September 2010 NBA Events
Calendar of NBA Events for September 2010 brought to you by gamblingprobasketball.com
APRIL 2010 EVENTS |
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| 3rd | Boxing: Roy Jones Jr. vs. Bernard Hopkins |
| 3rd | Final Four |
| 4th, 6th, 7th | MLB: Yankees vs. Red Sox |
| 4th | MLB Opening night Yankees v. Red Sox |
| 5th | Men's NCAA Basketball Championship |
| 5th | MLB: 1st day full schedule |
| 6th-7th | Soccer: Champions League |
| 8th-11th | Golf: the Masters |
| 8th | NBA: Lakers vs. Nuggets |
| 9th-11th | MLB: Minnesota Twins v. Chicago White Sox |
| 10th | UFC: Invincible |
| 16th | NBA playoffs start (give or take a day) |
| 16th-18th | MLB: LA Dodgers vs. SF Giants |
| 17th | Boxing: Kelly Pavlik vs. Sergio Martinez |
| 17th | Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Shields |
| 22nd | NFL Draft Round 1 |
| 23rd | NFL Draft Round 2 |
| 23rd-25th | MLB: NY Yankees vs. LA Angels |
| 24th | NFL Draft Round 3 |
| 24th | WEC 48: Aldo vs. Faber |
| 30th-may | MLB: NY Mets vs. Philadelphia Phillies |
MAY 2010 EVENTS |
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| 1st | Boxing: Shane Mosely vs. Floyd Mayweather |
| 1st | Kentucky Derby |
| 6th-9th | Golf: The Players Championship |
| 8th | UFC 113: Machida vs Shogun 2 |
| 15th | Preakness Stakes |
| 24th-june 6th | Tennis: French Open |
| 29th | UFC 114: Rampage vs. Evans |
| 30th | Indianapolis 500 |
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What do the Cavaliers do Next?
2010-07-26
Nobody in Cleveland thought it could possibly come to this. Not after seven years as a Cavalier and a lifetime spent in Ohio. Not after he revealed prior to free agency that the Cavaliers had an edge in landing him. Surely not after all the heartbreaking moments and figures in Cleveland sports history that require no explanation: The Drive, The Fumble, The Shot, Jose Mesa, Art Modell. Nobody expected LeBron James to leave Cleveland in the most heartbreaking, callous way imaginable. Instead, a city and franchise is left in disarray as it tries to make sense of it all. There is no doubt that it will be a difficult rebuilding job.
It’s no understatement to say that the Cleveland Cavaliers were totally constructed around LeBron James, on and off the court. Everything went through him and he was the fulcrum of everything they accomplished. This season, the two-time MVP led the team in points, assists, blocks, and steals, and was a close second in rebounds. Furthermore, every acquisition was made with the intent of appeasing James. Instead of building a roster around young talent and draft picks, they focused on more experienced players with higher price tags because they knew that they had to win championships with James.
Assessing a plan of action going forward for the Cavaliers is difficult. It’s pretty hard to replace 29.7 points, 8.6 assists, and 7.3 rebounds per game. Fortunately for the Cavaliers, they have money to spend from what would have gone to James’ contract. Even then, there are some difficulties. Cleveland isn’t one of the more attractive places for a free agent. Not only is it a small market, the winters are brutal, and the economic region is depressed. The conundrum can be looked at as such: if Chris Bosh didn’t want to go there and play with James, who would want to go there without him?
A new wrinkle to the attractiveness (or lack thereof) of Cleveland is owner Dan Gilbert. Upon James’ dismissal, he wrote a public letter to the fans excoriating James and slandering his character. It leaves many questions about the way in which Gilbert operates the franchise and whether any superstar would want to place himself under that type of risk if things didn’t go well.
Another unfortunate consequence of the timing of James’ decision is that it seems to have come too late for Cleveland to pursue any big name free agents. The Cavaliers couldn’t reach out to anybody because James forced their hand and they had to leave the money available for him in case he decided to return. The domino effect of James’ decision has already depleted many of the role player free agents as well and there just isn’t an abundance of talent left on the market. Perhaps the biggest decision for Cleveland to make in free agency is whether or not to keep Shaquille O’Neal, who can still occasionally produce but slows the game down significantly and is an injury risk. And NBA betting have had their fill of Shaq.
