Player Notes

West scored 13 points (2-9 FG, 9-10 FT) to go along with seven rebounds and three assists Friday in the win over the Heat.
Recommendation: West had a rough time around the basket, but was able to accrue foul shots and put down his freebies. He also was responsible for two LeBron James turnovers in the final minute of play to help secure the Indiana win. His toughness and size (in combination with Roy Hibbert) are problems for the Heat.

Young sprained his ankle in Game 2 against the Heat on Friday. He played 10 minutes and had one point (0-2 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 1-2 FT) with two rebounds.
Recommendation: Young provided a few minutes of defense on LeBron James. If he can not play as the series goes back to Indiana, the shallow Pacer bench could be even less effective.

James led the Heat with 36 points (14-20 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 5-7 FT) with eight rebounds, three assists, and three steals in the loss to the Pacers on Friday. He did have two crucial turnovers in the late stages of the fourth quarter.
Recommendation: James played very efficiently and battled on the boards. He did not receive much support in the loss and the rest of the Miami players hit just 37.8 percent of their field goals. It will be interesting to see if the league's MVP can raise his game in Indiana.

Bosh had 17 points (6-14 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 3-5 FT) with five rebounds in the Game 2 loss to Indiana on Friday.
Recommendation: Bosh came up with some inspirational plays, but did not play as well as he did in the Game 1 win. He hit a pair of corner 3-pointers, but was unable to help corral Roy Hibbert.

Duncan appears to be getting a divorce, but the legal papers filed request that the divorce not be processed until after the Spurs' season has ended, the San Antonio Express-News reports.
Recommendation: Duncan and his current wife's initials are used as identifiers in the report. Coupling that with the unique request to delay the processing of the divorce until after the Spurs' season suggests the divorce papers could only be Duncan's. With Duncan playing terrifically in the playoffs, it seems he's doing a fine job separating his life challenges from his challenges on the court.

George had 22 points (9-16 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 3-3 FT) with six assists in the win over the Heat on Friday.
Recommendation: George had a vicious dunk near the end of the third quarter and was able to get himself open at times. He is looking more and more like a future superstar in the NBA.

Sullinger (back) is currently on a 10-week rehab program, ESPN Boston reports.
Recommendation: Sullinger started light workouts about two weeks ago and hopes to be 100 percent by training camp.

Jones intends to opt into his player option with the Heat for next season, Fox Sports reports.
Recommendation: Jones averaged just six minutes of action in the 38 games in which he appeared with the Heat this season and has mostly become a forgotten man on the team's deep roster. If Mike Miller is released, as has been discussed as a very real possibility, and Ray Allen decides to retire or opt out of his contract, Jones could find himself playing a larger role next season.

Landry is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, the Contra Costa Times reports.
Recommendation: Landry saw his role squeezed as the season went on, until he was playing just 20 minutes nightly in the playoffs. Though he's a decent offensive option, he lacks the defensive presence to justify playing starter minutes in the NBA. His option is for $4 million, but the lure in opting out of his final year is the ability to sign a multi-year at what may be a slightly reduced yearly salary. Landry's departure would open up more minutes for Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green next season.

Smith has fluid buildup in his left knee that may have contributed to his poor shooting performance in the playoffs, the NY Post reports.
Recommendation: Smith is supposed to get the fluid drained from his knee in the near future and should be fine after that. It is suggested that draining the knee and resting it for a short period of time should relieve any stiffness or swelling. Smith is expected to opt out of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent this summer. He has said he wants to remain a Knick, but it'd be somewhat surprising if Smith isn't able to spin his Sixth Man of the Year Award into a decent long-term contract.

Anthony underwent an MRI that revealed he's been suffering from a small left shoulder tear that may require surgery, the New York Daily News reports.
Recommendation: Anthony first aggravated the shoulder injury near the tail end of the Knicks' first-round series against the Celtics, which may explain his relatively wretched string of shooting performances during the Round 2 series loss to the Pacers. In any case, if such a procedure is required, it wouldn't seem likely to jeopardize Anthony's chances of being ready to play for the regular season.

