As the Los Angeles Clippers pursued their first playoff series victory since 2006 and just their second since 1976, you had to know that entry into the second round wouldn’t come in routine fashion.

Last fall, once the lockout was settled and the shortened, 66-game schedule was set into motion, much analysis hinged on the nature of the schedule and its effects. While the slate was certainly grueling and claimed its fair share of casualties, it also brought out the best among the NBA’s coaching fraternity, rewarding those who best managed their roster through the trials and tribulations of 66 games in 120 days.

They aren’t quite the kind of world-renown superstars that can be easily identified by just their first names and theyaren’t primed to win the NBA scoring title. However, they could still shift the balance of this year’s playoffs and, potentially, represent the difference for their clubs between a deep run and a first round exit. Here are a few of the prospective game changers that could shape the postseason.

Indiana, as engineered by team president Larry Bird, has pulled together a balanced group of complementary, quality players with character in lieu of having one (or two or three) franchise guys.

The term “rookie” holds both positive and negative connotations. While a rookie is someone boasting promise and potential, it is also a player lacking in experience and general know-how. As the connotations suggest, counting on the production of a rookie can bring about the promise of long-term gains along with ever-existent short-term pains. Charlotte Bobcats head coach Paul Silas has spent the 2011-12 season learning this first-hand, while Toronto Raptors bench boss Dwane Casey may be about to find out.

In the end, Wednesday’s trade deadline wasn’t about big stars changing addresses, nor was it about championship contenders solidifying their roster. Instead, Wednesday was marked by the decisions of bubble teams on whether to go all-in or cash in their assets with an eye towards the future. On the opposite end of the spectrum, you have the Portland Trail Blazers.

In a shortened NBA season in which unpredictability has reigned, it’s only appropriate that we are a week away from a trade deadline which could either be a landscape-changer or an uneventful dud.

There were more than a few observers who were quick to dismiss the chances of the San Antonio Spurs as they embarked on the lockout-shortened 2011-12 NBA season. The condensed schedule, it stood to reason, would favor the young, who could remain spry through tough, grueling stretches. As it turns out through nearly two months of play, there happens to be another quality that can help teams navigate through a schedule heavy on games and light on practices: chemistry.

We saw last week how messy the NBA’s early extension deadline has the potential to be for the relationship between some teams and their third-year talent’s. While Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook signed long-term deals without incident with the Bulls and Thunder, respectively, things got a little awkward for Kevin Love, Eric Gordon and Roy Hibbert, among others.

DeMarcus Cousins isn’t the first NBA player to enter the league boasting special talents while also falling short a few screws. However, he is unique in that he’s made it 19 months into his pro career without either side – the talent or the personality – winning out in a clear fashion.