Rashard Lewis and Peja Stojakovic have very similar regular-season and playoff statistics. However, Peja's shooting numbers are better. Rashard was an Allstar this year. Peja was not. Who should win this match-up?
Peja has guarded Lewis throughout the first three games, and Lewis' shooting and scoring statistics dropped by about 25% from the regular 2004-2005 season to the playoffs.
Am I to understand that Peja's defense sucks, and that Lewis is not shooting lights-out because of his recent injuries? What about Peja's recent injury? No pun intended, but that's a lame line of reasoning.
Lewis' FG% dropped from 40.2% to 37.1% in the 2005 playoffs. Again, his 3pt% also declined from 40.0% to 33.3%. His scoring totals went from 20.5 ppg to 13.0 ppg in the playoffs.
Peja has scored an average of 15.0 ppg, with 6.0 rpg in the 2005 playoffs. He has no steals, and only one block. His counter-part has averaged 13.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg, and 1.3 apg. Rashard Lewis has not been a big factor in these three games, mostly because of Peja.
If everyone on the Kings squad had equaled, or bettered, their opponent's performances like Peja has done in this playoff series, then the Kings would be up three to zero.