GAME PREVIEW Projected Starters for The Boston Celtics Center- Mark Blount Power Forward- Raef Lafrentz Small Forward- Jiri Welsch Shooting Guard- Paul Pierce Point Guard- Gary Payton VS. The Miami Heat Projected Starting Lineup " target="_blank">http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/shaquille_oneal.jpg"></a> Center- Shaquille O'Neal Power Forward- Udonis Haslem Small Forward- Rasual Butler Shooting Guard- Eddie Jones Point Guard- Dwayne Wade ______________________________________________ CELTICS KEYS TO THE GAME -Boston must limit Shaq's ability to score and grab rebounds at will. They can't let him have a huge game. -Gary Payton cannot have Wade as his defensive assignment. The only players that should be guarding Wade should be Welsch, Davis, or Tony Allen. -Boston must play good perimeter defense. They cannot let another good shooter have a huge game because they are consistently left wide open. (ie. Kyle Korver) Jones and Butler will kill you if you let them shoot wide open 3's all game. -The best way to take Shaq out of Miami's defense is to run. Boston should be trying to run an uptempo style all night long. -The Boston starters need to start moving the ball much more than they do. The only time Pierce should be trying to take his man one-on-one is when it's on the up-quick. They need to learn how to score using other means on a consistent basis. MY PREDICTION Boston will make a game of it. They will hang in the game and make Miami work. But, I'm afraid we're in for more disappointment as the Heat take full control in the closing moments of the game. Miami 94 Boston 87
93-93 Wade with 4 Fouls... i personally want the celtics because that will drastically help the magic. But good luck to the heat.
My two favorite teams. Hard to say who I want to win more, but i'll go with the Heat. I say Shaq will have his way and Wade and the supporting crew will contribute to the win.
Shaq tied a franchise record set by Clarence Weatherspoon with the most FG's made without a miss, both Shaq tied Weatherspoon's record of 9/9.
Shaq had a good game with 21 points and 13 rebounds. But my Player of The Game Award goes to Dwyane Wade who scored 25 points and gathered up 9 assists. We need to work on our free throw shooting, but other than that, great game for the Heat. Next up, Raptors on Tuesday.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting MagicFan3:</div><div class="quote_post">Shaq had a good game with 21 points and 13 rebounds. But my Player of The Game Award goes to Dwyane Wade who scored 25 points and gathered up 9 assists. We need to work on our free throw shooting, but other than that, great game for the Heat. Next up, Raptors on Tuesday.</div> There are some positives and negatives about this win which affect the Magic. First the negative the heat won, and hold on to the lead in the division also they play the struggling Raptors next so that should be a easy win for them so that just means we have to step our game up even more. Now the positive the Celtics lost so they lost a little confidence coming into Orlando for tomorrows game. Chances are they will still be stuck on this loss, and not be focused for tomorrow.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Pure Skillz:</div><div class="quote_post">There are some positives and negatives about this win which affect the Magic. First the negative the heat won, and hold on to the lead in the division also they play the struggling Raptors next so that should be a easy win for them so that just means we have to step our game up even more. Now the positive the Celtics lost so they lost a little confidence coming into Orlando for tomorrows game. Chances are they will still be stuck on this loss, and not be focused for tomorrow.</div> That is very true. Hopefully the Raptors will get the upset and beat the Heat. The Magic have to beat the Celtics tommorow to stay in the race for first place in the SE division.
I dont think the Heat will win the division in the long race. The Heat only have a few good wins most of their games are close or a loss, They lost 2 players due to personal fouls. They only have 3 players that really make a big difference, Haslem O-Neil and Wade
Good interesting game, Pierce missing a clutch free throw didn't see that happening. Shaq just didn't miss out there, and he had a good game, Wade killed, had some stupid fouls though, but he had a good game like usual, didn't shoot the normal FG5, but overall he did good. So, Eddie Jones still sucks....I felt bad for Ricky Davis though, getting blocked by old man Wesley Person
The fact Miami has Shaq means they should easily win the division when It's all said and done. Nothing against Orlando as they are a good team this year but Miami when they get used to each other defensively will be a much better basketball team than they currently are. More so If Wade continues his great form all season long.
