NBA Hoops

NBA Season - Defense Pays Off

If there is one thing that always sticks in the NBA its that defense wins championships. Can you recall the last time a team won the Title without it? The truth is that a fast run and gun style offense can only get you to the playoffs, it’s defense that pays off in the end. Here are some of the top defensive teams this year.

Boston Celtics

There is little doubt which team in the NBA is number one in defense. Just one year ago, the Celtics won a championship through their tight defense. Now with the addition of Rasheed Wallace, their defense is better than ever. Kevin Garnett looks healthy, motivated, and ready to steer the ship as he did a year ago. Look for them to suffocate teams on defense through the first three quarters and usually rest their starters throughout the fourth.

LA Lakers

After adding Ron Artest to their team this past off season, the Lakers have immediately moved up the ladder of defensive teams and are now a lot tougher. Kobe will now share defensive responsibilities with Artest and form perhaps the best perimeter defensive tandem the league has seen since Michael and Scottie. The Lakers should be in the top two or three in defensive efficiency when this year wraps up.

Orlando Magic

As long as Dwight Howard is patrolling the paint, look for the magic to be one of the top defensive teams in the league. Now that they have Matt Barnes and with the rapid improvement of Mikiel Pietrus, the Magic have strengthened their perimeter defense. Although they are known for their offense, the magic will improve significantly on defense from last year.

For more information on defensive teams and the NBA please visit squidoo.com/alldaynba.

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NBA Hoops Preview: Suns, 76ers, Raptors, Spurs

There are five games on tonight including one between two teams that don’t play a lot of defense, the Suns and 76ers, and a couple that struggle with consistency.

Phoenix Suns at Philadelphia 76ers

The surprise Phoenix Suns pay a visit to Philadelphia and the 76ers in what should be an exciting game between two teams that don’t play a lot of defense.

The Suns are favored by 1.5 points in NBA betting and will be without Leandro Barbosa for the game. They are coming off of a 102-90 victory over the Washington Wizards, but they aren’t very happy with their performance as they shot just 47.7 percent from the field.

The 76ers are coming off of an 88-81 loss to the Detroit Pistons in which Andre Igoudala seemed like the only one to show up.

Iguodala had 24 points and shot 56%, but the rest of the team shot just 30.3 percent.

The big difference was in their rebounding as the Sixers were out-rebounded 51-39. Easily enough to swing the game.

In a game between two teams that don’t play a lot of defense, the team that has the best offense has to be appealing. Particularly when that offense is playing a strong team game.

Toronto Raptors at San Antonio Spurs

Chris Bosh of the Toronto Raptors has struggled against the San Antonio Spurs’ Tim Duncan and he’s going to have to change that if the Raptors are to stay in this one.

The Raptors offensive star Bosh along with Andrea Bargnani have been leading one of the most potent offenses in the league.

Unfortunately for Raptors fans, they also have one of the most porous defenses in the league giving up an average of 108.2 points per game.

In their most recent game, the Raptors allowed the Dallas Mavericks to shoot 62.4 percent on the way to a 129-101 Dallas victory.

The 7-point favorite San Antonio Spurs have been falling behind early in recent losses to Utah and Portland before putting together the necessary effort.

They will be without Tony Parker who injured his ankle on Friday against Portland, however the team adjusted well to his absence and we’re actually able to come back a little without Parker.

This game is really tough to call. Taking the seven points against an inconsistent team that’s missing an offensive leader is very tempting.

But having someone who can shut down a key player like Bosh also changes the equation.

The last time these two teams met, Bargnani wasn’t shooting well like he is now, so the Spurs won’t be able to focus exclusively on Bosh the way they may have in the past.

NBA 09-10 Season - Looking to Make a Statement

With the NBA season beginning, there are a number of teams that are looking to make a statement, whether its separating from the middle pack or cementing themselves at the top and then there are those who are looking to turn the corner. Here are a couple of teams that should be interesting to watch as the season unfolds.

-Memphis Grizzlies

There has never been a more exciting team to watch in Memphis than this season’s new crew. With the addition of Allen Iverson, ticket sales have gone up, and the grizz have definitely become a more intriguing team to watch this year. The question on many people’s minds is how A.I a true scorer at heart will proceed in leading this young team loaded with scorers and players that are looking to make a name for themselves.

