ESPN NBA

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Goran Dragic | Courtney Lee | Chandler Parsons | Luis Scola | Samuel Dalembert
Minutes Played: 157
Offensive Rating: 112.6 points per 100 possessions
Defensive Rating: 96.4 points per 100 possessions

How it works offensively
Very well, thank you.

The biggest challenge is finding court time together now that Kyle Lowry has returned to action after suffering a bacterial infection. Now that Lowry is back, this unit hasn't seen any time together over the past couple of games, even though it's largely responsible for Houston's success during Lowry's prolonged absence.

It's important to offer a disclaimer on Lowry. He's a unique talent at the point, an incredibly efficient fireplug who has led the Rockets in adjusted plus-minus over the past two seasons. His presence at the top of the floor has often saved the Rockets' defense from calamity, and the success of any lineup sans Lowry should in no way be regarded as a denigration of his skills.

Goran Dragic is a different sort, a whirling dervish of a point guard whose hunger to pressure the defense is perfectly suited to the Rockets' offensive imperatives.

Dragic is always on the attack, and most of the action in the half court plays off his dribble penetration. Here's where Dragic is so dangerous: Trap him and he's likely to create a 4-on-3 game. And once he gets free off the dribble, he'll instantly identify where the help is coming from. Houston invites or, at the very least, tempts the defenses with high screens from Dalembert. This drags Dalembert's defender up top, usually in the right slot. If, rather than blitzing, teams feel compelled to fight over these screens, Dragic's quickness can leave defenders trailing him, biting his ankles as he zips through the lane.

Once Dragic finds daylight, teams often help off Dalembert, but if that big defender steps up, Dragic will guide Dalembert to the rim with a bounce pass for the easy flush. If the defense leaves Chandler Parsons open, he will lift to a spot on the perimeter, where Dragic will find him with a kickout for an open shot. Parsons isn't a knockdown shooter, at least not yet, but give him a wide open look from beyond the arc, and the Rockets can live with that.

In addition, much of the secondary action off Dragic's initial attack is designed to get Luis Scola open along the baseline for a midrange jumper, often via a two-man game with Courtney Lee, an underrated shooter and creator who doesn't make a lot of mistakes and can do a little bit of everything. Scola will also see his fair share of entry passes off the mid-post right from the outset.

Don't you dare help off Scola along the baseline! Dragic will find him, even in traffic. Much of the offense is focused on setting Scola up just off the right block and putting the defense in a position where it has to make an impossible choice. Dragic will drive right, forcing Scola's man to slide over to collapse on a driving Dragic. When that happens, Scola is left open for an uncontested baseline jumper on the right side, a shot Scola has nearly perfected.

And that's the thing about playing with a speed demon who has a tight handle. You can be an obscure second-rounder, or unathletic, or a not terribly skilled center. In many ways, Scola is the closest thing this lineup has to a complete player. As long as you can read the action and move to a spot on the floor where you know you can do some damage, the offense will profit, because Dragic will make the defense pay.

How it works defensively
Comme ci, comme ça.

Houston runs more of an ad-hoc defense than a systematic one, and for the personnel in this unit, that's not a terrible thing. Coverages on pick-and-rolls, whether they occur up top, at an angle or on the side, tend to be situational. This unit will gamble as a group (e.g., aggressively double bigs from the top side). They trap most side pick-and-rolls, knowing they can entrust Dalembert to provide a strong last line of resistance at the rim if the defenders get split.

Dragic isn't big, but he seems to take high picks personally and will try to fight mightily over every last one. This is a good thing, because Scola needs time to get back into a play, and can afford to wait around all night for his guard to bust through a screen. This defensive unit isn't always ferocious at the point of attack on high ball-screens, but the three guys behind the action know where to be when action is initiated. Each is smart and aware. The wings know when to collapse and when to protect the perimeter and let Dalembert do his thing. As a side note, did you know Dalembert occasionally likes to eat goat before a game when he needs a little boost? Says it gives him strength.

Even though this quintet doesn't have any overwhelming strengths as a unit (aside from Dalembert's shot-blocking), it performs almost every defensive task as a marginally above-average level relative to the rest of the league. They protect the glass and avoid fouling. Opponents shoot well, but not exceptionally. Most shots are contested because the rotations are prompt and this group makes a point to chase shooters off the arc.

Parsons has a lot of versatility as an isolation defender, and any 6-foot-9 forward who can match up against perimeter scorers comes in extremely handy. He uses his lateral movements to wall off the paint against even the most lethal wings in the league, and concerns himself with guarding the space in front of his man as he does bodying up. His height affords him the luxury of rarely falling for a ball fake and, off the ball, he'll lock onto his assignment. The Rockets will often cross-match Parsons and Lee, if the opponent's 2-guard is the most dynamic threat on the floor. This will occasionally leave Lee vulnerable to bigger guys who are hungry to post him up.

In many respects, the defense operates under the same general premise of the offense. Apart from Dalembert, everyone knows his role, which isn't all that explicit. That role is simply to not make mistakes and to be mindful of where the defense might be exposed. If you can't address it one-on-one, make sure you know where Dalembert is stationed.

It doesn't matter if it bends, just so long as it doesn't break.

Every acquisition has a cost, which is one of the bedrock principles of bartering. Unless you're purchasing Manhattan or annexing the Sudetenland, it's virtually impossible to get something for nothing. The NBA's trade market has three primary currencies in circulation: talent, cap relief and flexibility -- with the latter two linked to some extent. On Wednesday, Houston, New Orleans, Indiana and New Jersey cooperated on a blockbuster trade that saw each team forfeit assets in service of a larger goal.

Houston Rockets

Coming: Courtney Lee
Going: Trevor Ariza

On the surface, the deal for the Rockets appears to be a cost-cutting measure. Houston re-upped Luis Scola and Kyle Lowry this summer, while signing Brad Miller to a free-agent contract. Deep into luxury tax territory, the Rockets unloaded the remaining four years and $28 million on Ariza's deal in exchange for Nets guard Courtney Lee.

The Rockets' front office deeply believes the best value contracts in basketball are max deals granted to transcendent superstars, and rookie scale contracts belonging to productive young players. In Lee, the Rockets get a young wing who will earn only $1.35 million in 2010-11. In addition, the Rockets hold a team option on Lee for $2.23 million in 2011-12. That's real value for a 24-year-old with the talent to start. A $6.3 million trade exception doesn't hurt either.

Lee and Rockets starting shooting guard Kevin Martin train together in the offseason -- the latter regarded as an older brother to the third-year guard. Although Lee might not be the stopper Ariza is, he is capable of covering either guard position and can certainly tread water against some of the league's less dynamic 3-and-D small forwards. Lee will find strong organizational dynamics in Houston, similar to what he encountered during his rookie season in Orlando, where he succeeded. With Ariza's departure, the Rockets will have to figure out who picks up his minutes beyond Lee and whether that means experimenting selectively with Martin at the 3 spot.

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New Orleans Hornets

Coming: Trevor Ariza
Going: Darren Collison and James Posey

The wing has been an enduring problem for the Hornets dating back to Desmond Mason, Bostjan Nachbar and J.R. Smith. Ariza might not rank on Chris Paul's list of the top 25 guys he most wants to play with, but the second Ariza puts on the teal, he'll instantly become the most athletic and versatile wing New Orleans has seen in recent years -- but at an enormous cost.

Collison has one of the best value contracts in basketball. He'll earn $1.3 million this season and carries team options for $1.46 million and $2.31 respectively over the subsequent two seasons. As a rookie, Collison played more than 2,000 minutes and compiled an impressive player efficiency rating of 16.55.

