Defending Shaq

I have been doing a lot of defending Shaq lately: from my girlfriend, my friends, my mailman, even some of the guys down at the bar. Ridiculous. Everyone has to bitch about something - his free throw shooting, he's old, he's got no outside shot...even my own father said he was the 'biggest con-man in the NBA' for fooling everyone into getting paid $20 million a year.

I can almost here Dr. Evil say that sum of money.

In fact, I used to say the same things - when Shaq didn't play on my team, of course. From the time he was first drafted to the Magic (at which time I was a fan of the Heat and didn't like my cross state rival getting noveau-riche because of one player) to the Lakers, where I scoffed at Phil Jackson's claims that Shaq didn't get enough foul calls.

Then Shaq limps on over to the Heat, and instantly all my ignorance was lifted. For I certainly was blind.

I am not going to go off and describe how Shaq's effect on the game is so important that he is the real MVP in the NBA every season. I could fortify this with stats, notably the success of players like Penny, Kobe and Wade, that could show how Shaq has elevated the stakes for not only himself, but for his teammates as well. But that is boring and has been done before.

And frankly, if you don't get it by now, you just ain't gonna get it. Not today, not ever.

Instead, I am going to put it all out there - on Shaq. I am going to let the Big Fella do the talking once and for all.

In tonight's game 6, the stage is set. The Heat have rolled off three straight wins in Miami and are poised to take the series tonight. Mark Cuban and his Dallas Bitchers have done a fair share of whining and complaining that will most certainly have an effect on how this game will be called. You can expect some calls to go the Mavs way, since they will be at home, but after the amount of complaining - something I haven't seen outside of the French media - you got to feel like the Heat have no chance.

But they do - and it will all come down to Shaq. It is all on his broad shoulders. Everyone is complaining, now, that he is too much of a physical freak. Shaq relies too much on his ability to outmuscle his opponents. That somehow, being bigger, stronger and faster does not have any place in sports.

Fools. Sure, it is not a skill that can be taught - which is PRECISELY why Shaq is so important.

Tonight, he has to get it done. Tonight, he has to abuse Dampier and Diop like they are wookies. Tonight, he has to answer all the doubters, all the haters, and bring that championship trophy back to Miami - to the team that actually fights to win, as opposed to bitching about officiating and making outlandish conspiracy theories.

Tonight, it all falls on Shaq. When he arrived in Miami, July 14th 2004, he said, "I'm going to bring a championship to Miami." Well, he has a chance to deliver on that; and not since the Babe have we ever seen a more bold gesture predicted and delivered, if pulled off. And seeing as how high the stakes already are, it can only validate how big his game truly is.

Spare the wine and cheese

Heat win fair and square, no need to blame the refs
Written by Brandman316


When all was said and done, viewers of Game 5 of the NBA Finals had just watched one of the best NBA Finals games of all time. And although Maverick fans accross the nation will be watching slow-motion video over and over and over again trying to find exactly where a foul occured, they still won't realize why they lost Game 5. Instead of focusing on the parts of the game the Mavericks could control, they will be focusing on a play where the Dallas Mavericks put their life on the line in the hands of three old men who in most careers would be retired.

The biggest question from Game 5 shouldn't be "Was that a foul on Wade?", rather it should be "How could Josh Howard screw things up so bad?"

With 0:54 seconds left in overtime, Josh Howard gets fouled and goes to the line to shoot two. At this point, Howard had been 9-9 from the charity stripe and was having an all-around good game. Instead of continuing that success, Howard misses both free-throws short, hitting the front rim and allowing Miami to steal the game, something the Mavericks have done twice in the three game homestand in Miami.

Then with 1.9 seconds to go, Avery Johnson tells Howard to call a timeout after the second freethrow, only Howard miss-reads the signs and calls a timeout after the first freethrow, giving Dallas an almost impossible chance at winning the game.

The fact of the matter is, as Dallas travels back home they have nobody to blame for being down 2-3 but themselves. Dallas had two great chances to get a win in Miami, and both times crumbled under pressure with poor decision making and critical free-throw misses.

If the Dallas Mavericks want to win a NBA Championship, they can not put their destiny in the hands of referees and hope a foul is not called. They need to fight back and show the same determination Miami has shown to get back in this series.

