some_user86
10-25-2007, 12:59 AM
Basketball: Big test continues for Spurs' big men
Web Posted: 10/24/2007 10:52 PM CDT
Jeff McDonald
Express-News Staff Writer
ORLANDO, Fla. — Shaquille O'Neal hit a jump hook over Fabricio Oberto. He coaxed Oberto into a foul and completed the three-point play. Once, he lowered his shoulder and sent Oberto skidding to the floor.
Another foul on Oberto.
On the surface, Tuesday night's preseason matchup against O'Neal and the Miami Heat wasn't a great experience for Oberto, the Spurs' starting center.
But at least he still had his health.
"The first time I played him, as a rookie, I injured my ankle," Oberto said. "So this was better."
Better, but only barely.
Playing for the first time since straining his left quad earlier this preseason, O'Neal torched the Spurs for 14 of his 17 points in the first quarter and sat out the second half of what became a 104-87 Spurs victory.
Members of the Spurs' frontcourt have little time to fret their O'Neal-induced misfortune. There are other large men looming: Orlando's Dwight Howard today and Houston's Yao Ming on Friday.
By week's end, the Spurs will have faced three of the top big men in the NBA not named Tim Duncan. Fresh off scaling Everest, Kilimanjaro and Pike's Peak await.
For Oberto, Duncan and Francisco Elson, it is a grueling gauntlet with which to conclude preseason play.
Duncan, for one, can hardly wait.
"The preseason is about competition," Duncan said. "Sometimes, it's better when the top guys play. If you can get 15 or 20 minutes against top-notch competition, you only better yourself."
If O'Neal was the measuring stick, Oberto and Elson were beaten upside the head with it Tuesday.
Oberto drew the unenviable assignment of guarding O'Neal to start the game. Six and a half minutes in, O'Neal had nine points. Oberto was on the bench with three fouls.
Elson replaced Oberto but wasn't in the game for 40 seconds when O'Neal dunked on him.
Duncan had the most success in slowing the man they call "The Diesel."
With Duncan stationed to him for a good part of the second quarter, O'Neal managed just three points. Duncan, however, did struggle on the offensive end, waiting until the second half to record his first field goal and finishing with seven points.
In a sense, O'Neal's early outburst was to be expected. When healthy, O'Neal is still the most dominant low-post force in the league. After sitting out two games, he was certainly rested for the Spurs.
As Duncan put it afterward: "Shaq did Shaq things."
Whether Howard can do Howard things or Yao can do Yao things remains to be seen.
Those players, too, pose a sizeable preseason challenge for the Spurs' big men.
Howard, a 6-foot-11 powderkeg, will attack with his freakish athletic gifts — who can forget his airwalking alley-oop dunk over Duncan to beat the Spurs last season?
Yao, meanwhile, will attack with freakish size — at 7-foot-6, he is the tallest player in the league.
Yet to Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, the remainder of the preseason isn't just about a battle of big men.
In his view, it was a breakdown of the Spurs' entire team defensive concept that allowed O'Neal his ballistic first quarter. Mending that malfunction will be one of Popovich's top priorities before the season opens against Portland on Tuesday.
After O'Neal's initial barrage, the Spurs began to double-team him with guards and wings. All too often, however, the cavalry arrived too late to help.
"I don't think our team defense was very good in its rotation," Popovich said. "It's good to learn those things in the preseason."
Popovich can thank O'Neal for the lesson. Beginning today, Howard and Yao will be happy to help as well.
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I hope this wasn't posted yet either.
Web Posted: 10/24/2007 10:52 PM CDT
Jeff McDonald
Express-News Staff Writer
ORLANDO, Fla. — Shaquille O'Neal hit a jump hook over Fabricio Oberto. He coaxed Oberto into a foul and completed the three-point play. Once, he lowered his shoulder and sent Oberto skidding to the floor.
Another foul on Oberto.
On the surface, Tuesday night's preseason matchup against O'Neal and the Miami Heat wasn't a great experience for Oberto, the Spurs' starting center.
But at least he still had his health.
"The first time I played him, as a rookie, I injured my ankle," Oberto said. "So this was better."
Better, but only barely.
Playing for the first time since straining his left quad earlier this preseason, O'Neal torched the Spurs for 14 of his 17 points in the first quarter and sat out the second half of what became a 104-87 Spurs victory.
Members of the Spurs' frontcourt have little time to fret their O'Neal-induced misfortune. There are other large men looming: Orlando's Dwight Howard today and Houston's Yao Ming on Friday.
By week's end, the Spurs will have faced three of the top big men in the NBA not named Tim Duncan. Fresh off scaling Everest, Kilimanjaro and Pike's Peak await.
For Oberto, Duncan and Francisco Elson, it is a grueling gauntlet with which to conclude preseason play.
Duncan, for one, can hardly wait.
"The preseason is about competition," Duncan said. "Sometimes, it's better when the top guys play. If you can get 15 or 20 minutes against top-notch competition, you only better yourself."
If O'Neal was the measuring stick, Oberto and Elson were beaten upside the head with it Tuesday.
Oberto drew the unenviable assignment of guarding O'Neal to start the game. Six and a half minutes in, O'Neal had nine points. Oberto was on the bench with three fouls.
Elson replaced Oberto but wasn't in the game for 40 seconds when O'Neal dunked on him.
Duncan had the most success in slowing the man they call "The Diesel."
With Duncan stationed to him for a good part of the second quarter, O'Neal managed just three points. Duncan, however, did struggle on the offensive end, waiting until the second half to record his first field goal and finishing with seven points.
In a sense, O'Neal's early outburst was to be expected. When healthy, O'Neal is still the most dominant low-post force in the league. After sitting out two games, he was certainly rested for the Spurs.
As Duncan put it afterward: "Shaq did Shaq things."
Whether Howard can do Howard things or Yao can do Yao things remains to be seen.
Those players, too, pose a sizeable preseason challenge for the Spurs' big men.
Howard, a 6-foot-11 powderkeg, will attack with his freakish athletic gifts — who can forget his airwalking alley-oop dunk over Duncan to beat the Spurs last season?
Yao, meanwhile, will attack with freakish size — at 7-foot-6, he is the tallest player in the league.
Yet to Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, the remainder of the preseason isn't just about a battle of big men.
In his view, it was a breakdown of the Spurs' entire team defensive concept that allowed O'Neal his ballistic first quarter. Mending that malfunction will be one of Popovich's top priorities before the season opens against Portland on Tuesday.
After O'Neal's initial barrage, the Spurs began to double-team him with guards and wings. All too often, however, the cavalry arrived too late to help.
"I don't think our team defense was very good in its rotation," Popovich said. "It's good to learn those things in the preseason."
Popovich can thank O'Neal for the lesson. Beginning today, Howard and Yao will be happy to help as well.
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I hope this wasn't posted yet either.