Shaq gets hurt J-Will and Walker choke

[westkoast]

How come no one has mentioned Shaq getting hurt last night by rolling his ankle by coming down on Ron Artest's foot??  Play wasn't cheap or anything but rather Ron did not realize where he was putting his foot down because he was up looking to see where the ball was going to come off the rim.  Shaq came down and looked like his sprained it well.  X-rays were negative but he is listed day to day with a sprain.

Also, Jason Williams was his good ol self last night by going 1/8 from the field and taking ALOT of quick shots even with Wade and Shaq on the floor.  Walker was also his good ol self by not rebounding and having a poor shot selection.  I loved the play where the Heat were trying to make a run at the very end of the game and Walker, so obsessed with the 3 point line, stepped back to be behind the line and ended up stepping out of bounce and causing a turnover.  Indiana takes the ball down to the other side and they get a bucket.  Loved it!  Cant say that I dont enjoy him choking like that all because he feels he HAS to hit a 3.  He even had a much better look at the 2 and his step back gave the defender a split second to get even closer.

[Wolverine]

This is GREAT news, as Alonzo now gets starter minutes and he's on my fantasy team!  GO RON ARTEST!!!

In all seriousness though, who didn't see this coming?  Everyone with a brain knew Shaq would get hurt sooner or later.  It was only a matter of time.

Baron Davis is in the same boat, only he injured himself in game one!  I don't understand how some people (who shall remain nameless ... they know who they are) can say how this year will be different for him.  Uh ... no, it really won't.  HE'S INJURY PRONE!  He's going to miss a lot of games.  Pulled groin, broken finger, SFPD ... something'll get him!

[Joe Vancil]

And did anyone see GARY PAYTON in that game last night?  Payton looked pretty good for the old washed-up bum that everyone seems to think he is.

Payton will be starting for Miami within 10 games.

The best Miami Heat team I saw on the court was the one with Alonzo Mourning, Udonis Haslem, Jason Kapono, Dwyane Wade, and Gary Payton.  Play that team more minutes, and Miami will be a better team.  Kapono looked really good last night on the offensive end of the court.

 

[westkoast]

And did anyone see GARY PAYTON in that game last night?  Payton looked pretty good for the old washed-up bum that everyone seems to think he is.

Payton will be starting for Miami within 10 games.

The best Miami Heat team I saw on the court was the one with Alonzo Mourning, Udonis Haslem, Jason Kapono, Dwyane Wade, and Gary Payton.  Play that team more minutes, and Miami will be a better team.  Kapono looked really good last night on the offensive end of the court.

Joe it is very nice to come in and stick to the game plan after a certain PG in front of you is doing everything but.  Makes you look like a genius LOL.  He played solid last night because he didnt force anything and did what they brought him here for...to balance out Jason Williams.  I stick by what I say and that is that he still lost his step.  

I too think Payton will be starting soon because Jason Williams thinks hes a scoring option.  Like Charles said "When Shaq and Wade are on your team they are option A and B...and C and D"  That how it goes.  I am not saying he shouldnt get shot but that he shouldnt take shots with 4 seconds off the 24.

Kapono played well (hes a favorite of mine because he went to UCLA) except for one mental mistake towards the end of the game.  Not that big of a deal even if it was in crunch time.

[WayOutWest]

My favorite moment is on the last play of the game.  The Heat need a 3 and they show a graphic of the leading 3 pt shooters for the game.

1/3 Wade
0/2 Player B
1/4 Player C
1/6 WALKER!!!!  LOL!  He shot 6 of them!!!  Rat bastard was on my team.

[Lurker]

Problem for Miami....Payton & Mourning CANNOT play starter level minutes.  

Payton may start within 10 games but he still can't handle the majority of the minutes.  The quicker PGs in the league have shown in the past two seasons that they can get by Payton anytime they want.

Zo may have the heart to play 30-35 minutes but does he have the body for it any more?

And then Twoine is just being himself....I still can't believe Riley actually signed him.  With Shaq down it is going to be a long season for the Heat.  Does anyone think that Riley will still want to return to the bench?

[guest-koast]

And then Twoine is just being himself....

Crappy?

The trade that brought in Walker was so talked about like it was going to push them over the top.  So far Walker has been a big non-factor in each pre-season game and at the start of the regular season.