There's no guarantee Chris Paul will be sticking around New Orleans after his contract expires in the summer of 2012, and Collison's presence was a healthy -- and cheap -- insurance policy against that departure and any injury. Removing the remaining $13.4 million of James Posey's contract and the addition of Ariza's gifted -- but limited -- game seem to be an expensive bounty for a player with the potential to be very special and who is already contributing on a nightly basis.

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Indiana Pacers

Coming: Darren Collison and James Posey
Going: Troy Murphy

"Point guard, Indiana Pacers" has been the NBA equivalent of "Drummer, Spinal Tap." The Pacers haven't been able to buy a break at the top of the floor for several seasons. Jamaal Tinsley, Anthony Johnson, Sarunas Jasikevicius, Jarrett Jack and, most recently, T.J. Ford and Earl Watson have all walked through the revolving door in Indianapolis.

A.J. Price, picked in the second round of the 2009 draft, showed some promise in his rookie campaign. But the acquisition of Collison finally locks down the point for the Pacers for the foreseeable future.

Normally, a salary like Posey's would be an onerous burden, but the Pacers have one of the cleanest spreadsheets in the league going forward -- only $18.8 million committed in 2011-12 before you tack on Posey's deal. The addition of Collison gives the Pacers the freedom to buy out Ford and not overpay for the services of Watson.

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New Jersey Nets

Coming: Troy Murphy
Going: Courtney Lee

There's a pleasing symmetry to this deal, and it ends in Newark where Murphy arrives in exchange for the departing Lee. Murphy offers a lot of appeal for the Nets. First, he's in the final year of his contract, which will pay him a hair under $12 million in 2010-11. Second, he gives the Nets a stretch 4 who can crash the defensive glass and deliver smart interior passes, assets the Nets want alongside Brook Lopez's more traditional skill set.

What about No. 3 overall pick Derrick Favors? The power forward out of Georgia Tech turned 19 the week following Orlando summer league. With Yi Jianlian moving down I-95 to Washington, there will be plenty of minutes for Favors in the Nets' frontcourt rotation.

The Nets will presumably fill the void left by Lee with a platoon of Terrence Williams, Anthony Morrow and Quinton Ross -- three players who share absolutely nothing in common. Williams' versatility and range of talents span the board. Meanwhile, Morrow could beat Ross in a shooting contest wearing a blindfold, but few players in the NBA can torment perimeter scorers the way Ross can.

By Kevin Arnovitz

• Whatever demerit the Miami Heat warrants for its abrasive public address announcer, this smart, stylized player introduction video by director Gil Green makes up for it tenfold. Green took inspiration from Blue Note album covers to create the opening montage. I'm particularly fond of the Carlos Arroyo-Freddie Hubbard visual (Hat tip: Free Darko).
• Daily Thunder has a line of t-shirts for your perusal and purchase. Both Kevin Durant and Jeff Green have snatched up DT designs as their Twitter background wallpaper.
• Seen what Carl Landry has been up to recently? He's an incredible finisher and is posting a gaudy Player Efficiency Rating of 23 while coming off the bench. Landry is earning praise from the Rockets' staff but, as Jason Friedman writes, not too much praise: "Yes, Landry has taken great strides since bursting on to the scene midway through his rookie year. But there remains significant room for improvement. So understand that when the Rockets’ coaches are showering Landry with tough love, it’s only because they see a player who still has so much more to offer."
• Sometimes when you're blogging about a legend like Dirk Nowitzki, his contributions go without mention because ... well ... dog bites man.
• Do not get between Channing Frye and Hulu. According to the Suns' stretchy center, if you're not watching "The Biggest Loser," it's time to hand in your passport.
• Os Davis of Ball in Europe would like to remind you that Danilo Gallinari can do other stuff besides shoot: "What has remained from that wonderful boy able to play the inside-out game, run the floor, and score from either from the low or the high-post?"
• Zach Lowe of Celtics Hub examines the data to see how good a jump shooter Glen Davis has become ... and then discusses how good a jump shooter Davis needs to be to justify more minutes.
• Dwight Jaynes thinks Brandon Roy is having trouble delineating between what constitutes"sacrifice" and what falls under the banner of leadership.
• 82 players have made at least one All-Star appearance since 2000. How many can you name? (Hat Tip: Piston Powered)
• Sebastian Pruiti of Nets Are Scorching has a sharp post contrasting Courtney Lee, the Net vs. Courtney Lee, the Magician.
• I love Stephen Jackson as the Bobcats' shooting guard. Along with Raymond Felton and Boris Diaw, Jackson gives Charlotte three point-y players in its starting lineup. For a team that's had trouble moving the ball, that's an effective salve. Brett Hainline of Queen City Hoops notes: "Charlotte is playing like an entirely different team. They are still not a smooth-running, offensive machine, but over their last 5 games, they have put together an offensive efficiency of 106.5, a mark that would put them just above average in the league. With a defense like theirs, that would be plenty."

Posted by Kevin Arnovitz

• Charlie Bell: Master Apprentice.
  
• Eric Snow, Kirk Hinrich, and Tim Duncan are some of the names on Kelly Dwyer's list of the top 10 defenders of the decade. Dwyer on Duncan: "He covered huge bits of floor while his guards recovered after the "screen" part of the screen-and-roll, blocked shots on the ball (he's been especially adept at giving a small guard a small step to drive with his strong hand, then recovering quickly enough to swat the shot with his left hand), and secured rebound after rebound. And he never fouled. Never sent teams to the line for cheap points. That's so huge."
• To follow up on the earlier MSG/Pennsylvania Station post, here's a July 2007 column from George Vecsey of the New York Times mourning the loss of Pennsylvania Station. Vecsey is no fan of the current Garden and he expresses skepticism that the Dolan regime will ever right the architectural wrongs of the area. There is a strong push for a new station, and New York politicians have been clamoring to secure some stimulus money to help finance a project.
  
• 10 smart questions for the Wizards from Sujoy Paul of Truth About It. We can say this about Washington: There isn't a team out there headed into the season with a more interesting set of variables in the equation.
  
• Speaking of the Wizards, Mike Prada of Bullets Forever does a nice job examining the evolution of Flip Saunders. Prada credits Marc Spears for compelling him to take a closer look.  
• And while we're at it, Dave Berri asks if the Wizards are one of the league's 10 best teams. 
• From Tim Povtak at Fanhouse, Courtney Lee continues to work through the grief cycle: Lee: "I just hope they'll be happy for me when I grow into the player that they wish they had. I'd like them to one day say 'I wish we would have kept him.'"
• Philadunkia would rather not see Willie Green assume the 2-guard spot for the Sixers, and culls the annals of Sixer history to find more suitable alternatives. 
• The Answer presents a host of questions for the Grizzlies. Chip Crain of 3 Shades of Blue tackles them in depth.
  
• A good collaborative effort over at Peachtree Hoops by the bloggers who know Jamal Crawford the best. Crawford is an inscrutable talent, and the committee does its best to quantify his contributions on the court. 
• Bethlehem Shoals of FreeDarko has been taking in some WNBA games this summer. He's high on Lindsay Whalen, and believes a little more edginess in the women's game could enhance its appeal.
  

Hedo Turkoglu and Shawn Marion -- a study in contrasts...and similarities. Did Nate Robinson have a breakout year? And how are Lakers fans processing the Ron Artest acquisition? 

