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What’s next for the Lakers

Jun 18

Posted by sophie in Uncategorized

Might as well come out and say it.

Say what?

The Lakers have the look of a three-time champion.

Great. Slurp away.

They do, actually. I know that LeBron James(notes) is coming into his own and that the Nuggets are in their prime and that the East has all sorts of fitful contenders ready to step up (no Nets or 76er-like foils this time around for Los Angeles), but the Los Angeles’ mix of potential on offense and defense has me thinking they can do this again in 2010, and 2011.

I’d go further, honestly, but I wouldn’t mind keeping some credibility.

Here’s the deal, though. Kobe Bryant(notes) can’t give in to his all-on-me instincts, Phil Jackson has to remain the coach, Andrew Bynum(notes) and Jordan Farmar(notes) have to keep improving at the rate the 2007-08 season suggested, and the team needs to pay the luxury tax.

Pay it again. Pay it for Lamar Odom(notes), and Trevor Ariza(notes). This isn’t an either/or proposition. You have to bring them both back.

Though we’ve spent a while on the Lakers’ look, it will be much simpler than Orlando’s turn. It comes down to retaining both Odom and Ariza, two players who are appropriately valued by the media, and by other teams. The Lakers paid the tax last year, they have a few expiring contracts (Adam Morrison(notes), Derek Fisher(notes); as if they’d trade the latter) for 2009-10 that could be packaged for an upgrade at point guard, but by and large any chance at sustaining the championship run will have to take its cue from internal development.

Odom might have to play the martyr here. Though his skill set leaves us drooling, even your parents know that he’ll turn 30 in November, and that he’s best suited for a team like the Lakers. His leverage isn’t great.

That said, the Lakers need him, badly. Odom made Derek Fisher’s awful defense in the Western Conference playoffs passable when, with Shannon Brown(notes) on the court for defense and defense only, he ran an offense that Brown hasn’t been able to grasp yet. He’ll, he runs it with Fisher out there.

Yes, Luke Walton(notes) can do a lot of the same things. Run the offense off the bench. Rebound and start the break. Make the pass that leads to the pass that gets credited as the assist. Occasionally post up or hit three-pointers. Luke can do it all, and cheaper. Love Luke. Love Lamar, more. He’s just better.

And all Ariza does is play lockdown defense, create turnovers, and hit three-pointers at an ever-improving rate. He’s not much for driving, or the in-between game, as the Magic exposed during the Finals. But while you might not recall him missing a series of pull-up jumpers during the championship round, you surely recall Ariza hitting three-pointer after three-pointer after three-pointer.

And you have to bring him back. Have to. He may only play D and hit threes, but you need that. On both ends. Up to seven, maybe eight million. Beat the offer, bring him back.

You know why, Buss family? Because you’re going to be playing into June. Deep into June, every year. And you’re going to make that money back. And this team, as presently constructed, is special. Three-peat, special. Maybe more.

I’m not giddy. I’m not a Laker fan. I didn’t get too much (or, any) sun while in Los Angeles last week. I just know greatness when I see it. And even with Kobe and Lamar in their 30s, lots of tread on Kobe’s rubber, and the ever-present potential for falloff, selfish play, lackadaisical play, ennui, earthquake, whatever … this is a special, special team.

And you keep special teams together. At any price. And especially when players like Ariza and Odom want to stay in town, and like the arrangement Phil Jackson has created. They’re both lanky forwards, they’re completely different, and they both work. On both ends. The Lakers could be top three in offensive and defensive efficiency next year. That would mean 70 wins, or so.

To get there, you have to bring them both back, and pay the luxury tax again.

And then you have to sit back, and wait for June to roll around again. I don’t toss this stuff out there, lightly. It’s not my money, but June is pretty special to me, and to us all. And I want to see Ariza and Odom there, every June, trading fours.

Make it happen, Dr. Buss.

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Lakers pull away from Magic, win championship in five games

Jun 15

Posted by sophie in Uncategorized

Two teams battled through the 2009 Finals, providing three close games in five chances, but even with that attempt at parity, it’s clear that the Los Angeles Lakers were just a giant step above the Orlando Magic.

The current Magic, mind you. Orlando fans will be for years ruing the absence of the Jameer Nelson(notes) that traipsed all over the Lakers twice during the regular season, leading the Magic to two close wins over the eventual champion, but the current Nelson (obviously injured, averaging about four points and three assists, making about a third of his shots from the floor) could not put the Magic over the top.

And while Kobe Bryant(notes) (30 points in the win, five assists, four blocks) was a deserved MVP, averaging 32.4 points and 7.4 assists per game alongside stout on-ball and help defense, this was truly a team effort.

Pau Gasol(notes) (14 points, 15 rebounds, four blocks) came out of nowhere to provide what was at times a dominant defensive effort, even if his work wasn’t rewarded with eye-catching numbers or national TV plaudits. Derek Fisher’s(notes) (13 points on seven shots) heroics in Game 4 have been well documented, Trevor Ariza(notes) (15 points, two steals) helped put the Magic away in Game 5, and Lamar Odom(notes) (17 points, 10 rebounds) was an all-around terror on both sides of the ball for each of the five games.

The Magic were a worthy opponent, and both of the team’s losses in those close games could have gone their way but for an inch or two, but it’s hard not to regard the Lakers as the better team by a good bound.

That said, it’s hard not to appreciate just how far the Magic have come.

Nobody had this team as anything more than second or possibly third-round fodder entering the season, or even after the team raced out to place themselves amongst the elite of the East during the regular season. Nelson endured what was then classified a season-ending injury midway through the season, and though the Magic rallied around replacement point guard Rafer Alston(notes) (12 points on 15 shots in Game 5, three assists, three turnovers) to storm into the playoffs, the struggles didn’t end there.

Orlando gave up home-court advantage in the first round against Philadelphia, then was forced to play without its best player in Dwight Howard(notes) (11 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks) after the All-Star center was suspended for Game 6 of that series for throwing an elbow at 76ers big man Samuel Dalembert(notes).

The team rallied to win that one on the road, before downing the defending champion Boston Celtics in a Game 7 in Boston, a remarkable accomplishment even if Kevin Garnett(notes) was stuck in street clothes on the Boston bench.

And though the Magic seemed to have their way with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the regular season, few even allowed the Magic a sixth or seventh game before the Cavaliers (owners of the NBA’s best regular-season record) were to dismiss them. Instead, Orlando rolled, winning in six games, making the franchise’s second appearance in the NBA Finals.

