The NBA playoffs, thus far, have been all about "Who's Got Next?" and "Who's Now?" But it's worth pausing for a moment to reflect on those who had last. And who was then.
For every Dwight Howard in this postseason tournament, there is a P.J. Brown. For every Chris Paul, LeBron James, Deron Williams and Tony Parker, a Sam Cassell, Michael Finley, Robert Horry and Lindsey Hunter. In the Eastern Conference, we've got Mike Brown, 38, directing traffic from the Cavaliers' bench. But out West, we've got Utah's Jerry Sloan, a five-year NBA veteran and two-time All-Star guard by the time Brown was born, still chewing tail and keeping refs' focused at age 66.
Sponsors of NBA telecasts make no pretense about it when they buy commercial air time; they covet the youth demographic, 18- to 30-year-olds whose buying habits aren't fixed, those for whom the NBA still buzzes. But ask the coaches, the general managers and even other players, and they'll tell you they covet the post-30 crowd, at least strategically sprinkled through a roster.
Granted, there often is an element of old guys liking other old guys. But even in the quickest, springiest, most athletic of our major sports, there is plenty to be said for experience, savvy, maturity, smarts and -- at gut level -- the attribute of having been there, done that.
"He's a professional,'' Cleveland's Ben Wallace had said of Brown when the Celtics signed the 38-year-old off his living room couch in late February. "He's a veteran who's going to come in and do his work. He knows the game. He does a lot of talking when he's on the floor, and that's going to help the younger guys out.''
Wallace, who had played with the 6-foot-11 power forward in Chicago, told the Boston Globe: "We didn't start winning until we put him back in the lineup [last season]. He definitely still can play.''
That's why Paul Pierce and Ray Allen lobbied Brown, a New Orleans resident, so hard over All-Star weekend. "They just pulled me over and said, 'Man, we'd really love to have you on the team,' '' Brown said upon signing. " 'With your experience, we think you can help our young guys and add some stability to our team.' ''
Kevin Garnett felt the same way about Sam Cassell, based on their run together to the Western Conference finals with Minnesota in 2004. A week after Boston signed Brown, it added the Cassell, the chatterbox shotmaker who also is 38.
So far, so good. Brown fits well into the Celtics' defense-first philosophy and is nice foul insurance for starting center Kendrick Perkins. Cassell has averaged 15.1 minutes and 7.0 points in Boston's 11 postseason games, including 13 points and two three pointers in the 76-72 victory against the Cavs in Game 1.
Those two are the oldest participants -- short pants division, anyway -- still active in these playoffs. But all of the remaining teams have veteran influence of one form or another. Here's a breakdown:
Boston Celtics: Too bad Reggie Miller didn't accept the Celtics' offer to come back for one season; at 42, he would be in position to challenge fellow UCLA alum Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who won his last NBA championship ring at age 41. Adding Brown and Cassell suddenly made Boston's core group -- Allen (32), Garnett (31) and Pierce (30) -- seem a lot younger. Of course, the most underrated Celtic still might be 22-year-old point guard Rajon Rondo.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Team captain Eric Snow, 35, hasn't played since February, thanks to a bum knee. That leaves Wallace, 33, and 32-year-olds Joe Smith and Zydrunas Ilgauskas as James' most sage teammates. All three are key members of the rotation, not mere mascots or Yodas.
Detroit Pistons: Hunter, 37, might play a bigger role going forward if Chauncey Billups' hamstring injury lingers. Center Theo Ratliff, 35, has gotten spot duty as a defensive change-up on Orlando's Howard. Antonio McDyess, 33, might seem a little older than his age because he's been around so long (1995 draft) and injuries turned him into more of a role player. Rasheed Wallace, same draft, also is 33.
Los Angeles Lakers: Derek Fisher and Ira Newble might feel old around the rest of the Lakers, but they're only 33. Kobe Bryant is this squad's third oldest, and he'll turn 30 in August. Consider this a precocious potential champion; injured center Andrew Bynum is still only 20 and Lakers fans already bemoan his lost contributions.
New Orleans Hornets: Mike James and Ryan Bowen, both 32, are the oldsters on a low-mileage team. Marksmen Peja Stojakovic and Morris Peterson, both of whom will turn 31 this offseason, aren't asked to do anything too stressful, with Paul, Tyson Chandler and David West as heavy lifters.
Orlando Magic: Adonal Foyle is this team's relative graybeard, and he's only 33. When he shares insights with younger teammates, he isn't exactly tapping into a vein of championship success; Foyle was in the league 10 years before he even appeared in a postseason game. Two other Magic players are 30. Heck, Patrick Ewing, a couple of seats down from Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy, probably still could suit up for a half-dozen NBA clubs.
