Observations from Game 2

[Smooth]

I was at the game on Wednesday and thought I'd share some things I had in mind...

--- Z's jump shot is back and back in a big way... He did not have it throughout the season and if he did have it, it was inconsistent, he wouldn't hit that jumper 2 or 3 times in a row like he did on Wednesday night... After the first few shots he hit he starting getting his confidence and that really helped him out throughout the game... He's also started to hit that jump shot in key situations, which really helps out the team and most importantly, LeBron... Besides his jump shot, he's really performing in a big way this year... Now we can't say that he's gonna be a star throughout the playoffs because we are playing guys like Etan Thomas, Assholes like Haywood JaBlowme and Ruffin, but he has performed to expectations and that's all you can ask for...

On the defensive end he struggled early on with Thomas, because of a few put backs, but once he got rolling after 5 or so minutes, there was limited post opportunities and the Wizards were mainly a perimeter team, which encouraged... I also like how he didn't let the beginning short spout of scoring by the big men affect the rest of his game... He adjusted, moved on and played well...

Aside from those two, Z has really been solid in rebounding the ball... He isn't going to out jump somebody but he does usually get position under the basket...

While I will admit that I was a Z hate last year in the playoffs, the tides have certainly turned...but I want to see how he does the rest of the playoffs before I make a judgment..

--- Drew Gooden had a HUGE game on Wednesday and really exploited Antawn Jamison down-low where he can dominate him, with Jamison being a poor defender but vice versa for Jamison...

Anywho, Gooden was a beast and had a big 3rd quarter (? I believe it was) and really carried the team on his back when we needed it most and nobody was really working on offense... It was encouraging to see that since we are hoping for him to our big man of the future... Now of course, just like Z, he's been going against unspectacular defensive big men, but he's getting the job done...

While Gooden's defense has been decent, he's been using his offense more of late, as his defense, to tire Jamison out...

--- Where has Larry's jump shot come from? I mean I've never seen this type of accuracy since we've gotten him in here... It seems like every time you see him shot the ball, except at the end of the shot clock where a lot of his shots were missed because they were forced, that you expect it to go in, it looks that good, at least to me... I really think his jump shooting adds an extra dimension especially with Sasha being in there... That gives us two deep threats for LeBron, Z and Gooden...

His defense has also been solid, but he hasn't been facing a great offensive player in Bowling Green's finest, Antonio Daniels...

--- LeBron's shot has been really off of late, especially from the outside... Since he's been going to the more flat-flooted approach, it looks like he doesn't get enough arc in the ball, thus giving him more of an Ira Newble type shot (no one will come close to his) but it's a concern to me since defenders will start sagging off of him with his jumper not working...

Also, has anyone noticed LeBron almost "saves" himself for the 2nd half? He seems to defer and let his teammates get going in the 1st, but in the 2nd half he turns it up a gear and in the 4th quarter is really when he starts dominating the ball... Except, he realizes when other guys are hot and feeds them the ball...

--- Where is Sasha? He's seemed to been having a very pedestrian shooting touch... I think it's because 1). He's never played in the playoffs and the intensity has probably caught him off guard 2). He's not being as assertive 3). He's facing a pretty good, athletic defender in Stevenson, when he usually gets an average or the teams worst perimeter defender of the starters...

Although, I'm hopeful that he'll pick it up because we'll need him and his outside shooting throughout the playoffs...

But I'm starting to think once Larry gets cold or isn't doing to well, Sasha will start asseting himself more but is holding back now because he realizes other players are doing well...

--- I am really impressed with Mike Brown for 2 reasons:

1). He went to Z early in the game and often in the game at the start... He pounded the ball in there and it was effective, but after the first few times, the Wizards probably figured it out...

2). He went at Jamison... Once Gooden started getting hot, he went at Jamison to tire him out and try to make him less effective on the offensive end which is something that I liked, since he mad an in-game adjustment...