And though the close losses in Games 2 and 4 might sting, this ending was probably appropriate. The Magic worked, worked hard, but the Lakers were just that much better.

“I don’t know,” Stan Van Gundy said after the game, “if you can console anybody. It’s very, very difficult.”

Van Gundy seemed shocked, after the loss, by the swiftness of it all. At just two and a half hours, Game 5 was a quick one, especially compared to the two overtime games in this series.

“I’m not trying to be an ass,” he warned, toward the end of his press conference. “Sometimes I do try to be an ass, but I’m not trying to be an ass — I’m just not at the point of being able to reflect right now. I expected to be getting ready for Game 6 and getting on a plane to L.A.”

His team, in the locker room, wasn’t as shell-shocked. But even with no new game to play on Tuesday, or until October, the bounce-back effect that players seem to have following these losses that Van Gundy pointed out before the game seemed to have taken hold.

The Lakers, on the other hand, were loving life. You got the feeling that they knew how good they were, milling around the locker room, but without the perceived batch of arrogance that they were accused of during the first three rounds of the playoffs.

Instead, the champions seemed almost ready to play another series. Almost ready to take on another Finals, or another season, or the Magic in a best of nine. Confident, yes, but also appreciating the moment and what it represented.

For Kobe Bryant, a needed end to the nonsense about his supposed inability to win a championship on his own. As if that’s ever happened in the history of team sports.

For Phil Jackson, a 10th Finals victory as a coach, and 12th overall (a fact few seem to bring up). Soon after the final buzzer, Jackson was handed a Lakers hat with a large “X” emblazoned on the front, a reference to his ten rings as a coach, a gift from his children and an idea fashioned by his agent, Todd Musberger.

For Pau Gasol, an end to the cries of “soft,” a reputation partially earned, but a former trait of his game that hardly mitigated his overall brilliance. Gasol helped squash some of that chatter with a strong performance on a Christmas Day game against the Celtics this season, but to those who were paying attention, his defensive work on Dwight Howard in this series was an all-timer.

For Derek Fisher, a logical end to a five-year run that few could have predicted. Fisher fled a sinking Lakers ship in 2004, just as Shaquille O’Neal(notes) was demanding a trade, with Phil Jackson already gone, and Kobe Bryant flirting as a free agent with both the Clippers and the Chicago Bulls.

Signed to an outrageous contract with the Golden State Warriors, Fisher was then traded to the Utah Jazz, watched as his daughter Tatum was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, willingly voided the final years of that outrageous contract in order to move to a city that could provide better care for his daughter, and then signed for less money with the Lakers in the summer of 2007.

For Andrew Bynum(notes), an end to the embarrassment. He probably came back too early after tearing his MCL, and now he has until the fall to rehabilitate, with nobody referring to him as anything but a champion.

For Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom, they hope, enough good memories to force Los Angeles’ hand in paying the luxury tax and keeping their pair of dynamic free agent forwards in the fold.

For Luke Walton(notes), it means he’s halfway to his father’s mark of two NBA championships. And, hopefully, it also means a six-pack or two for Walton, who was milling around the press area following the game, wondering if the media was given free beer, and if they had any to share. No, Luke. And even if we did … no.

For Los Angeles, the city’s first championship in seven years, and the franchise’s 15th overall. Here’s hoping we don’t wake to any news of nonsense coming out of the L.A. area as a result.

The game itself seemed Los Angeles’ all along.

The Magic roared out to an early, slim lead, but an inability to hit three-pointers or keep the Lakers off the offensive glass kept Los Angeles close. By the second quarter, Trevor Ariza’s defense on Hedo Turkoglu(notes) (both on ball, and in causing turnovers) and 12 points allowed the Lakers to pull away.

The Magic had their chances to whittle away at the Laker lead, but the Los Angeles defense was too strong, and Orlando frittered away too many offensive chances (missed free throws, missed open shots, all sorts of misses in the paint) to make a real run at the eventual champs.

Though Orlando nearly got it down to single digits in the final minutes, it was never that close. The Lakers’ defense was too much, and the Magic were out of offensive answers.

In all, a satisfying Finals. The likely storyline from here on out will probably have to do with this being one of the more closely-contested 4-1 Finals series’ anyone can remember. The pundits wouldn’t be wrong in that sentiment, but they’d also be doing the champions a disservice by not regarding them as a clear step above.

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Redemption: Bryant leads Lakers to 15th NBA title

Jun 15

Posted by sophie in Uncategorized

Kobe Bryant(notes) jumped and punched the air. He did it again, seven years of pent up frustration freed in a fit of joy.

This was the one he wanted more than all the others.

The one to top them all.

One year after failing miserably in the finals against Boston, Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers found redemption. They finished a season they felt was theirs with a 99-86 win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday night in Game 5 to win the 15th NBA title in franchise history.

For Bryant, this was the missing piece from his resume, his fourth championship and first without former teammate Shaquille O’Neal(notes).

“I don’t have to hear that criticism, that idiotic criticism anymore,” said Bryant, the finals MVP. “It was annoying.”
For Lakers coach Phil Jackson, this was title No. 10, moving him past legendary Celtics coach Red Auerbach for the most by a coach in league history.

“I’ll smoke a cigar in honor of Red,” Jackson said. “He was a great guy.”

For Pau Gasol(notes). For Derek Fisher(notes). For Lamar Odom(notes). For Trevor Ariza(notes) and for Andrew Bynum(notes) and the rest of the Lakers, this was a title to savor.

“It’s a dream come true,” Gasol said. “The completion of a goal.”

Odom scored 17 points, Ariza had 15, Gasol 14 and 15 rebounds, and Fisher, whose two big 3s in Game 4 saved L.A., had 13 points.

It took longer than Bryant expected, but he has stepped from O’Neal’s enormous shadow—at last.

Bryant averaged 32.4 points, 7.4 assists, 5.6 rebounds and more than a dozen cold-blooded glares per game. He wasn’t out to make friends in these finals, he was out for redemption. Throughout the playoffs, he didn’t smile. He just snarled and bared his teeth.

“I was just completely locked in,” he said. “I was grumpy for a while and now I’m just ecstatic, like a kid in a candy store.”

O’Neal, who won three titles with Bryant before the pair had a major falling out, was glad to see his former teammate win another.

“Congratulations kobe, u deserve it,” O’Neal said on his Twitter page. “You played great. Enjoy it my man enjoy it.”

Bryant and Jackson, whose relationship strained and briefly snapped under the weight of success, are again at the top of their games.

