Shaq and Horace Grant weren't why the Magic got swept, that's for sure. It just wasn't meant to be for them. :grin:
Shaq getting angry over another player missing free throws is pretty rich, and that raises an interesting point. In that series, Shaq learned a hard lesson about the importance of being a good free throw shooter, and yet he never applied himself to improve that part of his game. That speaks volumes about his attitude and work ethic.
I don't think that is accurate. By all accounts that I've heard the dude worked on his free throws a lot, it was just something he couldn't get the hang of. You'd expect a guard to hit all of his free throws, not your center.
yeah, its not always easy to make freebies using a ball that feels like a tennis ball. I dont think lack of practice was the issue there. Smaller players have room for error if the ball rolls off incorrectly. I think shaq pretty much had to shoot it perfectly, the same way every time, and i'm not sure many players can do that. Good read, feels even better to know Houston beat them. I didn't think it was even possible to feel worse for NickA.
I just watched game 1 a couple of days ago. I feel bad for Nick, I really do, he was pumping his chest to get his confidence back, nothing else. And Shaq jumping all over him after the game is not fair, but he did admit he was wrong for that. It was only game 1, with positive encouragement he could've easily bounced back, but hey, I'm not complaining. Also, it was interesting watching Shaq's body language and his communication with his teammates the whole game, he kept yelling at Shaw and others to don't come double Dream, but every time they didnt, Dream scored. EVERY time! That Houston team was just too good, with Dream and some of the best and clutch outside shooters I've ever seen: Horry, Elie, Cassel, and even K. Smith that game, WOW. Last thing about that game and our team in general, while getting Clyde was a great move, we had no PF to speak of on our roster. Horace was constantly abusing Horry on the boards, but luckily Horry kept knocking down 3s and getting clutch blocks. I just think it was a chance we took and wish we had addressed our PF situation with another minor trade somehow. But hey, it worked out so its a moot point.
It's amazing how Shaq seems to indicate the outcome could have been different. I think he's forgetting that the Rockets were clearly the better team that year. I mean, their asses got swept and it's not because of Shaq being too hard on one guy. That's like all the knicks fans who think that they lost it to Houston because Starks didn't show up from the three. It has nothing to do with the fact that Houston simply outplayed them.
i think the outcome would have been different if the magic went on to win game 1 TBH those FTs definitely sunk them. kenny smith even said on open court before the series started and after the first half they didnt think they could beat the magic. once they ended up with game 1, on the road, now playing with house money for game 2 it was over for the magic. they were too young to recover from that epic choke job. a game 1 win could have just refocused them because they wouldve realized they almost gave it away. not saying the magic wouldve won it, but it wouldve been at least a 6 game series IMO
amazing what would happened if Yao hadn't gotten hurt... it's amazing what would have happened if Jordan were in the league that one year... it's amazing... so amazing...
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Who else, like me, also think this is pretty good book. I couldn't put it down after I started. Shaq is a funny dude. The bit where Shaq found out he has Osgood Schlattlersdisease (growth problem when body grows too fast) from a doctor when he was a kid and told his dad, his dad told him he ain't having "Osgood nothing" and gave him a whooping was hilarious. I think he wrote the narrative himself. There were grammar mistakes all over the places, but they made the book more authentic. I don't know if it was done intentionally, i.e. editor edited the narrative and intentionally left those mistakes.
