The play of Roger Mason last night(31 points), and throughout the season, has been incredibly encouraging if you are a wizards fan. The almost robotic form on his shot has led to him shooting 40% from downtown this year. He's already come up huge several games this year with clutch shooting, but more importantly, he may be the key to postseason success for the Wizards. The playoffs are unique because you have the best teams with the best players battling for ego supremacy and a championship. So unlike a majority of games when the dominant players on dominant teams can take over games and almost single-handedly carry their squads to victory, the playoffs allow for very little of that. Now, of course that doesn't mean never(how many times did Jordan just say "give me the ball" and the game was over, or when Lebron scored 25 of his teams last 29 points to beat the Pistons in the playoffs last year) but it does mean that it wont happen every game, or even a majority of games.
The Wizards have an advantage in that they have 3 all-stars, which means 3 players the other team has to pay attention to at all times. Even so, it wont necessarily always be one of the three to carry the team to victory, or make the big shots at the end. When Lebron reeled off 48 points in that unbelievable game against the Pistons it was only game 5. They won game 6 to advance to the finals, but thanks to a rookie named Daniel Gibson who scored 31. How about when the Wizards lost to the Cavaliers two years ago thanks for a corner three by a guy named Donyell Marshall. Big Shot Bob won't always be there. Everyone in the NBA is good, and come playoff time, they are better. The proverbial "hump" everyone likes to talk about getting over is only scaled with team chemistry and a supporting cast. Though I may hate the Spurs, they know what they are doing in terms of building one cohesive unit instead of simply recruiting talent. They are the oldest team in the NBA, but like the NBA commercial says, everyone still has to go through them. The key to their whole team isn't even a starter(NBA professional whiner - Manu Ginobli). The Wizards don't have a sixth man of that caliber, but when the clock gets under 5 minutes in the playoffs, look for the balls coming off Roger Mason's hand's, or those of the easily flustered Nick Young to determine the game. The superstars will make their shots in the clutch, that's why they are superstars, the question is, who else will?