Together.

Following the game, the pair shared a long embrace.

Jackson, who once called Bryant “a selfish player” now sees the 30-year-old in a far different light.

“He’s learned how to become a leader in a way in which people want to follow him,” Jackson said. “That’s really important for him to have learned that because he knew that he had to give to get back in return, and so he’s become a giver rather than just a guy that’s a demanding leader. That’s been great for him and great to watch.”

After the final horn, Bryant and his teammates bounced around the floor of Amway Arena. Moments later, Bryant swept his two daughters, both wearing gold Lakers dresses, into his arms.

It was just as he dreamed.

“It finally felt like a big old monkey was off my back,” he said. “It felt so good to be able to have this moment. For this moment to be here and to reflect back on the season and everything that you’ve been through, it’s top of the list, man.”

Bryant had come up short twice in the finals before, in 2004 with O’Neal against Detroit, and again last season against the Celtics in the renewal of the league’s best rivalry. The Lakers were beaten in six games, losing the finale in Boston by 39 points, a humiliating beatdown that Bryant and his teammates had trouble shaking.

They went to training camp with one goal in mind. This was going to be their season, and except for a few minor missteps, it was.

In the locker room afterward, Bryant made sure Jackson got a champagne shower.

“He took his glasses off, threw his head back and soaked it all in because this is a special time,” Bryant said. “For us to be the team that got him that historic 10th championship is special for us.”

Orlando will be haunted by moments in a series that swung on a few plays and had two overtime games.

After losing Game 1 by 25 points, the Magic had their chance in Game 2 but rookie Courtney Lee(notes) missed an alley-oop layup in the final second of regulation. In Game 4, Dwight Howard(notes) clanged two free throws with 11.1 seconds, and the Magic allowed Derek Fisher to nail a game-tying 3-pointer to force OT.
Howard, the Magic’s superhero center, was hardly a factor in Game 5. He scored 11 points and took just nine shots. Rashard Lewis(notes) scored 18 points, but was only 3 of 12 on 3s for Orlando, which after living on the 3, finally died by it.

The Magic went just 8 of 27 from long range.

When the game ended, Howard didn’t move. As his teammates headed to the locker room, Howard stayed on Orlando’s bench and watched as the Lakers celebrated on the Magic’s floor. Jameer Nelson(notes), Orlando’s point guard who came back for the finals after missing four months with a shoulder injury, finally joined him

The two sat stunned.

“What I just told Jameer is look at it, just see how they’re celebrating,” Howard said. “It should motivate us to want to get in the gym, want to get better.”

Orlando was trying to become the first team to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the finals. They had rallied to knock off Philadelphia and Boston, and then upset LeBron James(notes) and Cleveland in the conference finals. The Magic always felt they had a shot at history.

Bryant, though, wouldn’t be denied his place.

“They had an answer,” Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy said, “for everything.”

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Off day notes, Bobcats broke, ‘Zo and Whitlock go off …

Jun 14

Posted by sophie in Uncategorized

No regrets from Stan Van Gundy in off day media availability session. None from Phil Jackson, either, but you’d get the feeling you’d be laughed out of the conference call if you asked him if there was anything about Game 4 that he’d take back.

And, as you’d expect, either side played the part of the coach of a team either up 3-1, or down 1-3.

Van Gundy still charges that fouling the Lakers with 11 seconds to go in Thursday’s Game 4 would have been too early (forgetting, of course, that Trevor Ariza(notes) and Derek Fisher(notes) had the ball in their hands with seven and six and five seconds to go), while defending his decision to banish Rafer Alston(notes) to the end of the bench after a game-changing third quarter that saw the Magic only score 14 points.

On Jameer Nelson(notes) playing for the entire fourth quarter:

“Obviously in any kind of loss people are going to question anything; that’s fine. But our fourth quarter unit functioned a lot better than our third quarter unit did, so I stuck with what was working.”

He admits to not thinking about possibly giving a defensive-minded guard like Courtney Lee(notes) a shot in the last defensive possession of the game, he doesn’t want to be quoted as blaming Rafer Alston for the struggles in the third quarter (conveniently leaving out the fact that Hedo Turkoglu’s(notes) absence, more than Rafer’s poor play, contributed to the pathetic offense).

Van Gundy also still claims he’s not upset at Dwight Howard’s(notes) free throw frustrations because they were balanced out by the other aspects of his game (rebounding, and an NBA Finals-record nine blocks).

All in all, in was a pinched, frustrated, shoulders-shrugged bit of analysis.

Phil Jackson — and I swear I should have this phrase saved on my clipboard — was typically serene. Wistfully looking back to the struggles of his post-playing days, trying to find secure employment in and out of basketball, musing aloud about how the journey is the thing, how fun this ride has been, and how much he appreciates his team.

On the upcoming Game 5, as you’d expect, the Lakers coach is hoping his team busts out with a singular focus, rather than reacting to largeness of the moment, or Orlando’s desperate crowd.

“The big key is that if we can match that play and the energy that they throw out there on the floor, then we give ourselves a chance. To do that we have to be focused, which is always a coach’s cry, ‘get focused.’ We have to reach the energy level or the emotional level of the game in a way that matches what the crowd and the Orlando team put out there on the floor.”

He mentioned that his players were giddy after Game 4, happy to be this close to a championship, while taking on an even cheerier tone following Friday’s film session.

“What I told them is there’s a chance tomorrow’s practice may be the last practice of the season. That’s also something that gets them pretty excited because practice for players is something that is — at this level of the game, having gone through hundreds or probably more than a hundred-some practices, they’re excited about not having to come to practice again.”

Jackson also gave another mention of Derek Fisher reminding the team about how the Indiana Pacers sent it back to Los Angeles with a Game 5 win in 2000.

That cracks me up, seeing as how just about every player on the Lakers save for Kobe and Fisher was well into their teenage years when that happened (Andrew Bynum(notes) was 12, Pau Gasol(notes) was 17; hell, I had just turned 20), I can’t imagine many or any of those players even remembering that game. I do, but I had a Behind the Box Score to write. Seriously.

***

Discussing the “idea” that Kobe Bryant(notes) is actually the real coach behind these Los Angeles Lakers is a bit like trying to convince someone that the NBA isn’t fixed, or that the sun doesn’t revolve around the Earth. What more is there to say beyond, “you’re daft,” before moving on?

