Heat-Bucks Summary

As the 2013 playoff series unfold, the old box score stats may not tell the whole story. These summaries will look at each series from the perspective of plus/minus. With an adjustment for minutes played, Oden's Knee will identify the players that stood out in each series, for good and bad reasons alike.

Best Plus Minus: Lebron James (+57 in 148 minutes). There's not much to say here. He produced the same 27-8-7 that we've all completely taken for granted for the last eight years, and if it's possible, it seemed like he spent four games warming up for the real work ahead. Four down, twelve to go.

Worst Plus Minus: Monta Ellis (-47 in 152 minutes). As a Bobcats fan, there aren't a lot of franchises that can match Charlotte's direction-less malaise. But Milwaukee comes close. Young draftees hitting restricted free agency because the front office doesn't know what they're worth (Jennings). Good draft picks that may or may not fit together (Sanders / Henson). Big money contracts in veterans that aren't a part of the long term plan (case in point, Ellis). If the Warriors didn't think that Ellis and Curry meant consistent playoff success, why did the Bucks think that Ellis and Jennings (worse than Curry in most facets) would? The Bogut trade looks more and more like a punt on an injured, All-NBA talent at center. I feel your pain, Bucks fans.

Most Valuable Player: Ersan Ilyasova (Net +49 in 117 minutes). For fans across the NBA that don't follow the small market teams / play fantasy basketball, Ilyasova is probably a relative unknown. But if I told you there was a 25 year old, 6-10 small forward that's spent the past two seasons producing 13 points, 8 rebounds, 45% 3 point shooting and 75% free throw shooting, you'd probably say he's the ideal stretch forward for any contending team's rotation. And I'd say you're right.

Least Valuable Player: Chris Bosh (Net -40 in 122 minutes). Honestly, I don't put any stock in this result at all. Zero. Bosh is one of the key ingredients in the the Heat's small-ball championship recipe, and if his value didn't show up in a series where the Heat rested players DURING SAID SERIES, that's fine. No one's ever said this, so I will: Chris Bosh makes his money in June. (How ridiculous does that sound?)

Jerome James Award: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. The reputation of several UCLA players from the Ben Howland era have something to do with defense, and Mbah a Moute tops that list in terms of his calling card. If you're one of the people that enjoys his defense, then go read this. From where I'm sitting, I started this post by noting that Lebron put up typical Lebron numbers, with typical Lebron efficiency, and his team swept the series. It's not like Mbah a Moute was supposed to swing the series, but did his defense impact the game in any consistent way? The numbers say no.