Lakers Hornets Summary

Best Player in the Series: Chris Paul. There's no player in the league whose reputation improved as much as CP3 in the 1st round, which is saying a lot for a guy who finished 2nd in MVP voting 3 years ago. The series was like a recruiting tape for every team with cap room and an All-Star in the summer of 2012: getting to the rim, masterful command of every pick and roll scenario, impressive decision making in clutch time, and making teammates better. At the end of the regular season, Rose stood head and shoulders above every point guard in the league. 2 weeks later, a fairly straightforward argument is a lot murkier... for other people, not for me: CP3 is the best pure point guard (edges Nash out on defense), but he's the 1A to the league's shiny new 1, the great Poohdini.


Worst Player in the Series: Ron Artest. I thought that Ron's stifling defense on Belinelli and his timely, if not momentarily cringe-inducing, shooting would put him at or near the top of the chart. But, just like Ron wearing nothing but underwear on Jimmy Kimmel, what seemed like a decent idea at the time turned out to be off. Way, way off.

Jerome James Award: Derek Fisher. The last three years, we spent a whole regular season talking about how Derek Fisher might be the weak link for the Lakers' title run, and then he makes some hopelessly improbable play during the playoffs (coast-to-coast against Boston in the Finals, Game 4 against the Magic in the Finals) that makes us forget. Well, you know what I haven't forgotten? All the playoff point guards who scored big contracts off destroying this guy in playoff matchups over the years. Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Rajon Rondo, Steve Nash, Tony Parker, Russell Westbrook, Mike Bibby, Aaron Brooks... You know what we're guaranteed to say about whoever the Lakers play in the next round? "Yeah, the Lakers have the size, and Kobe, but I think (player whoever on team whoever) definitely has the edge at point guard." Consummate winner? Ideal leader? You must be talking about locker room speeches, because on the court, not so much against the Hornets.