And Alonzo Mourning(notes) is daft, here. He’s never liked Phil Jackson, it’s always been cool to pump up current, hip, players while putting some older guy down, and if you give more than two seconds thought to Mourning’s claims that Bryant “is doing all the work” and that Phil “is just showing up” — honestly, you’re taking unmitigated idiocy to an entirely different level.

To just get into the hours upon hours of work that detailing an offense, breaking down game tape, studying motivation techniques, self-improving so that you can advise others on self-improvement, 40 years of hoarding plays so that you know exactly what to call in a pinch, working endlessly on game preparation so that you can boil that knowledge down and put it across effortlessly to your team in 15 minutes during a walk-through before they lose interest, the ability to … I’ll just stop.

How do you convince someone that they’re wrong, when they’re wronger than anyone’s ever wronged before? You can either write a series of almanacs on the subject, or you can make it the second item in a notes column, 300 words or less. It’s sunny out. I’m going with the latter.

***

Scary news if you’re a Bobcats fan. The team might not even be able to afford a summer league team this year, which kind of strikes me as odd.

I know the economy isn’t at its best, I know the Bobcats have a payroll that probably goes beyond the realm of the fiscally sound, and I understand that the team isn’t exactly raking in the profits from attendance or local TV/radio, and I understand that summer league runs cost quite a bit of money, often for a payoff that isn’t so profound.

But I can’t help but wonder, given owner Robert Johnson’s NBA naïveté heading into his venture as owner of this pathetic team, if this is more of a choice than an end-result. And wonder if there haven’t been teams in tougher financial straights that still managed to make a summer league turn happen. That’s just me, though.

***

If Stan Van Gundy “needs his ass beat,” then where does that leave Jason Whitlock?

Deservedly run over by a cement mixer? Appropriately drawn and quartered? Stuck thrashing around for relevance over the last five years as the rest of the sporting world finally comes to regard him as the prat that he is? If Van Gundy made his mistake at the spur of the moment, what’s Whitlock’s excuse for being allowed time to think and re-think that line?

If this isn’t the biggest tip off that the sporting media absolutely and unabashedly roots for the underdog because they get bored with a game they don’t understand, then I don’t know what else to give you.

Jason Whitlock did not watch an Orlando Magic game until May, but now he’s emotionally invested in the team because — like the fair-weather dorks down at your local sports pub — he’ll root for an underdog winning over a close and entertaining contest regardless of outcome.

And when his underdog fails, he turns into a churlish, childish whiner. And in lieu of actual analysis, he blames the coach. Because it’s the easiest thing to do in sports, a shocking turn run by a columnist who has done nothing but take up the easiest sides in sports for years. And because he’s alone on an island desperate for hits, they allow comments like “Stan Van Gundy needs his ass beat” to run.

Do you think he could tell you, last October, who the coach of the Magic was? I’m sure he’d heard of and remembered Stan Van Gundy, but wouldn’t you bet a week’s pay that Whitlock’s answer to that question would run along the lines of, “hold on … I know this … don’t tell me …”?

You think he knows anything about the history of not fouling when up three points? You think he was angry beyond belief during the regular season when teams didn’t try it? Or in the first round of the playoffs?

You think he felt bad for Lawrence Frank in the regular season when Frank tried, and as the exception to the rule, it came back to bite New Jersey in the ass? You think Whitlock is poring over any NBA statistician’s research on the issue, bound and determined to get NBA coaches to favor the statistics on this issue, and foul?

Or did he just want the plucky underdog to win, and because it didn’t, ranted away like a spurned message board denizen. And will any other “please foul when you’re up three points” rant ever get the sort of exposure Whitlock’s “needs his ass beat” comment will get? No way.

Jason? Who does JaVale McGee(notes) play for? No idea? Then can it, kindly, regarding the NBA.

Or, better yet, give us something we haven’t heard. Discuss this situation intelligently. Don’t make a point to draw attention with foul-mouthed twaddle like that.

You’re the online equivalent of a frat boy, half-watching the Cubs game on WGN on another TV, turning into an NBA genius in June over his four Miller Lites, just in time to forget about the league for another 11 months. Why anyone would give that line of thinking a forum is beyond me.

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Saturday’s media availability roundup

Jun 14

Posted by sophie in Uncategorized

A day before what could be the last game of the 2008-09 season, the press was in a reflective mood during Saturday’s media availability. Nothing wrong with that, we all have stories to write, but it is funny how this script seems to repeat itself year after year on what might be the last chance the media has at an extended sit-down until October.

So there were questions about Phil Jackson’s legacy, Red Auerbach’s record in the Finals, Kobe Bryant’s(notes) individual legacy, Derek Fisher’s(notes) thoughts on whether or not he has distinct memories from each of his Finals wins, Orlando’s season-long history of bouncing back; and, once again, a wonderful rant from Stan Van Gundy about how the media much prefers to write a story about nebulous, intangible things rather than just focusing on the game of basketball.

Most affecting was Phil Jackson’s needed, well-versed history on Red Auerbach’s time with the Boston Celtics. A lot of fans and media alike seem to regard Auerbach as springing out of the womb with a signed contract from Bill Russell in hand, but the truth goes a little deeper than that, evidenced by Phil speaking about Auerbach for over a minute without even getting to his championship years (the very years he was asked about).

Auerbach was a less-than-successful coach with the Washington Capitols before essentially changing the way the game was played before acquiring Russell for the Celtics. The pre-Russell Celtics were a Phoenix Suns-style running team (right down to being contenders, but championship also-rans) before there were many of those, with an All-Star (Ed Macauley) already in the pivot. Trading Macauley to St. Louis for Russell’s draft rights, Jackson noted, was a huge gamble; and yet it put Boston over the top.

Jackson then pointed out how Auerbach could have won “two or three more championships,” but that he handed over the coaching reigns to Russell because it was the best thing for the Celtics, if not Auerbach personally. All down the line, he praised Auerbach’s instincts and guts, essentially, as a player evaluator. It was a thoughtful, appropriate, tribute; coming at a time where most in the media room wanted Phil to talk endlessly of his own accomplishments.

Phil then went on to praise Mitch Kupchak and Jimmy Buss as personnel evaluators, telling the press that Jimmy (owner Jerry’s son) desperately wanted and secured Andrew Bynum(notes) despite his limited high school playing history and 17-years of age. He also pointed out that Kupchak had been hot on Pau Gasol’s(notes) heels for a year, over Jackson’s mild objections that Gasol might not have the strength necessary to battle inside as Jackson saw fit.

Again, more effusive praise and deflecting of credit, rather than essentially re-telling the introductory chapters to his best-selling books. A very impressive afternoon out, for Phil.

