Be honest, everyone: back in 2002, when the Maryland Terrapins won the NCAA title, how many of you thought Steve Blake would be the best pro in the bunch? Sure, Blake was a key player on that team, and astute fans understood why he was so underrated. But he also was playing with Juan Dixon, the national player of the year, Lonny Baxter, a dominant inside force, and Chris Wilcox, who had all sorts of athletic potential. Blake seemed like the good college player that would go play in Europe, or something.
↵Eight years later, and Blake is the lone survivor. Last night, in his first game as a member of the Lakers, Blake showed exactly why he's managed to stick around for so long. With the Lakers trailing the Rockets by one point with under a minute to play, Blake sprung free and put a dagger into the Rockets' hearts.
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Yup, that's Steve Blake in a nutshell. He knew exactly when to cut to get open, and when he got his chance, he knocked it down.
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