Can Anyone Stop The Heat In 2010-11?
The 2010 NBA free agency period was one of the most highly anticipated in online sports betting history, with some of the biggest names in the game available to the highest bidder on the open market. Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh were among the names available, and several teams went all out for their chance to attain one of the superstar prizes in hope that they would help turn their losing franchises around. In the end, the big three of James, Wade, and Bosh all signed with the Miami Heat, who used their more than $45 million to establish the foundation for a potential dynasty. Still, there are at least a couple of teams that can stop Miami from achieving their sports betting goal.
The three biggest teams in the way of the Heat achieving their goals are the Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic, and of course, the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics kept their betting on sports core together in the offseason, retaining Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen on top of the emerging Rajon Rondo at the point. Boston also added some big men in both Jermaine and Shaq O’Neal, whose experience should help in their quest for a third finals’ appearance in four years. Two years removed from an NBA finals’ appearance, the Orlando Magic are hoping that consistency will be the key to them getting back to the big stage. Little has changed in California, where the Los Angeles Lakers are still the class of the league. The two-time defending NBA champions kept their 2010 championship team intact in the offseason, and will be the team to beat this year. The common theme with all three teams is at the five-spot, as all boast centers that rank among the best in the league. Signing three big names limited the Heat’s ability to add more of a supporting cast, and it isn’t a guarantee that their big three can get the job done on their own, especially if one goes down with an injury.
Bulls Get Their Man In Thibodeau
The Chicago Bulls have their man as they have pried away Tom Thibodeau, a now former assistant coach to current NBA championship finalist, the Boston Celtics. Although signing as the new head coach of the legendary Bulls franchise, the Celtics and Bulls have agreed that Thibodeau can remain on the Celtics coaching staff for the remainder of the NBA finals. After the finals are over, Thibodeau will become the next head coach of the Bulls, whom have gone from one of the most dominant teams in the 90s, under current Lakers bench boss Phil Jackson, to one of the more dysfunctional franchises in recent years.
NBA finals betting odds should not be swayed towards the Lakers as a result of Thibodeau becoming the new Bulls coach. Instead, rather, they should sway in favor of the Celtics, as Thibodeau looks to guide the storied franchise to their second NBA title in the last three years.
Fans betting on a stronger Bulls team for the 2010-2011 season, should know that Thibodeau will bring two essential factors to a Bulls team which at the best of times has lacked direction. The two factors he brings, is that he is a player’s coach, and has a well rounded strategy. Throughout his tenure in Boston, Thibodeau has been responsible for the defensive side of the ball, turning the team into perhaps the most dominant defensive squad in the entire NBA.
However, as a player’s coach, Thibodeau has been inspirational to his players, as his relentless work effort has rubbed off on the team and made each player’s individual game better overall. Further such strong work ethic being infectious on a championship caliber team such as the Celtics, should be just as motivational to a young Bulls squad.
Celtics-Lakers Game 2 Preview
Boston Celtics @ Los Angeles Lakers
NBA Finals - Game 2
Sunday, June 6th - 8:10 PM ET
Staples Center - Los Angeles, CA
The first game of the 2010 NBA Finals was a complete train wreck for Boston. Coach Doc Rivers’ club never got into the flow of the action, as the Lakers posted a nine-point halftime lead and then blitzed the Eastern Conference champions for an 84-64 lead after three periods. The Celtics made a modest push in the fourth quarter, but never got within single digits of the Lakers, losing 102-89 in a rather lopsided affair. Everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong for the 2008 NBA champions, who were hoping to win Game 1 just as they did two years ago against the Lake Show in the Finals.
Ray Allen picked up two early fouls and racked up even more whistles when he re-entered the game later on. He had five fouls before the third quarter ended and didn’t hit a single three-point shot. Kevin Garnett looked slow and creaky, a shadow of the man who excelled against Cleveland and was solid against Orlando. Kendrick Perkins scored just eight points and grabbed only three rebounds. No one stepped up for the Celtics, who need a substantially better effort just to play the Lakers on even terms.
