What a day for basketball and hockey! It doesn’t look like there are any NBA games I can play straight but I still have a few teasers to do.

Hockey, on the otherhand, has produced quite a few nice plays, but the moneyline is a little too weak for some of them to actually be playable.  I don’t go less than -150.

By the way, the NHL game you can watch for free tonight is Chicago Blackhawks vs San Jose Sharks. It should be a good game.  Just click on that link once the game starts and you should see a “watch live” button somewhere.

Also, this is going to be a quick pick day again as I am too busy to write out the full details.  And I’m putting my O/U picks on hiatus until I find a good system for that.

First, my NBA picks:

DEN VS MIN; DEN -4.5 (bought 4)

NJ VS POR; POR -11.5 (bought 1)

GS VS SA; GS +17.5 (bought 4)

NY VS SAC; SAC +2.5 (bought 7)

I played Portland as a straight wager with a 1 point buy.  I also included the Blazers in a few teasers, which included the other teams:

4pt teaser: POR -8.5, DEN -4.5, GS -17.5

7pt teaser: POR -5.5, DEN -1.5, GS -20.5

7pt teaser: SAC +2.5, DEN -1.5, GS -20.5

And for the NHL games, I just did a 3-team parlay as that makes the most sense.  Why bet straight on a bunch of  -200 teams when you can combine them to give you a 3-to-1 payout? Normally it’s not quite that good of a payout, I don’t think.  I’m pretty sure sportsbook.com is doing some Thanksgiving promotion on parlays.

Parlay:

MON vs PIT

CAR vs ANA

TOR vs TB

There were others that showed up as strong games but since I’m just getting into the NHL again and this system is so new I didn’t want to get greedy.  I’ll call them on here, but just know I didn’t bet on these.

PHI vs NYI

OTT vs NJ

BUF vs WAS

STL vs DAL

NAS vs COL

PHO vs CAL

Time to make it two straight, Rasho

Last night was fun, but here’s hoping the Raps have something left in their run-and-gun legs. Coming off a 123-112 home win over the Pacers, Toronto is in Charlotte tonight to face the 4-9 Bobcats. Full game coverage and other great Raptors stuff is available over at Raptors Republic.

Charlotte snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 104-88 win over Indiana on Sunday, its first win since picking up renowned douchebag Stephen Jackson in a deal with Golden State early last week. Jackson’s production with the Bobcats has been par for his course — decent scoring numbers (17.6), low shooting percentages (42.6 from the field and 29.4 from deep) and little in the way of wins (one in four games). He and Gerald Wallace share the scoring load on a team void of any real star players — one that Raptors should be able to handle even on a back-t0-back.

Last night’s Raptors performance was typical of the way they’ve played in most of their wins this season — great offense, no D and a sketchy second half before closing out strong. Jose Calderon had his best game, attacking early both with the drive and from deep and finishing with a season-high 21 on 8-of-11. Chris Bosh was sloppy offensively, but I’m counting on him bouncing back with a strong effort and leading the boys to a win tonight.

The Raptors and Bobcats get going from Charlotte at seven.

watch NBA – Golden State vs Dallas online live stream TV sport 11/24, 24 Nov 2009. This Sport Games Starting time will be at 20:30 ET (US) or 02:30 CET (Europe). We will update the link several hours/minutes before the scheduled starting time. The live stream feed provided from free video tv hosting sites like ustream, justin tv, p2p, sopcast, tvu, tvants, uusee, etc. You can watch online Sport Live TV stream channel on November, 24 2009. The sport tv we cover here is NHL, NBA, KHL, NFL, AHL, NCAA, MLB, AHL, MLS, Soccer, EPL, Champion, UEFA, FIFA, U20, U17,  Football, Hockey, Basketball, SERIE A, NASCAR, F1, GP and others. If there is any of free tv hosting that airs these sport tv channel, we will update the link for you. Dont Miss to watch live sport tv between NBA – Golden State at Dallas online . Please click on below link to watch, online, free, live, stream, sport, tv, at 11/24 2009, NBA – Golden State at Dallas.

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Free live internet TV by online streaming is the best way to enjoy your sports shows on internet. Especially with the arrival of high-speed Internet today. It allows you to live stream and watch your favourite Live football, live basketball, Live soccer, Baseball and Hockey league matches via online streaming. Today there is game match between NBA – Golden State at Dallas. Other famous game in these categories that we coverhere are NBA, NCAA, NFL, MLB, AHL, KHL, NHL, MLS, UEFA, Champion League, FIFA, U20, U21, U17, Uropean Cup, Serie A (Italy), EPL (England), NPL (Spain), Bundesliga (Germany),  NASCAR, F1, GP and others.

There are thousands collections of Live internet TV hosting sites and video feeds. You can Watch Live streaming TV Stations or channels from many source. But to search and point your intended channels sometimes is very difficult since one site can offer thousand of free TV sport channel in just one day.  So Here, we provide summary of links that will provide free live streaming TV sports. In this site We focus on the  Baseball, Basketball, Hockey, soccer and other more spesific segment. Most watch free TV stations we cover for  Sport here are from, USA & Canada and some other popular sports in Europe and arround the world. Check out our featured free tv sport online live stream today 24 November 2009 (11/24) for NBA – Golden State at Dallas.  We will find the links from ustream, justin tv, p2p, sopcast, tvu, tvants, uusee, etc. So don’t need to worry about miss one of our favorite TV sport game match, we can now catch them online, usually just 24 hours later it will be stored in the hosting site, it depends on their policy. You can easily select and click to watch NBA – Golden State at Dallas and others sport channel online stream here.