What's even more unfortunate is how Wade's brilliant performance may be somewhat forgotten, with Maverick fans positive that there is a conspiracy against their team. Foul or no foul, Wade hit two clutch free-throws to give Miami the lead and was able to have another stellar night, scoring 42 point and making a franchise high 21 freethrows.

To put it quite simple, the Miami Heat took care of business in Miami and captured the series lead to 3-2. Instead of focusing on aspects of the game they can't control, the officiating by the referees, they instead focused on their on court play and won games 3 and 5 by simple determination. As the series continues, it is starting to become obvious which team has all the veterans on it who have never won a NBA Championship before.

The Miami Heat won Game 5. Period. They weren't given a gift, or bailed out by the referees. Don't the blame the referees if you're a Dallas fan, blame your team for not being able to close out a game. Blame your team for missing key free-throws. Last time I checked, the referees had nothing to do with Dwyane Wade making clutch shot after clutch shot, or Gary Payton making the lay up over Dampier in the final moments, or Howard's two missed free-throws...

Miami did what they had to do, and that's win. The Heat are a determined team, and determination is what NBA Championship teams are all about.

Whitewashed

Well, well, well.

There are a lot of people who never thought they would see this day. They were writing off the Heat, saying this eastern power was no match for the juggernaut from the west in Dallas.

Yet, the Finals is now tied, 2-2 and it becomes a race to win 2 out of the next 3 games. Suddenly, the Heat look more likely to pull of such a feat, with Dallas looking like the joke.

24 point differential in scoring in the 4th game of the Finals. Only 7 points scored for the Mavericks in the 4th quarter, a new record for the Finals for fewest points scored in a quarter, while the Heat poured on the rout.

The Mavs showed life in the third quarter, scoring 23 points while the Heat scored 24. Even ending the quarter on an 8-0 run, but there were several questionable calls that gave life to the Mavericks.

Even these calls, including not hitting Stack with a flagrant and ejection, could not stop the Heat. The Heat showed their depth, going deeper into the rotation then ever before in this series bringin Shandon Anderson into the game. All Mr. Anderson did was get 2 points (on a back door cut for a layup) and 5 rebounds: at least according to the box score. He outhustled everyone on the floor, getting to key loose balls and playing strong, pesky defense.

Alonzo Mourning arrived in this game, too. Several key, poster-worthy blocks that changed the face of this game and built up the Heat's momentum. And it was crucial, Shaq drew two early fouls and only played 4 minutes in the first quarter. The best backup center in the entire NBA answered the call.

There was also James Posey, who grabbed 10 rebounds and scored 15 points. Posey, as usual, took on the tough perimeter defensive assignments and was very effective against Howard, Terry, and Nowitzki.

Let's talk about Hasselhoff's biggest fan. He had an awful night shooting 2-14 on the night, and getting most of his points from the FT line (11-13). Dirk also landed on Shaq's foot on a three point attempt, twisting his ankle. But even that could not be used as an excuse, as he was blanketed by the Heat defense for most of the night - forcing Dirk to shoot off rythmn.

This series is far from over. The Heat put on a dominating performance from start to finish. There was a few hiccups along the way, mostly due to some questionable officiating which bordered on laughable. Still, there will be some fallout from this game - Stackhouse could face a suspension for his blantant hack on Shaq, which brought the Big Fella out of the air and crashing into the front row. And Dirk's ankle. And the Mavericks' collective psyche - which is smarting from the Game 3 shocker still.

The Heat outrebounded the Mavericks, outshot the Mavericks and amassed more turnovers than their opponents but managed to win. Not bad for a team that was given no chance in this series.

In fact, several things were witnessed we didn't expect: Shaq getting knocked down by Stackhouse and shaking it off without an incident. Oh yeah, Jason Kapono and Michael Doleac logging minutes in the 4th quarter of the NBA Finals.

And a 2-2 tie as the Heat hold serve on their home court. Still, 2 more to go.

Playin' with Fire

With under 6 minutes to go, the Heat's season looked to be getting blacker. Everything was starting to collapse. The Heat was being stifled of valuable oxygen, what it needed to combust - and the culprit was mostly themselves.

