Conroy Cools Heat In Thriller

Will Conroy played just five minutes against the Miami Heat, but he made them count.

Conroy scored the game-winning jumper at the buzzer to give the Los Angeles Lakers a 90-89 victory over the Heat on Wednesday night.

On the previous possession, the Lakers were in dire need of getting a stop on the Miami Heat. At the top of the key, Conroy crouched down into a rock-solid defensive stance and challenged his opponent ot drive on him. Pouncing on his prey, Conroy issued a full lock down, forcing Miami into a tough shot.

After Smush Parker missed his baseline jumper with 12 seconds remaining, a scramble ensued. Eventually, Andrew Bynum was able to grab a crucial rebound after his own miss and kick it out to the perimeter. The ball eventually made its way to Conroy, who calmly drained the winning shot as the horn sounded.

I asked Will how it felt to hit the game winning shot at the Pyramid.

“It made me feel good,�? Will acknowledged. “It was like a blessing, because today wasn’t even my day to play. I started the last two games and played point guard. This game wasn’t my rotation. It just so happened that coach called my number. He likes the way I play defense and get up and guard the ball and get guys going. I’m unselfish. I can get the ball to fellas in the right spots. It just so happened that the ball came into my hands in the end [and] I was able to get my floater off. It reminded me of college a little bit.�?

Known for his defense, Conroy’s crucial stop allowed his big shot to happen. I asked Conroy how much his game is focused on defense.

Conroy remarked, “I think defense comes from the heart. I think the toughest players play defense because it’s not even a skill. It’s just [that] if you’re tough, you’re going to play defense. I pride myself in being tough. I’m not going to back down from anybody. I don’t care if it’s the best ball-handler in the world, I’m going to pick him up full court. If he’s quick, I’m going to gap him, but still he’s going to feel my presence.�?

As for Andrew Bynum’s missed shot in the waning moments?

“No I’m not disappointed that Bynum missed his shot. I’m happy that Bynum got the rebound and kept it alive. So that was a big play. By him getting that rebound and keeping it alive, it [let] us get another shot.�?

The Lakers fell behind early in the game, trailing by as many as 11 points in the first half.

However, they would cut the Miami lead to just 2 points going into halftime and eventually take the lead in the 3rd.

Back into the starting rotation against the Heat, rookie Andrew Bynum recorded his first double-double performance of the Summer Pro League, tallying up 12 points and 10 rebounds. After the game, he commented on how he is adjusting to the league.

“I just got to get used to playing guys bigger than me and getting used to shooting over those guys,�? Bynum said. He later added, “Every night I get a little bit more nervous. I don’t know why that is. But hopefully I can turn that nervousness into good energy.�?

“He’s doing a lot of good things for us. The learning process is always going to be slow, but he’s picking up stuff relatively quickly. We’re happy with things he did defensively and he’s getting a much greater grasp of the offense every day that we go through with it. So we’re pleased with his progress.�?

“He’s got a great attitude,�? Laker head coach Kurt Rambis said about Bynum. “He comes to work every day [and] he’s always got a smile on his face. I can chew him out and he bounces right back and listens and responds. [He] works extremely hard.�?

After being officially signed to a contract before the game, Lakers’ second round pick Ronny Turiaf led the Lakers with 14 points and added 4 rebounds to go.

The Players

Starting Line-up

PG Smush Parker
SG Von Wafer
SF Devon Green
PF Ronny Turiaf
C Andrew Bynum

Breakdown

Andrew Bynum
Bynum recorded an above average line in 32 minutes, finishing with 12 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals.

Shooting 6/10 down low, Bynum was much more aggressive on offense in this game. This included banging down low with greater force and acquiring better post position. In turn, he shot at a high percentage and forced few attempts during the game.

This intensity carried over onto the defensive end as well. Bynum’s play of the game came in the second quarter, when he rose up do deliver a facial block on a Miami Heat player who was rising up to slam the ball in Andrew’s face.

Although that moment was possibly the most exciting, the most refreshing of Andrew’s moves came in the fourth quarter when he showed the first signs of a polished post game. Bynum backed down his defender, used his superb agility to spin around, elevated and knocked down a jump hook from about 7 feet out. His form was picture-perfect and the shot was right on target. It’s a positive sign to see that Andrew has been working on his post game and bringing his knowledge into competition.

Yet on defense, Bynum still has trouble rotating. He defends the pick and roll, but it’s difficult for him to find his original man on the switch back and often will leave him open for a jumper. Twice this happened against the Heat, leading to wide-open hoops for Miami.

Although he claims to be increasingly nervous as the SPL progresses, Bynum seems more comfortable out there as he gains more experience.

Ronny Turiaf
It was not the best shooting exhibition for Turiaf, hitting just 3/9 from the floor, but Ronny’s hustle drew fouls and allowed him to pick up points at the line.

Knocking down free throws at an improved rate (8/10 on the night), Turiaf worked for all of his points, forcing Miami into drawing contact and breaking down their defense down low.

His post game is still relatively unpolished and Turiaf often relies on his strength to muscle the ball into the basket. If he can develop a consistent game for himself on the offensive end, whether that be a 15 foot jumper or a jump hook down low, Ronny can be a solid starter for years to come.

Of course, Turiaf must still continue to make progress with his defense in order to achieve this. In the first quarter, he had a few miscues on his defense, but did not make any blatant mistakes for the rest of the game.

Ronny was thrilled to officially be a part of the Lakers after signing the dotted line earlier that day. “This is awesome, because [this was] something that was bothering me for the last couple weeks,�? Turiaf acknowledged. “I [didn’t] know if I would be part of the organization and now to feel part of the Lakers . . I’m just so delighted to have this contract and hopefully I can have a long career here.�?

Turiaf assessed his attitude by stating, “I don’t come here to go on vacation. I don’t come here to go to the beach every day. I come here to win basketball games and to try to help this organization.�?

“But if I have a day off or two . . . I’ll go and get some tan.�?

Will Conroy
Playing just 5 minutes, Conroy made an immediate impact when he entered in the fourth quarter.

If you missed his game’s story, read above.

Smush Parker
Another player who came up with multiple plays down the stretch was Smush Parker.

He had a crucial spinning layup (plus the foul) late in the game to put the Lakers up by two points. Prior to this, Parker showed his ability to take the charge when necessary, stepping in front of a Miami player to give the ball to the Lakers when they needed it.

Parker would finish with 13 points on 4/11 shooting, including 4 assists on his line.

The rest of the Lakers either did not receive enough playing time or did not make a considerable impact on the game.

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