That’s not to say the Cavaliers are without assets though, perhaps the greatest of which is Byron Scott, who might not have signed with the team had he known James would leave. Scott has a proven pedigree as a player and coach, especially with the New Orleans Hornets.
As far as player personnel, Mo Williams is a very valuable cog. He blossomed as a point guard last year, occasionally making clutch plays down the stretch and showing great shooting ability. Antawn Jamison was brought in for James and was thought to be a short-term player. However, he is still under contract and the Cavs are hoping he still has mileage left at 34 years of age. Both these players averaged 15.8 points a game last year and it will be interesting to see how well they play without James and if either one is capable of becoming the leader the team needs.
The Cavs best young player is likely JJ Hickson, who showed signs of potential greatness last year. His development was likely stunted by the franchise’s choice to do everything to win then, which meant leaning on veteran players. Now that championships are out of the question, perhaps Hickson will be given more of a chance to show what he can do in an increased role. Other teams around the league certainly think highly of him, as is indicated by the Phoenix Suns’ refusal to trade Amare Stoudemire at last season’s trade deadline when Cleveland declined to include Hickson.
The Cavaliers would be wise to take a long-term approach and follow a model like that of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have gone from one of the worst teams in the NBA to a playoff squad that many think will eventually challenge for a title. To do that, the Cavs need to acquire younger players to surround Hickson with, as well as build through the draft.
As far as the Cavs prospects for the 2010-2011 season, it’s difficult to see them making the playoffs. However, the Eastern Conference has been very top-heavy in recent years with a big fall-off after the first four or five teams. Considering this, their best-case scenario is challenging for a playoff spot and perhaps getting in as the seven or eight seed, where they just might play the Miami Heat and a certain former player.
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NBA Free Agency 2010
2010-07-07
The NBA free agency frenzy has officially begun, promising to alter the course of the NBA for the next decade. After much analysis, here are some predictions about where this year’s top players will end up.
LeBron James- Whatever James decides, it will ultimately cause a huge ripple effect. He has saved his last two free agent visits for what are likely his top two candidates: Cleveland and Chicago. It’ll be a very tough decision but in the end, I see another heartbreak for Cleveland’s sports fans as James signs with the Bulls. They simply give him a better opportunity to win championships. It also doesn’t hurt that he’d be able to play in the same place as his idol, Michael Jordan.
Chris Bosh- Bosh won’t be going back to Toronto so it will be intriguing to see if he tries to leverage a sign-and-trade in order to maximize his earning potential. Bosh’s Toronto teams never did very well so he’s going to want to go to a team that has excellent pieces in place to support him and ultimately challenge for a championship. Look for Bosh to follow James to Chicago and reap the benefits of an extremely talented nucleus already in place.
Dwyane Wade- Don’t be fooled by these meetings with other teams; Wade will be returning to Miami. After trying to pull off a coup and bring James and Bosh to Miami (which will ultimately be unsuccessful) Wade will continue to actively recruit other free agents to help Miami return to their championship ways of 2006.
Dirk Nowitzki- This is another player who, barring unforeseen circumstances, will return to his former team. Nowitzki has an outstanding relationship with owner Mark Cuban and the city of Dallas and merely opted out of his contract so he could maximize his earning potential. Nevertheless, Nowitzki is likely pleading with Cuban to make a splash in free agency and push Dallas over the top after past postseason shortcomings. They won’t be able to pull off a sign-and-trade for James, a player Cuban covets, but in a class as deep as this one there are many other possibilities.
Amare Stoudemire- Stoudemire’s choice will ultimately come down to Phoenix and Miami. Although he has enjoyed great success in Phoenix’s system, rumor has it that negotiations have stalled. It can’t help that Steve Nash in aging and this team’s championship window appears to be closing. Although not Miami’s first choice for an interior player, negotiations will heat up after James and Bosh sign in Chicago. It may take a while but Stoudemire will ultimately sign with Miami after seeing the benefits to forming an inside-outide duo with Wade in South Beach.