The Magic are the better team because not only are they doing better than the Heat now, their starting shooting guard is hurt. When Cuttino Mobley comes back, the Magic will be the better team by far.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AllNet:</div><div class="quote_post">The fact Miami has Shaq means they should easily win the division when It's all said and done. Nothing against Orlando as they are a good team this year but Miami when they get used to each other defensively will be a much better basketball team than they currently are. More so If Wade continues his great form all season long.</div> I disagree some what with the statement that " because the heat have shaq means they should easily win the division when its all said and done". I think that having Shaq makes them vulnerable, and one injury away from falling behind in the division race. Shaq's body will wear down sometime along the season, and when that does happen it is liable he will miss a few games which would then turn the Heat into a one man team for a while with Wade much like the Magic where with Tmac last season, and I do not think they can win with just Wade if Shaq does get injured.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The fact Miami has Shaq means they should easily win the division when It's all said and done. Nothing against Orlando as they are a good team this year but Miami when they get used to each other defensively will be a much better basketball team than they currently are. More so If Wade continues his great form all season long.</div> Just because you have 1 player doesnt mean you can definately win a division. Yes shaq has wade but that is basically it. I truly believe the Magic have a better team then the Heat do. All eyes are on the Heat in Florida and passing the Magic. The magic are so much more well rounded then the Heat. The Magic have a better bench then the Heat. The Magic have more depth then the heat. I think the Magic will win the division i think its a 50% chance for magic 48% for heat and 2% for wizards.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Pure Skillz:</div><div class="quote_post">There are some positives and negatives about this win which affect the Magic. First the negative the heat won, and hold on to the lead in the division also they play the struggling Raptors next so that should be a easy win for them so that just means we have to step our game up even more. </div> Easy win? I don't see how beating the Raptors is a easy win. They've got a good starting lineup and a deep bench, they're capabale of beating the best teams in the league (Spurs, Pistons, Jazz and Rockets), and I'm sure other people have said those were suppose to be easy wins, but they ended up being losses. --- About todays game, I'm very surprised that Shaq didn't get the ball much. I think in the last 6 minutes or so, he had like 2 touches. They don't seem to run enough plays for him because I always see Shaq up on top giving out screens in pick and roll situations, but he doesn't end up receiving the ball, good defense or not. Pierce missing that free throw that clutch free throw was a shocker. I thought he would get the last shot or Welsch, but it was Ricky Davis taking a difficult shot, that he had to adjust to because of Wade.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Banks:</div><div class="quote_post">Easy win? I don't see how beating the Raptors is a easy win. They've got a good starting lineup and a deep bench, they're capabale of beating the best teams in the league (Spurs, Pistons, Jazz and Rockets), and I'm sure other people have said those were suppose to be easy wins, but they ended up being losses. --- About todays game, I'm very surprised that Shaq didn't get the ball much. I think in the last 6 minutes or so, he had like 2 touches. They don't seem to run enough plays for him because I always see Shaq up on top giving out screens in pick and roll situations, but he doesn't end up receiving the ball, good defense or not. Pierce missing that free throw that clutch free throw was a shocker. I thought he would get the last shot or Welsch, but it was Ricky Davis taking a difficult shot, that he had to adjust to because of Wade.</div> Heat 10-5 Raptors under .500 Shaquille Oneal over 300 pounds Chris Bosh not as much Added with a disgruntled off Rafer Alston for being benched a VC with no motivation, and a Jalen Rose that is just Jalen Rose I do not see this as a far match up true that the Raptors can pull off an upset on papaer it looks like a easy win for the Heat. The Raptors three guys who they will ahve possibly guarding shaq are under sized, and over matched guarding Shaq I just do not see any way they can contain him. They (raptors) will most likely have to play a lot of help defense which means that shooters such as Wade, and Person will be left open. So that is how I see it to be a easy win for the Heat. It is the nba anything can happen, but it is still Miami's game to win or lose.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Pure Skillz:</div><div class="quote_post">Heat 10-5 Raptors under .500 Shaquille Oneal over 300 pounds Chris Bosh not as much Added with a disgruntled off Rafer Alston for being benched a VC with no motivation, and a Jalen Rose that is just Jalen Rose I do not see this as a far match up true that the Raptors can pull off an upset on papaer it looks like a easy win for the Heat. The Raptors three guys who they will ahve possibly guarding shaq are under sized, and over matched guarding Shaq I just do not see any way they can contain him. They (raptors) will most likely have to play a lot of help defense which means that shooters such as Wade, and Person will be left open. So that is how I see it to be a easy win for the Heat. It is the nba anything can happen, but it is still Miami's game to win or lose.</div> The Raptors are under .500 because they have had one of the hardest schedules in the league. Chris Bosh will not guard Shaq. VC looks good good, and Jalen Rose can post up Rasual or whoever guards him. I'm not saying the Raps will win, but they much better than their record indicates.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting OrlandoMagicFan:</div><div class="quote_post">Just because you have 1 player doesnt mean you can definately win a division. Yes shaq has wade but that is basically it. I truly believe the Magic have a better team then the Heat do. All eyes are on the Heat in Florida and passing the Magic. The magic are so much more well rounded then the Heat. The Magic have a better bench then the Heat. The Magic have more depth then the heat. I think the Magic will win the division i think its a 50% chance for magic 48% for heat and 2% for wizards.</div> It doesn't always but Shaq is the kind of player who makes teams locks for not only winning their division but contending. Orlando has more depth than Miami but the Heat have a top 3 player and right now a top 10-15 player. When you had that togeather It normally doesn't matter what else you have, those guys should get the job done. It all depends though on Eddie Jones, he will be the guy who decides how good they can become, believe It or not.