-Portland Trailblazers

Who would have thought the blazers would end up with the third Seed in the Playoffs at the start of the 08/09 season? The true key to success for this team in order for them to get to the next level will rest on the shoulders of Lamarcus Alderidge. Everybody knows that Brandon Roy is the leader on this team but he is not and nor is any one player capable of doing it by themselves in the Wild West. Scouts and Managers have noted Greg Oden’s play in the USA try outs in Vegas this past summer. If he’s capable of protecting the paint really well and Lamarcus steps up, watch out.

-Toronto Raptors

Bryan Colangelo has been more active than ever before this past summer trying to assemble a winning formula that will entice Chris Bosh to stick around. It has always been difficult in the past to land a legitimate Allstar, but with the addition of Hedo Turkoglu, the Raps are a much more promising team this season along with Jarrett Jack who will blossom coming off the bench. Look for Toronto to have a much better season that last year.

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NBA Season - Sixth Man of the Year Predictions

There are a number of SMOY award candidates on Contending teams that could easily be starters. I have listed only three but there are a few other players like Lamar Odom or Nate Robinson that could easily win as well. Here are three main candidates to look out for.

1-Rasheed Wallace : After leaving one eastern conference contender to another, Rasheed seems poised to help Boston get back to the NBA finals and win it all. He has started off the season strong as the Celtics remain undefeated. I think his minutes will slowly increase as the season goes on and so will his production. The biggest contribution Rasheed brings to the team is his defensive presence along with his ability to stretch the offence with his three point range.

2-Jason Terry: The reigning sixth man of the year may have trouble repeating with the increased competition this year. As long as Jason kid is running the point, Terry will have an opportunity to score in bunches. Look for the Mavericks to have a better season than last year and for Terry to be one of the main reasons for it.

3-Manu Ginobli: The San Antonio Spurs are slowly regaining their old form. Manu is looking to bounce back from an injury plagued season and has been looking good so far averaging 14ppg in just under 22 minutes. Look for his minutes to go up a month or two from now as he slowly gets back into his groove. If Manu can remain healthy for the remainder of the year, look for him to contend for the sixth man award as well as an NBA title.

For more information on candidates for the sixth man of the year award and the latest on the NBA visit squidoo.com/alldaynba

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NBA Betting Roundup: Bulls, Cavaliers, Spurs, Jazz

Just two games on tonight one of which is two teams going in opposite directions while the other is a pick ‘em.

Chicago Bulls at Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers (-11.5) who are dominant at home going 41-3 face a Chicago Bulls (+11.5) that has been outscored on the road by an average of 18 points.

The Cleveland Cavaliers (-11.5) traded for Shaquille O’Neal to get an inside threat and open up space for LeBron James.

That experiment looks to be working as O’Neill picked up 21 points and eight rebounds in a102-90 win over Washington. LeBron took advantage of the space opened up by having 7-foot-1 O’Neal and 7-foot-3 Zydrunas Ilgauskas inside by netting 27 points.

The Bulls are coming off of an 83-81 comeback victory over Milwaukee in which they trailed by 18 in the third quarter.

Luol Deng led the team with 24 points and 20 rebounds while Derrick Rose was clutch picking up 10 points in the 4th-quarter comeback.

San Antonio Spurs at Utah Jazz

A well-rested Spurs team starts a 2-game road trip with a game against the Utah Jazz in an NBA basketball betting pick ‘em.

The 1-3 Jazz are off to their worst start in seven seasons.

Utah is coming off of a 96-85 loss to the Dallas Maverick. Carlos Boozer got in to foul trouble forcing Mehmet Okur in to a mismatch with Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki. Utah wasn’t able to stop Nowitzky who had 29 points in the fourth quarter.

San Antonio swept the season series last year against Utah. Tony Parker averaged 27.5 points and 6.5 assists last year against Utah

NBA 09-10 Season - Race For DOY Award

This seasons Defensive player of the year candidates are few in number, and are subject to change as the season goes on, which they almost always do so here goes. I have left Kobe off the list as I don’t see him handling much of the defensive responsibilities now that Artest is on the team. Lebron is another Candidate I have left off. The previous season Lebron had to play a lot of defence especially with all the mismatches at the guard position but with the recent addition of Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon along with the steady improvement of JJ Hickson, LBJ might not have to do as much on that end anymore.