Zarar Siddiqi of Raptors Republic: "Investing for 5 years in a 30 year old [Hedo] Turkoglu is about the same as investing for four years in a 31 year old [Shawn] Marion. I like the signing because he adds a whole new dimension to the team but at the same time feel that his best years could be behind him and that Orlando nabbed him when he was ripe for the picking, i.e. after a miserable year with the Spurs. Hopefully [Brian] Colangelo's not reaching on a has-been product like he did with Jermaine O'Neal. In this year's playoffs he showed a real knack for using his size to guard the pick 'n roll and defended Kobe Bryant and LeBron James well enough in stretches. He's no Marion when it comes to one-on-one defense but he's nothing to be scoffed at. Also, we finally got a guy that doesn't start choking his heart out in the clutch. Having the scoring touch of Turkoglu in the lineup might even allow the Raptors to test rookie DeMar DeRozan as a starter, much like the way the Magic did with Courtney Lee. With a big frontline of [Chris] Bosh-[Andrea] Bargnani-Turkoglu, an athletic shooting guard and a hopefully injury-free point guard in Calderon, the Raptors starting five looks respectable -- at least on paper."

Max Handelman of Beyond Bowie: "The Matrix was a player that most fans would have probably salivated over during his days in Phoenix when he was one of the top undersized rebounders in the game, considered one of the better defenders in the game, and a player that didn't require the ball in his hands to be effective. Cut to today, when Shawn Marion, at just one year older than Hedo Turkoglu and with career averages in scoring, rebounding, steals, block shots, and field goal percentage vastly exceed that of Hedo Turkoglu, is looking at potentially getting cut by the Toronto Raptors to clear salary cap space to sign Turkoglu. I wonder how Marion feels today facing this reasonably humiliating prospect. It wasn't more than a few seasons ago that Marion was in the thick of the Western Conference contenders on Phoenix, earned a spot on Olympic and World Championship teams, and was considered a nightly matchup nightmare for most teams ... Which brings us back to the Trailblazers and conventional wisdom. The Blazers thought they needed Hedo Turkoglu. And they were willing to commit $10 million a year to him. But Hedo made it clear that he didn't need them. Now, Portland is sitting with this cap space, looking for a veteran difference maker who can both improve their offensive efficiency and defensive presence. Granted, Marion and Turkoglu are very different players. But Marion looks to be sitting right out there..."

Mike Kurylo of Knickerblogger: "[Nate Robinson]'s per minute stats verify that 2009 was a career year. The Knicks' guard had career bests in per minute points, assists, rebounds, steals, fouls, and free throw attempts ... In [Mike] D'Antoni's offense Robinson seemingly has carte blanche to go to the hoop, and he does with vigor ... Watching him, it's amazing that the diminutive guard is able to score from inside so frequently and efficiently even with contact. On the court Robinson has matured a little bit. His propensity to commit meaningless fouls has decreased, and D'Antoni keeps him from arguing with officials. Nate still has his eccentric theatrics, for example this season's on the court Will Ferrell man-crush. It's commonly thought that Robinson's other big deficiency is his height. However teams didn't exploit Robinson in this manner, as I rarely saw other guards post him up. Instead his true Achilles' heel was revealed as he saw increased minutes this year: defending the pick and roll ... Still all-in-all Nate was one of the more productive Knicks in 2009, and is worthy of a contract extension. His potent scoring is an asset alone, but Robinson contributes with passing, steals, and rebounds as well."

THE FINAL WORD
Forum Blue & Gold: Lakers fans continue to grapple with Ron Artest's pending arrival.
Ball in Europe: Get Ready for 2009-10 Euroleague, Eurocup, and FIBA EuroChallenge!
Valley of the Suns: Getting inside Steve Nash's head.

(Photos by Chris Graythen, Ron Turenne, Chris McGrath/NBAE via Getty Images)

Ricky Rubio tempted the hearts of both Thunder and Kings fans -- but their respective GMs went with the conservative picks. Smart long-term thinking ... or overcautiousness?  Did the Spurs get the steal of the draft? And did Orlando help itself with Vince Carter? 

Royce Young of Daily Thunder: "I'd been calling for [James] Harden for almost two months now. I don't think there's any player that fits us better than him. Oklahoma City was statistically the worst team at shooting guard in the league last season. Harden is talented and can do multiple things. He can step on the court tomorrow and make this team better. I truly think he's going to be a fantastic player. But for some reason I feel like the guy that just let a girl get away. Ricky Rubio was the most unknown thing about this draft. Honestly, we have no idea what he's going to do. All we've got are some YouTube clips and six games in Greece to base anything off of. But there was just something about him. I have no idea what it is. He was intriguing. He was cool. He had potential we could only imagine. And the idea of him in a Thunder uniform just got very appealing in the last 48 hours ... Common sense says James Harden is the perfect pick. We can assume Rubio was the best player available, but we don't know that. But the desire to field a freaking cool team said pick Rubio. Not to say Harden makes uncool -- I mean, he's got a beard and he wore a bow tie! -- but the flash of Rubio can't be ignored. But Sam Presti is smarter than all of us and he's got the common sense. He doesn't care about alley oops and behind-the-back passes. He cares about wins and losses. And in three years when James Harden is the perfect complementary piece to the Thunder Three, I don't think you'll care about how cool the team is."

Zach Harper of Cowbell Kingdom: "The decision was made with Tyreke Evans as the newest member of the Sacramento Kings and it brought about mixed emotions and feelings. I honestly thought that Ricky Rubio was the best-case scenario for the team. He seemed to be perfect for guys like Jason Thompson and Spencer Hawes to develop. He seemed to be a great guy to put alongside Kevin Martin to get him open, easier shots. He seemed to be the smartest business decision with instant national exposure surely to come and international interest after that. But in the end, the Kings didn't feel like he was tough enough and that Tyreke Evans was the best player now, five years from now, and ten years from now. And you know what? Geoff Petrie is probably right about all of this. The Kings biggest problem for years was having a glitz and glamour squad that made offense look easy and fun while defense was the great divide ... The Kings were soft both physically and in spirit .. The Kings clearly decided it was time for a change in philosophy and culture. They grabbed a veteran coach who has been there before. And now they've grabbed the player to match the toughness and offensive attack that go along with that coach. Tyreke Evans means no more moments of the Kings point guard being abused on either side of the ball. From now on, the Kings are the enforcer at the point for 48 minutes. From now on, the Kings are going to be tougher and more physical with their opponents. Shots to the mouth will be responded to."

Graydon Gordian of 48 Minutes of Hell: "Those looking to react negatively to what was an unequivocally great night for the Spurs will look at the questions surrounding [DeJuan] Blair's knees and claim he isn't all he is cracked up to be. They will say he slid to 37 for a reason. I have two responses to that: First, there is no way in Hell the Spurs could have landed a more talented player at 37. Yes, there are a couple questions surrounding our early second round pick. Welcome to the reality of having only second round picks. Second, even if Blair's knees are a long-term issue, they are exactly that: A long-term issue. With the Jefferson trade, the Spurs announced their intention to make a run for a 5th title and make it now. Aside from Blake Griffin, I would argue no big was more prepared to come onto an NBA squad and readily earn significant minutes than DeJuan Blair. The truth of the matter is, being able to select Blair with the 37th pick is an unmitigated coup. Blair was a dream, someone we mentioned just in case the front office became unexpectedly aggressive and moved up into the lottery. Well, sometimes dreams do come true."

THE FINAL WORD
Orlando Magic Daily: Five reasons the Vince Carter deal makes sense for Orlando.
Nets Are Scorching: Courtney Lee -- and a whole lotta cap space --  is coming to the swamp. 
Valley of the Suns: Earl Clark and PHX -- a nice fit.