Coach Phil Jackson has to love what he saw in Game 1. It wasn’t just that his team won; the Lakers must be very pleased because they outworked Boston in the low post and near the rim. The Lakers hammered the Celtics on the boards, with Pau Gasol getting eight offensive rebounds, one more than the combined total of overall rebounds (offensive and defensive boards) snatched by Garnett and Perkins. L.A. won the points-in-the-paint competition by a substantial 48-30 margin. Even more telling was the fact that the Lakers earned 16 second-chance points while the C’s produced absolutely nothing. That’s right: The defending champions prevented the 2008 champs from getting a single second-chance bucket. Los Angeles clearly wanted the game a lot more and prevented Boston from ever getting any kind of foothold. It was partly like a give-away game in which the Lakers didn’t have to spill the tank. They won a game with minimal resistance, and can now stay fresh for Game 2.
The Pick:
The Celtics are in huge trouble. Garnett didn’t look physically liberated. Rajon Rondo’s back was tight during the game, and he didn’t orchestrate his offense the way his teammates and coaching staff had hoped. Kobe Bryant scored 30 points but didn’t dominate the proceedings. Why? Because he never really needed to. Ron Artest played a fabulous high-energy game for the Lakers and set a very positive tone for his team… not just in Game 1, but for the whole series. This is a different situation compared to 2008. The Lakers, not the Celtics, are the deeper team, unlike two years ago. The Lakers should take full control of the Finals on Sunday.
Pick: Lakers
Can Suns Survive One More Day?
Los Angeles Lakers @ Phoenix Suns
NBA Western Conference Finals - Game 6
Saturday, May 29th - 8:40 PM ET
U.S. Airways Center - Phoenix, AZ
Heading Into Game 6: Lakers
It was all so much like Game 6 of the Lakers’ first-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. In a highly important late-series game, the Lakers needed a bucket at the very end of regulation time. Kobe Bryant got the ball on the right wing and launched a jumper that missed. While the ball was in the air, members of the opposing team stood around and watched the ball, mesmerized by the scene and hoping that the world’s best basketball player would miss. However, the job of a rebounder in the final seconds is not to hope for a miss, but to guard against an offensive rebounder in the event of a miss. Against Oklahoma City, L.A.’s Pau Gasol fought through Serge Ibaka and Nick Collison of the Thunder to put back a Kobe miss and win the series for the defending world champions. In Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, the rebounder for the Lakers was Ron Artest, and the Phoenix Sun who failed to block him out was Jason Richardson. That’s the kind of play champions make. The Lakers are still champions.
Heading Into Game 6: Suns
How will the end of Game 5 affect this team on Saturday evening? It’s hard to say. On one hand, the Suns still have to be encouraged by the way they competed. They trailed the Lakers on Thursday night by a 41-25 score midway through the second period, and were playing a horrible brand of basketball. Stagnant in their halfcourt sets and paralyzed on defense, Phoenix allowed Kobe Bryant to get clean spot-up looks for threes and simply failed to react to what was happening on the court. Yes, the Suns cranked up the intensity and crashed the offensive glass with success in the final stages of Game 5, but their hard work - plus their valiant comeback - went for naught when Jason Richardson failed to do his job on the final play of regulation. If the Suns can be more consistent and hold their nerve to the very end, they still have a chance, but the wound of the Game 5 heartbreaker could very well crush their resolve.
Outlook & Pick
In terms of evaluating the raw form of these two teams, the Suns should be favored to win Game 6 on their home floor. The Lakers have clearly regressed from the team that steamrolled the Suns in Games 1 and 2. Pau Gasol is not the same player, and big man Andrew Bynum is simply not much a factor due to the limitations imposed by his injury. The Suns are refusing to give up, and are actually getting stronger as the series goes along. However, the Lakers furnished a championship moment in Game 5, and the Suns - who made the West Finals in 2006 but lost in Game 6 (at home) to the Dallas Mavericks - might have had their psyches permanently damaged by Ron Artest’s late basket. The percentages say the Suns, but the gut instinct says the Lakers will finish this series on Saturday.