[rickortreat]

Both teams had some decent moments.  Indiana loooked like the better team for most of the night, but when Miami started closing the gap I thought they were going to take it.

IMO, Shaq going out took the wind out of Miami's sails.  With him in the game they would have won.

I'm not so sure Artest didn't know what he was doing.  Why is it that Shaq gets hurt playing against Indiana all the time? J. O'Neil hurt him last year and now Artest.  

I thought the refs let Indiana get away with a lot of physical play.  I was surprised that Shaq wasn't being a bit more protective of Wade getting bounced off the floor a couple of times.

Walker did some good things.  That one drive that he had to get Miami going was big, and Payton had some nice plays as well.

So far, it's Indiana, Detoit and Miami that look to be the top teams in the east. Not much of a surprise there.
 

[Laker Fan]

I see, best team Miami put on the court DIDN"T include Shaq, explain that one Joe, you evidently saw what I have seen for some time now. I'm sick to death of Shaq always getting a free pass and you didn't give him one, props to you, it's about time someone woke up and saw his effectiveness is RAPIDLY deteriorating.

[Joe Vancil]

rickortreat,

Shaq going down didn't take the wind out of Miami's sails at all.  Mourning was far more active and far more effective.  Shaq being there wouldn't have helped Miami - it would have hindered the comeback.  Mourning played WONDERFULLY.

As for Artest intentionally taking out Shaq?    Did you see the play?  There's no way Artest INTENTIONALLY got his foot under Shaq's.  That injury is common.  I've had it happen to me - both from Shaq's and Artest's points of view - several times.

However, I'll agree with you a great deal on the amount of physical play Indiana got away with.  Wade was pretty much beat up every time he went to the lane.  After about the third time he was sent to the floor, the officials needed to tighten up the calls, or issue a flagrant.

 

[Joe Vancil]

Dan,

Hold on just a second.  I said the best team I saw Miami put on the court was the above team.  That says NOTHING about the effectiveness of Shaquille O'Neal.  Granted, in the game, he didn't look good.  However, with different sets and a different style of play, I believe Miami - with Shaq - can be better than what it showed with him on the court the other night.

Shaq's effectiveness is down, but it's not down MUCH with regards to what he can do for a team.  But Miami has to commit to using him in that manner.  Mourning doesn't require the same commitment, but doesn't provide the sheer dominance, either.  But Miami's entire defense is going to have to be re-worked to make Shaq effective.

[guest-koast]

As for Artest intentionally taking out Shaq?    Did you see the play?  There's no way Artest INTENTIONALLY got his foot under Shaq's.  That injury is common.  I've had it happen to me - both from Shaq's and Artest's points of view - several times.

 

I watched the play over and over in slow motion.  There is no way Ron Artest did that to harm Shaq.  As soon as the ball went over his head he started to move towards the basket while at the same time trying to see where the ball was going to go off the rim.  His eyes never hit the floor to see where he could stick his foot even if he did want to hurt Shaq.  Moving towards the rim and trying to read where the ball is going to bounce to is already Artest doing two things at once.  Do you think he could also be thinking about how to hurt Shaq to increase Indiana's chances of going deep?  Sounds like his brain would have overloaded and he would start socking fans.

[JoMal]

As for Artest intentionally taking out Shaq?    Did you see the play?  There's no way Artest INTENTIONALLY got his foot under Shaq's.  That injury is common.  I've had it happen to me - both from Shaq's and Artest's points of view - several times.

 

I watched the play over and over in slow motion.  There is no way Ron Artest did that to harm Shaq.  As soon as the ball went over his head he started to move towards the basket while at the same time trying to see where the ball was going to go off the rim.  His eyes never hit the floor to see where he could stick his foot even if he did want to hurt Shaq.  Moving towards the rim and trying to read where the ball is going to bounce to is already Artest doing two things at once.  Do you think he could also be thinking about how to hurt Shaq to increase Indiana's chances of going deep?  Sounds like his brain would have overloaded and he would start socking fans.

This kind of thing just cracks me up. Because of who he is, suddenly Artest is the Svengali of the NBA, controlling such things as the occurance of one of the most common injuries to happen on the court. I heard some moron sportscaster made this inference. Don't be lured into even discussing it.