Oh, yeah. Basketball. He also discussed why he likes to take the ball out in the backcourt in late-game situations, admitting that “it’s not that usual in this game,” and that he doesn’t like to in-bound the ball in the frontcourt because it often results in a “stagnant” possession.

Stan Van Gundy, on the other hand, and by his own admission, is not “a big storyteller,” and his attempt at re-telling Greg LeMond’s comeback win in the 1989 Tour de France fell a bit short.

What Van Gundy is brilliant at is chasing away reporter’s dreams, and their attempts at an easy column storyline. Consider:

“Which team in this situation is more loose? You guys are usually, but the Lakers have the cushion, but you guys are in survival mode.”

“I would say to that I think it’s irrelevant. I don’t think being loose, being tight, that’s not going to have anything to do with it. I don’t think our guys will play tight. We’ll just play.”

“You think you’ve faced these questions of players all season, how mentally tough they are. Do you think this postseason forever puts that to rest, or do you have to keep - ”

“No, it never puts anything to rest because whatever ââ look, whatever people’s perceptions are of certain players, certain teams, whatever, I mean, it’s like they say about anybody with sort of first impressions, they just never go away no matter how many times you prove it to the contrary. And plus I always stand in amazement of a lot of people’s ability to continue to have opinions that absolutely stand in the way of all facts and evidence. I mean, it’s an amazing quality some people have to be able to ignore every piece of evidence and fact and still have their opinion.”

Van Gundy mused aloud about the oddity behind there being more negativity surrounding a team that most recently lost a game in the Finals that a squad “that has been home for two months.” He continued:

“There’s no problem with any of those players, they’re all winners. But the guys who are here and lose in The Finals, then we’ve got to find something wrong with them.”

In a complete (and understandable) turnaround from his mood after Game 4, when he criticized his own team’s “stupidness” (throwing himself in that mix, it should be pointed out), Hedo Turkoglu(notes) was rather cheerful following Magic practice.

He answered “why not?,” when asked about being the first squad to win a Finals after being in a 1-3 hole, and told the press that “right now I’m just happy to be in this situation.”

Why?

“Because it’s a good time to show our character as a group. It’s a good time right now. We’re a good team. We’ve bounced back from a lot of difficulties, so this is a good one to learn from. So I hope everybody really responds their best and we’ll get the win and go back to LA.”

Kobe Bryant, shockingly, was all basketball in his sit-down session. He (kindly, it should be noted) chased away any insinuation that he would opt out of the remaining year of his contract this summer, dismissed any thoughts about even attempting to match Bill Russell’s 11 or Michael Jordan’s six NBA championships (”I’m just trying to get this damn fourth one”).

He talked up Dwight Howard’s(notes) strength, talked down the significance of Mickael Pietrus’(notes) late-game foul on Pau Gasol, and delicately handled a Chinese reporter’s mention of the number eight as “a lucky number in China,” despite Bryant (who wore that number for the first ten years of his career) wearing number 24 since 2006.

Bryant did this with an ease and sense of humor that we haven’t seen in a few weeks, losing that perpetual scowl that has been a post-game and off-day trademark since the Finals began. We’ll see how that translates to Sunday’s potential close-out Game 5.

UPDATE: Though we have seen the clip of Jackson talking to Doris Burke between quarters one and two of Game 4, and thought it obvious he was complaining about the refereeing, it didn’t feel like a finable offense. And we can’t remember what Jackson said well enough to quote him. Either way, Stu Jackson didn’t like it, and fined Jackson and the Lakers $25,000 each.

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Lakers take hold of series, down Magic in overtime

Jun 12

Posted by sophie in Uncategorized

A heartbreaking, and possibly series-defining loss for the Orlando Magic in Game 4.

For the Los Angeles Lakers? A tough, defensive-minded win that helped to put the Magic on their absolute heels, taking 3-1 lead.

Defense was the story in this one, as both teams struggled to shoot well just 48 hours after putting up potent percentages from the floor during Orlando’s win in Game 3. The Magic struck first defensively, forcing Pau Gasol(notes) out of his comfort zone in the low post, and crashing the three-point line.

The Magic slowly built up a strong lead, 12 at the half, before relenting as Trevor Ariza(notes) scored 13 points in the third quarter, with the Lakers scoring 30 overall. With Hedo Turkoglu(notes) out with four fouls, the Magic offense only managed 14 points on 7-20 shooting from the floor.

Upon Turkoglu’s return, the Magic’s offense didn’t exactly set the world on fire in the fourth, but they did come back to take a three-point lead into the final 11 seconds.

With all eyes (and two defenders) focused on Kobe Bryant(notes), the Lakers surprised Orlando by taking the ball out in the backcourt, taking time off the clock, and Derek Fisher(notes) hit a three-pointer (after missing his initial five attempts from long range) to send the game into overtime.

Orlando’s poor shooting kept up in overtime, the team missed six of seven attempts, as the Lakers kept up an impressive defensive display from start to finish. Most devastating may have been Los Angeles’ vaunted free throw defense (the Magic missed 15 of 37 looks), and 17 turnovers in a slow (96 possessions in 53 minutes) game hardly helped.

We’ll have more (much, much more; we promise) on this contest, Behind the Box Score-style, early on Thursday morning.

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Behind the Box Score, where the Lakers put the hammer down

Jun 12

Posted by sophie in Uncategorized

Wow, that was some defense.

It didn’t seem to come up much during the game, for the usual reasons (defense isn’t much of a talking point, unless teams aren’t playing it), but this was a phenomenal defensive game from both sides, following a Game 3 that saw both teams take off on the offensive end.

The sheer activity levels in this game were awesome, and on a pretty incredible level when you figure the amount of games played and minutes slogged through this year before reaching a Thursday night in the second week of June.

Then again, this is also pretty typical of two great teams who more or less have each other’s wants and needs sussed out. The game preparation meets the athleticism then feeds off the drive and leads to what we saw. Great, friggin’, defense.

It shouldn’t be surprising, considering how good these teams were defensively in 2008-09, but on the heels of that Game 3? An impressive about-face, no less entertaining, just as competitive.

As is always the case, there were self-made mistakes and mitigating factors that added to the defense-fest, with the losing team providing more of the shots to the foot.

The Magic missed 15 of 37 free throws for a miserable 59.5 percent clip, absolute suicide in a game that was tied after 48 minutes. The team continued its turnover-happy ways, coughing it up 17 times in a very slow (96 possessions in 53 minutes) contest. Dwight Howard(notes) had as many turnovers (seven) as the entire Laker team.