--- Last but not least, it seems like we're doing a good job on Jamison... While he's getting his stats and points and all that good stuff, he isn't getting those important points or important rebounds at the ends of games... It almost seems like he's getting filler points...

Although I will say he always, always seems to hit the clutch 3...

Thoughts?

 

[imahustla]

Good post, smooth. And tight sig, too.

I think Game 3 is going to be the tougest game of this series. Kinda like a "crossroads" (excuse the pun, based on your sig). If they go up 3-0, I think Washington will mail it in for Game 4. If they win, this could become a lot, lot tougher than it needs to be. I'd like to see Brown bring it up a notch and start double- and triple-teaming Jamison here. Force one of those other stiffs on their team to beat us. I guarantee you that the likes of DeShawn Stevenson, Jarvis Hayes, Antonio Daniels, and Etan freaking Thomas will NOT beat us.

 

[Jon]

This is Sasha's first playoff. He can hide-out a bit as long as the others are contributing, but I hope he gets it going before the end of the series.

Z has been terrific so far. When he comes in you just know our rebounding and D in the paint is going to pick up. With our size advantage, we really just need to keep those 2nd chance points pouring in and we're all but unstopable.

The calls usually go to the home team allowing them to play more aggressive. If the refs confuse Antonio Daniels and Deshaun Stevenson for Gilbert Arenas they might be able to get us in some foul trouble and do some damage at home, but it doesn't usally work that way.

I do think LeBron is sitting back and just doing what he thinks is necessary to keep us ahead. His ankle explains some of this, but again I'd like to emphasize the team's goal for '06/'07 is to get the other players more involved in the offense - *especially* - in the playoffs. The pundits will no doubt keep bashing LeBron for not taking over and dominating from the tip, but this is necessary if we want the team to be productive when opponents turn all their attention towards stoping LeBron.

 

[MYoung23]

Z shouldnt have let Thomas scoring effect him since it wasnt him. Both of the Wizards centers scoring on dumpoffs after Z leaves to go help, on offensive rebounds after Z leaves to help or the weakside help is late when a Wizards center slips the pick when Z steps out on the pick n roll. That is an indictment of the help defense. Neither Haywood nor Thomas scored on a post up.

Gooden played really well. Jamison is a SF defensively and Gooden can get deep on him whenever he wants. He shouldnt settle for the jumpers all the time since Jamison needs to stay on the floor and cant afford to foul. That is a matchup the Cavaliers can go to when they need to. One thing Goooden needs to watch is that is defensive attention tends to wane when he scores. He had some glaring breakdowns in game 2.

Hughes has almost magically not taken a bunch of bad shots. Shooting percentage is often reflective of the kinds of shots a player takes. Hughes has also finished his drives better which he hasnt always done. His FT shooting has been on par with what people expected. His defense has been good. He has been a real floor leader for the team.

Pavlovic is just going the playoffs for the first time regardless of his international experience. Also, he is being guarded by Stephenson who is a solid defender. Some early success in a game and he will be alright eventually.

The Wizards are loading up on James. Other players namely Gooden, Hughes and Z are more involved and stepping up. James can assert himself in key situations instead of carrying the load for huge stretches. The decline of Marshall has forced Brown to play Z and Gooden more. Brown has gone with a defensive lineup to finish out games with the leads they have had and it has worked until Snow went Charlie Frye in the 4th quarter.

The Cavaliers have to shore up the dribble penetration on defense and the wrinkles the Wizards are doing in the pick n roll game. Doing that will stop the garbage scoring from role players and put more the load back on the Wizards starters and the Cavaliers have done a good job on Stephenson, Hayes (game 2) and Daniels.

 

[Jon]

That's all part of the game to game adjustments. After game #1 the Wizards were commenting on how the Cavs were shutting down their P&R game with the hard shows, and denying Daniels getting to the rim. They did somewhat better in game 2.