Five Things takes a look at five things to watch out for in marquee games with playoff implications.
We've got a trifecta of Game 3's on Friday. We've got an Eastern Powerhouse trying to prolong its relevance, and the new Eastern Order trying to showcase how dominant it really is. We have a scrappy underdog showing you that to overlook them leads to your own peril. And we have a physically and emotionally wounded star-crossed titan battling the basketball equivalent of a populist movement.
So what should you be paying attention to this evening? 5 Things has you covered. Let's talk about Cleveland-Detroit, Orlando-Philadelphia, and Portland-Houston.
Donyell Marshall wasn't exactly excited about leaving the playoff-bound Cavaliers for the basement-dwelling Sonics, but in the weeks since being traded he's warmed up to his new team.
In the latest entry on his blog, Marshall explains how he found out about the trade (from a reporter calling his cell phone), his blown-out-of-proportion flap with P.J. Carlesimo (it was over by halftime) and what he sees his role being with his new teammates, since he's not, you know, actually playing:
It was difficult, but I believe one reason that they brought a guy like me here was to mentor the young guys. And just like I was close to LeBron – within the first week me and Kevin Durant and Jeff Green talked a lot. Kevin said he really liked having me here and a lot of the players really don't talk to him. I sit down and have conversations with the young guys, and I guess it really wasn't like that before.
I don't know about you, but reading that kind of depressed me. I can imagine that some veterans might resent Durant for being hailed as the franchise's cornerstone even though he's the league's youngest player, but it also shouldn't have taken until the trading deadline for an older player to get into his corner. I know the salary cap dictated most of the team's deadline deals, but hearing this makes me wonder to what degree Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak and Kurt Thomas showed the rookie a cold shoulder.
I actually was nervous going into that game, but I think the wardrobe malfunction helped ease it. In a way, I could do no wrong in that game because everything was going to be overshadowed by the wardrobe malfunction anyway. I was nervous, but looking back on it, I'm glad I did do it. It helped me calm my nerves.
But I do have to straighten out the ESPN report that says I forgot my jersey. That's not true. My game jersey came off when I took off my warmup top. What's funny is I didn't even think about it until I heard the P.A. announcer call the delay of game. I wear an UnderArmor tank top underneath my jersey because the material irritates my skin, and I knew something felt strange when I took the floor.
The reason he said he was nervous was because it was his first game back after missing almost three months of action with a wrist injury. He also describes how he's still trying to find his rhythm, comparing these last several games as his second "training camp." I can believe that: he's shooting just .250 from the floor so far and has yet to crack double-digits in a game.
Despite the general consensus amongst my Fanhouse colleagues, as well as the experts on TNT's post game show last night, I don't think LeBron made a mistake by passing the ball to Donyell Marshall. I actually think he made a good play. Especially with Tayshaun Prince smothering him and other Pistons coming to help. He's great, but he's not superman.
Although, I do agree that the chance for him to get to the foul line on that play was pretty high. But if he gets the call and if he makes both, they still were going to overtime with at best a 50-50 shot of winning (given that the game was in Detroit, it probably was less than that). LeBron just saw Marshall open in his money spot and decided to give it up to him. Marshall shoots around 40% from the right corner this season (See: his NBA Hotzone profile). And I guarantee that most of the time Marshall isn't that wide open when he shoots from that spot. I say the odds of Marshall hitting a wide open three from his money spot had to be at least 50%.
So basically the Cavs odds of winning were about the same. About a 50% chance to win the game if he gets fouled and makes both free throws or if he makes a miraculous left handed lay up or dunk to send the game into overtime, versus a 50% chance of Marshall hitting a wide open three. Not really a big difference in my eyes. The funny thing is that if LeBron would have taken an ill advised shot, everyone and their mother would be ragging on him for not finding the open man. As well, if Marshall's shot would have gone in, everyone would be praising LeBron for being unselfish. Welcome to Kobe Bryant's world, LeBron.
Side note: It's funny how Magic Johnson could be so critical of LeBron's action's last night, when I can recall him making similar plays throughout his career. Here's one off of the top of my head: Game 5 of the Lakers/Jazz 1988 series. Magic has the ball in his hands, drives and then kicks it out for an open Michael Cooper. Before that play, Cooper had never hit a game winner in his entire career. Yet Magic was praised for his decision making. Hey Magic, thank goodness you played before the age of the internet, or you might have had your every move second guessed constantly like Kobe and LeBron.
Five Things takes a look at five things to watch out for in marquee games with playoff implications.
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Despite the general consensus amongst my 
