In Game One of the NBA finals, Sasha Vujacic was the first substitute off the L.A. Lakers bench. He came into the game in the first quarter and had Ray Allen to guard. That meant that Ray Allen ran Sasha Vujacic from one side of the court to the other and bounced him off numerous screens. For the night, Ray Allen scored nineteen points. And Sasha Vujacic had a rough introduction to the NBA finals:

link: Game One

Sasha Vujacic had eight points: two baskets on seven attempts. He also had four personal fouls. In twenty seven minutes of playing time, Sasha Vujacic had trouble at both ends of the court. The defensive assignment of covering Ray Allen may have diminished Sasha Vujacic’s effectiveness at the offensive end.

One of the keys to the Lakers’ success will be how effective they are in defending Ray Allen. Sasha Vujacic must see from the tapes of the game that this series means chasing Ray Allen through loads of Celtic traffic. Putting Ray Allen on the foul line or leaving him open momentary from three point range will make this a very difficult series for the Lakers. In Game Two, on Sunday, the Lakers simply need Sasha Vujacic to stay with one of the premier shooters in the NBA at the defensive end. With the Celtics having a one game lead now, Sasha Vujacic margin of error has decreased significantly. One has the feeling that Ray Allen is going to be happy to see Sasha Vujacic again.

Catherine