NBA Finals and Pre-Draft Camp
Greg Sandoval
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 08, 2004; 12:30 p.m. ET
In Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the Detroit Pistons out-played and beat the Los Angeles Lakers, 87-75, on Sunday at the Staples Center.
Post staff writer Greg Sandoval will be online Tuesday, June 8 at 12:30 p.m. ET to talk about the NBA finals and the pre-draft camp held in Chicago to assess potential NBA players among college athletes.
Submit your questions and comments before or during the discussion.
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Greg Sandoval: Hello Chat House. Thanks for logging on today.
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Alexandria, Va.:
Considering the outcome for the first game it seems like defense is going to be a driving force of this series. As a result, do you feel that Detroit has the edge in the series because they have a very defensive minded coach and do you feel that coaching could be the difference in the series?
Greg Sandoval: It is if Detroit can continue to muffle Karl Malone, Gary Payton and everyone on the Lakers not named Shaquille O'Neal or Kobe Bryant. But is there anybody who thinks the Pistons are going to be able to do that througout the series? I don't. I think you'll see more scoring as soon as the Lakers wake up.
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Go Pistons:
The coronation of the Lakers has been postponed and, in my mind, is seriously in doubt.
Unlike the last time when a Larry Brown team stole game one in LA, Detroit had a total team defensive effort with five players being the key. When Philadelphia shocked the Lakers in Game 1, the Sixers were too reliant on Allen Iverson.
Detroit won and had a subpar game from their offensive star, Richard Hamilton. He could get hot and steal one game.
Greg Sandoval: I agree that the Pistons may not have spent everything in the first game. Hamilton's 12 points were well below his average of 23 points during the Eastern Conference finals. The people who predicted sweep failed to see Detroit as anything more than a defensive team. Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace can score on anybody.
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Long Beach, Calif.:
It appears to me that the Clippers would be best off trading the #2 pick. What would
you do if you were the Clippers G.M.?
(I'm thinking of a good swing man in
return, a veteran hopefully)
Greg Sandoval: Well, if I were the Clippers, I would trade it. With their dismal history choosing players, it's probably better for them to get a known quantity than to rely on their own evaluation of where the talent is in this year's draft. Which, by the way, is filled with prep and international players, young guys who are risky bets for even the best judges of talent.
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Los Angeles, Calif.:
I'm reading that the Wizards are "scared off" of
Pavel Podkolzine, and are looking to draft players
that seem to be at positions they already have
filled (SF, PF). With such a glaring need at center,
why not take a chance on such upside?
Greg Sandoval: I don't think the Wizards see themselves set at any position. How can you be set with a 25-57 record?
Only Gilbert Arenas is safe. Kwame Brown, Etan Thomas, Brendan Haywood and the rest of their front-court players were all inconsistent.
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Alexandria, Va.:
I am one of the few, the brave, the wishful-thinking who believe Detroit will win this series. Yet I was shocked to see how flat-footed the Lakers looked on defense in the fourth quarter. Was it age, injuries or Detroit's ball movement? What do you think LA will do differently on defense in game 2?
Greg Sandoval: Looked like frustration to me. The Pistons thwarted every run the Lakers were making. I think the Lakers tonight will continue to work the ball into Shaq and force Ben Wallace to either get out of his way or pick up fouls.
The Pistons stopped all the lakers save for Shaq and Kobe Bryant. Los Angeles needs Karl Malone to help Shaq wear Detroit's much smaller front line down. Look for the Lakers to score in the post and play a physical brand of basketball tonight.
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Arlington, Va.:
The Pistons are a joke and anyone who's watched both teams play during the season knows it. Do you think the Laker's will win the next four games in a row by an average of 20 or 30 points a game? Or is that estimate too low?
Greg Sandoval: Hello Arlington,
Is your last name Buss? I haven't heard a single prediction of a 10-point spread. I think Los Angeles will win the series but the Pistons will keep it close.
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Silver Spring, Md.:
What's the pre-draft camp that you are at and do any of the college players look like good prospects for the NBA? Anyone to watch out for?
Greg Sandoval: I'm at Chicago's Moody Bible Institute, where 60 out of the 94 players who filed to enter the NBA draft compete in drills and scrimmages, all before a host of scouts, general managers and team executives.