- Dwight Howard: The reigning defensive player of the year seems poised to repeat. At only 23, Dwight became the youngest DOY winner in the history of the league. With no surgeries or serious injuries to date, and with Dwight’s scary ability to improve every single summer, there are very few people who will doubt a repeat.

- Ron Artest: With the Lakers fresh off a championship run, there is a lot of pressure on Artest to perform well and keep the engine running. Artest looks pumped and ready to step it up on the defensive end this year and officially replace Bruce Bowen as the leagues number one stopper on a Championship Caliber team.

- Dwayne Wade: It has been thirteen years since a guard won the DOY award, and if there is one guy to do the job, it should be flash. Last season he became the first guard ever to have 100 blocks at 6’4 or under. After coming off an amazing year, we should only expect to see more as Dwayne tries to lead his team past a strong eastern conference.

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NBA Betting Roundup: Undefeated Suns vs Magic

There are 10 NBA basketball games on tonight including an undefeated Phoenix Suns team as underdogs against the Orlando Magic.

Boston Celtics (+12) at Minnesota Timberwolves (-12)

This game would be totally uninteresting if it weren’t for the 12-point spread.

Boston gives up the fewest points in the league. They’re tied for the highest shooting percentage. And they’re coming off of a dominant defensive performance against the Philadelphia 76ers in which they pressured their opponent in to shooting 36.3% from the field.

The Timberwolves are on a three-game losing streak. Against the Los Angeles Clippers in their last game, they had a strong fourth-quarter rally but fell just short.

Twelve points is a lot, but the Minnesota offense isn’t special and isn’t going to score more than about 80 points against the Celtics defense. The Celtics should cover this one.

Phoenix Suns (+8) at Orlando Magic (-8)

The undefeated Suns are underdogs against an ornery Magic team coming off of their first defeat of the season.

The Suns are the surprise of the season and Steve Nash is playing like an MVP again. But the Suns haven’t faced opposition of the same caliber as the Orlando Magic.

Orlando is coming off of a loss to the Detroit Pistons in which Detroit punished Dwight Howard who got frustrated and fouled out.

Howard is playing with a sore shoulder that keeps getting re-aggravated. If the Suns can play physically, they can force Howard into making mistakes. But Howard has to know that his frustration may have already cost his team a win and he’s not likely to make the same mistake twice in a row.

Los Angeles Lakers (-2) at Houston Rockets (+2)

Houston is currently on a 3-game winning streak despite the loss of Ron Artest to the Lakers, and Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady to injury, but they still compete and win.

The undersized Rockets have been winning by attacking aggressively and using their skilled shooters. The Rockets are shooting 44.8 percent from 3-point range.

Predictably Kobe Bryant has been leading the 3-1 Lakers with 31.3 points, but the Lakers haven’t put together a complete game. The Lakers are a good team and have plenty of time to get back in to form.

Until they get more consistent, they’ll be vulnerable to good teams like the Rockets.

NBA Betting Roundup: Iverson’s Grizzlies Debut vs Kings

Allen Iverson makes his debut for the Memphis Grizzlies tonight as he looks to return to the form that made him one of the NBA’s most feared players in one of 5 match-ups tonight.

Memphis Grizzlies (+1.5) at Sacramento Kings (-1.5)

The Memphis Grizzlies are coming off of a 133-123 loss to the Denver Nuggets. In the loss they shot 70 percent on their way to a 40-point first quarter before falling behind 67-66 at half. The Grizzlies defense wasn’t able to get the job done in the third as they lost control.

The Kings play their home opener after starting the season winless on a three-game road trip.

The Kings were never close in their last game against San Antonio and were down by 16 points at the half. Kevin Martin scored 29 points and Spencer Hawes picked up 22 points and 10 rebounds, but they were the only Kings to score into double-figures.

Coming off of yet another injury, Iverson isn’t likely to be much of a factor in this game and the Kings will be pumped up for their home opener.

Houston Rockets (+7.5) at Utah Jazz (-7.5)

Even with injuries to Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, Houston’s offense has looked fast and fearsome. However, the Utah Jazz have been very tough at home going 102-22 since the 2006-07 season and the high elevation is going to make a fast-paced run game more difficult.

The Jazz needed a late rally to down the Los Angeles Clippers 111-98. Utah came in to the season with a commitment to defense but so far have only shown it in the last quarter of the Clippers game where they held the Clippers to just 14 points.

