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The Edge: Bench
May 18, 2000
SportsLine.com staff
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| Robert Horry and Brian Shaw have been the most dependable reserves
in the playoffs, particularly Shaw who played with Shaq in Orlando. The two
have rekindled that old chemistry in the playoffs this year as Shaw is
splitting point guard duties with Harper and has been Jackson's choice
ahead of Derek Fisher. Rick Fox has been a playoff bust with his scoring
production dipping from 6.5 points a game in the regular season to 3.4 in
the playoffs.
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Portland has the best team in the league, one through nine. They
bring veterans Brian Grant, Detlef Schrempf and Greg Anthony off the pine,
along with hyperactive second-year player Bonzi Wells, who is capable of
exploding -- he scored 36 points in the blowout Games 2 and 3 victories
against Utah. They also have Jermaine O'Neal, another tall guy to throw at
Shaq, and Stacey Augmon, a defensive stopper on the perimeter.
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| Breakdown: The Blazers didn't have one player among the league's
top-40 scorers because the bench played such a big part. They also didn't
have any player among the top-40 in minutes, another tribute to the
Portland reserves. The Lakers' bench bunch hasn't been nearly as reliable,
forcing Shaq and Kobe to play major minutes and shoulder the scoring and
defending loads.
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Edge: Portland
The official site of Shaquille O'Neal
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