Then Dwyane Wade happened.

Faced with 5 fouls and a banged up left knee, after a collision with Alonzo Mourning, Wade took his entire Heat team and the city of Miami on his shoulders and ripped out the heart of the Mavericks. He did this because that was what was needed to be done. It was the only way for the Heat to win this game.

The Heat were reeling. They had 20 turnovers. They were missing shots and misfiring, once again, on offense. This time, it was a little longer till the Heat collapse - it came after the half - but the collapse did come. Up by 9 after the half, the Mavericks came out in the 3rd quarter and dropped 34 on the Heat, who answered with a meek 16 points.

And like that, the Miami fans were silent and the Mavs were getting ready for their coronation ceremony. Yet, as quick as it went from a series of 3-0 it went to 2-1. Wade's 42 points, when the smoke cleared, had everything to do with it.

Wade was the only one who could lift this team up. He may be the only one in this series capable of taking over multiple times.

It was the type of performance that evoked old #23 for Chicago. In fact, his teammate, #33, said after the game that this was eerily similar to an MJ performance. Wade gave it all he had, Scottie - that is for sure.

What was particularly amazing about the Heat's rally behind Wade was how it changed the Heat within the game. They outscored the Mavericks 30-19 in the fourth, answering for their third quarter disappointment. They got amazing performances from unlikely places, too.

Shaq hit both free throws at a crucial stretch - earning the nickname, The Big Freethrow.

Haslem, with a blown up shoulder hurting each time he lifts his arms over his head, sank both of his free throws after missing all of his previous attempts.

Posey hit a key three pointer and even drew some free throw attempts from a defensive foul on the Mavericks.

Gary Payton, perhaps forgotten in this series, finally decided to show up and make some noise. He faked a three and stepped within the line to hit a jumper from the wing to put the Heat up 97-95.

The Heat made their amazing comeback with the lineup of Williams, Wade, Posey, Haslem and Shaq. They focused on defense and getting defensive stops. They got the ball to Wade who lead the charge scoring 15 points in the 4th quarter - half of the Heat's total points in that time frame.

Not exactly what was meant by 15 strong, but we'll take it.

The Heat played with fire. Dwyane Wade drew his 5th foul with just under 11 minutes to play in the fourth quarter. They amassed 20 turnovers. Dwyane Wade, on his free throw shots at the end of the game, looked like he missed the second on purpose - in the hopes of securing the rebound with 1.3 seconds left. That lead to the Mavericks inbound where they tossed up a lob pass for Josh Howard to catch in front of the rim - but Wade was there to out leap Howard and tip the pass away to secure the win.

And the series may not look the same again. In less than 6 minutes, everything changed. The Heat gave themselves a win and lots of hope.

Shaq's Free Throw Troubles: Enough

Let's stop the insanity, ok?

I mean, this isn't something new - it has been going on since the early 90's, when Shaq first stepped out into the NBA spotlight. Here was this physical anomaly, a seven footer with the agility of a gazelle. He could muscle you inside and dunk on you. And just to add insult to injury, he would tear down your goal post.

But destruction would also tend to fall from the skies whenever O'neal was at the free throw line. Small childern were unable to get out of the way, crying, running for shelter whenever he shot free throws. It got so bad at one point that the Lakers decided to put up netting used in field goal attempts for football games behind the baskets to protect the fans. I mean, LA wasn't using anything football related anyway, right?

Fine - I embellished a little there. But the fact is Shaq has ALWAYS been a bad free throw shooter. So, why all of the sudden is everyone so uptight about it?

I was watching Game 1 of the Finals at the AAA - seeing as that was the closest I was going to get to actually GOING to a Finals game. Every time Shaq would go to shoot free throws, people would get upset when he missed. Visibly, too.

Clank; growl. Brick; moan. I mean, I thought it was a little ridiculous when people started taking shots every time he hit a free throw. And starting wagering on each attempt. (I got $20 - thanks Shaq for hitting that last free throw attempt!)

What people don't seem to get though is that it really isn't about whether or not Shaq makes his free throws, but that he gets FTAs (free throw attempts).

Why is this significant? Because someone has to foul Shaq to put him on the line.