But credit the Lakers’ defense, which harassed the Magic screen and roll game to no end. Credit Kobe Bryant’s(notes) help defense. Truly applaud the way Pau Gasol(notes) moved his feet, thought off the ball, and gave up his body in defense of Dwight Howard (5-12 shooting two days after going 5-6 from the floor).

Gasol was brilliant, defensively. Lamar Odom’s(notes) help defense was superb again, this time without leaving Rashard Lewis(notes) so much, and Derek Fisher(notes) was allowed to play a physical brand of defense on the perimeter (surprising in a game where Bennett Salvatore was the lead official), so he took advantage.

The Magic were just as sound. They can see the obvious coming just as clearly as anyone, so Orlando made a point to chase Pau Gasol off the block early and often, battering him off the ball and bumping him with help as he cut to the ball. And because the Lakers offense is a read-and-react offense, Gasol didn’t see the rock as much as we assumed as the ball swung around, desperate to find someone who was open.

Before Derek Fisher’s two late three-pointers, the Lakers were shooting 6-21 (28.5 percent) from behind the arc, as the Magic made a point to chase them off the open long ball. Kobe Bryant got his 32, but it was a huge struggle (31 shots), and every other Laker only seemed to contribute in spurts.

But when they did contribute? The difference in the game.

Save for the third quarter, Trevor Ariza(notes) shot 1-8 as the Magic continued to run him off the three-point line, force him to drive, and work an in-between game (shooting on the run, leaners and such) that he just isn’t good at during this stage of his career. Save for the third quarter. Ariza hit a tough leaner as the Magic overplayed everyone but him, which got his rhythm right as he went on to score 11 more points in the quarter, including hitting both of his three pointers.

Bryant shot poorly, save for the first quarter, acting as the team’s offensive savior for the second game in a row during that term as the Magic just crushed any other Laker’s hope of securing an easy shot. And Fisher had missed all five of his three-point attempts before nailing a game-tying trey with just a few seconds left in regulation, and a straightaway three-pointer in overtime to just about put the Magic away.

The first shot will be the subject of some controversy, as it should be. The Lakers had the ball with just over 11 seconds left in the game, down three, and the buzz in the arena was fixated solely on whether or not the Magic would foul to send the Lakers to the line, with the potential for only two points.

We’d find out later that the Magic, fearful of their own free throw shooting woes (I’m sorry, but that’s a cop out. Dwight Howard’s not going to catch the ball, trust your guys to shoot their averages even if they just missed three of four in the quarter), decided not to foul. That much has been gone over quite a bit in the hours since Game 4 ended.

What hasn’t been discussed much is the way the Lakers surprised the Magic by taking the ball out in the backcourt, as opposed to the frontcourt, as most coaches do.

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy was left to yell at his team like a little league coach, directing the center fielder to move farther out when the kid with the pituitary problem that repeated 2nd grade comes up to bat. The Magic did a superb job of denying Bryant the ball, face guarding him with two players on the in-bound pass, but the surprise of the backcourt in-bound rendered any speculation about fouling pointless.

Even if the Magic wanted to foul, they would have had a tough time doing it, as the Lakers put in the perfect counter. Almost perfect, I should say, because the Magic still had a chance to make things right.

Almost perfect because, for whatever reason, Jameer Nelson(notes) was treating Derek Fisher as if he were Derrick Rose(notes) as Fisher approached the three-point line. I’m not excusing Stan Van Gundy. He should have known that Phil Jackson, as he’s done for 20 years, likes to take the ball out in the backcourt. And he should have called for the foul. But Nelson’s decision was the real game-changer.

Nelson was essentially playing a slow, spot-up three-point shooter for a drive in a three-point game. Even if the Magic wanted to foul, there’s no way Nelson gets out on Fisher and wraps him up with the defense he was playing. This one, unfortunately, is on Jameer.

“This one” meaning “the final play of regulation,” mind you. It’s not Nelson’s fault that Howard missed six of 14 free throws, or that Hedo Turkoglu(notes) missed four free throws in the fourth quarter. It’s not his fault Rafer Alston(notes) struggled in the third quarter (1-5 shooting, bad decisions) as the Lakers made a halftime decision to force everyone but Rafer away from the ball, and good shots.

And it’s certainly not his fault Rashard Lewis wanted no part of contact on drives, being a go-to guy, or collecting tough rebounds (attempting to rebound with his arms, with his body spiraling away from the ball, while Derek Fisher throws his whole body into the loose ball). Six points on 10 shots for Lewis, who may as well have been Pat Garrity(notes) out there. Actually, Garrity would have hit a few more of those open shots.

Howard had nine blocks, an NBA Finals record, and he defended superbly without rejecting anything. Still, when you toss in the free throw mark and those seven turnovers, you can’t really regard his outing as an All-Star performance. Time after time he was afforded solid attempts in the paint, but ruined his chances by bringing the ball down below his waist, ready to bring it back up for a monster slam a la Shaquille O’Neal(notes).

Dwight? You may have shown more interest in team defense during this two-game homestand than Shaq has shown in his entire career. You’re not immature like Shaq. You’re not insecure like Shaq. You’re not out of shape, like Shaq. But you’re not Shaq. Just because he had that bad habit of bringing the ball down that low, it doesn’t mean you should emulate it.

O’Neal’s frame was much, much wider than yours, which made it tougher for teams to wrap him up from behind. You, actually in shape, have that problem to think about. Keep the ball high, please. You would have had a 30-point game had you just kept the ball above your waist, or higher, even with the free throw woes.

Again, credit that Laker defense for knowing what to do, and where to go, at all times. And Gasol for making sure that the shots that Howard did get off were usually off-balance, and off the mark.

Los Angeles was ably prepared, and had the talent and energy and drive to execute. The Magic weren’t that far behind, they were certainly on point defensively save for that final regulation possessions, but the team’s own offensive mistakes coupled with that Laker D (just 95 points per 100 possessions for Orlando, awful) made everything a struggle.

The question now is whether or not the Magic struggle with their confidence, heading into the rest of a series that has likely been decided, or if the Lakers struggle to overcome common sense. Common sense that tells them that the series is already theirs, whether they play just as desperately in Game 5, or not.

We’ll see on Sunday.

