Wake Forest Athletics
Deacons in the NBA - Playoffs Edition
4/19/2013 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
April 19, 2013
Deacons in the NBA Photo Gallery
By Eric Roberts, WakeForestSports.com (@WFUSports)
Tim Duncan - San Antonio Spurs
The first game of the 2013 playoffs for the San Antonio Spurs will mark Duncan's 191st career playoff game. He has made the playoffs every single season since being drafted by the Spurs first overall in the 1997 NBA Draft. Duncan continued to stand out in the league this season as a strong defensive presence as he averaged 9.9 rebounds per game with 2.65 blocks. He is the second-leading scorer on the Spurs averaging 17.8 points per game in just over 30 minutes of playing time. Duncan and the Spurs (58-24) locked up the number two seed in the Western Conference and will take on the Los Angeles Lakers (45-37) in the first round of the playoffs. In three matchups this season the Spurs took two out of the three games. The Spurs look to capture their fifth NBA championship and hope to return to the Finals for the first time since 2007.
Chris Paul - Los Angeles Clippers
Paul has had a very special season this year. After capturing the All-Star game MVP in February he has continued to dominate for the Clippers as `Lob City' places its mark on the league. Paul is leading all players this season in assists per game with 9.7. He is the second-leading scorer for the Clippers, averaging 16.9 points per game with 2.4 steals in 33 minutes of playing time. This will be Paul's second playoff experience with the Clippers after falling short to fellow Deacon Tim Duncan and the Spurs in last year's Western Conference semifinals. The Clippers (56-26) landed in the fourth spot in the Western Conference and will take on the Memphis Grizzlies (56-26). The Clippers snagged the four-game season series against Memphis, winning three of the games against the Grizzlies, and look to carry that over into the playoffs. The Clippers ended the season on a seven-game winning streak as they look to continue their success by capturing their first-ever NBA Championship.
QUOTE: "We just want to continue to work hard and keep trying to play the right way going into the playoffs," said Paul when the Clippers clinched the Pacific Division title on April 8. "We've been saying for a while, as bad as we've been playing a little while ago, we can only get better. If we keep this pace up, we'll be okay."
Ishmael Smith - Milwaukee Bucks
Since being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks from the Orlando Magic in February, Smith has seen limited time on the court in his 16 games. He is averaging just under nine minutes of playing time with 2.4 points per game and 1.7 assists. Smith is no stranger to the NBA Playoffs as he has reached the postseason every year he has been in the league. The Milwaukee Bucks (38-44) clinched the final spot in the Eastern Conference and will take on the league-leading Miami Heat (66-16) in the first round. The Bucks finished their season series 1-3 against the Heat but look to take down the top overall seed.
Jeff Teague - Atlanta Hawks
Teague has emerged as a dominant point guard this season for the Atlanta Hawks as he has started 78 out of the 80 games he has played in. His numbers on the court have improved greatly from last year as he is averaging 14.6 points per game in close to 33 minutes on the court. He leads the team in both assists with 7.2 per game and steals with 1.5 per game. The Hawks (44-38) clinched the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference and will take on the Indiana Pacers (49-32) in the first round. In their four-game season series, the Hawks split with the Pacers. Teague hopes to repeat his performance from February 5 against the Pacers where he led the Hawks with 24 points and eight assists. The Hawks are looking to break their 54-year NBA title drought.
QUOTE: "This is a group no one really gave a chance," said Teague when the Hawks clinched a playoff berth in late March. "For us to come together and be in the playoffs this year, it's a lot of excitement."