The Mavs have two guys they are going to defend Shaq with - Diop and Dampier. That means, they have 12 fouls to give, and that is it. If Shaq gets 10 FTAs, that is 5 fouls right there. Only 7 more to give.

Yet, that isn't even the whole story. If the Mavs are fouling Shaq, they are edging ever closer to getting their team into the penalty - which means the Heat get FTAs every time the Mavs foul.

So a Wade drive to the basket? FTAs. A Gary Payton post up move? FTAs. Jason Williams crossover? FTAs. Antoine Walker's patented barrel move with results in catapult action layup? FTAs.

It doesn't even matter if they make those shots. All that matters is that Shaq sets the tone inside, the Mavs have to foul him to put him on the line and prevent him from getting easy baskets. The Mavericks get into the penalty with their indulgence in fouling, and the Heat players then benefit. They just have to drive towards the basket, draw contact, and they are shooting free throws.

Of course, the Heat have to make them. But this also enables the Heat opportunities to score without the clock moving, without worrying about turning the ball over, without injury.

This is the key to the Heat's offensive engine - driving into the painted area and scoring. If they don't score, at least draw fouls in order to put them on the line.

Shaq is the key. It isn't about whether or not Shaq makes his free throws. It is about him setting up his teammates to make theirs.

An Ironic Finish to the Eastern Conference Finals

Written by Brandman316

When all was said and done, the Miami Heat could obviously thank Shaq for his performance in the sixth game of the Eastern Conference Finals, but it was their star guard who they could thank the most for the win. Shooting 83% from the field and ending up with 21 points, 6 assists, and just 1 turnover, and making big shot after bigger shot to stop any run from Detroit in the second half of the game, he was "the man" last night. Leading many fastbreaks and getting his teamates involved and playing good enough defense to allow C. Billups to just 9 points, he was the MVP in Game 6 for the Miami Heat. But this guard didn't have anything to do with a Flash, and his name isn't Dwyane Wade. His name is Jason Williams, and without him, the Heat may have been heading up to Detroit today for a Game 7.

In an ironic finish to Game 6 on Friday, the Miami Heat could thank J-Dub and all of the other "mistake" players on the Miami Heat for getting them to the finals. These "mistake" players, made up of James Posey, Williams, Antoine Walker, and Gary Payton were the exact players basketball "experts" said were a mistake to bring to Miami.

These "experts" said these new players would never get along, too much egos, certainly not enough basketballs, and would never be able to take a backseat to the ride Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal were going to lead.

But they did.

Egos were checked at the door and all of these players, who could still be starters on most teams - and be one of the go-to guys on any team - decided winning a championship was more important than being the star on a team or putting up 20 points a night.

Consider this, these "mistake" players combined for 41 points last night on 55% shooting. That's more than Chauncey Billups, Tayshaun Prince, Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess, and Lindsey Hunter, COMBINED.

What NBA fans are starting to learn about the Miami Heat is that this guy name Pat Riley does indeed know what he is doing. He blew up last years team and carefully placed the right pieces at each position for the exact reason for what happend last night - being able to win a game, a BIG game for that matter, without a great performance by Dwyane Wade, something the Heat would NEVER be able to do a season ago.

And you could see it in Pat Riley's eyes. When he held up that Eastern Conference Trophy at half-court, and raised it in the air looking at a sell-out crowd of over 20,000 White Hot Heat Fans, a fan base he created with the trade of the century to bring Shaq to Miami, a great ability to bring in young players like Haslem and Wade, and envision a team of stars who would play like one, you could see in his mind he was saying to himself:

"I don't make mistakes. I make championships."

Where There is a JWill, There is a Way

Game 6, American Airlines Arena, Miami.

The Heat held the series to a 3-2 advantage, and they never looked back. They shot 55% from the field, and kept the pace open to a double digit lead for most of the game.

Shaq dominated. 28 points on 12-14 shooting, 16 rebounds and 5 blocked shots. So many key plays to lift his team and continue to pound the Pistons inside, taking the paint away from them. Shaq even became a much better defender in this series, consistently getting out on high screen and rolls to defend the ball carrier, using his agility to create a giant wall to block off any attack.

