| Finals Notebook Ahead Of Game 3 Authored by Jarrod Rudolph - June 9, 2009 - 5:41 pm
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“This next game is most definitely a must-win,” Rashard Lewis said. “You don’t want to dig a three-game hole for yourselves.”
Facing a must-win situation isn’t foreign territory for the Magic. They trailed Philadelphia in the first-round and needed to win Game 7 in Boston to earn their shot at the title. Their success in those series had given the team confidence going into Game 3.
“We’ve been in some tough situations,” said Howard. “We’ve just got to fight our way out. The Lakers did a good job of protecting their home, and now it’s our turn to do the same thing.”
The Magic have done well in the must-win situations they’ve faced in the playoffs this year, but the Lakers have also been able to take their game to the next level when needed. With their goal within reach expect the Lakers to fight harder to get the job done.
“We’re about to kick it up,” said Kobe Bryant. “We’re close. This is the Finals. We’re going to be ready to go.”
Jameer Nelson is not a chemistry killer
Several people – fans and members of the media – are claiming victory for their arguments that Jameer Nelson should not be playing in the Finals. The 27-year-old guard’s potential impact on the series was one of many hot topics before the start of the Finals. Concerns that the All-Star guard would hurt the team’s chemistry once he was inserted back into the rotation after a 4 month absence were talked about as must as the stupid puppet commercials were discussed in the last round. Their argument has been strengthened a bit by the Lakers 2-0 lead and most notably Rafer Alson’s struggles. However, not everyone has bought into the theory that Nelson’s return is hurting the team.
“I don’t think Jameer has hindered anything,” Howard said. “We win as a team and we lose as a team, so we can’t fault Jameer’s coming back messing up our team.”
Add me to the list of people that think the Magic are down because the Lakers have played better, not because of Nelson’s comeback. The Magic are having problems with the Lakers because they don’t have the same matchup advantages they’ve enjoyed throughout the playoffs. Excuse me for being Captain Obvious, but the Lakers are a much better team than anyone the Magic have faced. That’s not to suggest they can’t win the championship, but it’s going to be much more difficult than beating Cleveland.
The same thing can be said about Rafer Alston – he just needs to hit open shots.
There is this belief that Alston is looking over his shoulder for Nelson and because of his fear of being pulled out of the game he’s not playing his best basketball. There might be a bit of truth to that – though Alston has been supportive of Nelson’s return – but if you take a look at his numbers you’ll see that he hasn’t shot the ball well since Game 4 of the Cleveland series. Alston has shot 9-for-42 from the field, including 4-for-22 on three-point attempts, since pouring in 26 points in the Magic’s 116-to-114 victory on May 26.
Alston just needs to open hit shots and aggressively attack the basket if his shot isn’t dropping. If he does those things his game will be fine and the decision to bring Nelson back becomes a non-issue.
Lamar Odom deserves more shots
The Magic don’t seem to have any answers for Lamar Odom. The 29-year-old forward has played great in the first two games, including an 8-for-9 performance in the Lakers 101-to-96 Game 2 victory. However, it didn’t seem as if getting Odom the ball was a priority, which is odd considering he made almost every shot he attempted.
"You’ve got Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, those guys are perennial All-Stars,” Odom said. “I’ve got to just take advantage when my opportunity comes.”
There should be plenty of opportunity for a featured guy to get the ball when he is making shots. It is the responsibility of Odom’s teammates – especially Kobe Bryant – to recognize that he has the hot hand and get him the ball. |
