from shooting in practice.
Portland Trail Blazers
# Obvious X-Factor: You really want us to go with Greg Oden, don't ya? Well, we're holding out for a guy we're expecting to see in uniform. Jerryd Bayless seems viable, but may not play enough down the stretch.
# Real X-Factor: Steve Blake was another tempting choice, but Travis Outlaw, the scoring option playing small forward off the Blazers' bench, can give Portland a portion of the scoring punch it was hoping to acquire before the trading deadline without the franchise-killing contract.
Houston Rockets
# Obvious X-Factor: If you're turning cartwheels over those plus-minus stats, then Shane Battier is your man. But not in this listing.
# Real X-Factor: Now that Rafer Alston is out of town, Aaron Brooks is the man at point guard. We're happy the guy is a superior scorer to the player he replaced, but Brooks can really make Rockets fans giddy if he gets others involved on offense when it matters and uses his quickness to stay in front of the opposing point guard on defense.