2012 No Regard Playoff Power Rankings

I don’t really remember anything from the first two rounds of the 2012 NBA Playoffs (except Rose). Pete probably doesn’t either. (Example: The Utah Jazz were in the playoffs? I had no idea.) But: This will not stop us from bringing you our 2012 No Regard Playoff Power Rankings! We are stubborn! We did this last year, so yeah, it’s annual.

As always, voice your displeasure in the comments, but just know that our algorithm has a higher PER than your algorithm.

25. Mike Miller
Miami might have won game five without Miller’s seven three-pointers, but they never got the chance to try. This single game burst alone is enough to land Miller in our 25… which is good because this was all Miller had. - Andrew

24. Amar’e Stoudemire
We’re really just putting him on this list so we get an opportunity to say this once and for all: None of your fire extinguisher jokes were funny, no matter who you are. - Andrew

23. Blake Griffin
You better believe that in his playoff debut, this boy did some dunking of the basketball. - Pete

22. Jeff Teague
While the movie ended like it always does for his Hawks, Jeffrey Demarco showed once again that he is not scared of the spotlight. He proved to be a serious pest in the backcourt too, gambling early and often. - Pete

21. Glen Davis

Filled in admirably for his buddy Dwight, throwing that doughy body all around the goddamn court on his way to a strong 19-point, 9-rebound series average. He grabbed 23 offensive rebounds in five games, which is no joke. But that doesn't mean the man himself isn't a bit of a punchline (and we love him for it). - Andrew


20. Stephen Jackson
Captain Jack stayed the course for the Spurs, even with their backs seriously up against the wall against OKC. His all-around game helped San Antonio turn back the clock once again (and maybe for the last time). - Pete

19. Kobe Bryant
Must have been tough for the Mamba to be part of a Laker collapse that could have easily been avoided in a couple fourth quarters. We know employee #24 can score at will—thanks, in part, to his German-powered knee—but Kobe's disinterest in feeding the ball to his bigs may have [SPOILER ALERT] killed the 2012 Lakers. - Pete

18. Danny Granger
Makes this list for the simple fact that the Pacers won two games against the eventual champs and many people actually believed they had a chance to take the series. His strategy to try and piss LeBron off was slightly cute—and certainly did not work. In the immortal words of Kobe Bean Bryant, "You shake a tree, a leopard's gonna fall out." Yeah, a big ass 6'8", 270-pound leopard might just fall out and win his first title. - Pete

17. Allen Iverson

His presence at game six of the Philly-Boston series definitely gave the crowd and the current 76ers outfit a huge energy boost, so we'll go ahead and suggest that he was the reason Philadelphia forced a return trip to Boston. And no, we don't care that he didn't actually play in the game, FYI (that's for your information). - Pete

16. Mike Bibby
Okay, okay, maybe the only reason he's at 16 is because he writes for this blog and because Wade threw his shoe into the crowd after it somehow fell off. That said, for a dude that pretty clearly does not belong in the league anymore, he admirably filled in for an entire Knicks point guard corps that all found themselves deceased. (RIP Sir Baron Davis.) - Pete

15. Andre Iguodala
Iggy blossomed this season as a leader and guy who can be counted on in big spots. He was a tough cover for Pierce and made mince meat of the top-seeded Chicago Bulls. And while injuries to Derrick Rose and Jimmy Noah were critical in helping Philadelphia advance, Iguodala was the main reason why his upstart 76ers were a game away from the Eastern Conference Finals. - Pete

14. Tim Duncan
The media-proclaimed "best power forward ever" seemed well on his way to a fifth piece of bling for a little while there. He is still a reliable scoring option and can defend just about any big down low. It's too bad the NBA doesn't offer a third place game, because thinking about watching him and KG go at it makes my mouth water. - Pete

13. Manu Ginobli
The Argentinian two-guard did his best to keep the San Antonio championship hopes alive once the Thunder took hold of the Western Conference Finals. Somehow, he remains underrated despite showing off his three-point range, ability to slash to the hole and a willingness to take the tough shots during this playoff run and every Spurs playoff run for the past 10 years. No doubt, this man is cold-blooded. - Pete

12. Shane Battier
If the Bible has taught us anything, and it hasn't, it's that in order to win a championship in the NBA, a team needs to have one player that simply hits threes and is a defensive stopper (James Posey, Bruce Bowen, etc.). When Battier's jumper finally woke up this June, it spelled impending doom for the Thunder. We're definitely happy that such a class act (and Lebowski fan) made it to the mountaintop. - Pete