White is unlikely to return with New York next season, ESPN New York reports.
Recommendation: White's agent, William McCandless, noted that White values his playing time, which was certainly lacking in New York. He started 16 games and averaged only 7.6 minutes and 2.2 points per game. White has a team option next season for about $1 million. The Knicks will have to reach a decision on what to do with him by June 30. If they do not choose to accept the team option, he will become an unrestricted free agent. If White is looking to make the most money, he may have to return to his previous career path and play for an international team. McCandless noted that there has been plenty of interest by international teams already and that White would not hesitate to go to these teams.

Andersen scored 16 points on 7-of-7 shooting with five rebounds and three blocked shots in 18 minutes Wednesday night in Miami's overtime win over Indiana in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Recommendation: The Birdman brought a lot of hustle and defense to the game, but also had some key buckets in what was his playoff high in minutes and points.

Hansbrough scored 10 points with six rebounds and one steal in 12 minutes Wednesday night in Indiana's overtime loss to Miami in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Recommendation: Hansbrough was needed for some early minutes and gave the Pacers a boost when David West picked up three fouls in the first half.

Villanueva picked up his $8.5-million contract option with the Pistons for the 2013-14 season, the Detroit Free Press reports.
Recommendation: Villanueva has long stated his plans to opt in to the final year of his contract, so this news comes as little surprise. Despite this news, there's no guarantee Villanueva will suit up for the Pistons next season, as the team will likely explore trade options or could opt to use the amnesty clause to waive the veteran forward.

Pendergraph missed practice for the second consecutive day Tuesday to spend time with his wife and newborn daughter, Pacers.com reports.
Recommendation: Pendergraph has not played a major role for the team in the postseason, appearing in just seven games over the first two series. In those seven appearances, he's averaged 2.0 points and 2.6 rebounds in 9.4 minutes per game. The Pacers are hopeful Pendergraph will rejoin the team soon, and his status for Wednesday's series opener in Miami is unknown.

Randolph finished with 15 points (6-18 FG, 3-8 FT), 18 rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in Tuesday's Game 2 overtime loss against the Spurs.
Recommendation: Randolph was rather inefficient shooting the ball, but compiled an impressive 18 rebounds, including seven on the offensive end. Tuesday's output was a large improvement on his two-point, seven-rebound performance in Game 1, but the Grizzlies may need more as they return home for Saturday's Game 3.

Leonard scored 12 points (5-9 FG, 2-5 3Pt) with nine rebounds in Tuesday's game against the Grizzlies.
Recommendation: Leonard played a robust 40 minutes in the game two win. His impact is on the defensive side, but Leonard's averaging 14.1 points at an amazing 56.9 percent shooting from the field. Look for Leonard to continue his strong contributions with defenses keying in on Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili.

Prince saw 16 minutes of playing time in Tuesday's loss to the Spurs and finished with 2 points (1-5 FG), two rebounds, and one assist.
Recommendation: Prince hasn't been particularly effective this postseason, and he lost playing time to Quincy Pondexter and Jerryd Bayless as the Grizzlies fell into a 2-0 hole in the Western Conference Finals. Prince could be looking at a decreased role going forward, although Memphis will have three days off to figure things out, before returning to the court for Saturday's Game 3.

Barnes passed the league's concussion tests, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
Recommendation: Barnes was held out of the entire fourth quarter of Game 6 against the Spurs due to the concussion. Having now passed concussion tests, this should not be an issue for Barnes going forward, especially with the Warriors out of the playoffs.

Shumpert intends to play in the Las Vegas Summer League, the New York Times reports.
Recommendation: Shumpert wants to continue working on his game, with the preparation for Las Vegas and the tournament itself providing a great offseason opportunity for contact with the coaching staff. The games will act as the second-year pro's first sniff of summer league, as he was unable to participate heading into his first two seasons due to 2011's lockout and knee surgery in May of 2012.