Intensity is a word that has been and will be used very often to describe the current series between the Wizards and Cavs. In case you didn't get to watch the game last night, the second half resembled a college game, and for the most part, the entire game was downright brutal to watch if you are a Wizards fan. The team didn't look anything like the team that has been playing short-handed this entire year. Everyone seems to be worried, and playing like they have something to prove. Obviously they want to prove they are better than Cleveland, but they're only slight underdog's in this series if at all, so it's not like they need to dramatically improve their game to win like the Hawks need to do against the Celtics. They just need to stick with that they have been doing, being patient, finding the hot hand, moving the ball around in their swing offense, and playing good help defense. Almost none of these things are happening right now. Caron Butler seems intimidated, Antawn has suddenly fallen in love with the back of the rim, the big men are playing soft(that's not really new, but still an issue), and Gilbert and Deshawn are looking for foul calls. Butler is being guarded a lot of the time by the flat-footed Wally "World" Szerbiak, and is settling for jumpers. The few times he faced him and put the ball on the floor, Wally looked like he was wearing those big metal boots Sonic The Hedgehog used to be slowed down with. Antawn just seems to want it too much. He needs to let the game come to him instead of trying to force baskets when you have several other capable players on the team. The Wizards seem to play with much more level-heads when they play at home, and the entire team in general is a very emotional one, so Washington is going to need to have it's real fans come out for the homestand so that they can stand a shot at evening up this series for a shot to win it. If they don't feel the love, this series is over.
Poor Tracy McGrady. The man is one of the top 5 most dominant players in the NBA, and for the first 40 minutes last night he showed us why. Going into the fourth quarter he was only a couple rebounds and assists away from a triple double when he just ran out of gas. With no Skip-To-My-Lou(Alston) and no Yao Ming, T-Mac has had to do almost everything for this team. Bobby Jackson is playing like its 1998 only his body and his skills are playing like its 2008. Luis Scola, the rookie from Argentina is getting man-handled by the Jazz defense down low and is just throwing up off balance shots that are lucky to graze rim. Only Duke graduate Shane Battier seemed to be hitting any shots, and for the last 4 minutes of the game he didnt even touch the ball. T-Mac's shots all started coming up short, or his drives were one step too short resulting in broken plays if not turnovers. As he pulled up for a long three pointer with a minute left that barely hit the front of the rim, it seemed as though it wasn't fatigue in his legs, but rather in his heart. Missed lay-up after missed lay-up by everyone on the team, and Bobby Jackson refusing to defer to McGrady, seemed to weigh on McGrady's heart that once again, after doing everything he could, his team will once again fall short of even the second round. McGrady needs athletic finishers around him and people that can hit open three's. Jackson played better last night, but only when the ball went through McGrady. The big back to back three's he had late in the game were both from McGrady. The first he worked the ball to McGrady down low twice before he kicked it back out to a wide open Jackson, the second time McGrady completed the ball swing around the perimeter to a wide open Jackson in the corner. After that though, his confidence took over and threw up three wild shots to let Utah take the lead once and for all. Not of those three posession's did McGrady touch the ball. If nothing else though, at least we got to see a few more solid wags of the finger by Dikembe Mutumbo. (Sidenote: Youtube the Rockets players imitating Mutumbo)
One final thing, Manu Ginobli does not deserve the 6th man award. I don't care how many games he came off the bench, he's not a 6th man. Every single time anyone mentions the Spurs on TV, including the set-up for tonights game last night on TNT, they refer to the "Big 3" which means Parker, Duncan, and Ginobli. They arent talking about Kurt Thomas. No player who is, by design, supposed to be the leading or second leading scorer on a team deserves to win an award called"6th" man.