It's been compared often to a cattle auction. But for the players, its much more serious. The predicted lottery picks have nothing else to prove and usually sit out the camp. For everybody else, its one of the last chances to impress.
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Wizards West:
With Richard Hamilton and the Wallace boys, Ben and Rasheed, I become wistful for what might have been at MCI Center.
If the Pistons fall short and need one more piece to win a championship, who on the current Wizards team could help Joe Dumars bring another hoops title to Hockeytown?
Greg Sandoval: I think Kwame Brown would complete the former Wizards' trio nicely. He's getting better and he's the big man the Pistons' lack.
Don't look for that to happen if for no other reason than the Wizards would be humiliated to see another young star shine with someone else.
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Washington, D.C.:
Just read a mock NBA draft for this year. All of the players are either high school or international, with the exception of Okafor and Gordon from UCONN.
Do you think the international and high school player trend will continue, or is this just a down year for NCAA players??
Greg Sandoval: No. NBA front office types say that this year has a load of gifted high school players but next year the number will fall off dramatically.
It'll be interesting to see what happens if some of these prep players wash out. Will the NBA continue to gamble on teenagers.
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Herndon, Va.:
Mr. S: Care to make a small wager against my bet that Wallace and the rest of the "defenders" will find themselves getting more fouls this game for making the same plays they did in Game 1?
Greg Sandoval: I'm too cheap to gamble. But if you're implying that there is some conspiracy to keep the series going or for the Lakers to prevail I'd almost be tempted to lay my money down on a wager like that.
Nobody has ever been able to prove anything of the sort. It's tough to keep secrets about a coaching change. Do you think the NBA could keep a secret like that? I do think the Lakers will try to ram the ball down Detroit's throat and are likely to draw more fouls tonight.
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Silver Spring, Md.:
Do you think it's possible that even if (ok, when) the Lakers win the championship, that they might still be viewed as underachievers, for their on-again, off-again playing style? They were expected to take the league by storm, and instead, turned themselves into a big soap opera, and limped through to the finals.
washingtonpost.com:
In L.A., Pistons Aren't Star-Struck (Post, June 7)
Greg Sandoval: Limping? They've played one game. Nobody that wins a championship is seen as an underachiever.
The ups and downs the team has gone through this season is what fans will remember as a test of their greatness. It'll go something like this: "The Lakers still won the championship even though Kobe had a rap assault hanging over his head," or "The Lakers still whipped the Pistons even though Kobe or Shaq hated each other."
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Washington, D.C.:
If the Pistons keep that strategy for game two and beyond, do you think that Kobe and Shaq could maybe combine for 80 pts? Can they beat the Pistons, just the two of them?
Greg Sandoval: No, Kobe and Shaq still need someone to exchange high fives with when they aren't speaking.
For the Lakers to win, they need Malone, Payton and their bench to attack the basket as well. The more that other players step up, the more pressure they put on Detroit's double teams.
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washingtonpost.com:
That's all for today's discussion. Thanks for your questions.
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Foul shots?:
Does anyone in the NBA (or NCAA for that matter) bother to shoot foul shots at practice anymore? Shaq and Ben Wallace make laughing stocks of themselves at the line. I mean, what else does Shaq need to practice? Hes 8 feet tall and weighs 400 lbs, he takes the ball down low and bangs it home. What more does he need to work on? Why doesnt he spend an hour a day just shooting foul shots or working with a coach? March Madness was riddled with the same ineptidtude. Are college kids and early round NBA picks shying away from the "basics" in practice in favor of dunk contests and working on their own personal highlight reel?
Greg Sandoval: That's something I've wondered about as well. I've watched practices and pregame workouts and most players do not spend much time on their foul shooting. College and NBA players try to refine the skills that get them to the free-throw line. The thinking is that you can't draw fouls unless you are in position to score.
As for Shaq, he's worked out with a slew of shooting experts. They say his problem is in his hands, as in they are too big to shoot the ball properly. There are plenty of skeptics that believe it shouldn't make any difference.
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Greg Sandoval: Thanks everyone. Enjoy the finals tonight.
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