Drive to the Finals Picks - April 20, 2011

The Intuition Statistician:
Must - Zack Randolph

• Randolph has been a double-double machine for almost his entire career.  He should be getting about 40 minutes tonight and putting up big numbers in the process. If the Grizzlies can keep the game close he will be in tonight's top 5 PRA leaders.

Bust - Chris Paul

• Game 1 was the Chris Paul show. He single handedly picked apart the Lakers defense. Therefore, the Lakers game plan tonight will most likely be to stop Paul. A lot of his scoring came from poor defense and the Lakers inability to guard the pick and role. If I could figure that one out, I'm sure the Lakers coaching staff already has and has made adjustments to contain Paul. Furthermore, don't be surprised if the Lakers come back hard tonight and blow out the Hornets, limiting Paul's minutes. Wait till Paul returns home before picking him.

Stat Guru:
Must - Zack Randolph

• I tried to avoid it but Zach Randolph has to be the obvious choice for tonight's pick one. His will to carry the team through Rudy Gay's injury proves his work night in and night out how badly the Grizzlies need his presense. You know what to expect from Randolph with his capablity to rebound on both ends, inside game as well as an outstanding outside touch for his size.
  

Bust - Pau Gasol

• Although I'm a one of the greatest Laker fans all over town, I'm sure all of you were disgusted with Pau Gasol in Game 1 of this series. As one of the best Power Forwards/Centres in the NBA, Pau showed his tendencies as a soft player and lack of focus throughout the matchup. Unfortunately the temptation to use him in this bounce back game should be held off until down the road. I expect a double-double and solid overall game for Pau but the Lakers should handle the Hornets fairly easily from here on out.
  
  

Fantasy Fresh Wes:
Must - Tony Parker

• I had a feeling that the Grizz could pull off a huge upset if they matched up with the Spurs in the first round (not that Hollins would purposely drop the last two games - or would he?). The first game victory proves that the Grizzlies are for real, and that the Spurs are going to have to up their game to win this series. Look for Parker to shoulder the load - especially if Manu is still out - and make drastic improvements from Game 1. 30+ PRA.

Bust - Kobe Bryant

• Don't really feel like I need to justify this pick. Lakers are the best team until proven otherwise, and much like Dwight, I don't feel pressed to use Kobe until the Lakers are in a hole.  Yes, there is a good chance he'll hit 40 PRA tonight, but he is going to hit that mark numerous times these playoffs, and I'd rather save those numbers for later rounds when the talent becomes more sparse.