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Reactions: Shaq unstoppable Some users see hope, but most think Indiana is toast
Posted: Friday June 09, 2000 12:25 PM
CNNSI.com asked users if, given the L.A.'s drubbing of Indiana in Game 1, the Pacers had any chance of stopping Shaq and the Lakers. The answer in a word: no. There were a few dissenters, but most respondents see a championship in Shaq's future. A sampling of the responses follows: Basketball is a team sport. Most sport experts (pseudo-experts who write and act as commentators for Big Market areas) are after individual talent, failing to recognize the contribution of team effort and good and strong defense in almost all sporting activities (tennis excluded). While The Lakers appear to be the clear favorites on this series, do not underestimate the Pacers after their first game on the NBA Finals, and one of the worst games ever played by Reggie Miller. Lakers may end up the winners, but perhaps in six or even in seven games.
No, the Pacers cannot contain Shaq. However, they can contain the entry passes to him by pressing the Laker ball-handlers. With Shaq destroying any man-to-man match-up or double-team the Pacers try, pressuring the entry pass is their only hope of throwing Shaq out of rhythm and disrupting his game.
Absolutely NOT! What most people are over looking about the game is that Glen Rice and Kobe Bryant did not have very good games and Indiana still lost by seventeen points. If those two start hitting their outside shots (which I predict they will), the Pacers have absolutely no chance to defeat the Lakers in this series. Also, if Robert Horry and Rick Fox start hitting their shots on a more consistent basis, this could turn out to be one of the most lopsided finals in NBA history! The question is not whether the Pacers can survive this series if they cannot stop Shaq or not because Shaq is going to have some off nights, but whether they can survive the Lakers other players having good shooting sprees!
I think it will be very difficult for the Pacers to survive this first game onslaught by Shaq. It just does not appear that Indiana has anybody that can keep him out of the blocks or even make him work to get down there. And let's face it, once he gets the ball that deep in the post its over. I think their only chance is to make him work harder on the defensive end. Bring Smits and Perkins out on the high post and hopefully they can knock down a few jumpers. Then, when he comes out on them, they should put the ball on the floor and go to the basket. Maybe he will get in foul trouble. This would also keep Shaq from clogging the lane and maybe the Pacers can get some backdoor cuts or open up the lane from the wing area. But I am probably just dreaming. I say Lakers in five, six at most.
If the Pacers continue to let Shaq into the paint, they have no hope of slowing him down. At that point, you need more muscle than Smits can offer to hold Shaq out. Someone must prevent him from even getting the ball, if that's possible. I do not believe there will be a sweep, as most teams would like to sew it up at home.
Shaquille O'Neal was certainly the man of Game 1, but regardless of his performance, Indiana did come very close a couple of times to retake the lead, even with the shoddy night Reggie Miller had. I don't think the problem was Shaq that night as much as it was Reggie, and I think his lackluster show helped to fuel Shaq's game. When you're hot, you're hot, and Shaq was having a really hot night that night. I'm certain the Pacers can get back into this series. If Reggie had made the similar percentage of shots he normally makes during a game, it would've been a much, much closer score, or even a win for the Pacers. When you're star player goes cold, it's hard to have enough confidence to win the game, and I think Reggie will come back in Game 2, play much better ball than he did Wednesday, and it will be a tougher road for the Lakers.
The only way the Pacers can win is to somehow somewhat contain Shaq. Portland did a fairly good job of containing him in two of the three games that they won, and Indiana's defense is not close to Portland's, so they will have to slow down Shaq. I believe that Larry Bird will find a way to for one, maybe two games, but in the end the Lakers will prevail.
Yes, I believe that the Pacers will make adjustments and eventually limit the amount of damage Shaq creates. But as far as containing him altogether, their best bet is to try and get him into foul trouble or force him to shoot free throws.
If the Pacers are going to stop Shaq, they had better not rely on the "Dunkin' Dutchman". That guy looks like he can't run from basket to basket without collapsing under the weight of his own awkwardness, let alone stop the Lakers' freight train that is Shaq. Double and triple teaming with some slightly smaller yet exponentially more athletic players (ie Davis, etc.) could be slightly more effective.
This is a classic David vs. Goliath matchup. Except David, this time, forgot his slingshot! Face it, the Pacers are dog food!
I don't think anyone can survive Shaq. With all the refs in his hands (you can't even touch him), the NBA already gave a trophy to LA.
Yes they can. A good idea is to brick up his door so he cannot get out of his house. Take some people and do a protest right in front of his house. If this fails, let the air out of his cars' wheels and block the taxis in the surrounding area. If it keeps unsuccessful, when he gets to the court, tell him that the game is not played today, it will be tomorrow. I have a few more ideas but they are not very different from these ones. I think these are the ways the Pacers are going to stop the big guy.
The Pacers should've seen this matchup coming a few years back and bulked up at center. Shaq's not that talented, but he's so much bigger than everyone else (and that stupid no-charge zone makes him unguardable in the paint) that he can simply overpower them and dunk all night. He's gonna get most of the calls, so you need AT LEAST two big bodies and 12 fouls. Smits is way past his prime and there's no one to come off the bench for him. Unfortunately, I don't think Indy will survive to learn from that mistake and contend next year.
My thoughts on Game 1 were that if Reggie plays like he usually does, they are still pretty even. I think that Reggie will come back strong Friday night and that it will be a real good game.
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