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Aggressive Shaq too much for Wizards
By Patrick McManamon
Beacon Journal sports columnist
Published on Wednesday, Nov 04, 2009
CLEVELAND: The Cavaliers' search for their offensive identity might have delivered some answers Tuesday night.
Facing a talented Washington Wizards team that jumped out to an 18-point lead in the second quarter, the Cavs chipped away, then found a stride in the third quarter.
That stride was a very big one, as the Cavs made Shaquille O'Neal an integral part of the offense.
Standing on the low block, O'Neal got two of the Wizards' big guys in foul trouble, scored 21 points and drew the double-team and passed.
It was the first vision of what the Cavs envisioned when they brought O'Neal into the mix.
The numbers showed O'Neal with 21
points, eight rebounds and three assists. He shot 7-for-9, with one of the misses a missed tip-in. And he made 7-of-10 free throws.
''That was fun to be a part of,'' Cavs coach Mike Brown said.
LeBron James was his typical outstanding self, but he had the quietest 27-point, eight-rebound and six-assist game in recent memory.
Quiet because O'Neal was on the floor, though effective because of the numbers.
The best stretch was the third quarter, when the Cavs turned a four-point deficit into a five-point lead.
The Cavs turned the game around with O'Neal on the low block, the offense running through him.
In that quarter, O'Neal made three baskets (on five shots) and had two assists — pretty good for the 37-year-old big fella.
''It was probably my first game where I was very, very aggressive,'' O'Neal said. ''Other games I was trying to fit in.''
The effort seemed to get the offense going. James sat out the first six minutes of the fourth quarter, and when he returned, the Cavs led by 15.
''We started to see glimpses of what we can become,'' O'Neal said.
The focus on O'Neal happened because the Cavs shot just 41 percent in the first half. Brown figured he had the big guy, so why not use him?
''It's great to have a guy like that, to throw that bad boy down there,'' Brown said. ''Let him go get us something.''
Included in O'Neal's repertoire was a bounce pass to Anderson Varejao for a driving layup, and a pass out of a double-team to set up a Mo Williams 3-pointer.
O'Neal also provided a physical presence. In the first half, he fouled DeShawn Stevenson hard and sent him sprawling to the floor on a layup, then got a real bad foul call when he reached and sent a Mike Miller driving attempt out of bounds in the fourth quarter.
This was the strong Shaq the Cavs hoped to acquire.
The Big Fella, as Brown calls him.
The presence.
The Cavs put him under the basket, and when he was double-covered, he passed and when he wasn't, he shot.
Pretty simple, but it's what he's here for.
This might not work against every team. The Toronto Raptors' athletic big men showed they could take O'Neal outside. But against the Wizards, it worked.
Attribute part of it to attitude.
O'Neal said he takes it personally — ''Totally . . . totally'' — every time he's not double-covered, and he should score every time if he's not.
''If not, get rid of me,'' he said.
The Wizards kept avoiding the double-team, and O'Neal made them pay. In this kind of game, against this kind of team, it worked.
The Wizards game provides the start of a nice little stretch for the Cavs to find themselves. Upcoming games include a visit by the Chicago Bulls and trips to the New York Knicks, Orlando Magic and Miami Heat.
So this was a good time to discover the elements of the offense that had been AWOL.
Daniel Gibson came off the bench to score 14 points and make 4-of-5 of his 3-point attempts.
Varejao was active with 10 rebounds and 10 points.
Williams seemed to find his spots a little more effectively.
And O'Neal and Zydrunas Ilgauskas looked a little more comfortable together.
The O'Neal option was not there last season. Asked what kind of difference it made to his team, Brown gave a huge Cheshire Cat grin.
''It's like Christmas,'' he said, making one wonder if O'Neal provided a presence or presents (ouch!).
No championship is won (or lost) on one game, but in this one game, O'Neal demonstrated the impact he can provide.
In the right situation, that impact can be significant.
Patrick McManamon can be reached at pmcmanamon@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his blog at http://www.ohio.com/mcmanamon/. Follow Pat on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/patmcmanamon.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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NorthernWestVirginny, WV
Posted 07:47 AM, 11/04/2009
Where can I get a Cav's schedule??
Akron, OH
Posted 08:58 AM, 11/04/2009
www.cavaliers.com
Akron, OH
Posted 08:59 AM, 11/04/2009
Sorry...that's www.cavs.com
akron, oh
Posted 12:03 PM, 11/04/2009
The poorly written headline would lead one to assume that the Cavs bought glasses, or had laser surgery.
Paradise, Oh
Posted 05:04 PM, 11/04/2009
I sincerely wish that the NBA was a legitimate pro sport so that I could get excited about the Cavs.
IMO, the NBA is pure show business and has nothing to do with sports.
akron, OH
Posted 06:08 AM, 11/05/2009
...They are a legitimate pro team....they charge 100$ a ticket
Hudson, oh
Posted 08:14 AM, 11/05/2009
@Ron: what are you talking about? My season tickets are only $10.