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‘Net reaction: NBA Finals, Game 4

Jun 12

Posted by sophie in Uncategorized

Scanning the blogs and beats following the Lakers’ 99-91 OT win over the Magic in Game 4 of the Finals …

Forum Blue and Gold: “This game is proof as to why we keep the faith in our players. This game is proof as to why we don’t bury our own guys; we don’t throw our own guys under the bus. Because our faith is rewarded. Everyone under the sun was calling for Phil to bench Fisher and play more Shannon Brown(notes) (myself included). Tell me, does anyone honestly believe that anyone outside of Bryant could have made those two shots other than Fisher? Through all his struggles, all the 1-8, 1-7 shooting games, our coaching staff kept the faith in Fisher. Even when he was getting crushed by Deron Williams(notes), Aaron Brooks(notes), Chauncey Billups(notes), and Rafer Alston(notes), the coaching still kept calling his number, sending him in during crunch time, sending him to battle when the games were on the line. And for their faith, they were rewarded with the most crucial victory of the season, delivered to us by one and only Derek Fisher(notes). This is the stuff of legends; the stuff that only becomes more endearing when you’ve lived through his struggles as we all have.”

Orlando Magic Daily: “… forget everything you’ve heard about the home team having the advantage going into the extra overtime. The Magic had no momentum tonight. It was dead. All 18,000-plus were stunned and silent. The offense went motionless as three players stood and watched Hedo Turkoglu(notes) try to force the issue on pick-and-rolls. It wasn’t there. The Magic should’ve gone to something else — Dwight in the post, Rashard in isolation, Pietrus working through off-the-ball screens … anything. It’s too bad, because it could’ve gone down as a historic performance from Dwight Howard(notes). No big man has ever reached a triple-double in points, rebounds and blocks in NBA Finals history, and Howard was one block away from that feat tonight. Think about it — Kareem, Hakeem, Shaq, Wilt, Russell, Duncan, Robinson — none of those guys blocked as many shots as Dwight did tonight.”

Silver Screen and Roll: “… congratulations to the Los Angeles Lakers, 2009 NBA Champions!!! I know it’s one game premature, but c’mon, this thing is O-V-E-R. The proof is in the pudding. If you’re a stat junkie consider this: the Lakers have three chances to win just one game, two of which are at home. Now, considering that we have the second best home record in the league, have yet to lose two games in a row in these playoffs, and have yet to lose three games in a row since Pau joined us last year (did I mention that he is underrated?). I’d say that those are pretty good odds. For those of you who ascribe to more of a Zen Master mind-game philosophy, last night’s win was like telling Orlando that not even their own mamas love them. It was the soul-crusher, the dagger to the heart, the realization that despite 5+ chances to be up 3-1 instead of down, they just can’t close the Lakers out.”

Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times: “Typical Fish. At the end of the most indelible game of his enduring Lakers career, Derek Fisher disappeared. He was swallowed by the long limbs of Lamar Odom(notes), the long embrace of Andrew Bynum(notes), the long hair of Sasha Vujacic(notes). His bald head was hidden in somebody’s warmup jacket. His short arms were wrapped in somebody’s giant ones. After both tying and winning a game that will propel his team to an NBA championship, he was immediately enveloped not by camera lights but teammates, lost not in glamour but love, the most unassuming Laker never even having a chance to pump a fist. Typical Fish. Don’t worry, after what happened Thursday night in front of a crowd that was stunned into silence, you’ll see him again. After his two jaw-flooring three-pointers led the Lakers to a 99-91 overtime victory against the Orlando Magic in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, you’ll now officially be seeing him forever.”

Brian Schmitz, Orlando Sentinel: “They’ve taken their fans on a wild, wondrous journey since October and defied the kind of odds this postseason that gets you in Ripley’s and makes Vegas blush. The Orlando Magic now will have to top their own comeback act, dipping deep into the well of improbability to drink in a championship. After falling to the Los Angeles Lakers 99-91 in a bitter overtime loss on Thursday night at Amway Arena, the Magic trail 3-1 in the NBA Finals. The Magic not only must buck history heading into Game 5 on Sunday — no team has ever rebounded from this deficit in the Finals to win the title — but they must get past perhaps an equally formidable obstacle. Kobe.”
TrueHoop: “Stan Van Gundy brushed off the notion that Finals experience means much of anything, pointing out that basketball is a simple game and every player on the court has the benefit of having played thousands of games. The rules don’t change in the Finals. It’s an enticing point. But consider the position of the Lakers here. With nothing more than one more tremendous effort, they can probably win the title they have craved for more than a half-decade on Sunday. Or, they can play with fire, as they did in 2000, and lose to a devil-may-care opponent, and roll the dice in Games 6 and 7. I don’t know what’s going to happen in Game 5 — but with memories of 2000’s Game 5 vivid in the memories of Phil Jackson, Brian Shaw, Kobe Bryant(notes), Derek Fisher, Mitch Kupchak and others in the Laker organization, I’d be shocked if the Lakers don’t arrive 100% motivated on Sunday. Call it experience, professionalism, or anything else you want … it tends to work.”

Lakers Blog: “… it’s hard to figure out exactly how the Lakers won this game Fair statement on his part. To say the least, this was a goony bird, haywire barn burner that borderline defines description. Down by a dozen at the half, the Lakers appeared anything but a team on the verge of pulling out one stunning comeback for the ages. 33% shooting from the field. Foul trouble plaguing the Lakers (most notably, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom). Dwight Howard dominating to the tune of five blocks and fourteen boards, the latter figure matching the Lakers’ entire tally. In a nutshell, not a damn thing gone right. Packing it in would have been easy. Playing hard-but-unfocused would have been somewhat more commendable, if not necessarily more productive. Instead, the Lakers weathered one ugly storm and came out smiling for their troubles. To attempt an explanation, I think one word might sum the outcome up: perseverance.”

Empty The Bench: “Kobe is strong as hell. In the first half, he ripped the ball out of Howard’s hands, prompting a foul from a pissed-off Superman. Then he completely pulls Howard to the floor with 11.1 seconds left so that he can’t get an open dunk. This feat of strength turns out to be a game winner, as Howard klunks both free throws, keeping the Lakers within one basket.”

Talk Hoops: “The Magic lost this game because they were their own worst enemy. The constantly made poor decisions that led to turnovers. They allowed the Lakers to turn those poor passes/decisions into easy points The Magic were successful in getting the Lakers bigs into foul trouble (There was a D.J. Mbenga(notes) sighting for four minutes), but they didn’t capitalize on their constant trips to the foul line. Howard had those two big misses at the end of the game, but those free throws would have been moot if not for his other six misses at the line or Hedo Turkoglu’s five missed free throws. Teams that shoot this poorly from the line and turn the ball over this often are just asking to lose close games.”

