NBA playoffs long on local ties

The NBA playoffs tipped off over the weekend, signaling the beginning of roughly 40 nights of compelling television long (or at least not short) on local ties. Here's a partial rundown:

Nate Tibbetts, Portland assistant coach
Series: No. 5 Blazers vs. No. 4 Rockets
Ties: He's as local as it gets, graduating from Roosevelt High, playing at South Dakota then coaching at Sioux Falls and with the Skyforce. Tibbetts is in his first year with Portland, coming over from Cleveland.

Amir Johnson, Toronto forward
Series: No. 3 Raptors vs. No. 6 Nets
Ties: He played for the Skyforce as a teenager on assignment from the Pistons. He parlayed strong play here into a second contract and has taken off with Toronto, averaging double figures the last two seasons.

Dave Joerger, Memphis coach
Series: No. 2 Thunder vs. No. 7 Grizzlies
Ties: The Minnesota native led the Skyforce from 2004-06, taking the team to a CBA title in 2005. This is his first shot as an NBA head coach, and he weathered early injury woes to get the Grizzlies going down the stretch.

Duane Ticknor, Memphis assistant
Series: No. 2 Thunder vs. No. 7 Grizzlies
Ties: A South Dakota native, Ticknor coached National American University in Rapid City before moving into the pro game. He recently spent two seasons as a Skyforce assistant. This is his first stint in the NBA. Five of his former assistants there in the league, too.

Mike Miller, Memphis forward
Series: No. 2 Thunder vs. No. 7 Grizzlies
Ties: Not long ago, folks thought the former Mitchell High star was on his last legs. But he appeared in all 82 regular-season games in this second stint with Memphis. He hadn't done that since his rookie season in 2000-01.

Justin Hamilton, Miami center
Series: No. 2 Heat vs. No. 7 Bobcats
Ties: Began this season with the Skyforce, leading them in scoring and rebounding prior to getting a call-up with Charlotte – his first. Then Miami signed him for the rest of the season. He played in a total of eight games in the regular season.

Donald Sloan, Indiana guard
Series: No. 1 Pacers vs. No. 8 Hawks
Ties: Spent part of last season with the Skyforce. During the regular season, he appeared in 48 games for the Pacers and scoring 2.3 points with 1.0 assists.

Terry Vandrovec also posts regular updates on his Twitter page.