WHERE IS GRIFFIN?

You may have noticed the lack of Adrian Griffin's minutes in the Spurs/Mavs series. So far in four games, he's played 24 minutes and 20 of those were in a game one loss. Since the first game, Griffin has played four minutes and hasn't stepped on the floor in the last two ball games. This point raises some questions: is Griffin mad about this? why isn't he being utilized? shouldn't he be rewarded for his role in the first round? The answers to these questions are: no, he doesn't match up, and yes.

Griffin was instrumental in the Mavs winning 60 games this year. His hustle, defensive rebounding and quick hands don't show up in the box score but make winning easier. Griff played 100 minutes in the first round Memphis sweep averaging 5.25 points and five rebounds, but his role was much greater than those numbers suggest.

His replacement in the Spurs series? Devin Harris. The second year point guard was just recovering from an injury when the post-season started. He only averaged six minutes and 1.25 points in the opening round. But since Avery Johnson implemented him in the starting lineup for the Semi-Finals' second game, Harris has been the difference: 31.5 minutes in four games, 16.25 points per, four rebounds and 2.2 assists.

Don't worry about Griffin. He's waiting patiently, like the good role player he is, and will be a factor in the Western Conference Finals. If the Suns make it past the Clippers, Griffin would be a great matchup with Raja Bell, Boris Diaw, Shawn Marion or Kurt Thomas. A Los Angeles win and Griffin could make life very difficult for Elton Brand.

This move just shows the brilliance of Johnson's game planning. If the Spurs were going to find a solution to Harris, they would have done it by now. Instead, he'll continue to slice through San Antonio's defense like a hot knife through melted butter, and Griffin will get much-needed rest for the coming games. Johnson hasn't forgotten about Griff; he knows exactly what he's doing.

The Mavericks are championship contenders because even while winning three of four games from the Spurs, they still have players on the bench waiting to match up with opponents down the road. Waiting...and rested. And rest will go a long way in the NBA playoffs.