Round 1 is just about over, with just one "upset" so far. But that series is likely a sign of things to come. John Wall's emergence as a top-flight player will be written in ink if he can lead his team to a second straight series win. Given how hard it is to beat a team four straight times, by a total of 56 points, it is clear Washington is primed to be the new team to watch.
There are other heroes of the spring, to be sure, men playing the best basketball of their careers just when they need to do so. One thing is certain, this list will begin to change dramatically from week to week as these Round 2 matchups look like they have the potential to all go at least six games.
Here's our latest look at the 10 biggest difference-makers in the playoffs so far.
Postseason MVPs
1. John Wall, PG
Washington Wizards
2015 playoff stats:
17.3 PPG | 12.5 APG
There is a memorable scene from the 1980s when Magic Johnson can be seen celebrating Byron Scott after Scott passed up a jump shot to drive hard to the rim instead, drawing a foul during the NBA Finals. You see, Magic helped turn Scott from a shooter into a basketball player focused on winning.
We just saw Wall doing similar things with some of his young teammates against the Raptors. His leadership, combined with his incredible passing, defense and overall energy, is what's helping him ascend into the top echelon of NBA point guards.
No, he can't shoot like Steph Curry or score like Russell Westbrook or manage a game quite like Chris Paul, but those three can't do all the things Wall does for his team, either. Wall can dominate physically like Westbrook, pass like Paul and handle like Curry (almost, anyway). And the net results are getting to be too good to ignore.