(Photos by Jesse D. Garrabrant, Jennifer Pottheiser, Andy Lyons/NBAE via Getty Images)

1. Orlando's Big Regret
Orlando lost in overtime in Games 2 and 4. Each was loaded with regrettable moments, from Courtney Lee's alley-oop layup attempt to Derek Fisher's almost wide-open 3. But if the Magic and Lakers could play the series again, and could repeat their efforts of Games 2,3 and 4, quite likely it would be a whole different series -- a bounce here or there changes everything.

The games Orlando ought to regret were Games 1 and 5, when the Magic simply did not play very well.

In the NBA Finals, you can make little mistakes here or there and still win. But you can not lay an egg. And if there's a lesson for next year's playoffs in this year's Finals, it's probably, more than anything, about preventing meltdowns, rather than sweating the details of crunch time.

Not all that long ago, people thought Phil Jackson was crazy for trusting Derek Fisher. (Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images)

2. Sticking
Derek Fisher has been through some serious battles in Laker history -- and has developed a special bond with Kobe Bryant. Yet when he missed  shots in big numbers in early rounds of the playoffs, Laker faithful bailed on Derek Fisher in big numbers. But Phil Jackson didn't. He stuck to Derek Fisher like James Carville stuck to the Clintons. Forum Blue and Gold reader Zephid writes: "Everyone under the sun was calling for Phil to bench Fisher and play more Shannon Brown (myself included). Tell me, does anyone honestly believe that anyone outside of Bryant could have made those two shots other than Fisher? Through all his struggles, all the 1-8, 1-7 shooting games, our coaching staff kept the faith in Fisher. Even when he was getting crushed by Deron Williams, Aaron Brooks, Chauncey Billups, and Rafer Alston, the coaching still kept calling his number, sending him in during crunch time, sending him to battle when the games were on the line. And for their faith, they were rewarded with the most crucial victory of the season, delivered to us by one and only Derek Fisher."

3. Kobe Bryant's Mission Accomplished
Kobe Bryant's competitive fires burn as bright as anyone's. (Exchange with a reporter: "As far as me hitting the wall, so what if I did? I didn't, but so what if I did? What does it mean if you did? It means nothing. Because? Because I'll run straight through it.") So, of course, he is obsessed with championships. Winning one without Shaquille O'Neal presumably lifts a tremendous psychic weight, and gives him four, to compare to Michael Jordan's six. Before Game 5, Bryant was asked if he had matching Jordan's six rings on his to-do list. "I'm trying," he said with a smile, "to get this damn fourth one." It has been seven tumultuous years since Bryant's last title.

4. Kobe Bryant Didn't Do It "Alone" All the talk about winning one without Shaquille O'Neal makes it tempting to think of Bryant winning a title "alone." Despite the fact that Kobe Bryant was the series' clear MVP, of course many of the biggest plays of this series were made by teammates like Fisher, Ariza and Odom. 

Pau Gasol, however, is series MVP 1a. Not only was he extraordinarily efficient with the ball all series, but he also evolved to be nearly masterful on defense. For much of the decisive Game 5 the Magic simply couldn't finish around or over him -- even as he single-covered Dwight Howard much of the night. ESPN Stats and Information charted Gasol single-covering Howard on 38 possessions -- and Howard did not score from the field on any of them.

6. Yes, Big Men Matter Again and again in basketball we find teams with quality big men succeeding just a little more than you might otherwise expect. Dwight Howard now joins Kobe Bryant and LeBron James on the list of players who seem almost likely to win championships.  (Elsa/Getty Images)

5. The Field Trip
Spoiler alert: Have you seen "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3?" I'm about to spill the beans, so skip ahead if you don't want to know how it ended.

Before Game 4, Phil Jackson took the Lakers to see that movie. It's essentially a big-budget public transport hostage negotiation conversation between two men: The calm, centered and largely innocent Denzel Washington, and the brilliant but excessively angry character played by John Travolta.

I'm beginning to believe that the primary focus of Jackson's coaching is to keep his players centered and mindful, as opposed to over-adrenalized and mindless. He's the opposite of the coach who screams in your face to play harder.

Denzel Washington's character keeps focused, doesn't lose his head, and gets what is most important to him in the end. Travolta's character is a great strategist, but callous and frenetic. Things don't turn out so well for him.

This may be the first and last time that Stan Van Gundy gets compared to John Travolta.

Meanwhile, Mickael Pietrus assigned himself his own cinematic inspiration. Before Game 5, he watched "Borat."

7. A Laker Benchwarmer Savors a Personal Victory
Laker forward Josh Powell played just 73 minutes during these playoffs, but he more than earned the sense of victory and relief that comes with his first championship ring. Needing money to support his family, Powell left North Carolina State in 2003. Long, skilled, athletic and tough he was so impressive at some of his workouts that he was briefly discussed as a lottery pick -- although he ultimately went undrafted, and has played for several team overseas in the NBA in the interim.

One of his workouts was for the Washington Wizards, where Patrick Ewing was then an assistant coach.

After the workout, Ewing stunned Powell, by telling him that he would never make the NBA.

Powell has not forgotten. "Every time I see him," he says, he remembers the words that once cut him. "It was just motivation. I can't do nothing but respect it, if that's his opinion. It just drove me to go hard. It drove me to stay hungry."

About then, some NBA personnel came through the champagne-soaked Laker locker room with the gleaming NBA championship trophy. Powell finishes his thought, reaching for the trophy: "Everything worked out for the best ... now let me see that thing right there ..."

8. Courtney Lee's Missed Alley-Oop
Despite point #1, aren't we all going to remember that Game 2 was almost decided on a buzzer-beating alley-oop? One of the most electric missed opportunities in NBA Finals History.

9. Goodbyes?
In addition to playing for a title, Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza were essent
ially playing for their Laker lives this post-season. Both are free agents and, each could have played their last game as a Laker. Of course, there's nothing like a championship to encourage an owner to spend to keep a team together. 

Which could be concern for the likes of Orlando's Hedo Turkoglu and Marcin Gortat -- both of whom could command big dollars on the open market this summer. Losing either player, but especially Turkoglu, could be a blow to an Orlando team with a lot of promise.

The other big goodbye that must be anticipated one of these years: Phil Jackson's. If Tex Winter was right that Jackson was motivated by a desire for ten rings, then what's going to keep Jackson in the hunt now?

Posted by Kevin Arnovitz

The Orlando Magic have endured their share of shaky runs this postseason. They coughed up an 18-point lead with less than a minute remaining in the third quarter to lose their playoff opener. They were painfully close to taking a 3-2 series lead home to Orlando when they led by 10 points with fewer than five minutes remaining in Game 4 of their conference semifinal against Boston, but faltered down the stretch. For sheer drama, those late-game meltdowns were spectacular, but the run that proved to be fatal was the 16-0 run they surrendered to the Lakers in the second quarter of Game 5 Sunday night. 

Orlando looked sharp over the first quarter and a half of the game. We witnessed two of the best offensive minutes of Dwight Howard's career to start the second quarter. He showed us a baby dream shake, then a graceful spinning dribble move for an easy layup. The Magic executed on one of their patented reversals to get Mickael Pietrus a nice look from 15 feet, and scored their 40th point at the 7:11 mark of the second quarter. 

