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(Author's note:  This article was originally published at http://www.aarontorres-sports.com/) 

With Round 2 of the 2009 NBA Playoffs set to wrap up, let's look at the good and the bad from so far.

Good: Point Guard Play

The old adage used to be: you can't win a championship without a top-flight big man.  That statement seems to be about as relevant in 2009 as the idea of waiting three days to call a girl after a first date. 

Seriously look around:

In Denver, the Nuggets are absolutley cruising in the playoffs, essentially untested through nine games.  The biggest reason?  Denver had a Fashion Emergency type makeover at the point guard position, trading in the never satisfied, I gotta get mine Allen Iverson for the team first Chauncey Billups.

Since acquiring Billups, Denver has completely revamped their style of play, with even shoot-first guys like Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith looking to make the extra pass.  They now await the winner of the Houston-LA series, after breezing through their first nine playoff games.

As for Billups' former team, the Detroit Pistons?  With Iverson's arrival, the Pistons went completely in the tank, becoming more disorganized than the set of the Maury Povich Show.  Rip Hamilton got moved to the bench then brought back into the starting line-up, Rasheed Wallace went into full-fledged sulk mode, and Iverson was so bad that they actually shut him down for the playoffs.  The Pistons were swept out by LeBron's Cavs, and now look as uncertain as ever heading into the off-season.  We haven't seen a seemingly well run unit fall as fast as the Pistons since Adam Carrolla and Jimmy Kimmel left The Man Show.

Looking around the rest of the league, point guard play has never been a bigger factor in a team's playoff output:

• In Boston, Rajon Rondo has put on an all-around display that's making Deron Williams and Chris Paul blush from their couches.  The fourth year guard is averaging 17 points, 9.5 rebounds and 10.1 assists, while also playing phenomenal defense and getting two steals a game.  Boston continues to win without Kevin Garnett, and if you think it's just Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, you haven't been watching.
  
  
• Mo Williams has become the first second option in Cleveland to actually say, "You know what, this LeBron guy is pretty good.  Let me help where I can, and otherwise, get the heck out of his way."  Through a dominating eight games, Williams has been good but hardly great, playing the Ed McMahon to LeBron's Johnny Carson.  Williams knows he's there to smile, laugh at a few of LeBron's jokes, and make open three's, no more, no less.  He's done it perfectly averaging 14 points and 4.5 assists.  And the Cavaliers haven't lost yet.
  
  
• Despite Yao Ming going down, the Rockets are still alive in the Lakers series, and it's in large part due to Aaron Brooks.  Brooks, who's graciously listed at 6'0 even, has sliced and diced through LA's backcourt, leaving tread marks on Derek Fisher's back in the process.  He's averaged 16 points a game in the series, and if Houston wants to force a Game 7, needs a big night from their smallest guy.
  
  
• Even though they lost their series with the Celtics, did anybody have a coming out party like Derrick Rose in this playoffs?  He had 36 points and 11 assists in his first career postseason game, in the process starting the Boston-Chicago series on its way to the best 1^st Round series in NBA history.  Meanwhile, Rose also threw his hat into the debate along with Paul and Williams as to who will be the best point guard of the next decade.

The Bad: The Big Guys

Is it safe to say, it hasn't been this bad, to be this large since VH1 came out with the Biggest Loser series.

For starters, you've got the pre-eminent big of his generation Tim Duncan, bowing out in the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2000.  Do you even remember 2000?  LeBron was a freshman in high school, people watched VHS tapes, and Y2K, not SARS or the bird flu was all the rage.  Needless to say, it's been awhile. 

Then you have the star of last year's playoffs, and lead Celtic, Kevin Garnett going down with an injury, missing all of Boston's postseason in the process.  Despite it, his team has been able to re-invent itself, and even without their biggest, baddest guy is still only a game away from a second straight Eastern Conference finals. 

In Houston Yao Ming went down, and so too did the Rockets title chances.  Or so we thought.  In their first game without basketball's biggest center, Houston laid down an Ike Turner type beat-down on the Lakers, tying the series in the process. 

Speaking of L.A., Andrew Bynum has gone from the next Wilt to the next Michael Olowakandi faster than the swine flu went from epidemic to non-existent.  The numbers don't lie: Bynum averaged 14 points and 8 rebounds in 29 minutes a game during the regular season, and is down to 5 and 3 in 14 minutes in the playoffs.  Not quite Wilt in his prime.

Even the NBA's resident gentle giant Dwight Howard is getting into the act, calling out his coach and complaining that he isn't getting enough touches.  I haven't seen Howard this mad since the last time he was at Baskin Robbins and they ran out of rainbow sprinkles.

Finally, you know it's a terrible year for quality post play when Glen "Big Baby," Davis is one of the most effective big guys in this postseason.  And even he can't escape the cloud of shoving that kid after Boston's Game 4 win (Random side note, can Big Baby get away with the first ever, "He was asking for it" defense, in regards to that shove?  I mean the kid was on the court right?  And it's hard to miss Big Baby when he's running at you like a rhino in mating season.  I'm just thinking out loud here).

(Agree with Aaron?  Disagree?  Let him know at www.aarontorres-sports.com)

The Good: Denver's Bench

Simply put, the Nuggets are not in the Western Conference finals without their bench play. 

For my money, J.R. Smith is the most effective bench guy in the entire playoffs; and there's no one even close.  In just 26 minutes of play a game, Smith is averaging 16 points, 2.5 assists and 2 three's.  Most impressively, for a guy who's been known as a relentless gunner throughout his career, Smith has been surprisingly efficient knocking down shots.  So far he's shooting just under 50 percent from the field, and over 40 percent for three. 

The Nuggets also wouldn't be where they are now without the Birdman, Chris Andersen.  Like Smith, the Birdman flies (no pun intended) all over the court, like a chicken with his head cut off (ok pun intended there), reeking havoc and constant chaos for the other team.  Through the playoffs he's averaged 7 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks per game.  It's also no coincidence that the only game the Nuggets lost so far was the one the Birdman didn't play. 

And speaking of the Birdman, should Denver play the Lakers, can you imagine the psychological damage Andersen is going to do to Pau Gasol?  I mean seriously, if Gasol is struggling against the likes of Carl Landry for the Rockets (you know, a guy who's giving away about six inches to the Spainard), what's going to happen when the Birdman is guarding him?  I'm pretty sure Gasol gets scared by a strong thunderstorm, so needless to say I'm deathly afraid of what's going to happen the first time the Birdman checks in the game.  This may be the worst thing that's happened to Gasol's career since buree's were forbidden in the NBA's new dress code. 

Moving off of Gasol and his fear of what's under his bed, Denver's bench is rounded out nicely by Anthony "Where'd My Neck Go," Carter and Linas Kleiza.

As for a bench, who's not so hot...

(To read the remainder of this article, please visit Aaron by clicking here, or visiting www.aarontorres-sports.com)