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Sports » rec.sport.basketball.pro » Payton hurts the Heat
| Payton hurts the Heat [message #978860] |
Mon, 01 May 2006 05:20 |
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http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/14468615.h tm
CHICAGO - So here it is Sunday, about a minute left in the first half of the
Chicago Bulls' 93-87 victory that tied this playoff series with Miami at
2-2.
Dwyane Wade is caught deep along the left side by the Bulls' swarming,
collapsing defenders, who continue to circle Wade like buzzards.
"It's hard to shoot when guys are all over your arm. I don't know too many
guys who can shoot like that," says Wade, frustrated by playing in his
hometown again after going 8-for-3 for 20 points, with 10 assists and five
turnovers.
Wade tries a skip pass across court to Gary Payton, but Payton fumbles it
out of bounds for a turnover. Payton glares at Wade and starts yelling. A
few seconds later with the Heat about to close to four points at halftime,
Payton starts going after Wade, yelling something about not being his boy,
that he doesn't have to take that from anyone. He is being held away from
Wade by Shaquille O'Neal, who is counseling Payton to "let it go."
The Heat should have just let Payton go. It's what happens to a team when it
invests in bad character and questionable talent. If Miami is desperate now
it's because it seems to have built its team out of desperation.
Payton didn't cost the Heat two games at the United Center.
Miami blamed the referees more for that, though only with veiled
suggestions, especially after O'Neal was fined $25,000 after Game 3 for his
criticism of the officials.
Seemingly unfairly, O'Neal was in foul trouble for the second consecutive
game and the Bulls had an astounding 31-5 edge in free throws.
That's unusual because the Bulls are known for their perimeter play against
the Heat's power and drive game. The Bulls shot more free throws than their
opponent 21 times this season and had 31 or more 17 times.
"If they (NBA) want to have Shaq on the bench, that's what they're gonna
do," said Payton.
And what guys like Payton are going to do is what's best for themselves. We
saw it in the 2004 Finals when he virtually quit on his Lakers teammates. He
left Seattle and Milwaukee under similar clouds. This time, Payton
represents the Heat's fatal flaws both on the court and off.
Payton, like most of the players who've been added to the Heat's roster
since last season, doesn't complement O'Neal well. He's not a good
standstill perimeter shooter when the defense, especially the Bulls',
collapses and dares the Heat to beat them over the top, as basketball people
like to say.
His defense is ancient, built on memories. That is what helped get O'Neal
into foul trouble in both games in Chicago and compromised the Heat.
They ought to name a highway after Payton. He's Route 20. Express lane.
Sunday was one of those games in which the Bulls seemed the dominant team
throughout. O'Neal was in and out again, playing just under 24 minutes. Wade
felt like he was back home in February, Bulls defenders hanging on him like
a coat. Jason Williams missed eight of his nine shots. And then Derek
Anderson hit a three with 2:30 left to give Miami an 83-82 lead.
Kirk Hinrich then flashed by Payton, who fouled him. Hinrich made one free
throw to tie the score.
"We need to make a more concerted effort and not let guys get to the rim,"
said Heat coach Pat Riley. Again.
Good luck with Payton's age and Williams' inability against quicker guards.
Anderson then rushed a bad three and . . . boom! This time it was Chris
Duhon drawing Payton on a screen and he was by Payton again with Wade,
perhaps their best perimeter defender, worrying about Ben Gordon.
"They're not just penetrating without screens. It's pick, pick, pick, back
and forth," said Wade. "They use the whole 24 (seconds). It's tough to guard
and continue to try to help and close out on shooters."
The Heat was talking on defense: "You got him!" "No, you got him!" "Help!"
"Help!" "Help!"
A foul-plagued O'Neal could not come out on Duhon, who scored on a short
runner for an 85-83 lead with 1:42 left.
Then it was Wade pushing a long jumper awry and Hinrich pulling Andres
Nocioni out to him for a screen and Payton, inexplicably backing off as
Hinrich shot.
Triple boom! . . . as John Madden might say.
"It was a miscommunication," said Payton. "We were going over picks and
screen and roll. They're picking us and we've just got to get through it,
(but) he was real deep. You didn't expect him to pull up like that. You
expect him to go off the dribble and pull up. He raised up and made a big
shot."
Hinrich's shot gave the Bulls an 88-83 lead with 1:09 left and the Heat
could do little but foul the rest of the way. Fouls were a big issue as Wade
shot four free throws, O'Neal one. The Heat's total of five was nine fewer
than the team had shot in a game all season.
Miami also couldn't guard the perimeter again or space the floor for O'Neal
to pass and Wade to drive, mostly because Payton, Williams and Antoine
Walker, even with a team-high 21 points, weren't counterbalancing forces.
After the game Wade said he wasn't talking about Payton's comments and
actions. O'Neal didn't talk at all, angrily saying only, as he exited the
locker room, that someone had stolen his coat.
The Bulls took the game and his coat, too?
Leave it to Payton to turn on a teammate for his own failings. He did one of
those Drew Rosenhaus "next question" things when asked about going after
Wade.
Payton later told TNT - as he walking out of the United Center - that "it
was nothing. Like Donovan McNabb and T.O going at it."
Of course, we know that didn't end up very well.
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| Re: Payton hurts the Heat [message #978861 ] |
Mon, 01 May 2006 05:32 |
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"s_knight8" <s_knight8nospam [at] hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:e33upe$uv [at] dispatch.concentric.net...