Trevor Ariza had two 3-pointers, to be exact, during the Lakers' decisive 16-0 spurt in the second quarter. (Elsa/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Magic's fluid offensive attack was masking some of their defensive shortcomings -- lazy pick-and-roll defense [Rashard Lewis, 1st, quarter, 10:01; Hedo Turkoglu, 1st quarter, 4:21], problems on the weak side glass, [1st quarter, 6:45], passive perimeter D [Courtney Lee, 1st quarter, 4:48]. Most notably, though, Orlando doubled Kobe Bryant very liberally in the
first half. The Magic paid for it when Bryant kicked a quick pass over to a Trevor Ariza drive at the 3-minute mark of the first quarter. Ariza had an easy path to the basket and was fouled on his short attempt by Howard.

It was this type of overcompensation by Orlando that ignited the Lakers, and gave them nine of their first 11 points of their spurt: 

• [2nd quarter, 5:54 mark] The Lakers ran out in transition, but after the Magic raced back, Derek Fisher reset. Though the Magic did a generally good job of recovering in transition, neither of their wings were able to spell Rafer Alston. Bryant smelled blood, and immediately posted up Alston on the right block. That's where Fisher's pass went.
  
  That Alston needed help was obvious. The question was, where should it come from? Pietrus had some distance to cover from the right corner, but it was a manageable commute. Instead, Turkoglu raced over from Fisher, leaving Game 4's hero wide open for a 3-pointer (good). Rashard Lewis could've rotated up, but the price would've been Lamar Odom at 18 feet.
  
  
• [2nd quarter, 5:09 mark] The Lakers didn't just hurt Orlando when the Magic doubled Bryant in the halfcourt -- they made the Magic pay in transition, too. After Bryant picked off an entry pass intended for Howard, he raced down the right sideline. Almost every single magician made a beeline to Kobe on the break. Lewis was backpedaling in front of Bryant, with Pietrus in close pursuit, and Howard not far behind. When Turkoglu joined the mob, that left the entire near side of the floor for Alston. Bryant whipped a pass to Ariza, who had all day to set up and launch a 3-pointer (good).
  
  
• [2nd quarter, 4:11] "Smart player" is one of those characterizations that gets thrown around a lot. Put another way, a smart player is one who applies useful information about the past to the present. Bryant was clearly attuned to the fact that Turkoglu was leaving Ariza the nanosecond Bryant went directly at his defender. So what did Kobe do? Attack off the dribble with his left, to the spot where Turkoglu was set up on his hedge. Turkoglu reacted predictably -- by shifting his weight and attention to Kobe. The only thing required of Bryant was an easy kickout to a wide open Ariza on the left wing for another successful 3.
  

Nine out of the first 11 points came on Bryant assists out of the double-team. The other two points? A pull-up jumper by Bryant against a double-team of Pietrus and Howard [2nd quarter, 4:43].

The tipping point? (Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

Those are tactical matters, but they were almost certainly informed by the emotional flashpoint of the game -- a confrontation between Turkoglu and Ariza following Fisher's 3-pointer. Orlando called timeout, then Turkoglu and Ariza earned double technicals when they jawed at each other nose to nose. Out of the timeout, Ariza and the Lakers played some of their most relentless defense of the postseason. That defense was every bit as vital to the 16-0 run as Bryant's kickouts on the other end:

• [2nd quarter, 5:37] The Lakers take a lot of flak for their pick-and-roll defense, which can be indecisive at times, but they began their defensive stand in the second quarter with a strong possession. Turkoglu -- with Ariza in hot pursuit -- swung around the arc to pick up a handoff from Alston. Howard stepped out to give Turkoglu a ball screen, but Ariza bowled right through Howard to stay close to Turkoglu. Just in case, Gasol showed assertively, slowing Turkoglu's momentum. Once Ariza recovered, Gasol dashed to Howard.
  
  A lightning quick show and recovery by Ariza and Gasol. Had you frozen the screen, you would've seen Fisher, Odom, and Bryant zoning the floor exquisitely. Pietrus ultimately settled for an off-balance jumper in traffic.
  
  After a loose ball foul on Gasol, the Lakers have to do it again, and the Magic initiated a similar play: Handoff for Turkoglu with an immediate perimeter screen from Howard. Again, Ariza and Gasol played it to perfection. The prettiest part of the sequence was the teamwork by Odom, who had to account for Lewis at the 3-point line, and Gasol, who needed to follow Howard to the block, but not before Ariza recovered. Their coordination was precise. Odom delayed Howard's path, then got out of there to close on Lewis in the nick of time.
  

Whether it was coincidence or the dramatic renderings of the basketball gods, Turkoglu and Ariza always seemed to be at the center of things during the 3:16 stretch:

• [2nd quarter, 4:02] Seconds after Ariza hit the second of this 3-pointers, the ball worked its way over to Turkoglu. The Lakers early strong-side pressure left Ariza on Lewis -- with Odom on Turkoglu -- on the far side. For a lot of teams, a 3-4 cross-match might be problematic, but not the Lakers, with their agility and length. Turkoglu began his dribble against Odom along the baseline, but Odom -- one of the best big perimeter defenders in the league -- gave up nothing. Turkoglu was trying to find some space ... any space, thought he had Howard in the post, but the entry pass was knocked away and grabbed by Ariza. Orlando's transition defense never recovered, and the Lakers ended up with Fisher taking Howard off the dribble in isolation. Layup.
  
  
• [2nd quarter, 3:29] Coming out of the timeout, the end of the series felt palpable for the first time. The Lakers were rabid, and when Lewis got the ball out on the perimeter, he was swarmed by a double-team 20 feet away from the basket. Lewis frantically tried to dish the ball off to Turkoglu, but Ariza shot the gap, knocked the ball away, and slashed his way downcourt one-on-one against Turkoglu. The only recourse for Hedo was to f
  oul, and Ariza made his way to the line, where he drained one of two.
  
  
• [2nd quarter, 3:12] Ever since the confrontation with Turkoglu, Ariza had been an animal on the defensive end, clawing at Turkoglu off the ball. After Ariza's made free throw on the other end, the Lakers led by 10. Alston brought the ball down as Howard, Turkoglu, and Lewis converged awkwardly at the top of the key. Even during their earlier collapses, the Magic never appeared this disoriented, unable to set up a basic halfcourt set. Turkoglu was clearly supposed to free himself up courtesy of a Lewis down screen, but Ariza didn't let Turkoglu get even an inch of daylight. In his effort to shake free of Ariza, Turkoglu tripped over Lewis. Both Magic forwards sprawled to the hardwood. Ariza picked up the loose ball and, from the ground, heaved an outlet pass to Odom that resulted in a 3-on-1 Lakers break. 

Ariza has always displayed an aggressive style, but Sunday night, he was an aggressive player. It wasn't just his tactical game --  Ariza's entire persona was transformed into a killer. Bryant was able to use his supremacy to create the shots during the spurt, but it was Ariza's passage from contributor to winner that was decisive in the Lakers' championship stand. 

Posted by Kevin Arnovitz

In a postseason that lasts more than eight weeks, it's hard to appreciate the full scope of what a team has experienced. While most of us were falling in love with the Boston-Chicago series, the Magic were enduring their own emotional turbulence  -- buzzer-beaters, blown leads, sweet vengeance, a suspension for their franchise player, and more sweet vengeance.  And that was just the first round.

Shock and Awe: Not an unfamiliar site on the Magic bench this postseason. (Jeff Gross/AFP/Getty Images)

"I've said it throughout the season and throughout these playoffs, the one thing that you can't question with our team is their resilience in situations like that," Orlando Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy said after his team's Game 3 win over the Lakers. "Whether it's from game to game, minute to minute, our team will keep playing."

