Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Game 4 Roundup: Orlando is for real, muppets be damned.

Orlando is the better team. That's it. If you haven't realized it by now, if you haven't seen that in every game Cleveland has little to no answer for their 3 point shooting, Dwight's interior presence, and their defensive intensity on everyone not named Lebron, then I don't have much to say to you. Remember that the Cavs, if not for a miraculous shot by King James, would be home RIGHT NOW. The series would be over. If Cleveland wants to do anything with this series, they will have to take it one game at a time, and support their leader. We have seen this time and time again as NBA fans. One man does not a championship win. Michael didn't win a thing before Pippen and Grant go there. Kobe WON'T win another ring until Gasol and his supporting cast play better. Ditto for Lebron. Sadly, Mo Williams is not Scottie Pippen, and this series has illustrated that painfully. Even with his increased output last night (18 points), he had NO POINTS in the 4th Quarter or OT. Maybe he will keep himself from being baited into making silly statements to the media next time.
On top of that, Orlando hit 44.7% of their 3's (17-38), had more assists and blocks, and hit exactly 50% of the shots they took. Even with Cleveland outrebounding them, making less turnovers, and doubling the amount of steals Orlando had (5), Orlando was able to pull this out due to some clutch free throw shooting by Dwight and some good defense/non-calls on Lebron's drives to the basket.
I predict that Cleveland wins game 5 at home off of favorable calls and pure emotion. Lebron's supporting cast comes through for the first time this series (good bench production, finally!) and Lebron puts in another monster game to push it back to Orlando. As good as Orlando is, their emotions sometimes gets the best of them, especially on the road when calls aren't as likely to be in their favor. They can't expect their bench to perform like that away from Amway arena. Skip (Rafer Alston) won't have 26 points on 10-14 shooting in Cleveland, and Pietrus won't outscore the entire Cleveland bench. I also think that Dwight will probably get his 7th technical at some point. Though when I look at the replays of his 6th, I strongly feel he wasn't taunting, but simply celebrating a big play. Hopefully the League rescinds that one. Either way, I am excited at the thought that if Cleveland comes back and somehow wins this thing, Lebron will continue to create and increase his legend. Orlando wins? Then Dwight Howard moves from being a very good big man into the best big man in the league. My prediction: Orlando in 6 and the end of a very expensive Nike marketing campaign.

1 comment:

Nick said...

you know how there is an "i" in front of all the apple products? well thats how i feel about the custom made cavs this year for lebron.. he has his Icavs, allowing him and the media to put "I" in team, i mean seriously he has said supporting cast so much that the team calls themselves that. i honestly think if he did win the title (godforbid) that they'd just put him on their shoulders and celebrate in his honor instead of everyone being happy for the grand accomplishment. ok ok ok let me be objective for a sentence. i can see what he has been doing is damn near ....hmm.... celestial. the man gets 40+pts a game and 8+ rebs and assts oh yea and 5TOs . i'll give the man credit, but i also know that this game 5 should have been a close out.. if he pulls off (only with the aid of the refs and orlando's slow starting defense!!!) the most awesome upset of our time. It will be something that I can't refute whenever calvin chooses to take out his fake lebron piece to suck on. hopefully Orlando buckles down, gives it to the REAL MAN every single time and close out. they know all they have to do is keep the damn game with in.....hell within 10 the 1st half, they always get runs. from there i could careless who wins the ring