> http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/14468615.h tm
>
> CHICAGO - So here it is Sunday, about a minute left in the first half of the
> Chicago Bulls' 93-87 victory that tied this playoff series with Miami at
> 2-2.
>
> Dwyane Wade is caught deep along the left side by the Bulls' swarming,
> collapsing defenders, who continue to circle Wade like buzzards.
>
> "It's hard to shoot when guys are all over your arm. I don't know too many
> guys who can shoot like that," says Wade, frustrated by playing in his
> hometown again after going 8-for-3 for 20 points, with 10 assists and five
> turnovers.
>
> Wade tries a skip pass across court to Gary Payton, but Payton fumbles it
> out of bounds for a turnover. Payton glares at Wade and starts yelling. A
> few seconds later with the Heat about to close to four points at halftime,
> Payton starts going after Wade, yelling something about not being his boy,
> that he doesn't have to take that from anyone. He is being held away from
> Wade by Shaquille O'Neal, who is counseling Payton to "let it go."
>
> The Heat should have just let Payton go. It's what happens to a team when it
> invests in bad character and questionable talent. If Miami is desperate now
> it's because it seems to have built its team out of desperation.
>
> Payton didn't cost the Heat two games at the United Center.
>
> Miami blamed the referees more for that, though only with veiled
> suggestions, especially after O'Neal was fined $25,000 after Game 3 for his
> criticism of the officials.
>
> Seemingly unfairly, O'Neal was in foul trouble for the second consecutive
> game and the Bulls had an astounding 31-5 edge in free throws.
>
> That's unusual because the Bulls are known for their perimeter play against
> the Heat's power and drive game. The Bulls shot more free throws than their
> opponent 21 times this season and had 31 or more 17 times.
>
> "If they (NBA) want to have Shaq on the bench, that's what they're gonna
> do," said Payton.
>
> And what guys like Payton are going to do is what's best for themselves. We
> saw it in the 2004 Finals when he virtually quit on his Lakers teammates. He
> left Seattle and Milwaukee under similar clouds. This time, Payton
> represents the Heat's fatal flaws both on the court and off.
>
> Payton, like most of the players who've been added to the Heat's roster
> since last season, doesn't complement O'Neal well. He's not a good
> standstill perimeter shooter when the defense, especially the Bulls',
> collapses and dares the Heat to beat them over the top, as basketball people
> like to say.
>
> His defense is ancient, built on memories. That is what helped get O'Neal
> into foul trouble in both games in Chicago and compromised the Heat.
>
> They ought to name a highway after Payton. He's Route 20. Express lane.
>
> Sunday was one of those games in which the Bulls seemed the dominant team
> throughout. O'Neal was in and out again, playing just under 24 minutes. Wade
> felt like he was back home in February, Bulls defenders hanging on him like
> a coat. Jason Williams missed eight of his nine shots. And then Derek
> Anderson hit a three with 2:30 left to give Miami an 83-82 lead.
>
> Kirk Hinrich then flashed by Payton, who fouled him. Hinrich made one free
> throw to tie the score.
>
> "We need to make a more concerted effort and not let guys get to the rim,"
> said Heat coach Pat Riley. Again.
>
> Good luck with Payton's age and Williams' inability against quicker guards.
>
> Anderson then rushed a bad three and . . . boom! This time it was Chris
> Duhon drawing Payton on a screen and he was by Payton again with Wade,
> perhaps their best perimeter defender, worrying about Ben Gordon.
>
> "They're not just penetrating without screens. It's pick, pick, pick, back
> and forth," said Wade. "They use the whole 24 (seconds). It's tough to guard
> and continue to try to help and close out on shooters."
>
> The Heat was talking on defense: "You got him!" "No, you got him!" "Help!"
> "Help!" "Help!"
>
> A foul-plagued O'Neal could not come out on Duhon, who scored on a short
> runner for an 85-83 lead with 1:42 left.
>
> Then it was Wade pushing a long jumper awry and Hinrich pulling Andres
> Nocioni out to him for a screen and Payton, inexplicably backing off as
> Hinrich shot.
>
> Triple boom! . . . as John Madden might say.
>
> "It was a miscommunication," said Payton. "We were going over picks and
> screen and roll. They're picking us and we've just got to get through it,
> (but) he was real deep. You didn't expect him to pull up like that. You
> expect him to go off the dribble and pull up. He raised up and made a big
> shot."
>
> Hinrich's shot gave the Bulls an 88-83 lead with 1:09 left and the Heat
> could do little but foul the rest of the way. Fouls were a big issue as Wade
> shot four free throws, O'Neal one. The Heat's total of five was nine fewer
> than the team had shot in a game all season.
>
> Miami also couldn't guard the perimeter again or space the floor for O'Neal
> to pass and Wade to drive, mostly because Payton, Williams and Antoine
> Walker, even with a team-high 21 points, weren't counterbalancing forces.
> After the game Wade said he wasn't talking about Payton's comments and
> actions. O'Neal didn't talk at all, angrily saying only, as he exited the
> locker room, that someone had stolen his coat.
>
> The Bulls took the game and his coat, too?
>
> Leave it to Payton to turn on a teammate for his own failings. He did one of
> those Drew Rosenhaus "next question" things when asked about going after
> Wade.
>
> Payton later told TNT - as he walking out of the United Center - that "it
> was nothing. Like Donovan McNabb and T.O going at it."
>
> Of course, we know that didn't end up very well.
he's the mitten...
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