Pick: Lakers
Magic Fight Off Elimination
Going into their Eastern Conference finals matchup against the Boston Celtics, the Orlando Magic were NBA betting enthusiasts safe bet for a return to the NBA Finals. However, going into game four last night in Boston, the Magic had gone easy on the Celtics, as they gave them a three to nothing series lead. In each of the first three games, the Celtics were able to dominate the Magic, who would not show up until the fourth quarter in each of the first two games. But, in the third game, the Celtics were able to embarrass the Magic, providing a nostalgic moment for the diehards as the Magic had not looked as bad as they did in game three since the 2003-2004 season which saw them finish last in the league that season.
NBA playoff betting fans, should note that although the Magic finally showed up for game four, no team has come back in the history of the NBA after being down three to nothing. This year, could be different, because if any team should be able to come all the way back, it should be the Magic. After such a dominating performance in the regular season and first two rounds of the playoffs, the Magic have never had to come from behind. Essentially if statistics can prove anything it is that this Magic team is too good to be finished in five games, and may become the first team in NBA history to come all the way back from being down three games to nothing. After winning last night, if the team can play as motivated the rest of the way through, Magic fans and basketball betters alike may witness history, as they still have the best odds of returning to the NBA finals.
Suns In A Big Hole
If this was horse racing, then the Phoenix Suns got out to a good start in these playoffs but they are fading fast. Before you know it, the sun is going to set on their season and they are going to be on the golf course, or checking their NFL football betting guide, or giving college football betting advice, or whatever else it is they do in the heat over the summer.
The Suns dispatched the Portland Trail Blazers is the first round and then spun the San Antonio Spurs out of the playoffs in just four games. They had been one of the hottest teams in the NBA heading into the playoffs but they simply can’t match up with the Los Angeles Lakers.
In Game 1, Lamar Odom went off and the Suns had no answers for him or anyone else on the Lakers squad. In Game 2, the story was the same as again the Lakers topped the 120-point mark and throttled the Suns.
In short, the Suns simply aren’t good enough. The Lakers can get out and run-and-gun, but the Suns can’t play a half court style when necessary. On top of that, the Lakers can score with the Suns with ease - and even outscore them - but the Suns can’t play a lick of defense.
New team, new coach, new faces, but same old problems.
The sports betting lines gave the impression that this would be a close series but it has been anything but in the first two games. It might last a few more but the result is becoming very clear.
NBA News- Battle of the Brooms Face Off In West Final
Two of the three most dominant teams in the NBA are set to meet in the Western Conference final Monday. The Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns will battle one another in what is certain to be an exciting series for NBA fans placing wagers on the series. Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns proved in their series clinching 107-101 victory against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday, is that past seasons woes should be forgotten, as the 2009-2010 Suns look to be the most dominant team Nash has played on. Kobe Bryant and the Lakers on the contrary simply continued to do what they do best, dismantle opponents, as they easily defeated the Utah Jazz Monday, 111-96. When betting online for this series, although both teams swept their second round opponents, the Lakers will still be the heavy favorite as they are the defending champions. Although the Lakers are highly favoured, fans wagering on basketball betting should know that the Suns have the ability to pull upsets.
In every game this season that Steve Nash and company were down in a game, they came back and won each game. As well, the most intriguing part of the series will be to see how well each teams supporting cast plays, as the Phoenix bench severely out played San Antonio’s bench leading to the four game sweep. While Kobe Bryant’s supporting cast of Paul Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Ron Artest, and Lamar Odom to name a few, easily won games against both the Thunder in the first round and the Jazz in the second round. Phoenix fans witnessed the emergence of backup point guard Goran Dragic, as he took over games three and four against the Spurs. If the Lakers hope to sweep the Suns like they did the Jazz, they will need to play a very tight disciplined defensive game, similar to the one administered against the Thunder.
Magic First To Advance To Second Round
The Orlando Magic became the first sportsbetting team to advance to the second round of the 2010 NBA playoffs with a 99-90 road win over the Charlotte Bobcats on Monday night. The win completes the series sweep, the first in franchise history for the Magic, after the defending NBA finalists finished second to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the regular season standings. Despite having a deep enough squad to get the job done without their star center, Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy was upset again to see Dwight Howard foul out again. Howard was held to six points, in his fourth straight game in which he ran in to foul trouble. The 24-year old played just 23 minutes before fouling out for a second consecutive game.