Basketball-Reference.com Blog: “… this was the third game of the series in which [the Magic] struggled to consistently score. With an offensive rating of 95.8 in Game 4, they are now averaging just 101.6 pts/100 poss on the series, and 94.1 if you toss out the aberrant hot streak of Game 3. Howard struggled for the 3rd time in 4 games, Lee continued his abysmal performance (he was so bad he got yanked with 8 minutes left in the 3rd and never saw the floor again), and even Rashard Lewis(notes), heretofore the Magic’s standby offensive dynamo when all else was going wrong, couldn’t really get his shot and misfired in the rare cases he did. And did you see the botched side-out plays at the end of regulation? If I’m a Magic fan, I’m really worried about the Lakers’ proven ability to clamp down on Orlando’s offense during this series. And if you need to shoot 63% in order to win, I’m afraid that’s a pretty unrealistic expectation game in and game out.”

The Puns Are Starting To Bore Me: “It’s so funny as a fan how you can go from complete euphoria and the highest high to the lowest low. This is a game once the Lakers win the title that Lakers fans will remember for the rest of their lives. Derek Fisher coming through in the clutch again and getting his team within inches of a title. As a Magic fan you will never forget where you were for Game 4 as you slowly watched any real chance at the title fly out the window with Dwight’s missed free throws and again Fisher’s heroics. Even if this is over on Sunday the big picture tells me this team was not supposed to be in the Finals and will grow tremendously from this experience. The other part of me wonders if this team has three more fights in them to pull of the impossible. Logic says no but my heart so badly wants to say yes.”

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Van Gundy: ‘That one will haunt me forever’

Jun 12

Posted by sophie in Uncategorized

They had survived bricked free throws, botched layups and error after error in blowing Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

Somehow, someway the Orlando Magic still led though, up 87-84 on the Los Angeles Lakers with 10.8 seconds remaining. The series hung in the balance and one of the great philosophical coaching debates raged for Stan Van Gundy on Thursday night.

Do you foul the Lakers before they attempt a game-tying 3-pointer, sending a player to the line for what most often are two harmless shots? Or do you let it ride on your defense, roll the dice that a great player won’t make a great shot?

Van Gundy told his team not to foul.

“That one will haunt me forever,” the coach said afterward, shaking his head.

Left unimpeded, Lakers guard Derek Fisher(notes) caught a pass in the back court, dribbled up the right side and hit a shot he never should’ve been allowed to take. His 3 with 4.6 seconds remaining sent the game to overtime. L.A. pulled away in the extra session, winning 99-91 to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. The Lakers can wrap up the championship here Sunday night.

Van Gundy had his reasons for not fouling. He felt a foul too early would turn the game into a free-throw shooting contest and his team was hitting just 59 percent (22-for-37) of theirs. He philosophically doesn’t believe in doing it until “six or seven” seconds remain in the game.

Afterward though he was dealing with waves of second-guesses and coaching guilt.

“It was my decision with 11 seconds not to foul,” he said. “Yes I regret it now, but only in retrospect. I mean, normally to me 11 is too early. You foul, they make two free throws, [they] cut it to one [and] you’re still at six or seven seconds.”

However, the dynamics of the play changed when Lakers coach Phil Jackson mistakenly thought Orlando had a foul to give. If that was the case, then the Magic could’ve fouled without sending a Laker to the free-throw line. L.A. would get the ball out of bounds again, but with the flow of the play disturbed.

However, while the Magic had committed just one team foul in the fourth quarter it came in the final two minutes. That meant its next foul was a shooting foul.

Jackson had it wrong though and as a result said he had the Lakers take the ball out in their backcourt because he wanted to create space to avoid the hack that it turned out was never coming.

By going full court though, it took time for Fisher to bring the ball up. The clock wound down under Van Gundy’s seven-second standard, but defender Jameer Nelson(notes) did what his coach had told him.

“We weren’t supposed to foul,” Nelson said. “I should have pushed up on him a little more.”

Van Gundy was questioning everything afterward, even acknowledging that the full-court scenario could’ve changed his decision.

“When they took it full court,” he said, “I’ll have to go back and look at that.”

On the television broadcast, analyst Jeff Van Gundy, Stan’s own brother, repeatedly criticized the decision by the players to let Fisher shoot.

Statistically, NBA and college teams say the odds favor fouling before a 3-pointer can be attempted.

In the Magic locker room the players weren’t going to criticize their coach, but at least some of them weren’t going out of their way to agree with the decision either.

“I’m not the coach,” Rashard Lewis(notes) said. “I was out there trying to win the ballgame.”

“You’ll have to ask coach about this,” said Marcin Gortat(notes), who noted that in European ball they usually foul.

For Van Gundy the decision, no matter how sound his philosophy may be, will stick with him for a long time.

He’s a free-wheeling coach, gambling on playing time hunches and making occasional unorthodox moves. His decision to go with Nelson over Rafer Alston(notes) in the fourth quarter may have caused Alston to mentally cash out; the playground legend said he was “shocked” at the benching.

On the sideline Van Gundy may be in complete control, but he looks disheveled, spinning around wildly and flashing telling facial expressions.

Shaquille O’Neal(notes) called him “a master of panic” dating back to their days together with the Miami Heat. Both Shaq and Alonzo Mourning(notes) partially blamed Van Gundy for costing the Heat the 2005 Eastern Conference finals against the Pistons. Then Van Gundy was famously replaced in Miami in the middle of the 2005-06 season by team president Pat Riley, who promptly led the Heat to the NBA championship.

It’s ironic how the play worked, though. It was the Hall of Famer Phil Jackson, who is now one win away from a record 10th NBA championship, who didn’t know something as rudimentary as Orlando’s foul situation.

Jackson’s decision to take the ball out with 10.8 seconds with a full court in front of him – based on bad information – actually opened up Fisher for the three. Had Jackson gone half-court it is unlikely Fisher would’ve been that open.

Sometimes you win for losing.

“In retrospect we gave [Fisher] too much space to shoot the ball,” Van Gundy said, throwing it back on Nelson’s defense. “We played like we were trying to prevent the layup. We just didn’t play Fisher, just didn’t guard him.”

It was the end of the Orlando collapse, the end, barring a miracle comeback, of the series. There were plenty of mistakes; missed free throws, poor execution and a coaching decision that may haunt more than just Stan Van Gundy forever and ever.

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