Joe Johnson- Johnson is another one of those players whose free agency is complicated by other elite free agents. Although an outstanding player and likely maximum contract recipient, he lags behind James at his position and is looked at as a plan B for many teams. He has already been offered a maximum contract by Atlanta and their interest in him is unequivocal. However, after years of playing on mediocre teams, the guess is he’ll ultimately opt for a change of scenery. The Knicks have already spoken with him and appear to have their sights firmly set on him if (and when) James gets away. The lure of a new venue and playing in the glitzy New York market will be too much for any other team to overcome in the Joe Johnson sweepstakes.
David Lee- Lee is one of the most underrated players in the NBA and has been a pillar of consistency for the Knicks during turbulent times. He will get many looks from other teams, likely including the New Jersey Nets, but the Knicks will ultimately view him as too valuable to let go. He’d get much more help with the addition of Johnson.
Carlos Boozer- Boozer has been a very consistent, rugged player for the Jazz but it appears that they aren’t willing to pay the contract he’ll command and are content with letting Paul Milsap take his spot at power forward. Boozer could truly end up anywhere, potentially in a sign-and-trade. Rumors are starting to grow that this will indeed be what happens, with Boozer going to Orlando and the Jazz receiving compensation. The Eastern Conference is going to be rapidly improved next year and the Magic need to keep up in the arms race. Boozer would help them achieve this and would give Dwight Howard excellent help on the interior. Are you getting ready for the upcoming NBA season? With so many players moving around NBA betting will be more exciting than ever. Head over to www.sportsbook.com the home of NBA betting.
NBA Draft Wrap 2010
2010-07-06
Games are never won on paper, but immediately after last night’s draft there appear to be some definite winners and losers. Despite all the prognostications, drafting is one of the most inexact sciences in sports, especially as different players mature at different rates. Potential is one of the greatest, and riskiest, factors considered by NBA teams. With that, here are the preliminary impressions of last night’s draft.
Winners
Detroit Pistons- The Pistons were extremely lucky to have Greg Monroe fall to them with the seventh pick of the draft. He was expected to go higher and fits Detroit’s low-post need; expect to see Monroe contribute from the beginning. Drafting Terrico White with the 36th pick is another flat-out steal; White may have been the best athlete in the draft. Although guard is not a huge need for the Pistons, his development could make the aging Richard Hamilton expendable.
Los Angeles Clippers- The Clippers filled their two biggest needs: small forward and backup point guard. Al-Farouq Aminu has star potential and should be an integral part of LA’s young nucleus at small forward. With Baron Davis not getting any younger, it was very savvy for the Clippers to acquire Eric Bledsoe. Bledsoe was overshadowed by John Wall at Kentucky last year and may turn out to be one of the draft’s better sleepers. Learning from Davis will season him even more. As if this draft couldn’t get any better, the Clippers landed Willie Warren, once considered a top 10 talent, with the 54th overall pick. If Warren is able to undergo an attitude adjustment, he could be a big contributor at the NBA level.
Oklahoma City Thunder- The NBA’s team of the future entered the draft knowing it needed to fortify the post. They did exactly that, trading to get Cole Aldrich. Aldrich is a physical presence capable of playing both post positions and may finally be the one to close OKC’s revolving door at center. GM Sam Presti also shrewdly dealt Eric Bledsoe for a future first round pick from the Clippers. Bledsoe is a good player but the Clippers are unlikely to get out of the lottery in the near future, virtually assuring OKC of a high pick.
Losers
Golden State Warriors- Drafting Ekpe Udoh sixth overall was a reach, to say the least. The Warriors were seduced by Udoh’s athleticism and workouts and ignored the fact that, even at 23 years old, he is still very raw. Some point to Udoh’s two pedestrian seasons at Michigan and wonder if his one successful year at Baylor was a byproduct of their system. Even more befuddling is the fact that Golden State has two other players in Brandan Wright and Anthony Randolph who are essentially the same: athletic small forwards who need seasoning. This was a misdirected pick and the Warriors should have targeted Greg Monroe.