While Orlando has advanced past the opening round, the team it defeated in the Eastern conference finals a year ago, the Cleveland Cavaliers, can advance with a win over the Chicago Bulls on home court Tuesday night in their Bulls vs Cavaliers Odds series. The Cavaliers have faced little adversity in their series, and there is a possibility that the Bulls will be without their star guard Derrick Rose. Rose underwent an MRI on Monday for a sprained left ankle, and although the results revealed no significant tears, head coach Vinny Del Negro acknowledged the fact that a decision on whether or not his star will be in the lineup will not be made until game day. Rose injured his ankle in Sunday’s Game Four loss when he stepped on the foot of Cleveland center Shaquille O’Neal.
Lakers Cannot Be Stopped In Western Conference
Many sport betting enthusiasts would point to the fact that the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers did not lose any big names as the biggest reason why they should be the favorite to repeat in 2010. That point can be taken a step further by giving recognition to the face that this team has actually improved since they raised basketball’s ultimate prize by facing little adversity in their series with the Orlando Magic.
For all that the Lakers accomplished a year ago, they did those things without Ron Artest on the team. They did those things with starting center Andrew Bynum and young guard Jordan Farmar a year younger, with one year less experience. They did those things with a year less chemistry from playing together. However, 2010 is different.
When the Lakers faced the Houston Rockets in last year’s basketball betting playoffs, head coach Phil Jackson and superstar Kobe Bryant took notice by the play of one of the NBA’s best defenders, as Ron Artest did an excellent job defending one of the association’s best players, if not the best player. Los Angeles was so impressed by the play of Artest, that they targeted him in the offseason, understanding just how big of a defensive role he would play. According to a recent poll conducted by Sports Illustrated that asked 270-plus NBA players who they felt the best defensive player in the association was, the largest percentage voted for Bryant, with Artest placing second. Now both players are wearing the gold and purple this postseason.
Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Andrew Bynum were enough to contain the Magic’s center and top big man in the league Dwight Howard, but this year that group is even better. Bynum is a year older and much more experienced, while Gasol and Odom have become stronger in the post, and are even better down low than they were a year ago. The three big men have come together to form the best rotation in the NBA, and that has been reflected in the Thunder vs Lakers odds series where Los Angeles has dominated in winning the first two games.
Perhaps what is most important is that the Lakers have spent this year developing even further as a team. Injuries and inconsistencies plagued this squad throughout much of the year, but that allowed head coach Phil Jackson to try different things, and figure out different sets and strengths his team would be able to apply depending on in-game NBA odds situations. The extra year of experience has helped the players who won the title last year learn how to compliment one another’s style even better, and with the addition of Artest, the Lakers may have the best big game defensive breakdown in the association. The added experience, compliments acquired in the offseason, and the fact that this team has lost no player from last year’s championship team to either injury or movement makes the Lakers the favorite to return to this year’s NBA finals.
Top-Three Finals Preview
The National Basketball Association’s regular season comes to a close today, with one final playoff spot to be determined in the Eastern conference. While little has changed atop the standings, the road to the finals could lead to a very intriguing championship series. Here’s a quick look at three match ups NBA sportsbook enthusiasts will be hoping to see.
Orlando Magic vs Los Angeles Lakers
A rematch of the 2009 finals would be a treat. The Lakers never really looked in danger of conceding the title to the Magic a season ago, and while Orlando feels it is better equipped to handle Los Angeles should the two represent their conferences in the final for a second straight year, the truth is both teams have improved. Can the Magic rely on Vince Carter to be the difference if these teams meet?
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Los Angeles Lakers
This is the dream match up NBA betting enthusiasts were anticipating a year ago when the Cavaliers and Lakers were each made heavy favorites in their respective conference finals. One of these teams made it, the other had eleven months to think about it, and work towards ensuring a spot in the championship. The key difference between this years team and the one that lost to the Magic in six games a season ago will be at center, where Cleveland added Shaquille O’Neal in the off-season to match up with Dwight Howard in the post. Will that be enough? How about Shaq versus Kobe for the NBA title?
Boston Celtics vs San Antonio Spurs
How about two solid teams with aging rosters making one more championship run? The Celtics can compete with any team in the east when healthy, while San Antonio has been one of the hottest teams in the association down the stretch.