The bench did their job, they contributed to a high level of play. Po-Z had 11 rebounds in only 24 minutes. Payton provided a nice transition when Jason Williams went down with foul trouble, handling the ball and pushing the offense getting 6 points and 2 assists along with a steal in 18 minutes. And while Payton gets to return to the Finals, with Shaq, Posey gets there for the first time.

Then there was the story of the night - Dwyane Wade, with the flu, leading his team past the Pistons towards the franchise's first ever Finals appearance. Well, the story did not turn out exactly as it was set up - it was supposed to be the coronation of a new rising legend with Dwyane Wade, but instead it settled for a light sizzle like the pop of a soda. Wade did need all the hydration he could get, and he was able enough to quench the Heat's thirst for a win as he muscled in 14 points on 6-15 shooting, closing out the third quarter in a flurry. But he also contributed to the Heat's win by becoming play maker, dishing out 10 assists.

Then there was Jason Williams - the quiet enigma of a player that has refined his game and stripped it down in order to help fit into a team's identity instead of trying to become the team identity. Known for his flashy play, Williams has been quietly working to better his game through sacrifice even while with the Memphis Grizzlies. And playing with chronic knee tendonitis, Jwill was able to keep pushing for this team and helping them assert their playoff demands on every game night - no matter what pain he went through.

And last night was the culmination for him. We all knew Williams could play. We all knew he had big time ability - he just demonstrated it for us. And it couldn't have come at a better time. "I thought you saw his game tonight," Riley said, "it came at the right time." Words couldn't ring more true.

Because you can talk about all the strengths of this Heat team, how much deeper they are, how much more talented they are than their opponents or even of any other Heat team for that matter. But it comes down to guys making plays and Jason Williams stepped up on a night when the Heat needed someone to. Dwyane Wade had been carrying this team for most of the season and most of their resurgence in the playoffs. Shaq has been the big stabilizer, too. But for once, it came down to will, of not letting the other team take from you what you have worked so hard to gain. Jason Williams demonstrated that, too. He came out ablaze, hitting his first 10 shots in a row.

The Heat never looked back. They kept attacking.

And now, they are going to the NBA Finals for the first time in their franchise history.

The Heat is on

Forgive me if I am not panicking over the Game 5 loss to the Pistons. Forgive me if I am rolling my eyes every time I hear how 'resilient' or how 'tough' this Pistons team is. Or I stick my finger in my throat when someone starts to spout off about how many times they have come back from being down in a series.

Enough.

Plain and simple, the Pistons did what they were supposed to do - win a game at home. Finally. Yeah. Bang your thundersticks, keep replaying your 'Detroit Basketballllll' announcement over your PA's all you want. But the fact is, Detroit was the favorite in this series and they were supposed to win EVERY home game. But they didn't. And as it stands, the Heat will have to take the series on their own home courts instead of doing the dance in enemy territory.

Sure, the Pistons got it done last year on Miami's home floor. And yes, I wanted to see the Heat do it last night on Detroit's home floor just for poetic justice. But it didn't come to fruition.

And sure, I am all the more pissed for it because it just shows that the Heat are a very good team and not entirely a great team.

At least, not yet.

They have to close the deal first and make no mistake, the heat is on the Heat. Detroit, with their arrogance and cockiness have creaked open the door a little further. Their fans are starting to breath again, after going on life support.

I say we slam the door on their fingers for good. Right in their faces tomorrow night. And the Heat will get it done.

Why?

Because the Pistons will be overmatched by a Heat team faced with home cooking and smelling history. This team is poised for greater things, and beating Detroit is just on that path. Detroit doesn't have the firepower to keep up with Miami. Detroit blew their load and tried all their tricks in their desperation for a win last night: they crowded Shaq. Even if he passed out of the tendrils that surrounded him, Shaq's supporting cast wasn't up for the challenge - most notably Udonis Haslem who was missing open looks from midrange. Something that UD does well is hit his midrange shots.

So, what is more likely to happen, the Heat have another mediocre game in this series or the Pistons struggle to keep up with the firepower of the Heat?

Exactly.

The heat is on the Heat, but they will take Game 6. Because if they don't, they might as well not even waste the gas flying up to Detroit for Game 7.