15-6-3-2 and no turnovers! He didn't take over the game but he didn't lose it either. On top of the shot-fake backward-pass to Tayshaun Prince for the big 3, Stuckey's game was solid from tip to horn.
What's up small-school haters?
PGs, like anybody, can come from anywhere: Tim Hardaway (UTEP), Avery Johnson (Southern), Steve Nash (Santa Clara), John Stockton (Gonzaga), etc.
With all of this said, Chauncey Billups is still the most irreplaceable Piston.
1) That is not to disparage Stuckey, who is a very good rookie. He's a natural scorer who has performed at high levels since high school. Check out this brochure Eastern Washington produced for his fantastic freshman season.
In all fairness, Stuckey should have Jeff Green's spot on the All-Rookie First Team (Carl Landry has a case too). He is and will be a very good Pro. Joe Dumars picked him 15 in the 07 Draft for good reason. Game 5 against Jameer Nelson and the Magic disproved any doubts.
But Stuckey is still a rookie. More of a scorer than a distributor too. As the Pistons point guard, Billups juggled those roles brilliantly. Getting 'Sheed and Rip Hamilton in rhythm all the while keeping the other guys like Prince, Jason Maxiell, and Antonio McDyess in the offense. When he needs to, he breaks down his defender and spots up or goes to the hole. That's a lot to keep in limbo. Billups is superb at it.
2) He's still the 04 Finals MVP. The list of NBA Finals MVPs still playing amounts to Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Chauncey Billups. Pretty good company.
3) He's a tough, tough match-up.
One of the reasons Stuckey was so effective (foremost, he's a good player) against the Magic is because of the match-up against Jameer Nelson. Nelson is small and not a complete PG yet. Stuckey outplayed him. What's more, the Magic are not known for their defense, let alone their perimeter defense. As good as Stuckey is, he will have far more trouble against the D-first Celtics and Cavs defenders.
Moving on from Billups/Stuckey, how super is Tayshaun Prince?
Maybe he's more irreplaceable?
How many SFs can hit 3's, grab 8 boards, and block the game-deciding shot at the rim?
1-Tayshaun Prince.
What makes the Hedo-Turkoglu-block so intriguing and Prince so great, is that it was Prince's second big block this series, and probably his second-best career block.
In game 4, he got Maurice Evans all good and clean on a first quarter fast-break.
But more importantly, his 2004 Eastern Conference Finals Game 2 Reggie-Miller-block deserve some credit. Before the brawl and all of its fallout, Pistons-Pacers was the best NBA rivalry.
The Laker-Kings has fizzled and this one was only growing. In the 04 Conference Finals, the Pacers won Game 1 and as the fourth quarter wound down in Game 2, made a run behind their home crowd.
17 seconds left, Reggie Miller is all alone for a game-tying layup. Pacers threatening to go up 2-0. And out of nowhere, rookie Tayshaun Prince swoops in and swats Miller's shot for the Pistons' 19th block of the game. Preserves the game and sends the Pistons on to win the championship.
What's more, Tayshaun Prince might not be the best Playoff shot-blocker from his high school, Dominguez High School, in Compton, Cal. That title could very-well belong to Tyson Chandler, fellow alumnus, class of 2001.
And neither of them is the most NBA-accomplished Dominguez alum. That title belongs to the late, great Dennis Johnson, winner of the 3 NBA Championships, and the 1979 Finals MVP.
Good luck to everybody else in the Alumni basketball game.
As far as High School success goes, what do Hornets Melvin Ely and Julian Wright have in common?
Both had illustrious high school careers in Chicago but lost state championship games to teams from Peoria.
In the mid-90s Ely was the McDonalds' All-America, big man, beast for Harvey Thornton. From 95 to 97, his teams amassed a 93-4 mark en route to two back-to-back 2nd place finishes in the state finals in 95 and 96 (and a third place finish in 97).
Losing both times to mighty Peoria Manual whose troika of Sergio McClain, Marcus Griffin, and Frank Williams, later starred together on the Illinois 01 Elite 8 team. Those 3 were part of a 4-year state-title run for the Peoria high school that took down not only Melvin Ely's Thornton teams (more on them in a second), but also Kevin Garnett and Ronnie Field's Farragut Academy and Quentin Richardson's Whitney Young for state titles in 94, 95, 96, and 97.
Now on the surface, Peoria Manual's run is amazing and rare, but even more so when you consider Melvin Ely's teammates.
His Thornton basketball teams featured,
Melvin Ely, current New Orleans Hornets C
Erik Herring, George Mason basketball alumnus
Napoleon Harris, current Kansas City Chiefs MLB
Tai Streets, former San Francisco 49ers WR
Antwaan Randle El, current Washington Redskins WR
Curtis Randle El, Indiana Football alumnus
Chauncey Jones, Alabama basketball alumnus
Corey Harris, Ball State basketball alumnus
4 Big-Time Professional athletes, 8 D-1 athletes!If that is not the most complete, talented high-school team ever, what is? Must be Peoria Manual?
Ely's Hornets 'mate Julian Wright had a similar high school experience.
Guiding Homewood-Flossmoor to a 58-7 mark in 2004 and 2005, Wright did it all, but win the Illinois state championship. A McDonald's All-America, Wright was MVP of the Nike Peach Jam, and as a senior, handed 2005 USA Today National Champion Oak Hill Academy one of its.
Like Ely, he played for the state title against a Peoria team, and just like Ely and Thornton, his team lost. In 2004, with 31 wins, Homewood-Flossmoor fell to repeat champion Peoria Central, guided by future lottery pick and 6' 7" PG Shaun Livingston.
Something must be going on in this place Peoria, right?
Julian Wright and Melvin Ely probably agree.
The most recent repeat Illinois champion? Derrick Rose's 2006 and 2007 Simeon Career Academy squads. Whether or not that guarantees a great NBA career is a valid question.
Finally, if you are trying to figure out the Boston Celtics psyche, check out Bill Simmons column, which features other Illinois HS basketball alumni, KG (Farragut) and Doc Rivers (Maywood Proviso East).
Other Illinois HS basketball players still in the Playoffs:
Michael Finely, Melrose Park, Spurs
Tony Allen, Crane, Celtics
Jannero Pargo, Robeson, Hornets
2 comments:
Thanks for the great video clip.
maybe one of the greatest nba playoff plays ever
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