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JBB The Man like Sam
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<font color="Red">Miami Heat(0-0)</font> <font color="Navy">New Jersey Nets(0-0)</font>
Place: <font color="Navy">Continental Airlines Arena</font>
Time: Wednesday, November 3, 2004; 8:00pm
TV: Espn
Man, have times changed in the East. Around this time last year, the Nets where wondering what it would take to win their 3rd straight Atlantic division title. And were a favorite to come out of the east along with the Pistons and Pacers. While, the Miami Heat, were a team simply looking for an identity. The Heat were just looking for away to stay somewhat a competive team, after Pat Riley stepped down as the Coach right before the start of the year. Well fast forward to the present, the tide has turned, when it comes to these two teams.
After a Wild offseason, both these teams did a 360 degree turn. After gaining Shaq during a summer trade with the LA Lakers, involving Lamar Odom, Caron Butler & Brian Grant. And acquiring key free Agent complementary parts like Damon Jones and Wesley Person, the Heat are now a team that is expected to be in the championship picture come late May. While the Eastern Conference Championship team of 2002 & 2003 Nets, was dismantled during offseason budget downgrading. The loss of Kenyon Martin(sign & Trade) & veteran swingman Kerry Kittles(traded to the Clippers) leaves the Nets as the team looking for its identity.
So, the season opener between Heat & Nets feature two teams going in totally different directions. Team with new key parts looking to get accustom and familiar with there new surroundings. This game, should be interesting to see the start of the gelling process between the two teams.
<u><font size="3">The Matchups</font></u><font size="1">(Starting 5's)</font>
Backcourt:
PG:
SG:
Battle Out On the Perimeter. Nets Point Guard <font color="Navy">Zoran Planinic </font> is making his 1st career regular season start for injured guard Jason Kidd, so expect so jitter bugs, early. Aside from nervousness, there are another reasons a matchup against the Heat isnt favorable for Zoran. Zoran Planinic isnt a great on ball defender. And has trouble keeping quick pg's out of the lane. Well a matchup against the slashing quickness of <font color="Red">Dwayne Wade </font> could spell nightmare's for Zoran. Zoran best bet would be to conseed the jump shot to Wade. Give Dwayne Wade the perimeter shot as a method of keeping him out of the lane.
Offensively, Zoran must force tempo. Even without Kidd the Nets still want to get out & run in the opencourt, Zoran must be their conductor. But Zoran must be careful with his ball handling & decision making as Dwayne Wade is one of the league's better young pressure defenders at the point. If Zoran gets sloppy with the basket ball, a player like Wade could have a field day forcing turn overs. And getting the Heat out & into the opencourt.
The other backcourt matchup features players of very similar style. <font color="Navy">Ron Mercer</font> and <font color="Red">Eddie Jones </font> are both slashing scorers, who both like to produce their points going toward the basket. Mercer sat out much of last season, after being cut by the Spurs. 04' is looking to be somewhat of a season of redemption for Mercer. Eddie Jones is a big part of the championship dreams of Miami. And looking to prove himself to critics that feel, he is vastly over paid.
This is a matchup of two players with alot to prove this year. And would like to get off to a good start to the season, so it should be interesting. This matchup maybe won by the player that does the best job of keeping his man out the lane without getting in foul trouble. Eddie Jones being the better defender seems to have the edge in the matchup.
BackCourt Edge: Heat
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Forwards:
SF:
PF:
Forward Progress For the Nets. If the Nets are going to have any chance of being competive. And possibly winning the game vs the Heat, you must see the Nets have a decisive edge in the Small Forward matchup. <font color="Navy">Richard Jefferson </font> is the Nets team go to guy and the teams current strong point. While many feel that the small foward spot is the Heat's one area that can most be exploited. Jefferson must get in the lane. And draw fouls on Miami's bigs(mainly Shaq). And create opportunites for the other players on the Nets.<font color="Red"> Rasual Butler </font> doesnt look to score that much but can make the perimeter shot from time to time, so Jefferson must stay honest. But Butler's mian job will be focusing on keeping RJ out of the lane. And on the perimeter taking jumpshots which isnt a strong point in Jefferson's game.
<font color="Navy">Brain Scalabrine</font> most likely will make the start at power forward in the matchup for the Nets. Scalabrine's game will mostly have to be affective out on the perimeter. With so much size going on downlow with Haslem & Oneal, Scalabrine wont get his normal scrappy points hanging around the basket. He must take Haslem out on the perimeter.And usually his ablity to effective knock down the perimeter jumper to keep Haslem's Defense off Balance.
Haslem's main goal offensively will be to knock down the short juimper out of the high post to keep Nets double teams off Shaq. Or at least make them think before doubling. There arent going to be many matchups this year where the Scalabrine can be affective, this maybe one, if he making his perimeter shot.
