04/20/24
June 08, 2006
posted by Ufez Jones to basketball at 11:53 PM - 16 comments
I don't see how the Heat win any close games in this Series with their free-throw shooting. Shaq looked hopeless up there.
posted by rcade at 08:05 AM on June 09, 2006
hell, rcade, the whole team looked hopeless at the foul line. if that is the best the heat can do when dirk AND josh howard are having bad shooting nights, this series will be over before you know it.
posted by ksb122 at 08:31 AM on June 09, 2006
I thought Miami was going to score at will on Dallas. A 30 point first quarter isn't your typical championship game scoring. Dallas put the clamps on them and only allowed 50 points the rest of the game. Miami has their work cut out for them.
posted by dbt302 at 08:45 AM on June 09, 2006
With 5-6 days off since the last series, it was just flat out sloppy on both sides. However, I see Dallas getting much crisper with its passes and attacks against the zone, while I don't see Shaq's FT shooting getting any better or even him being more effective in the paint. For the most part, the refs let Diop and Dampier play, and they can do a pretty good job.
posted by smithers at 08:52 AM on June 09, 2006
Dallas sure looked like the superior basketball team. This series features two unguardable players - Dirk and Dwayne. Very entertaining. Dallas just looks like the team that can sbsorb bad nights by some of their stars. Just more good personnel. However, it is just game one, and Dallas held serve. Miami can shoot a lot better than they did.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 09:23 AM on June 09, 2006
hell, rcade, the whole team looked hopeless at the foul line. Aroo? The only other Heat player that had a FTA was Wade. I reckon it's tough to draw shooting fouls while you're launching three's from 28 feet out, *cough* Mr. Walker. With 5-6 days off since the last series, it was just flat out sloppy on both sides. Agreed entirely. Terry won that game for the Mavs, and it was great to finally see him put something special up in the playoffs this season. Hopefully, as streaky of a shooter as he is, it'll carry over through the next game. Now it's time for the coaches to make adjustments and re-tool. Game two should be very, very interesting.
posted by Ufez Jones at 09:29 AM on June 09, 2006
I'd like to see Dallas put Nowitzki closer to the block against the zone. Haslem muscled him pretty well, which makes the 17-foot fallaway seem like a 21-footer. If he can get a little closer and get some easier shots, and then have Howard slash into the paint from the weak side (flattening the top of the zone), it should free up Jet, Stack and Van Horn for 3s on the rotation.
posted by smithers at 09:35 AM on June 09, 2006
Whlie I didn't like either of these teams, Dallas is the team to beat. No one expects Shaq to hit freethrows; after all when has he been a successful freethrow shooter? I do expect them to play better, because Riley will execute all who don't measure up. All except Shaq and his freethrows. It's amazing that Shaq has been in the league since 1991 or 1992 and he hasn't improved his freethrow shooting, I wonder why. If Dallas wins on Sunday, school could be out by the end of next week.
posted by Crickette at 11:04 AM on June 09, 2006
Will the team that defeated the pistons show up? If so, we may have a series on hand. I was waiting for Wade to turn it on in the 4th quarter.
posted by mustang71 at 01:45 PM on June 09, 2006
wilt was a career 51% FT shooter, bill russell 56%. some guys just don't have what it takes mentally to sink those stand-still open 15 footers. to be fair to shaq, that's well beyond his range as a shooter.
posted by ninjavshippo at 01:46 PM on June 09, 2006
As I've said before, it all comes down to O'Neal. He had a bad game and the Heat lost. Wade is an amazing player but he can't do it by himself without Shaq. Dallas will win in five if Shaq doesn't bounce back quickly and return to his dominating ways.
posted by donnnnychris at 04:21 PM on June 09, 2006
8 for 11 for 17 points is still a pretty solid line (granted he was like what, 1 for 8 at the line?) So don't say that Shaq was the problem in Game 1. The problems stem from the role players. Walker had too many turnovers. Payton, Morning and Posey contributed 2 points for the Miami bench. Williams couldn't contain Terry. And while Haslem "held" Dirk to 16 points, Dirk still left his mark on this game thru his hustle and rebounds and passing. Still, Shaq needs at least 16 shots a game...if he shoots at that clip and gets a lot of shots...DAMN...Dallas is in trouble. And while I'm on the subject, the ONLY player who played worth a darn in this game was Jason Terry. While watching the game I saw Miami's biggest weakness: a lack of perimeter D. Jason Williams just can't cover Terry. Yet sacrificing Wade on Terry could be a big mistake. Still, this game showed that Dallas may not have the big names, but their superior depth will get them the win. 6 games will do the trick.
posted by chemwizBsquared at 04:30 PM on June 09, 2006
In Shaq's first five Game 1 appearances in the NBA finals he never failed to get at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. So for him, it was a bad game. 17 points and 7 rebounds just doesn't cut it for the big guy. And he was 1-for-9 at the line, so you were close. For the most part, in these playoffs, the Heat has been almost impossible to beat when Shaq is at his best. He needs to be dominant for Miami to have the upper hand in this series as well. If Shaq is less than usual Shaq, then Dallas will win easily.
posted by donnnnychris at 05:29 PM on June 09, 2006
I think game 2 will tell it all if Dirk and Howard come out and play their game , and the bench does what it always does,then the Heat are in trouble; I think the Mavs could take it in 5 and for sure in 6. It would be GREAT to beat the old Mavs players naming Finley,Nash and now Brickhouse Walker!!! All I can say is "GO MAVS!!!!!!!!!!
posted by mavsfan at 07:47 PM on June 09, 2006
Don't give Miami too much credit for beating Detroit, inasmuch as the chemistry problem with the Pistons was the biggest reason that Miami should have beaten the Cavaliers. Detroit only brought their players to the playoffs, not their team. With one Wallace a free agent and the other a free pouter, it is enough to break up the Pistons team - we saw it and Miami took advantage of it. It is that simple. Dallas? I can only say that the third best team in the NBA beat them by about 20 on their second worst game of the playoffs, and they won by 10 their worst game. Riley seems too smart to know that Dallas is so deep that he should not "put the mouth" on any player, or Avery will put that player out there to beat him. Watch the film and you will see that the rest of the team passed up shot after shot to feed Terry. Maybe Riley will not single anyone else out, the refs will limit Shaq's forearm smashes and we can have a great Final Series.
posted by Bud Lang at 07:52 PM on June 09, 2006
Dwayne Wade is really, really good. Why so few shots for Shaq? Great performance by Jason Terry. The Heat had a chance to win the game in the first half, but it got away from them.