5 points, 1-7 from free throws, 5 rebounds

Dampier 6 points, 13 rebounds

DAMP FCUCKING OWNED HIM

talk some more trash please


GG HEAT, series is DONE with, ship the trophy and save some time

The series is obviously the Mavs to lose and I am no way a Heat fan in the least.... I think its cheap for veterans to cling on the contenders like Payton and Walker have and I don't like Wade for some reason I can't figure out..
I've always disliked Shaq, especially when he and Kobe destroyed my Sixers, but to ever say he is overrated is ridiculous. This is his 6th trip to the finals and his third team. He may not be as dominate as he was before, I tend to think he was at his most dominant in college, but he will go down as the third greatest center in history and perhaps the most talented bigman of all time.
I hate Shaq and every team he has ever played for, but after 14 years of being bet up 82 nights a year, who can expect him to be as dominate as he had been before.

http://cbs.sportsline.com/nba/story/9493211


HEAT FANS WHERE ARE YOU?!?!?1111

not a heat fan but wow the mavs look a lot better than the heat... Shaq sure needs to learn how to shoot free throws or he might never win another game.. well he will but you get the point.

Yea, hes one of the 50 greatest players of all time and has more rings than your entire Mavs roster combined, clearly overrated.

so you are saying hes in the same from he was 5 years ago? if you are thats fine but i want the forum to see the self ownage

hes a combined 2-16 from free throws, im sorry but you shoot free throws like that, he is DONE, all we have to do is foul him and hes a guarenteed to miss 3 outta 4

GG HEAT

He had a bad game, I guarantee you that no player on the Mav's thinks the series is over or that Shaq is easy to guard.

He only had 5 shot attempts, thats mostly his teams fault for not working harder to get him the ball.

Its a good thing you learned humility at a young age shanks



Btw I'm still wondering who are "all these Heat fans" that talked shit to you? I certainly didnt

obv you dident watch the game because every time he got the ball he was double or triple teamed and simply the heat arent good enough to beat the mavs without shaq


and its over

If Shaq is done, why do the Mavs double team him when he doesnt even have the ball?

This is a good thread to discuss something that I dont think a lot of people realize. I've talked to a lot of basketball fans and only the true hard core guys seem to get it. I was about to start a thread about it myself.

There are two reasons for Shaq's decline.

The first is easy and everyone knows it. He's getting old. He's 34, and most centers start to decline around that age.

Now most people will say his decline started 3 years ago (his last year in LA) which leads to a bigger reason that most people dont realize. The current NBA rules have made it tougher on centers than ever before. And those rule changes came around 3 years ago.

With the ability of NBA defenders to zone, centers have never had it tougher. Double teams are coming way faster and quite often the double team gets there before the ball does. You also have that psuedo double the Mavs have been employing lately: have one defender front while the another defender plays under the basket preventing the lobb. And usually the same two players will box out the center on the boards (basically a double box out). All that adds up to centers having work much harder to get touches and get boards. Passing into the post is extremely tough now days. And when they do get the ball, the defense is right on them.

On defense you would think the zone would help the centers, but another rule countered that and made it tougher on defense. The no contact rule on the perimeter has lead to guards attacking the rim like never before. This leads to centers being constantly in foul trouble and limiting their minutes. Meanwhile contact allowed on the centers is let go. Shaq (and Yao) take a pounding down low like no one else does.

There's only a few centers affected by the new rules since the position is almost extinct. Shaq, Yao, and Ilguaskus are all old style centers and practically the only ones left (the fact that I had to list Big Z just to get 3 is disturbing enough). I've heard a lot of people say that if Yao played with the rules from 10 years ago with one-on-one coverage, his numbers would be much better.

I've seen the problems with Yao a lot (and this almost directly applies to whats happening to Shaq now). For all the attention McGrady gets, Yao is the guy teams try to stop. That's because the rules alow them to do so. I think Van Gundy is finally starting to figure it out though. He's realized that the power forward is the one to blame. He basically said that the Rockets absolutely need a power forward who can shoot the three. This is needed to counter that double team I descibed above. When the center is fronted, either the other defender cant stay right under the hoop or he will have to sprint to 3-point line when the ball is swung to the other side. Thats gives the center great position when the ball is swung and he re-posts on the other side. However with a traditional power forward who's staying on the other block, there just isnt enough room. The 2nd defender can stay right under the hoop and still cover his man with ease. The Heat are having this very problem when Hasslem is on the floor.

Riley may start Hasslem next game, but dont be suprised if he doesnt stick with that lineup for long. A line up of Williams, Wade, Posey, Walker, and Shaq might provide the interior spacing that Shaq needs. In order to double Shaq (with or without the ball) they have to leave a 3-point shooter open.

While doubt Shaq is getting older and is not the player he once was, I think the rules have contributed (and overblown) his decline.

because he takes up half the court..

Good post.

oooooops. dont count your chickens before they hatch is the appropriate hackneyed cliche here.

If the Mavs throw up another stinker in Game 5 this gets verrryyyyyyy interesting.

This would be a good time to discuss Dirk's numbers in Game 4, methinks.

Nah, Mavs fans are keeing thier mouths shut now that they just took one in the a$$

Three-time NBA Finals MVP after leading the Lakers to back-to-back-to-back NBA Finals victories (2000, 2001, 2002)

nuff said

dirk shot 2-14 in Game 4, is he an overrated donk aswell?

Go HEAT!

Huge heat fan, have been since I was a kid. Born and raised in Miami.

Shaq overrated? I think you must be kidding, either that or you don't know basketball. Everyone has bad games, deal with it.

Over 60% lifetime FG%, how many people can say they have done that. He dominates, enough said.

Dirk 2-14, overrated? Hell no. With the defense of Posey and Haslem though, I don't blame him for letting the pressure get to him.

Dirk is one of the best in the game right now.

Shaq is one the best in history.

Deal with it.

Shaq is getting older, but he's not overrated.

Shaq was 2-14 in FTs today....not bad at all.

Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa

2-12 buddy get it right

WHERE ARE YOU NOW??? COME GET IT!!!

hey longshanks, forget about this thread?

What?? Longshanks talking sh*t big time and then not showing up afterwards when to take his medicine?? What a ******..lol. Hey, I talk sh*t at times too and whether I'm right or wrong, I show up and either brag or listen to others rub it in my face.

BE A E-MAN LONGSHANKS!! COME HERE AND TAKE YOUR E-MEDICINE, E-B*TCH!!

Best post ever from you, your right at least you man up when your silly predictions don't come true.

P.S. How are the Royals doing this year?

Ohhh Longshanks, where have you gone?