The Rockets are coming off of a 111-107 win over Portland in which Trevor Ariza led the attack with 33 points and Aaron Brooks picked up 28 points and 8 assists.

New Orleans Hornets (-2.5) at New York Knicks (+2.5)

Dreadful starts have been the downfall of the winless New York Knicks this season. The Knicks have been outscored by an average of 17 points in the first quarter of their last two games before coming back with big fourth quarters and forcing overtime only to fall short.

The Hornets are on the second of back-to-back games after falling 97-87 to Boston. Chris Paul led the team with 22 points and 8 assists, but it was his outburst after the game that garnered all of the attention.

Paul chased the Celtics’ Rajon Rondo as the Celtics were heading back to their dressing room angry at some contact between the two and words that were exchanged earlier in the game.

NBA Betting Roundup: Lakers, Mavericks, Knicks, Heat

Tonight we see a ton of action with 13 games on the docket with a lot of teams still trying to shake off the pre-season rust that gives oddsmakers headaches and NBA betting fans opportunities.

Los Angeles Lakers (-8) at Dallas Mavericks (+8)

Dallas has lost just one game, but already Dallas fans are worried that they’ll see a repeat of last year where they started 0-4 at home and 2-7 overall. Dallas needs to get more offense from players not named Nowitzki with Josh Howard out for another 10 days.

Last year’s early-season struggles will be quickly forgotten if the Mavs can upset the power-house LA Lakers.

The Lakers opened the season with a victory over the Clippers, but they shot an abysmal 41.2 percent so maybe Dallas has a shot in this one.

The over/under is at 204.5. I’d take a careful look at the under on this one.

New York Knicks (+1.5) at Charlotte Bobcats (-1.5)

Bobcats coach Larry Brown gets my vote for quote of the week. After scoring just 59 points and shooting 31.1 percent in their opening night loss to Boston, a reporter asked if he’d ever coached a team that scored in the 50s, Brown replied, “I don’t know if they call that coaching.”

The Knicks were only slightly less abysmal in their opener as they surrendered 115 points in a loss to Miami.

Charlotte is favored in this one mostly because they were never as bad on offense as the first game seemed to indicate, but the Knicks were always that bad on defense.

Miami Heat (+1.5) at Indiana Pacers (-1.5)

The Heat haven’t beat the Pacers in Indiana in almost eight years largely because they’ve averaged 86.9 points over those games.

If they can get an effort like in their last game where their balanced attack helped them score 115 in a win over New York, they have a good chance of pulling off the win.

The Pacers’ 25 turnovers was a big reason they lost their first game against Atlanta. Danny Granger, their leading scorer, is also hobbled by a bruised heel and, without much balance in their attack, they need him to perform at top level to win.

The 2009-2010 NBA Season Will Be Awesome

If you are in any way a fan of the National Basketball Association (and many aren’t), then you are absolutely going to love the upcoming season. The moves that have been made during the summer are even better than the end of the 2007-2008 season when all the free agents moved around. Let’s take a quick look.

1. Lakers - getting Ron Artest and keeping Lamar Odom. Those two signings along with the ever dangerous Kobe Bryant is going to be tough to beat. However, there are a lot of distractions that the team will have to deal with.
- It is in L.A. and they are the Lakers.
- Second, how will Artest hold up? Will he be a good teammate? I think he will. Kobe is a strong leader. Phil is good at dealing with crazy people. And Artest wants to win.
- Will Lamar stay involved and alert like last year? Or will his new marriage throw him off?

2. Cavaliers - you have Lebron and now you Shaq. Good Lord, watching Shaq is going to be a whole lot more fun than watching Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Nothing personal against the guy. I know he has fought back from a lot of injuries and all. But I remember him against San Antonio in the finals and in the conference finales against Orlando last year. He just looked awful! Shaq won’t look that bad no matter how out of shape he gets! And he is a proven winner that will teach the Cleveland team how to win themselves.

3. Magic - so they brought in Matt Barnes (good move), Brandon Bass (good move), Vince Carter (so-so move), and lost Hedo Turkoglu (bad move). I don’t know. I just think that Orlando might have had the perfect season last year to get as far as they got. I would expect the Celtics so be the ones battling Cleveland for the East, not the Magic.