Normally these sorts of statements are filled with clichés, but not in Orlando's case. Whether the Magic win the NBA title this season or not, they'll have built up enough scar tissue for future battle. Here's a sample of the gut-wrenching ups-and-downs from the Magic's 2009 playoff odyssey:

• Heartbreak: First Round, Game 1 -- Philadelphia 100, Orlando 98
  As if blowing an 18-point second-half lead weren't devastating enough for the Magic, Andre Iguodala stuck a fadeaway dagger with 2.2 seconds remaining to steal homecourt advantage from the Magic. After the game, Magic coach Stan Van Gundy questioned his team's effort, and added, "I was surprised not only for our lack of intensity defensively, but I was really surprised with our lack of focus."
  
  Rebound: First Round, Game 2 -- Orlando 96, Philadelphia 87
  Hours after Dwight Howard is named the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year, it appeared as if the Magic might cough up another 18-point second-half lead. Howard fouled out of the game at a precarious moment in the fourth quarter. But the Magic hung on, and squared the series at 1-1, with a couple of key drives into the heart of the Sixers defense by Anthony Johnson and Rashard Lewis.
  
  
• Heartbreak: First Round, Game 3 -- Philadelphia 96, Orlando 94
  It might have lacked the instant drama of Iguodala's big shot, but Thad Young's baseline drive/step-through/fumble/recovery/spin/layup in a tie game was just as mortifying for the Magic. After Rashard Lewis tied the game with a 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter, the Magic didn't score for nearly four minutes down the stretch. The only consolation for Orlando was the fact that it was the Sixers who nearly blew the double-digit lead this time around.
  
  Rebound: First Round, Game 4 -- Orlando 84, Philadelphia 81
  Victimized by two Philly game-winners in their first three games, the Magic exact revenge on the Sixers' homecourt. With 14.8 seconds to go and the game tied at 81, Hedo Turkoglu drained a 25-footer over Thad Young with less than a second remaining. Turkoglu was euphoric after the game. "It feels great," he said. "It's a new series now."
  
  

Redemption: The Magic have a penchant for bouncing back in style. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/AFP/Getty Images)

• Heartbreak: Conference Semifinals, Game 5 -- Boston 92, Orlando 88
  In Game 4, Orlando lost on Glen Davis' game-winning jumper off a pick-and-roll with Paul Pierce. As badly as that hurt, it paled in comparison to blowing a 14-point fourth quarter lead. Critics of Van Gundy -- Howard most prominent among them -- moaned about the number of touches Howard was getting (or not getting) in the fourth quarter.
  
  Rebound: Conference Semifinals, Game 6 -- Orlando 83, Boston 75
  In their first elimination game of the postseason, the Magic rallied from a 10-point deficit in the third quarter behind Howard's 23 points and 22 rebounds. Following the game, Celtics coach Doc Rivers was in awe of Howard's performance. "I guess Dwight Howard was right," Rivers said. "My gosh. He was unbelievable." Howard's numbers were nice, but it was the Magic defense, which held Boston to 77 points on 92 possessions, that pushed the series to a seventh game.
  
  
• Heartbreak: Conference Finals, Game 2 -- Cleveland 96, Orlando 95
  Turkoglu had just drained a runner in the lane to give the Magic a two-point lead with a second remaining, and a likely 2-0 series lead headed home to Orlando. But that was before LeBron James' exhibition of the unconscious. Stan Van Gundy's resigned, what-are-you-gonna-do tilt of the head expressed the sheer improbability of the shot.
  
  Rebound: Conference Finals, Game 3 -- Orlando 99, Boston 89
  Orlando responded to the most heartbreaking playoff loss of recent memory with a grind-it-out affair that saw the two teams combine for 86 free throws. LeBron James accused Anthony Johnson of throwing a cheap elbow at Mo Williams that left the Cavs' point guard with two cuts above his left eye. The Magic embraced the physical turn the series was taking. "We just kept fighting. That's what we got to do, we fight to the end," Howard said after the game.
  
  
• Heartbreak: NBA Finals, Game 2 -- Lakers 101, Orlando 96 (OT)
  Courtney Lee came oh so close to knotting the NBA Finals at a game apiece. He caught the inbounds lob pass from Hedo Turkoglu, but the putback skated off the glass and bounced off the front lip of the rim. The Magic were literally an inch from changing the entire tenor of the series, but instead left Los Angeles empty-handed, needing to win four out of five games to take the title.
  
  Rebound: NBA Finals, Game 3 -- Orlando 108, Lakers 104
  Buried by most observers, the Magic picked up the pieces on their home floor. They withstood the kind of outburst from Kobe Bryant in the first quarter that typically spells doom for Lakers' opponents. More important, the Magic's beleaguered guards found the bottom of the net, as they combined to go 18 for 28 from the field, and 7 for 8 from the line. 

Kobe Bryant paced. He walked in circles, he swayed from side to side, and he rocked onto his heels. With 8:46 left in an NBA Finals game, his team was down six on the road. Show time.

Only the show was on hold. The coaches were huddled, and the players were waiting silently for instruction. The five players who were in the game sat in a row. Bryant stood. He still wasn't going back in.

If Kobe Bryant was tired in the fourth quarter, this is why. (Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images)

After the game, Phil Jackson said that, though Bryant would never admit it, he thought the star guard was tired, which is why he held him out of the first five minutes of the fourth quarter -- much longer than his usual rest. (Bryant, as promised, would not admit it, saying "I was fine.")

If he was tired, though, I wouldn't wonder why. He had been extremely aggressive as a scorer and defender all first half. Then the 30-year-old Bryant waged a battle royale with 23-year-old Courtney Lee through the first eight minutes of the third quarter.

When Bryant caught the ball, instead of staying an arm's length away, as many Magic defenders have, Lee got right up into Bryant's rib cage. When Bryant drove, Lee worried more about preventing easy shots, and less about racking up fouls. (By the end of the quarter, Lee and Bryant would be the only two players in the game with as many as three fouls.) When Bryant posted up, Lee got low and used every bit of muscle he had to bump Bryant from his preferred spot.

After making eight of 15 in the first half, over the eight minutes of the third quarter, before Lee checked out for good, Bryant scored just two points, on free throws. Bryant fought and fought -- into the post, around screens, through various sets. He touched the ball plenty, but didn't even get a shot off during those eight minutes.

Bryant has a tendency not to acknowledge opponents getting under his skin, but Lee readily admits that the battle was intense and a little personal. "Basically, I got a little frustrated with it. I was like man, it's time to compete. ... He wants it bad and we want it bad, too. We're not going to just give it away."

At one point, it appeared like Bryant and Lee threw simultaneous elbows at each other. "A couple plays," says Lee "we got into a little scuffle, but there's no harm in that. We were competing. ... The referees did a good job of telling us to keep it clean, to keep the elbows down, but other than that we were competing.

Can we expect to see more of the same in Game 4? Lee does. "He's aggressive," he says of Bryant. "That's how it's supposed to be. It's not easy at this point. Everybody's chasing that trophy."

Courtney Lee is an unusual NBA rookie. Very few late first-round picks start. Fewer still play in the NBA Finals. Almost none do both.

Lee is a 40% 3-point shooter, efficient in transition and going to the hole. He seldom turns the ball over. And on defense, he often gets very tough assignments, including plenty of time guarding the likes of LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.

But today he is the topic of much conversation, after failing to complete an alley-oop that would have on an NBA Finals game for Orlando.