New York Knicks- The Knicks spent both their second round picks on players—Andy Rautins and Landry Fields—who some didn’t even expected to be drafted. They could both be serviceable NBA role players, but the Knicks’ thinking is confusing because the players are so similar. These picks were obviously made with the intent of surrounding LeBron James with shooters but if he signs elsewhere, this thinking looks even more misguided.
Could Go Either Way
Sacramento Kings- On the surface, one would think the Kings had a tremendous draft. Some thought DeMarcus Cousins had the talent to go number one overall and corralling him at five was fortuitous. The same goes for Hassan Whiteside, who slipped to 33 after once being regarded as a lottery pick. However, drafting both of them together may pose some problems. Both saw their stock drop due to questionable attitudes and they play the same position, creating a potential logjam at center along with Samuel Dalembert, who will command minutes in a contract year. There is no doubting the talent but the Kings will need to have a coach capable of developing chemistry and fostering maturity in these players, especially when minutes may be scarce.
Indiana Pacers- GM Larry Bird eschewed his tradition of taking proven college players by making some risky picks. Paul George has tremendous upside but can be turnover prone and lack motivation. Perhaps the biggest question is how he’ll play with superstar Danny Granger, who has a very similar style. Magnum Rolle brings length and athleticism and Lance Stephenson has tremendous upside and was a great value pick in the second round. However, Stephenson’s attitude is widely questioned and if he doesn’t mature, he could harm team chemistry.
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LeBron James Destination
2010-06-25
The LeBron Sweepstakes—Place Your Bets Now!
Maybe you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t heard, so I’ll repeat it just in case; this summer, the NBA features one of the best storylines in years. This is the Summer of LeBron. Even though such megastars as Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amar’e Stoudemire and others are free agents this summer, the big prize is LeBron James. There’s no team that wouldn’t love to get LeBron. The sad truth for 31 of those 32 teams, however, is that only one team will win the LeBron sweepstakes. LeBron hasn’t given many clues, but here are the five most likely destinations for King James this summer. And all of the NBA betting community is on the edge of their seats for this.
5. New York Knicks This has been wildly speculated for years now, as people take LeBron’s stated goal of becoming a billionaire and run with it. Let’s clear this up right now. This. Is. Not. Happening. LeBron has already become a transcendent figure in our culture, a major star in the absolutely miniscule Cleveland media market. Going to New York won’t do anything to enhance his image or his personal brand. LeBron wants to win championships—that is what he needs to approach Jordan in the basketball pantheon. Even if New York were to sign a second big name this offseason, a team with Danilo Gallinari and Chris Duhon in the starting five isn’t going anywhere, which all the keen NBA betting types know. New York doesn’t offer nearly enough upside for LeBron, and he doesn’t stand to gain anything by becoming a Knick. Don’t trust the hype. LeBron isn’t going to be a Knick any sooner than you or I.
4. New Jersey Nets Basically, this is the same situation as the Knicks, but with a few minor advantages for New Jersey. The Nets have a new owner, Russian multi-billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, who is willing to re-make the entire Nets brand around James. New Jersey is also about to make a move to a brand new stadium in Brooklyn, potentially along with a new team name, logo, attitude, and roster. If that’s not enough incentive, Nets partial-owner Jay-Z is a friend of James’, and has made it clear that he’d love to team up with the King. Still, when the Nets lost the number one pick in the NBA lottery, they missed out not only on consensus-first-pick John Wall, but LeBron James, as well. The Nets don’t have the cash to put together a championship-ready team the way other teams on this list do. Without John Wall, LeBron James won’t be going to New Jersey.
3. Los Angeles Clippers This seems like a long shot to most people, but don’t count out the Clips as a viable spot for LeBron to start his career anew. The Clippers can make a strong argument for being the best spot for LeBron James. Imagine a starting five of Baron Davis, Eric Gordon (who put up close to 17 points per game last year), James, Blake Griffin, and All-Star Chris Kaman. Add in the 8th overall draft pick (perhaps Kansas’ Xavier Henry to help spell Davis and Gordon) and, and you certainly have a more intriguing roster than anything James has seen in Cleveland. The Clippers have always been at the mercy of Donald Sterling—the Al Davis of the NBA—but entertainment mogul David Geffen has expressed interest in buying the Clippers. They don’t get the attention of the Knicks or Bulls, but don’t count out the Clips. James would love the chance to match up against Kobe four times a year.
