May 6, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots as San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker (9) looks on during the first half in game one of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at the AT

I may have been wrong about my predictions during these NBA Playoffs, but one thing I did predict right was that Stephen Curry would be the surprise performer of the Playoffs, and I think right now, you would say he’s had the best performances of the playoffs.  This guy is getting off shots that he has no business getting off. Coming out of college, I wasn’t sure what kind of impact he would have, and if he could create those shots that he was creating, but boy he proved me wrong. He’s got a way to slither and snake that reminds me of an old Indiana Pacer.  I am sure you could guess who that is.  Even with the body types, Reggie and Stephen are similar.  Both guys are kind of small, but just find their avenues of scoring.

I think Curry has improved in his passing as well. He’s got that way to lead the Warriors into all areas of offense. I don’t know about his defense, but let’s admit it, Miller wasn’t the best defender either.  Those moments when Reggie had to step up the defense he could, and I believe Curry would do the same thing.

But I think the best thing I like about Curry’s game is he’s doing it all with a smile on his face.  Too many guys get all mean mugging, and trying to scowl away. But you look at Curry, and he’s out there with all the fans behind him, and he’s just having fun.  It’s like he’s out playing a pick up game, but he’s out there scoring away. I expect a lot of good things from him, and just think how good the Warriors will be because of that.  They might not get out of the second round with the tough match up against the San Antonio Spurs, but I have a feeling it will be one of those loss to gain in the long run.  We’ll talk about how Curry brought the Warriors to the next level in these playoffs, and those playoffs to come.  I did make a prediction right, and I had to rub that one in.

The Pacers are seriously good, and people around the country are starting to take notice. I wrote at the beginning of the season that the Pacers deserved to be in the national spotlight because they play an entertaining brand of basketball, whether it’s a high octane offense like we’ve seen over the last few weeks, or the aggressive, hardnosed defense that they showed us during the first couple months of the season. It seems like the Pacers are popping up in everywhere these days. No SportsCenter is complete without the Pacers receiving some sort of accolades. When it comes to spots talk radio, I’ve a full-fledged addict. Can’t get enough of it. And it doesn’t help my condition when I hear my favorite team being mentioned on national syndicates.

Over the last two weeks, the Pacers have gotten attention for a myriad of reasons, both good and bad. We’ll start with the bad. Last night the Pacers found themselves in a game that will be remembered for the technical fouls more than the final score. In what ended up being an average game for everyone not named “Steph”, the Pacers made headlines because of reasons they may not be proud of. Roy Hibbert and Warriors’ center David Lee got into an altercation that resulted in one game suspensions for both big men. Both Golden State and Indiana will be without their centers against good teams. The Warriors are facing off against Lee’s old team, the Knicks, tonight, while the Pacers host the #3 team in the West, the LA Clippers. Both teams will sorely miss their man in the middle.

That’s the bad. Luckily, the good greatly outweighs the bad. As Jennifer Lawrence taught us, everything has a silver lining (I haven’t seen it, but I’m probably right). Last night’s fight highlighted a characteristic of this Pacer team that might be a bigger factor in the Pacers’ success than any one player’s contribution. While it was a fight that was started by Roy Hibbert, the rest of the Players on the court were involved in a split second. What people will remember is Steph Curry’s tiny ass being hurled like a rag doll, but what I liked was George Hill and Lance Stephenson not wasting a second to get involved to help their teammate.

Another positive for this team has been the return of their emotional leader. With Danny Granger back on the floor, the Pacers are a much better team. They are more talented, and more dialed in to the competitive nature of the game. This team seems to feed off Granger’s resiliency, and has rallied behind his efforts to get back on the floor. When he finally hit his first shot of the season the bench went wild like they’d just clinched the division. Despite all the talk about whether he’ll start or come off the bench, the Pacers haven’t lost any focus. Some teams would let all the attention turn into a distraction, but not Indiana. We’ve seen the Pacer succeed at every facet of their schedule except against good teams on the road. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the emotional lift Granger provides be the catalyst for the Pacers to see road success.

The return of a seasoned vet, even when coupled with an outstanding show of camaraderie, cannot overcome the importance of results. The last five games have been absolutely amazing for the Pacers. Five straight wins by double digits is nothing to sneeze at. I understand that the quality of the competition was suspect, at best, but you can’t blame a team for beating the teams on their schedule. The Pacers only play 4 games against playoff teams over the next three weeks, so don’t expect this successful trend to taper off. Look closely at tomorrow’s contest against the Clips, and the March 10 game at Miami to see how well the Pacers really stack up against the best teams in the league. This could be very, very exciting.