Forward's Edge: Nets;slightly
<font size="1">*Scalabrine shares co-starting duties with Eric Williams. Dont be shock if Williams gets the start.</font>
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Center: Game's Key Matchup
Center Of Attraction. There is one reason, and one reason only why the Nets vs Heat on opening night is a nationally televised game, <font color="Red">Shaq. </font>. Shaq takes the court for the 1st time as a heat. And that got the entire league buzzing. After an offseason, where he was handed a one way ticket out of LaLa land. And then consistent back & forth debating with former teammate Kobe Bryant, its finally time for the big fella to put his money where his mouth is...and Shaq seems more then motivated to do just that. A slimmed down Shaq seem more motivated then ever before. Motivated to prove the Lakers front office wrong for chosing Kobe. Movtived to prove Kobe wrong for thinking he could be successful without him.And most importantly Shaq may be motivated for the contract extension, he feels should come his way. And all that motivation spells trouble for the rest of the league. Unfortunately, <font color="Navy">Jason Collins </font> and the Nets are Shaq's 1st victims.
Defending Shaq will never fall squarely on the shoulders of one player. Defending Shaq will take a team effort from the guards putting pressure on the perimeter to deny clean post entry passes to the fowards along side JC effectively helping double team the big fella. Expect the Nets to throw two & three players on Shaq forcing him to be a passer out of double teams. Collins best Defense maybe his own offense production that he can manage to muster up. Jason Collins is very effective at making the free throw line up jumper. He must use that to his advantage as Shaq has been known in the past not to like to come out of the paint & post to defend. But at the End of the day, what ever Shaq wants against Jason Collins & the Nets, he can get. The Nets despite having bigbodies on the bench like Alonzo Mourning & Aaron Williams, just dont have the frontline capable of denying Oneal, nobody does honestly.
Low Post Edge: hmmm...you guess
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The Spark of the 6th men:
Guard <font color="Red">Damon Jones , </font> acquired via free agency, was brought in to be Miami's seconary ball handler behind Wade. And also as one of the teams primary shooters off the bench used to stretch defenses. And create space for shaq downlown. That is exactly what he will try to do in the matchup vs the Nets.
<font color="Navy">Eric Williams </font> is a combo forward, who will look to provide the Nets with plenty of defense and hustle off the bench. Eric Williams is also capable of producing offensively in the mid-range area. And with his back to the basket against smaller defenders.
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<font color="Navy">Show Miami Some Zone Looks.</font> The Nets have no one who can effectively match with Shaq, so the Nets should show the heat some zone looks from time to time, to confuse Miami's offensive sets. A zone from time to time with keep the basketball out on the perimeter, forcing guys like Wade & Jones to beat you with their jumpshots.
<font color="Navy">Affectively team Rebound. </font> With Shaq taking up so much space down low the Nets must effectively clean up the backboards as a team. That means guys like Eric Williams, Richard Jefferson, Rodney Buford, Ron Mercer etc.must all help the smaller Scalabrine & Collins on the backboard.
<font color="Navy">Dont be scared to run. </font> Even with Kidd on the sidelines, the Nets still have to be the team to force the tempo.And get out in the opencourt. The Nets can not allow Shaq to just walk down and clog up the paint on both ends of the court. Zoran Planinic & Jacque Vaughn must push the ball on every given opportunity. And create easy points for the Nets. The Nets still have good athletes on the wing Jefferson, Buford, Mercer put them to use.
<font color="Red">Feed The Big Fella, early.</font> Despite having guys like Wade on the perimeter, for Miami to be affect not only against the Nets but all year long, the Heat must play off shaq early & often in the post. There is no one to matchup with him, once he gets going, he will make opportunites much easier for Person, Wade, and the Jones boys.
<font color="Red">Efficiency from the Perimeter. </font> A big part of what Miami does will depend on how effective they are from the perimeter. You expect guys like Wesley Person and Damon Jones to be somewhat consistent from the outside. But the guys who are more of slasher then jumpshooter Wade & Eddie Jones most also find a good range of consistency from the outside inorder to keep the defense honest.
<font color="Red">Pick & Roll Defense</font> When ever Shaq is around you can rest a sure a team will test the Heat's pick & roll defense. Shaq has been known not to come out and give the proper help. Shaq being lazy could open up driving lanes for Planinic & Vaughn as well as opportunity for Collins in the mid-range area.
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<u>Closing Statement</u>
This is going to be a hard game for the Nets to pullout. Despit being at home with all that has gone on this offseason the enery just wont be in the Continental Airlines Arena for the Nets to feed off. And add into the fact alot of people will only be in attendance to see Shaq's 1st game as a heat. And this could have a feel of more a road then home game. If the Nets dont find away to produce easy baskets without kidd this could be a long night.
