Andre Iguodala is proving that he’s a number two option.

In the first four games of the Sixers-Pistons playoff series, Iguodala averaged 10.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.3 turnovers, while shooting 22.4% from the field. Compare that to his regular season averages of 19.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg, and 2.6 tpg, while shooting 45.6% from the field.

Big-time players step up in the playoffs, not down.

The Carmelo Anthony-Allen Iverson on-court relationship needs to end.

At every level of the game, Iverson played on teams that featured him as the go-to guy. Same holds true for Anthony. But after one and a half seasons playing together in the treacherous Western Conference, one truth has emerged: These two superstars don’t mesh well.

It just isn’t working. Each takes turns acting frustrated over their inability to be the primary scoring option, the primary leader, and the primary face of the franchise. Blame George Karl all you want, but the fact is that two alpha dogs are just not better than one.

And as extremely talented as J.R. Smith is, his volatility certainly isn’t helping matters. Expect some major moves from the Nuggets this off-season.

The Hawks are for real.

Okay, so Atlanta probably won’t knock off the Celtics, but pushing the series to 2-2 says more about the talent on the Hawks than it does about Boston underperforming. Joe Johnson is one of the game’s most underrated stars, Al Horford is a beast, and Josh Smith’s potential is practically limitless.

The Hawks won’t last long in this year’s playoffs, but if an unstable ownership group can somehow keep this core together, they’ll have a very bright future. Mike Bibby is the ideal point guard to lead the charge.

Regular season MVP or not, Kobe Bryant proved his worth in the first round of the playoffs.

Kobe isn’t just the best player in the NBA. He’s also the most valuable. Even if he doesn’t end up with a trophy to prove it, anyone who watched his four-game dismantling of Denver can certainly attest to that.

The numbers (33.5 ppg, 6.3 apg, 5.3 rpg, 1.5 spg, 1.5 bpg, 50% FG) were awe-inspiring, but even more remarkable was how he kept the Lakers focused as the Nuggets fell into a fog of chaos.

Dwight Howard’s first round performance was historical.

In game five of the Magic’s 4-1 series victory over the Raptors, Howard racked up 21 points and 21 rebounds. A brilliant display to be sure, but even more so when you consider that it was his third 20-20 game of the series.

The last player to do that? Wilt Chamberlain in 1971.

The Spurs are better than you think they are.

More than any other team in the league, San Antonio spends the entire regular season in preparation of the playoffs. So don’t concern yourself too much with their No. 3 seed or the fact that the Lakers and Hornets have looked dominant in their respective first round series. Instead focus on what the Spurs did in the first three games of their match-up with the Suns.

The Spurs are the defending champs and should be looked at as such until anyone can knock them off.