|
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Taneo: Ex-Lakers do in LA
By Paul J. Taneo
Free-for-all
SHAQUILLE O’Neal may have scored 18 points and had 17 rebounds in the Miami Heat’s scrambling 97-92 win over the Los Angeles Lakers yesterday but the double double is misleading.
This is not the Shaq who once powered the Orlando Magic to the 1995 NBA Finals and teamed up with Kobe Bryant for three NBA Finals victories at the start of the 21st century. This Shaq looked every year of his 32 years. The bulk and muscles are still there but he is a tad slower and less intimidating.
Most of the game, the Lakers had O’Neal on single coverage and for good reason. While he used to get a pass down low and plowed through all defenders for a slam dunk or short jumper, this time, O’Neal would receive a pass, be unable to power through his man, kick out and ask for the ball again with the same results and had to pass the ball back to a teammate.
Alonzo Mourning, who filled in for O’Neal quite ably when the latter was on the injured list, only had four points, four block shots three points in 14 minutes in the game but when he came into the game for O’Neal with 3:49 left in the third quarter, the Lakers were ahead, 67-63.
Mourning pumped up the Heat with his intensity on the defensive end and on rebounding and when O’Neal came back off the bench adequately rested, the Heat had by then retaken the lead, 81-76.
In 7:29 of the final period, O’Neal took over Mourning’s spot and showed flashes of his brilliance with two rebounds and four points in a back-up mode to the resurgent Gary Payton who was the real hero of the Heat win.
While O’Neal was tentative in stretches, Payton was cocky and consistent, racking up the points and decently defending against a taller and quicker Kobe Bryant. Payton had a team-high 21 points (9-of-11 from the field), spiced up with two steals and the same number of rebounds.
This game had a lot of history and stars involved. O’Neal, Bryant, Mourning and Payton are certain future hall of famers. While their coaches, Phil Jackson and Pat Riley have 13 NBA Finals rings between them. That’s a lot of rings, not even counting the ones O’Neal and Bryant have hoarded.
But the celebrity-flavored match was for stretches stopgap and even boring. The Lakers’ triangle might have already fallen into place and is starting to pay dividends and Riley’s stint back as Heat coach has not embarrassed him, but it is clear both teams have a lot of work to do to even hope of earning slots in the Finals.
Bryant need not be told that for him to rightfully call the Lakers his team, he needs to share the ball more and at the right time. He doesn’t need to prove how good he is anymore by sinking the shots in crucial moments of the game. He can get his teammates involved by passing to the open man.
While the Heat, already burdened with so many name players, only need to balance playing time and utilize more the combinations that work for them.
After the game, the obvious player of the game, Payton, could not be interviewed as he was forcibly ushered to the dressing room as he got into a verbal tussle with Lamar Odom, so O’Neal did the honors. The courtside reporter tactlessly asked O’Neal why he did not even look at Bryant before the game started, replied with a long stretch of silence and a blank stare.
That right there, tells lots. O’Neal doesn’t have to be baited into an intrigue to make an impact in the NBA. All he has to do is be his old big powerful self to help his team win. And it wouldn’t hurt if he gets some help from another former Los Angeles Laker named Gary Payton.
(paulotaneo@yahoo.com)
(December 28, 2005 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
