Howard's game is very predictable. He really relies on the dunks to get him going. I think he has one dunk so far in this series?
Howard hasn't been successful at all. Give major props to Drew/Pau/Lamar for really stepping up. Drew has manned up this series, when his ass isn't in foul trouble. Pau has done more than enough to shed the "soft" label so far in the Finals, keep it up. Lamar seems energized and his help defense on Dwight isn't too shabby.
The defense on Dwight has been amazing. We're limiting his touches in the post and making life hell for him when he does get it there. He's got all of 1 dunk this series and a ton of TOs to boot. The strategy of defending him has worked for the most part (mainly because the Orlando shooters are missing wide open shots), so lets hope the success continues. If Orlando gets hot though, we might have to find a new strategy, because I don't want to leave their shooters open if they're making their jumpers. I'd rather take my chances with a one on one with Dwight.
Howard is limited to his offense in the paint, but I think the reason he's struggling is the guard play of Orlando. Lakers have been aggressively double teaming him because Orlando's guards can't make wide open shots. I've actually been surprised at his passing ability to find the open shooters. I didn't give him much credit for being able to pass out of double teams. This will be a good test for Howard's career. Does losing in the Finals motivate him more? Paul Silas was on the radio yesterday and said he wants to see more nastiness from Howard. He Howard shouldn't be afraid to foul someone hard.