11. Roy Hibbert
With Chris Bosh riding the pine due to injury, Hibbert did an excellent job of showing the world just how big he is, literally. The Georgetown alum and "Parks and Rec" day player was top dog in the painted area against Miami's trees and was the key component to Indiana's delicious foray into the second round. If he continues to improve and play like he did this spring, he'll find himself in the conversation of best center in the league, no question. - Pete

10. Chris Duhon
Is the 10th spot too high for someone who played 61 minutes over five games, notching a total of three points, five fouls, seven turnovers and zero free throws? I don't know, you tell me:

 - Andrew

9. Chris Paul
In a season that started pretty damn weird for one of the universe's top point guards, Paul did a hell of a job carrying what was once a laughing stock franchise into the second round of the playoffs. His leadership, quality and ability to pull strings was on full display against Memphis and when his young team needed him most, CP3 answered the call delivering the Clips their first ever game seven victory—tallying 19 points and nine boards. - Pete

8. Dwyane Wade
Wade was a tough guy to rank because, quite frankly, he had some pretty poor performances during Miami's title run. Things looked particularly ugly after a game three loss to Indiana in which he acted pretty darn childish. That's ancient history, though, for the player formerly known as Flash. His biggest contribution? Admitting to himself and his teammates that he's second banana(head) to King James, a move that probably gave LeBron a ton of confidence. He also stepped up when LBJ cramped up, willing to control the game, no questions asked. He's an explosive talent and a winner (and also a bit of a whiner, but whatevs). - Pete

7. James Harden
He became tangible to the general public by eviscerating Dallas in the elimination game of that series, then continued a streak of deveastation from the bench. But his debutante ball ended before the Finals did, as he submitted a pretty poor performances in the five final games of his season. The other thing, though, is that he’s two months away from his 23rd birthday. So he’s got time to marinate. - Andrew

6. Chris Bosh

Would have been higher if not for his ab injury that kept him out of nine of this team’s 23 playoff games. He did everything you want from a 6' 10" power forward/perhaps-alien: rebounded well, rarely turned the ball over, stretched out to three-point territory (hitting 7-13 threes in the playoffs) and photobombed like that was his real occupation. - Andrew

5. Kevin Garnett
KG never ceases to amaze us, both on the floor and in his post game pressers. Simply stated, the numbers were tasty this spring, especially his 28 and 14 close-out performance against Atlanta. But beyond numbers, KG presented to the world, once again, that he is a warrior, always ready for a bar fight. He plays the game with intense emotion and pure heart, all day long. It was epic to watch him and Rondo lead a team nobody thought was worth a damn to a game seven against the champs. Garnett is a legend. Please don't retire. - Pete

4. Rajon Rondo

So I came up with a nickname for Rondo that I’ve never heard anyone else use: Plan 9 From Outer Space. Please let me know in the comments if you think this is the best nickname in the NBA. - Andrew

3. Russell Westbrook

“Russell musta had his Cheetos.”

Pete said this to me during game four of the Finals, right in the middle of Russ’ 43 point tour of duty. But it holds true for the dude's entire playoff run. He was immaculate. We've always been firmly planted in his corner, but during this stretch, even his detractors were (sort of) quieted. The main reason? He cut his turnovers from 78 in last year's playoffs (which led the league), to 45 this year (in three more games). He's an absolute terror and we love him for that. Can't wait until he's a champion. - Andrew

2. Kevin Durant

It seems like the modern basketball star needs to go through hell before tasting glory. Losing 4-1 in the Finals has no doubt left KD with a hangover that'll linger throughout his summer workouts. But there's no shame in losing to a determined Heatles team. And isn't life about the journey anyway? And what a journey for Durant, who picked off Dirk, Kobe and the San Antonio big three en route to his first ever Finals appearance. He might have been second fiddle to LBJ this year, but their rivalry will be seen on the big stage for years to come. And for KD, whose talent and work rate are tremendous, we know his time will come. - Pete

1. LeBron James
Jesus. That was something.

He read The Hunger Games. He started doing that meditation thing before games. He led the playoffs in points, rebounds (total and offensive), free throws made and minutes played. He finished second in assists and steals. He wore that custom "XVI" mouthguard. He ignored Danny Granger. He went for 45-15-5 in a road elimination game against the Celtics, his longtime foil, because he had to and because he can. He read Jay-z's Decoded. He stopped settling for jumpers, pitched camp in the paint. He started to get the hang of that Duncan-esque bank shot. He beat the Thunder in OKC—something no one else could do in the playoffs. He notched his first triple-double of the season in the close-out game of the NBA Finals to win his first title and Finals MVP. He shifted the narrative so we can finally just watch.

He may have become perfect. - Andrew