Categories
Archives
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- July 2008
- May 2008
- March 2008
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
Calendar

September 2010

M T W T F S S

« Jun

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30

September 2010
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
« Jun
	1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30

Jun

9

6-9-2000: Hack-a-Shaq v. Fight-a-Dwight

Filed Under On This Day . . ., NBA, Loose Balls

Nizoral Online Buy Propecia Lotrisone Online Buy Topamax Seroquel Online Buy Ultram Amoxil Online Buy Inderal Synthroid Online Buy Glucotrol

Through two games of the NBA Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers have been able to fight off Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard by playing an aggressive and swarming defense on the young, dominating presence.

Having the front line length and depth to make things difficult for Howard, the Lakers have used seven footers Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol exclusively on Orlando’s superstar big man.

Once Howard has caught the ball in the post, the Lakers have waited for him to make his move. Once Howard has done something with the ball, the Lakers have done a great job of helping out by having perimeter players like Trevor Ariza drop down from the strong side of the court or Kobe Bryant provide help from the weak side. They’ve also brought great weak side help from the 6′10” Lamar Odom.

In turn, the Lakers have thoroughly frustrated Howard with their length, size and aggressiveness through the first two games of the series.

While Howard has gone to the free throw line 25 times combined and hit 17 of those attempts (a 68 percent clip for a career 60 percent shooter), he has only had 16 attempts from the field in the first two games.

Howard has only made six of those field goal attempts and has been limited to one dunk thus far in the 2009 NBA Finals. In two games, he is averaging a humbling 14.5 points for a player capable of being so dominant.

At the end of the day, why are the Lakers up 2-0 on the Magic?

Because of the way they’ve defended and taken Howard completely out of his game, making him uncomfortable nearly every time he touches the ball.

For the Magic to get back into this series in Game Three tonight and to have any chance of winning the Finals, Howard will need to be better in terms of being more decisive when he gets the ball.

Rather than catching the ball in the post and waiting, thus allowing the Lakers to sit back, wait and set the trap to collapse, Howard needs to go when he gets the ball, whether turning quickly to the lane or the baseline for a half hook or going middle and kicking out to open shooters.

In other words, dictate the Lakers defense as opposed to letting it dictate Orlando’s offense.

Whatever he does, Howard must be more assertive and needs to be much stronger with the ball as the Lakers have been stripping him way too much.

L.A.’s ability to stifle Howard in the first two games has been the biggest story and development of the 2009 NBA Finals thus far.

The way they have played defense on Howard without having to foul him every time is a testament to the ability of Lakers Head Coach Phil Jackson as a defensive tactician.

In some regards, Jackson’s Lakers are now on the opposite side of the ledger after having to face multiple coverages on Shaquille O’Neal earlier this decade.

Specifically nine years ago today, the Indiana Pacers faced the insurmountable post force known as Shaq in Game Two of the 2000 NBA Finals.

For the Pacers, they were unable to play Shaq straight-up and rely on double teams to limit his effectiveness.

Rather they employed the old Hack-a-Shaq philosophy, and it resulted in O’Neal going to the line an NBA-playoff record 39 times.

A career 52 percent shooter from the free throw line, O’Neal would hit on 18 of his 39 free throw attempts, a 46 percent clip.

Still, O’Neal’s 39 free throw attempts would surpass the previous playoff record of 32 free throws by Boston Celtics’ great Bob Cousy in 1953 and Finals’ record of 24 free throws by St. Louis Hawks superstar Bob Petitt in 1958.

While he would only make 18 of his free throws in Game Two of the 2000 NBA Finals, O’Neal would fall one made free throw short for the most successful free throw makes in a Finals game. Petitt made 19 of his 24 free throws in the Finals game back in 1958.

Shaq may not have been effective at the charity stripe against the Pacers in Game Two, but he was dominant everywhere else, scoring a game-high 40 points and grabbing a game-best 24 rebounds.

He would also put the Pacers front line in big trouble by fouling out Dale Davis and Sam Perkins, leaving Rik Smits with five fouls and drawing three fouls in three minutes on seldom-used big man Zan Tabak.

In the other five games of the 2000 NBA Finals, O’Neal would shoot 54 free throws.

For the series, that would be a combined 93 free throw attempts in six games, a per game average of 15.5 free throw attempts.

Shaq would make 36 of his 93 free throws in the series, an ugly 38.7 percentage.

Here’s a breakdown of Shaq at the line in the 2000 NBA Finals.

Game One: Lakers Win (1-of-6 from free throw line, 43 points, 19 rebounds)

Game Two: Lakers Win (18-of-39 from free throw line, 40 points, 19 rebounds)

Game Three: Lakers Lose (3-of-13 from line, 33 points, 13 rebounds)

Game Four: Lakers Win (10-of-17 from line, 36 points, 21 rebounds)

Game Five: Lakers Lose (1-of-6 from line, 35 points, 11 rebounds)

Game Six: Lakers Win (3-of-12 from line, 41 points, 12 rebounds)

Series Totals: (93 free throw attempts, 36 makes, 228 points, 95 rebounds)

While Shaq may have left many points at the free throw line in the 2000 NBA Finals, he was purely dominant en route to winning his first NBA Championship and first NBA Finals MVP award.

O’Neal averaged an amazing 38 points and 15.8 rebounds per game in a series when he was truly in his prime.

While Howard is much younger than O’Neal was in 2000, it would be nice for the Magic if he could have a similarly huge performance in Game Three tonight against the Lakers.

The season is on the line; it’s time for Howard to break through.