A few days ago, his teammate Adonal Foyle talked about the Western Kentucky alum with the uncommon confidence:

Posted by Kevin Arnovitz

Stan Van Gundy entered the NBA Finals with a full menu of options at point guard, shooting guard, and small forward. With Jameer Nelson's return from injury, Van Gundy now has, count 'em, four legitimate options at the point: Rafer Alston, Hedo Turkoglu, Anthony Johnson, and Nelson. On the wings, Van Gundy can mix and match Turkoglu with Courtney Lee, Mickael Pietrus, and J.J. Redick. Rashard Lewis even saw some time at the three Sunday night when Van Gundy went with his twin tower offense. 

Who's In? Who's Out? (Jeff Gross/NBAE via Getty Images)

Van Gundy has an embarrassment of riches, and that flexibility has been one of the Magic's principal strengths throughout the playoffs. In each series, he's calibrated his rotation based on matchups. When Lee returned to action in Game 3 of the Boston series, for instance, Van Gundy went with Redick on Ray Allen, preferring to hold Lee back to chase Eddie House. The choice seemed unorthodox at the time, but like most of Van Gundy's decisions this postseason, it panned out. Allen never got going, and the Magic shut down House after he torched them in the first two games of the series. 

The Magic's stacked, versatile roster has been a blessing for Van Gundy -- but two games into the Finals, it's proving to be a curse. 101 minutes into the series, Van Gundy has yet to settle on any semblance of a rotation, and his substitution patterns have been wildly unpredictable. While Phil Jackson has established a coherent rotation -- complicated only by foul trouble -- the Orlando flow chart of substitutions looks like an unwinnable game of Tetris.  

"I'm not sure I got another lineup to throw out there that you haven't seen," Van Gundy said. "I don't have another one now.  We played with no point guard, we played conventionally, we had Rashard at the three, we played Hedo at the one, two and three. We played Rashard at the three and four. We played big, we played with no point guard. What do they say, just keep throwing stuff at the wall and hope something sticks?"

It might be time to start padding those walls. Let's start with the point guard spot. Alston has maintained his starting spot in the series, while Jameer Nelson has assumed the backup role, in the process bumping Anthony Johnson to the end of the bench. It hasn't been that simple. After Nelson's stint at the end of the third and start of the fourth quarters Sunday night, Van Gundy opted for Turkoglu to man the point down the stretch. Going to Turkoglu has merit, but it introduces yet another uncertainty into the Magic's increasingly unstable rotation. Does Van Gundy no longer trust Alston, who is 3-17 from the field in the series? Is he completely sold on Nelson's ability to perform at 100%? Does Nelson give them the best chance to win? Does running the show with Turkoglu make things harder for the Magic on the wings? The fact that there are no definitive answers to these questions is problematic. 

"I thought Rafer was playing well, but they're just leaving him open on every post‑up, and we couldn't get the ball in the basket," Van Gundy said. "We were just searching for somebody to be able to make a shot.  Obviously we didn't find anybody."

Van Gundy was similarly indecisive at shooting guard. Courtney Lee started the game for Van Gundy, but checked out with two fouls four minutes into the game. He didn't return until the start of the third quarter, then was replaced by Pietrus three minutes into the half after Kobe Bryant hit three straight shots over him. Not until Pietrus fouled out in the closing moments of regulation did Lee return, and even after overtime he finished with only 11 minutes played. 

Lee said all the right things after the game. "We went on our runs and we were playing good," Lee said. "If any of our guys can step up and play well, and if coach feels they're doing the job, then that's who we're going to roll with." 

Redick logged 27 minutes at shooting guard after seeing only seven minutes toward the end of the Game 1 blowout, which was preceded by five DNP-CDs. Although he drained a huge 3-pointer to tie the game with 2:20 remaining in regulation, Redick hit only two of nine shots from the field without a trip to the line. Defensively, Redick spent most of his time on Sasha Vujacic in the first half, then Derek Fisher in the fourth quarter. Did Van Gundy feel that Redick's ability to space the floor best suited the Magic's needs against the Lakers' strong-side pressure? Does he perceive Redick to be a better passer than Lee? Is it safe to assume Redick will see the lion's share of the minutes at the two ahead of Lee and, if so, has Lee's designated role in this series been downgraded to insurance policy?  

Truth be told, an inch or two here and there could've given the Magic the win, and Van Gundy might have been heralded a genius for his tactics. There are sensible arguments on the pro and con sides of all of these issues. But his indecisiveness isn't allowing a team that predicates its game on rhythm to establish any. Orlando's roster gives Van Gundy tremendous flexibility and depth -- which could be just enough rope to hang himself.

Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Orlando has the ball with six measly tenths of a second left, and after a timeout, they couldn't even get the ball inbounded.

Another timeout.

Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy uses his 20 seconds to change the play -- to one they had tried a few times in practice throughout the course of the season. With that amount of time, there would be no passing. Orlando's night would be in the hands of just one player. Van Gundy's choices:

• When Orlando has one shot to win a game, they almost always give the ball to Hedo Turkoglu -- he's a tall shooter with a knack for getting fouled. He can always get a shot off, and has won several games doing so at the buzzer.
  
• Veteran Rashard Lewis is also long, is shooting well, and has hit several big shots in the playoffs. 
• On this night, the man with space has often been J.J. Redick, a young player who made a reputation for himself in college as a clutch shooter.
• Dwight Howard can elevate to catch lob passes like few in history, and has proven he's capable of skying to dunk a lob pass for a win.
• Maybe the last guy you'd expect to see get the shot was the only rookie in the Finals, Courtney Lee. He started the game, but was benched for 38 minutes up to this point. He has just missed a layup, and has only made one bucket all night.

Kobe Bryant prides himself on his ability to interpret the strategy of opponents. He notices Turkoglu taking the ball out of bounds. He notes Lewis and Redick fighting toward the ball. When his own man, Lee, does too, Bryant matches him stride for stride. Somebody is going to catch the ball and fire a jumper.

Surprise! Instead, Turkoglu lobs from nearly half-court, high into the air toward the hoop. Just  then, Lewis steps in to screen Bryant out of the play.

Lee scrambles for the hoop, unimpeded.

Later, Lee said his main thought was that the ball seemed to take forever to make its way out of the sky and into his hands.

Later, Bryant said his main thought was: "s---."

If this shot -- basically, an uncontested, if hurried and off-balance layup -- goes in, the Magic have tied the series, gained home-court advantage, and stunned the pundits. They would have stolen a win in Los Angeles, and the NBA Finals would tilt in their favor.

"It was very close," Lee would say later. "The ball rolled off the rim. ... I just had to finish but I didn't."

"He got a good look at it," said Lewis. "I don't know if it was a bad pass. It seemed like he was a little under the basket when he caught the ball for the lay-up and it was a tough play for him."

Lee can't remember ever having won a game with an alley-oop before at any level of play. It's about as spectacular as basketball can get. 

It just was not to be on this night -- and it's the kind of opportunity that comes to the NBA Finals only once in a great many years. It's exceptionally unlikely that Lee, or any other player, will ever get another chance to win a Finals game with an alley-oop.

Lee is nearly alone in even having attempted such a thing. And he missed.

But he's not taking it too hard. "All we can do now," he says, "is get ready to play on Tuesday."

(Photo by Andy Hayt/NBAE/Getty Images)

Posted by Kevin Arnovitz

LOS ANGELES -- When a team like the Lakers runs such a recognizable, well-defined system like the Triangle Offense, it's always striking when they depart from it. Normally, a team makes a drastic adjustment because the defense is disrupting the offensive flow. Thursday night, the Lakers voluntarily went away from the Triangle in favor of a Kobe Bryant exhibition outside their standard system. Bryant as the focal point of the Lakers' offense isn't news, and it's certainly not rare for him to freelance over extended stretches. Thursday night, though, Kobe's independence from the offense seemed like a deliberate strategy by the Lakers.

