The NBA Playoffs are underway. There are a bunch of great first round matchups this year, and anything could happen. I mean ANYTHING can happen. As I sit here on my couch watching the Pacers beat the Bulls (currently 89-81), there is not a better example of this. Chicago, the team that finished the year with the best record in the NBA has not led in this game to this point and there is 6 minutes to go in the 4th quarter.

There is a few players from each series that can make the series turn in their favor. I am going to give you a player from each of the "underdog" teams that could potentially do just that- change the course of the series.

X Factors- Eastern Conference:

Pacers PF Tyler Hansbrough. This second year player out of UNC was thought by many to never be a factor in the NBA. This has been overrules. He has had a great second half of this season, and is slowly starting to be a factor on this Indiana Pacers ballclub. He is averaging 11 points per game and 5 rebounds a game this season, and needs to step up big in both of these categories if the Pacers want to win, or even contend for this first round series.

76ers PG Jrue Holiday. The one place on the court that the Heat might have a weakness are the center position and the point guard position. Jrue Holiday has been surprisingly good this year, averaging approximately 14 ppg and 7 apg. Both career highs for the young point guard. Holiday cannot fold under pressure in this series. He can take advantage of the weakness at point guard, and create options with his dribble-drive and kick options with shooters on the wing such as Iguodala, Meeks and Nocioni.

Knicks PG Chauncey Billups. Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony will get their points in this series, but if Chauncey Billups can outplay Rajon Rondo, the Knicks could be sitting pretty in this series. The Knicks don't seem to have their swagger that most of the NBA thought that they would have after the trade, but Chauncey and Carmelo have played with each other before come playoff time, and if Chauncey Billups can play good basketball, he could definitely shift the power of this Series in teh Knicks direction.




Hawks SG Jamal Crawford. Crawford has been coming off the bench it Atlanta for the last two or three years, and he remains in the top five in scoring on this Atlanta Hawks team. He is a threat to go off at any time, and usually has scoring bursts come playoff time. He is a player that could change this series. This is going to be the series that could go either way and if one of the not-so-well-known players from each of these teams go off, that could be the difference in this series.

The Western Conference X Factors will be displayed tomorrow on the Sports Guru, so come back tomorrow to see who could change the course of the 2011 NBA Playoffs in the Western Conference tomorrow.

As always, you heard it here first, at The Sports Guru.


Pictures complement of http://www.hoopsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/Chauncey-Billups-Knicks.jpg and http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/EXID1192/images/act_jamal_crawford.jpg