NewJerSpur
06-14-2009, 01:54 AM
First off, props to the Lakers for pulling out the win in hostile territory. When the Magic started to get the benefit of some suspect calls in the overtime session of Game 4 I started to feel that it would only be right L.A. finished the job....I don't like seeing teams I root for win on B.S. calls, which is how the Magic almost lost a pivotal game in their last series.
Props to the ageless one, D-Fish, whose shot always seems to come alive when it's truly needed, even if he's lost a step and is a major liability on defense.
Props to Ariza for lighting up his old team and keeping the Lakers in the game in the 2nd half when the game should've started to get out of reach. Not only did he make big shots, but he seemed to be in the middle of all of the lose ball scrambles and hustle plays....I'd love to see him in San Antonio, but the Spurs would probably have a better chance at signing Odom.
I'm not the biggest fan of guys getting layed out on the hardwood, but I was down with Pietrus applying a hard foul to Gasol on that B.S. dunk with seconds left in the game and a more than comfortable lead; I'm also glad the league didn't suspend him for it. That was bush league on Pau's part and although I'd be able to swallow to some degree Ariza and even Kobe winning a ring, it'd be hard to see someone as whiny and classless as Pao (as well as guys like Sasha and even Odom) holding up the LOB.
All that said:
LET'S GO MAGIC!!!
The Jameer experiment hasn't worked out so well ,as I'd feared, (particularly on the defensive end where Fish took advantage of him way back in L.A. before the big shot in Orlando....Courtney Lee should've been on the floor on that last Lakers' possession to end regulation, but that was on SVG) but the series ain't over yet. He had some costly turnovers in Game 4 but he made some good decisions down the stretch, so hopefully he's getting more of a feel for the playoff game because Stan is going to stick with him.
Pietrus had enough time to hit Turk in the corner for a better shot to end regulation, but elected to go for the fadeaway three....stuff happens and he's made the shot before in the playoffs. Still, if the Magic had played smarter down the stretch it wouldn't have come down to that shot.
The thing I notice more and more with regard to Dwight, is that he has to be spoonfed the ball in rhythm and in perfect spots to really give him an opportunity to score. It's typically got to be deep in the paint or really close to the baseline so the defense doesn't have enough time to collapse on him in case he does take a dribble; his post passing has been improving (not Duncan-like quite yet) but it's still not something he's totally comfortable with. He's got to at least get a jumper going this offseason and maybe train with another offensively skilled big, not just Patrick Chewing. I do like how he's stepped in to more of a leader's role though....at times you could see him on the floor getting on guys after a play was over or right before timeouts about getting him the ball in certain spots and even taking advantage of shooting opportunities. Someone's going to have to be a leader on the floor in order for them to survive game 5 and begin to put the pressure back on the Lakers.
To Hedo and Rashard: Just keep making shots....that is all.
:toast
Props to the ageless one, D-Fish, whose shot always seems to come alive when it's truly needed, even if he's lost a step and is a major liability on defense.
Props to Ariza for lighting up his old team and keeping the Lakers in the game in the 2nd half when the game should've started to get out of reach. Not only did he make big shots, but he seemed to be in the middle of all of the lose ball scrambles and hustle plays....I'd love to see him in San Antonio, but the Spurs would probably have a better chance at signing Odom.
I'm not the biggest fan of guys getting layed out on the hardwood, but I was down with Pietrus applying a hard foul to Gasol on that B.S. dunk with seconds left in the game and a more than comfortable lead; I'm also glad the league didn't suspend him for it. That was bush league on Pau's part and although I'd be able to swallow to some degree Ariza and even Kobe winning a ring, it'd be hard to see someone as whiny and classless as Pao (as well as guys like Sasha and even Odom) holding up the LOB.
All that said:
LET'S GO MAGIC!!!
The Jameer experiment hasn't worked out so well ,as I'd feared, (particularly on the defensive end where Fish took advantage of him way back in L.A. before the big shot in Orlando....Courtney Lee should've been on the floor on that last Lakers' possession to end regulation, but that was on SVG) but the series ain't over yet. He had some costly turnovers in Game 4 but he made some good decisions down the stretch, so hopefully he's getting more of a feel for the playoff game because Stan is going to stick with him.
Pietrus had enough time to hit Turk in the corner for a better shot to end regulation, but elected to go for the fadeaway three....stuff happens and he's made the shot before in the playoffs. Still, if the Magic had played smarter down the stretch it wouldn't have come down to that shot.
The thing I notice more and more with regard to Dwight, is that he has to be spoonfed the ball in rhythm and in perfect spots to really give him an opportunity to score. It's typically got to be deep in the paint or really close to the baseline so the defense doesn't have enough time to collapse on him in case he does take a dribble; his post passing has been improving (not Duncan-like quite yet) but it's still not something he's totally comfortable with. He's got to at least get a jumper going this offseason and maybe train with another offensively skilled big, not just Patrick Chewing. I do like how he's stepped in to more of a leader's role though....at times you could see him on the floor getting on guys after a play was over or right before timeouts about getting him the ball in certain spots and even taking advantage of shooting opportunities. Someone's going to have to be a leader on the floor in order for them to survive game 5 and begin to put the pressure back on the Lakers.
To Hedo and Rashard: Just keep making shots....that is all.
:toast