Finally. Am I the only one who feels like it’s been two years since last season?
The Warriors open the season as -3.5 favorites against the visiting Houston Rockets. Really, favorites? This line is quite mysterious to me. Maybe it’s because the Warriors are suiting up more than six players, and the bookies don’t know how to handicap that!
Posted in Pre-Game Jitters, Previews
Tagged Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Keith Smart, Kevin Martin, Luis Scola, Yao Ming
I’ve posted this preview on Golden State of Mind.
I’ve posted this piece on Golden State of Mind.
If you like the Celtics in this matchup, THIS is the game you want to bet. Getting a straight 6 points now. Me, I’m staying away.
There are a lot of adjustments the Celtics can make to play better in this game. Getting Pierce onto Kobe from the start of the game is number one. Going to Ray Allen against Derek Fisher again and again and again is also important. (Rivers has to make the Lakers pay for putting Kobe on Rondo.) Using pick and roll to free Pierce from Artest’s clutches. Rondo being more assertive.
But it might not matter, because Kevin Garnett doesn’t look right.
Posted in Previews
Celtics +160
Lakers -180
Two correct calls in the Conference Finals have got me back in the black for these playoffs, although it would have been better if I hadn’t hedged my Celtics bet in the last game. C’est la vie, I think it was the right play, and in sports wagering as well as in poker, all you can do is make the right play. You can’t control that river card.
Now what to do in these Finals? The pundits seem to agree that this time around the Lakers have what it takes to beat the Celtics. They point to the fact that the Lakers have added Andrew Bynum and Ron Artest to the core that faced the Celtics in 2008. They think Pau Gasol is now “tougher,” and that the Lakers now “know what it takes” to win in the finals. They think the Celtics are going to miss a couple of key bench players from the 2008 Finals, Leon Powe and James Posey.
I’m not so sure. Jump for my opinion of the key factors in this series:
You may remember that I bet on the Celtics in this series. I still believe that they are the best team, but I am a little bit concerned about the injury problems that have surfaced in the last few games. Big Baby Davis has been an important piece in the battle to contain Dwight Howard; he is concussed and down a few teeth, and may not be available. Likewise Rasheed Wallace; he is a great player who has really stepped up his play, but he is now suffering severe back spasms. Kevin Garnett has slowed noticably; the knee that has bothered him all season may be on the verge of giving out. And perhaps most importantly, Rajon Rondo has been slowed as well by back spasms. Given these inherently unpredictable factors, I think prudence is the order of the day.
I’ve posted this piece on Golden State of Mind.
I’ve posted this piece on Golden State of Mind.
Lakers -360
Suns +270
I’ve been betting against my heart and against the Suns every series so far this playoffs. This series will be no different. I absolutely love Steve Nash — I watched virtually every one of his games with the Mavericks. I love Alvin Gentry, the Suns coach. I love Suns basketball, which is the closest you can get to Don Nelson basketball without having Nellie himself. I was very impressed by how the Suns picked apart the Spurs in the last series.
But I don’t see any way they can beat the Lakers. Here are the problems:
I’ve posted this piece on Golden State of Mind.
