I’m happy to be pissed this morning. If I weren’t pissed, we’d be sitting at home watching the playoffs and not participating. That’s what’s nice on the fan level, you can be pissed and still be happy. If we had been here before, I’d be pissed and not happy. Happy/Pissed, who cares, the Bobcats are down a game but it’s still the PLAYOFFS.
How do you give up a career night to Jameer Nelson? First playoff game or not, that guy had free reign in the first half. It took Dwight Howard and Vince Carter getting in foul trouble to bring the ‘Cats back in this one. People are saying “The Bobcats are for real,” “the Bobcats are legit,” “this is going to be a series” but come on, you say that with their two stars on the bench. I don’t disbelieve but I have concerns.
Rashard Lewis is BIG. But the good part is, he doesn’t post up, ever. Jameer Nelson, remember he was an All-Star selection last year, won’t have a game like that again but I mean, I guess he could. He’s capable and Ray was playing Ole bull fighter defense with no backside help. (Somebody show me how to put ‘ over that e in Ole) Can you be so concerned against Dwight that you can’t keep an eye on a cutting PG? Didn’t seem like it in the second half but then again, Superman was on the bench.
Sidebar: Whoever Tweeted back at the All-Star break, when the whole Shaq is the real Superman debate got going, that Dwight called himself Superman because of a funny song and Shaq is called Superman because he thinks he actually is the Man o’ Steel, should be given tweet of the year in my opinion.
Back to the match ups. No one rebounds like Gerald Wallace right now. 17 rebounds and this(FF to the 2:50 mark.):
He got beat on the head by Mr. Howard and not a foul call? Come on refs, don’t officiate the players or the situation, make the call. Gerald will get his, and he was aggressive and actually hit some midrange stuff, a wrinkle I haven’t seen all year from him. Stephen Jackson is more versatile than any 2 guys on their team, I worry for his knee though but we shall see. Long breaks between games helps. I like, as about everyone that follows NBA does, the fact that our “bigs” are a good match-up for Dwight Howard and Gortat. (Does anyone know Gortat’s first name?)
The match-up there isn’t simply 18 fouls versus 6, it’s 3 veteran guys who platoon as well as any Center grouping in the league. They’re smart and they will draw fouls, annoy Dwight, not allow them to do what they want with him and mostly, play smart defense. Howard had 9 blocks last night….so what? He didn’t score and didn’t rebound. It’s like taking the best center in the league and turning him into Shawn Bradley.
Watching that video made me sick for about 2/3 of it. Jameer Nelson, Michael Pietrus and Rashard Lewis huh? That’s what you’ve got going on in Orlando? That’s the “vast array of weaponry” Brian Schmidtz of the Orlando Sentinel speaks of? Ok, stoppable. Not worried. What I am worried about is Jack trying to be a hero on that hyper-extended knee. Then again, what’s wrong with a guy who wants to be a hero?
Tighten up the defense on the screens and help D for Ray, he’s not staying in front of Jameer for whatever reason. That’s all I see. They won’t get off to as bad a start on offense in game 2, they just can’t. Nelson isn’t going to do that again, Larry adjusted to it at the half. They’re not going to be 13-30 from beyond the three point line, especially with one to end the half and Michael Pietrus dying as he’s shooting, it won’t happen again.
So, what do the Bobcats need to do? Get off to a hot start in the first and sustain defense like they have all year. There will be production from DJ Augustin, Boris Diaw and Tyrus Thomas, more than on Sunday afternoon, that much I’m certain. What will Orlando do? I don’t know, I don’t write about the Magic…
