Kawhi Leonard, Jaren Jackson Jr. And Houston’s Guards

Former Phoenix Suns MVP Charles Barkley has a theory about the NBA postseason.

The playoffs do not start, he likes to say, until the visiting team wins a game.

Things have gotten serious in Denver, Houston, New York and in the Lakers’ patch of Los Angeles.

The Nuggets, Rockets, Knicks and Lakers squandered home-court advantage with losses at home over the weekend, and all are are faced with making up ground on the road to even things up.

Not that it can’t be done.

No. 6 seed Indiana won two playoff series without the home court advantage to reach the Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics in 2024, and No. 5 seed Dallas won all three Western Conference series as an underdog before losing to the Celtics in the 2024 Finals.

Finding the right adjustment is the first step.

Can Kawhi Leonard Stay Healthy For The Clippers?

The Clippers go as far as Leonard takes them. Difference-maker Leonard has won NBA titles with San Antonio and Toronto, and a case can be made that he could have won a couple more with good health. He missed the 2021 Western Conference finals against Phoenix with a knee injury, the same issue that caused him to play in only two playoff games in each of the last two seasons.

The season began on a down note, when Leonard was not included on the gold-medal winning 2024 U.S. Olympic Team because of concerns about his knee. He played only 37 games this season while recovering, but he showed his elite skill with a 39-point game in the 105-102 victory at Denver in Game 2.

“I’m just happy that I’m able to move,” Leonard said. “That’s what I’m taking pride in is just being healthy. I sat and watched these playoff games and series the past two years. So being able to be frontline out there, it just feels good for me no matter which way the game goes.”

Houston’s Guards Must Play Better

It it asking a lot for the Houston backcourt to keep up with Golden State, but the Rockets must be better than there 95-85 home loss to the Warriors in Game 1.

Starters Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green were a combined 7 of 34 from the field and were 2 of 17 from three-point range. While Green led the Rockets with a 21.0 scoring average in the regular season, point guard VanVleet had a sub-par season while shooting 37.8 from the field. After the opener, coach Ime Udoka was asked about altering the rotation for Game 2 Tuesday.

Reinforcements are there. Forward Jabari Smith, who did not start Game 1, averaged 14.3 points a game and made 11 3-pointers against the Warriors in four regular-season meetings. Reserve guard Reed Shepherd had 34 points when the Rockets rested their regulars in two late-season games. He could be an option.

Memphis Needs Jaren Jackson Jr. To Dominate The Post

Jackson stepped up on the offensive side for he Grizzlies on Tuesday, but that did not prevent host Oklahoma City from posting another decisive victory, this time 118-99 in Game 2 after a 131-80 walkover in Game 1.

Jackson’s 26 points and and six rebounds Tuesday were a giant step up from his four-point, three-round game in the opener Sunday, but the assertiveness Memphis needs from Jackson on both ends of the floor has not materialized.

Granted, Thunder 7-foot-1 power forward Chet Holmgren presents a difficult matchup for any opposing big, and 6-10 Jackson does not get much help from 7-4 Zach Edey.

If the Grizzlies cannot not at least neutralize Holmgren, the series will not last long. Holmgen has double-doubles in the first two games of the series, with seven blocked shots. He 20 points, 11 boards and five blocks in Game 2 after going 19/10 in only 21 minutes in the first game.

Are the New York Knicks Worn Out?

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau plays his starters more than any coach in the league. While that might have worked in the old-school, defense-first game that he loves, it does not play well these days.

“‘KAT’ looks tired,” former NBA player Marcus Morris said on ESPN about Karl-Anthony Towns, who took only three shots in the second half and and none in the fourth quarter of a 100-94 home loss to Detroit that evened the series at 1-1 Monday.

“They are sending double-(teams) at him. They are playing one-on-one … They need someone to come in and get a couple of effective minutes. They don’t get any rest. He goes out for two minutes and he’s right back into the game.

“It’s a 40-minute game of hard-playing basketball when everybody is playing up to a different level. These guys need more bench production. Quite frankly, ‘Tibs’ needs to be more consistent with other players.’”

Knicks’ starters averaged a league-high 179 minutes per game this season Josh Hart led the league in minutes played, Mikal Bridges were third and OG Anunoby was fifth. The Knicks were second in NBA in starters’ minutes a year ago, when they were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs as the No. 2 East seed.