2. Chicago Bulls For whatever reason, the media has all but decided that this is going to happen, and it’s certainly a strong possibility. Chicago provides the solid roster, major market and cap space James needs, but something smells funny here. LeBron hasn’t won a championship in his first seven years as a pro, and with all the comparisons between him and Jordan, would he really want to bring the inevitable pressure upon himself by signing with Chicago? Even if the Bulls won three titles in five years with James at the helm, the people of Chicago would never embrace him the way they did Jordan, the greatest to ever play the game. The chance to play with Derrick Rose makes Chicago a strong contender, but LeBron is a savvy enough businessman to know he needs some distance between himself and Jordan to keep the mystery going.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers Other than the small market, it’s hard to find a reason why LeBron wouldn’t want to re-sign with Cleveland. Not only is it a great PR move (keeping his loyalty with the Cavs, his hometown team), but the Cavs are clearly serious about making changes to suit their superstar. With GM Danny Ferry out and college coaching legend Tom Izzo possibly on his way in to fill Mike Brown’s recently vacated head coaching position, it’s clear that Cleveland is willing to give James the keys the car. The Cavs have been contenders every year with virtually no help around LeBron, so it’s an easy sell from a front office perspective—sign with us, and we’ll get you those last few pieces of the puzzle. With all the free agents ripe for the picking, it’s not too much of a stretch to imagine James and, say, Chris Bosh lining up to take small pay cuts to play together. It’s far from a done deal, but Cleveland has to have the upper hand in signing LeBron James this summer.
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Can Mikhail Prokhorov turn the Nets around?
2010-06-25
With the exception of Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, most of the other owners in the NBA stay out of the spotlight. However, it appears that Cuban may have to share some of the attention in the years to come. The new owner of the New Jersey Nets has generated a great deal of notice in recent weeks. Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov has brought a new dynamic to the NBA. It appears that he will do whatever it takes to turn the Nets franchise around. Prokhorov inherits a team that is coming off of one of the worst seasons in the history of the NBA. In the 2009-10 campaign, the Nets were on the verge of posting a dubious feat for a good portion of the year. The 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers set a mark of futility by posting a 9-73 record. The 2009-10 Nets dropped its first 18 contests of the season, and the NBA betting community closed the door on them. As the year progressed, things didn't get much better. After 70 games, New Jersey held a record of 7-63. The Nets were on the brink of a record that no team wanted to be associated with. The club was able to post a respectable 5-7 mark in the final 12 games of the year to avoid the 76ers record. Still, a 12-70 record has left the Nets with a lot of work to do heading into the 2010-11 season.
There are some glimmers of hope heading into the upcoming year for the Nets. New Jersey has a chance to build around one of the top young centers in the league. 22-year-old Brook Lopez was the lone bright spot for the Nets last season. In just his second year in the league, he averaged 19 points and 9 rebounds per outing. In the backcourt, point guard Devin Harris (17 points, 7 assists per game last season) is a solid performer. He will be looking to stay on the floor a little more often next year. Harris has missed 18 or more games in each of the last three seasons. The upcoming draft should provide some help for the club. In a deep draft, the Nets will have 3 of the first 31 selections. New Jersey will have the third overall choice in the draft. The Nets should be able to get an impact frontcourt performer to compliment Lopez. New Jersey will also have selections at spots 27 and 31. With his deep pockets, Prokhorov could be active in this summer's free agency period. He will likely make a strong run at league MVP LeBron James. If Prokhorov is unable to land James, there are several other big names available for the Nets to pursue.
After last year's disaster, the Nets will have a new coach prowling the sidelines this season. It appears that former Mavericks head coach Avery Johnson will be the club's choice. He took Dallas to the NBA Finals back in 2006. Fans of the Nets will be able to watch the club at a new arena in Brooklyn in two years. With Prokhorov's aggressive approach, New Jersey could be a factor in the Eastern Conference quicker than expected.
Are you ready for some NBA betting? Are you betting the Nets are going to turn it around in 2010-2011? Head over to www.sportsbook.com the king of NBA betting.
