 |
| |
|
 |
 |
|||||||||||
|
The big equalizer Without Shaq, West's dominance over East isn't so clear-cutPosted: Thursday June 12, 2003 9:40 PMUpdated: Friday June 13, 2003 11:20 AM
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Who’s been the big winner so far in this year’s NBA Finals? No, it’s not Tim Duncan or Jason Kidd. Or even Kenyon Martin or Tony Parker. It’s Shaquille O’Neal. The Lakers center might not be playing for the championship this season. But after watching the Nets turn this year’s Finals, now tied 2-all heading into Friday night’s Game 5, into an Eastern Conference-style taffy pull, it’s even more clear just how powerful Shaq was during the Lakers’ reign the past three seasons. It also begs the question: Is the West, without Shaq, really so much better than the East? "As good as [Duncan] is, he’s not overpowering like Shaq," Nets coach Byron Scott said before the series. "Shaq is a different beast as far as having to deal with him on that level." As Scott pointed out, Duncan does not have the bulk and girth to steamroll foes like Shaq did to the Pacers, Sixers and Nets, respectively, in the past three Finals. Without Shaq in the middle, it’s a different ballgame. The East’s rugged half-court style of play -- more suited for the playoffs -- can carry the day. The Nets are getting physical with Duncan and stripping at the ball whenever he puts it on the floor. At times, the Spurs star clearly has become frustrated. Normally a sphinx, he scowled at the refs and flailed his arms at one point in Game 4 after not getting a call he believed he deserved. Few Western Conference teams play with that kind of defensive intensity in the regular season. They normally like to play more free-wheeling. "People get a little bit more cautious," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, explaining why the style of play slows down in the postseason. "People want to take care of the ball, value possessions a little bit more." That style is just fine with the Nets, who see it virtually every game. While New Jersey might like to get out and run, it first and foremost is a half-court defensive club. The Spurs are, too, but they don’t see it on a nightly basis. "We have always been a physical, tough defensive team," Scott said. "If you slow it down, try to grind it out, we feel we are at our best on the defensive end." I remember chatting with former Cavaliers guard Mark Price near the end of his career with the Warriors. He said he loved being in the West because he was a lot less banged up and sore. He said there was a definite difference in the physical nature of the game. That was five years ago, but it’s still true for the most part. Western teams such as the Mavs and Kings are far better during the regular season, because they have deeper benches and because they can dictate the style of play. But in the playoffs, when rotations shorten and every possession is treated more carefully, the advantage shifts to the teams that are used to playing half-court style ball on a nightly basis. We’re seeing that here in the Finals, to the Nets' benefit. It’s one reason why the East-West debate is not nearly as one-sided as many think. At least, as long as Shaq isn’t in the equation. Marty Burns covers pro basketball for SI.com. Click here to send Marty a question or comment. |
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||||
