| Heat in Six- 5/9/2005 Heat in six. I am hoping for a different outcome but my true opinion is Heat in six. The Wizards got blown out in game 1 but that doesn’t tell the whole story. At least through the first half they were a team who believed they could win. Brendan Haywood was surprisingly good in the post against Shaq despite the fact that there was no double team help. The Heat looked well prepared and they believe they can not only win the series but also the title itself. The regular season has shown that they are a better team than the Wizards over the long haul. They even swept the season series. Wade proved last year that he was a playoff stud and Shaq is back and motivated. If there was ever a series ready for a sweep it was this one. Watching the game made me doubt the inevitability of the complete destruction of the Wizards. The Heat were lucky in the first half. That’s right, the mighty Heat who took a seventeen point lead and then lost it were lucky. The Wizards, with their hectic play and endless aggression had the Heat right where they wanted them. The opportunities were there. The shots just didn’t fall. The pace was up and down, turnovers going both ways. If the Wizards had made any shots at all they could have gotten a decent lead. Of course the lead would have been blown by the fourth quarter but the game would have been close which I believe is an advantage for the Wizards. Very rare is it that the number one seed, title contender would be at a disadvantage in a close game against a young team whose trademark seems to be its penchant for being erratic. Nonetheless, the Wizards seem to have a way of making things work at the end of games and also have the Big Three, each of whom would be comfortable with the ball on the last possession. Also, these Wizards have a way of playing without conscience. They can miss as many shots as they want but they’ll never stop shooting and running. The Heat have something to lose and Wade is their go to guy. Shaq, who is their great advantage, could be a liability late in the game because of his foul shooting not to mention the pace of the game may not be in his favor. Position by position the match up is closer than you would think except of course Shaq. Shaq is the reason the Heat are the Heat. If Haywood can pester Shaq at all without the need of a double team that would be a huge swing in favor of Washington if only because it would help limit the shooting of Damon Jones and Eddie Jones. Arenas should be able to blow by whoever is guarding him and if Wade switches to Arenas than Hughes will be the man to drive. If they drive aggressively they should be able to draw some fouls on the Big Daddy, maybe even getting him into foul trouble. Furthermore, Michael Ruffin’s tenacious hustle and willingness and stick his face into someone’s elbow could prove troublesome for Shaq in the form of potential offensive fouls. The Wizards are a young team without playoff experience. They probably won’t be able to steal a game in Miami. They could grab one by feeding of the energy of their home crowd in one very inspired effort. Beyond that there is always Arenas doing what Arenas is capable of doing. There could be that one game where Arenas decides he can’t miss and nobody can stop him from shooting. The game where he scores forty and carries his team through a game they have no business winning. That could be where the second game comes from. If Shaq gets in foul trouble then the series is fair game. If Shaq plays like Shaq it might not even make it to game six. |
The Gospel of Luke
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