Triangle? What Triangle? In Game 1, Kobe Bryant Beat the Magic with the Pick-and-Roll (Jed Jacobsohn/NBAE via Getty Images)

You could argue that Bryant is always a one-on-one player in the classic sense, even in the confines of the Triangle. Typically, though, he gets his shots within the system -- off handoffs at the pinch post, against weaker defenders in the low post, on cuts to the strong-side block. Game 1 was an entirely different story, as the Lakers relied conspicuously on a Give-it-to-Kobe approach, surprising Orlando with early drives, and utilizing a simple high pick-and-roll that caught the Magic off-guard. 

"That was by design," Bryant said. "We saw something at that moment in the game." 

That moment was with 8:32 remaining in the second quarter when Bryant checked back in to the game with the Lakers trailing by five: 

• [2nd quarter, 6:33] After Luke Walton abuses Courtney Lee in the post on consecutive possessions, Orlando switches Lee back onto Bryant -- but there's no relief for the rookie. Bryant moves early to back Lee down or -- in Bryant's words from "Kobe Doin' Work" -- to put his ass in the basket. Lee has had a solid defensive postseason taking on tough wing assignments, but he looks overmatched by Bryant. Against Lee, Bryant finishes 6-11 from the field, with a trip to the line for a couple of free throws. Here, Bryant has no trouble getting inside for an easy, turnaround jumper from five feet. 

Both Phil Jackson and Bryant are unerringly methodical, and it's unlikely they'd redraw their offensive blueprint without cause. Following the game, Bryant offered one reason. "They were backing up and giving me a jumper, so I took them," he said.

We saw an illustration of this on the very next possession: 

• [2nd quarter, 5:58] The Lakers move quickly into a screen-and-roll high on the right wing. Bynum offers a pick, freeing Bryant from Mickael Pietrus. Whether he's afraid to foul Bryant, or he feels Bryant is going to attack, Dwight Howard drops back into the lane, yielding Bryant an open 18-foot jumper which fall through. 
  

The Lakers realized that by drawing Dwight Howard out to defend a perimeter screen-and-roll, they left him with two lousy choices (and two promising outcomes for themselves): [1] Howard could switch onto Bryant and try to deny him space for an open shot -- but putting himself at great risk of fouling in the process. [2] Howard could drop back and leave Bryant with open mid-range jumpers. 

"I think both our coaching on how to play the pick-and-roll and our execution were poor," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. "I thought we were giving him too much space on pull-up jumpers, particularly on pick-and-rolls."

The Lakers tested Van Gundy and the Magic defense again on the next possession:

• [2nd quarter, 5:22] A facsimile of the previous possession. Once again, Bynum steps out to give Bryant a screen on Pietrus to drive left, and again Howard drops back apprehensively. The big man looks besieged. Pietrus tries to run over the screen, but can't possibly catch up to Bryant, who gets to about 15 feet where he buries another jumper.
  

Not only did the high screen-and-roll result in open shots for the Lakers, but it set the tone for the remainder of the game. While the Magic were constantly retreating defensively, the Lakers attacked at every opportunity. Pau Gasol got into the act in the third quarter, as the Lakers continued to baffle Orlando with high screens for Bryant until the game was out of reach.

Usually, when we characterize the Lakers as versatile, it's a nod to players like Gasol, Lamar Odom, Walton, and Bryant who have broad skill sets and play multiple positions in the offense. Game 1 demostrated that the Lakers' versatility extends beyond the sum parts of their roster, and is manifesting itself in their overall game plan. Most nights, the Lakers aren't an isolation or pick-and-roll team, but a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. Sometimes being opportunistic requires a break from orthodoxy. Great teams are flexibie enough to do that.

Posted by Kevin Arnovitz

• What constitutes a "lopsided trade"? "Generally, lopsided trades require two conditions: 1. a team that needs to dump salary, either because they are cheap, because they want to get under the luxury tax line or because they want to create cap space to target a free agent in the future. In some cases, this team must also be willing to withstand media criticism and fan anger for making what might appear to be an unfair trade ... 2. a team with cap space willing to take on new contract(s) and sacrifice some flexibility."
• The Kamenetzky Brothers marvel at the bifurcated tasks Pau Gasol will have to perform guarding Rashard Lewis one minute, while dealing with Dwight Howard the next: "This is like playing guitar in an Andres Segovia revue one day then ripping for a death metal band the next night."
• Given all the events surrounding Luol Deng's injury, the NBA's choice for "Team Physician of the Year" raised some eyebrows.
• Who on Orlando's roster is going to guard Kobe Bryant? In addition to spelling Mickael Pietrus' name with an umlaut a diaeresis, Kevin Pelton contrasts Pietrus and Courtney Lee's defensive styles: "Mickaël Pietrus has gotten the toughest defensive assignments for the Magic the last two rounds, making both Paul Pierce and LeBron James work for their points. It remains to be seen whether Pietrus or rookie Courtney Lee will spend more time on Bryant in this series. Lee's style of defense, more technical than Pietrus' use of his athleticism and physicality, may be a better match for Bryant."
• Is there a legitimate case for Jeff Van Gundy to recuse himself from doing color for the NBA Finals? Kelly Dwyer says it's a whole lot of nothing: "First, we're big boys and girls. We can handle this. We're grown up enough to understand what Jeff Van Gundy is going through, where his loyalties lie (even though they've only been in place for, quite literally, 24 months), and how it's is going to shape his broadcasting style. That is to say, it's not going to have much of an impact when he's discussing Trevor Ariza."
• A footwear substitution for Mickael Pietrus: "While Pietrus has been rockin' the Nike Zoom Kobe IVs for the majority of the season, now that he's going up against Black Mamba means Pietrus is changing his kicks."
  
• The All-Time Blazer Fantasy Draft at Bust a Bucket. With the number 9 pick, Scottie B selects...Zach Randolph?! 
• Celtics assistant Clifford Ray, who taught Dwight Howard how to operate in the post and was a cog in the Warriors 1975 championship team that upset the Washington Bullets, is picking the Magic. Did you know that Ray once rescued a dolphin at Marine World by sticking his long arms into its stomach and pulling out a screw? 
  
• Zaza Pachulia: Worth holding onto: "Beyond his value on the glass, both absolutely and in consideration of the relative weakness his teammates in that crucial facet of play, Pachulia plays sound position defense when able to establish position and forces opponents to make free throws when he's caught out of position. Furthermore, though his offensive role has shrunk since Al Horford's arrival, Pachulia rebounded from his injury-plagued 2007-08 season to post career highs in both FG% and FT Rate"
• The Starting Five has a solid interview with Sekou Smith, the beat writer at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Among other topics, Smith delves into the uncertain future of the newspaper model: "I would like to think that we're resilient enough to reconfigure and stay relevant for a long time, certainly as long as I'm in the business. I don't know exactly where we fit in the traditional model. I know there's a place for what we do. It's just a matter of finding that place."
• Are the Clippers suckers for the bad offseason trade? Clips Nation pores over the evidence and says, "Think Again." 
• Joey at FreeDarko breaks down Mike Breen's game: "Listening to Breen call a basketball game is like hearing someone new to Judaism intersperse oddly pronounced Hebrew among his usual idiolect: you know what he's doing, but it doesn't sound right, and you question its authenticity, not least of all because it already seems borderline obnoxious when you hear it from rabbis."