#1 – Atlanta Hawks

The best team of the NBA so far. Josh Smith has been superb in the first 14 games. He has been the horse they have been riding. The Hawks had a weird loss to the Hornets Friday but that’s Ok on the road and on a second of back-to-backs.

#2 – Cleveland Cavaliers

Without Shaq, the team plays better. He just doesn’t fit there and with him out for a while now, they were able to give minutes to JJ Hickson who could be the solution for their problems, certainly not offensively but maybe defensively.

#3 – Phoenix Suns

The Suns remain red hot. 2^nd best record of the league so far, even with the loss to the Hornets on Thursday which shouldn’t be a shock because every time that the Suns are dominated on the boards, they lose, and it’s a lock just like that.

#4 – Los Angeles Lakers

Gasol is back and that means the Lakers should make their push to the league’s best record now. With the Spanish Center there, they are just so tough to beat, they are big and physical.

#5 – Orlando Magic

With Rashard Lewis back, they become a matchup nightmare again. The win against the Celtics highlighted that. Vince Carter is coming alive, against Boston he scored 26, turned the ball over a lot but took the game over in the end and that what you expect from your superstar and the reason why Orlando traded for him.

#6 – Denver Nuggets

Carmelo Anthony has been terrific so far and put himself in the MVP race however they are still not on the same level as last season. Their defense has been OK but when Billups doesn’t play well, all of a sudden nobody else but Carmelo produces.

#7 – Dallas Mavericks

Nowitzki has been carrying them because the bunch of injuries already started, Marion and Howard haven’t played together for a decent amount of time, and it’s not close to end.

#8 – Boston Celtics

On back-to-backs they look old. The loss against the Magic can be faced as a problem but when healthy, they are still the best team in the NBA. The question is: for how long will they remain healthy?

#9 – Milwaukee Bucks

The Jenningsmania is all over the NBA, even in this Power Rankings.

#10 – Portland Trail Blazers

Travis Outlaw is out with the same injury that held Webster for the entire season last year and that’s a hit on their second unit. The 3 men backcourt has survived so far but maybe is time to trade Miller.

#11 – Miami Heat

As Wade goes, they go which means that so far, they are a playoff team.

#12 – Houston Rockets

Even I’m convinced that this team needs somebody who can create his own shots on clutch moments. That guy is neither Ariza nor Brooks. Hopefully McGrady won’t screw the good vibe around the team.

#13 – Oklahoma City Thunder

When those four guys score, they are tough to hold. Lately even when they lose, they are on the game until the end. As the season progresses, they progress and the Western Conference should watch out.

#14 – Utah Jazz

With Williams back and Boozer stepping up, the Jazz won all three games this week including one against the Spurs which was their first in San Antonio in 20 games.

#15 – Toronto Raptors

They won 42% of their games. With all the money spent in this team and with playoff expectations around them, they have to perform better.

#16 – San Antonio Spurs

Ginobili and Parker out this week, injuries caught with them like expected. They always start slow, so no worry there.

#17 – Chicago Bulls

Derrick Rose has struggled a lot and that’s a real problem. This is a team that has a lot of variations and formations but it’s only 8 deep.

#18 – Indiana Pacers

They are who we thought they were: a .500 team.

#19 – Detroit Pistons

With Hamilton and Prince out, they have been able to hang in there but the problems are the same, lack of size inside and no rebounders, and when they face decent competition, that’s a problem.

#20 – Sacramento Kings

They are 5-7. Can you believe that?! The Kings won 41.7% of their games and that’s crazy. Tyreke Evans and Omir Caspi have been big so far.

#21 – Los Angeles Clippers

Yes, they have been a disappointment but when Gordon and Griffin return, they should be better. The push to the playoffs is yet to come but Kaman has played the best basketball of his career and Baron Davis is finally finding himself on that offense. Their second unit is amazing.

#22 – New Orleans Hornets

Without Chris Paul and with the new coach, they played well this week. Rookies getting more playing time and when Stojakovic shows up to play, they are not that bad. It’s tough to see them over .500 though.

#23 – Philadelphia 76ers

They are the ones to open a playoff spot on the East. They face problems on offense and defense. With Brand there, they haven’t been as committed to Iguodala on offense which they should if they want to save the season.

#24 – Golden State Warriors

Jackson is gone and the Warriors got cap relief instead. They’ll play shorthanded for the rest of the season but Don Nelson likes it this way. Nelson who, by the way, is 23 wins away from his record which means he’s 23 wins away from retirement what could mean that next season, maybe the Warriors will be OK.

#25 – Charlotte Bobcats

Probably the dumbest team in the NBA. The franchise is for sale but yet they took on Jackson’s awful contract in a move that won’t make them better than those teams they are fighting.

#26 – Memphis Grizzlies

Iverson is now gone for good. It’s time for them to translate talent into wins.

#27 – Washington Wizards

They have been the most disappointing team so far.

#28 – New York Knicks

Apparently they refused going after Allen Iverson, which would at least entertain us, because of Eddie Curry and Toney Douglas. I have no words for that.

#29 – Minnesota Timberwolves

They miss Kevin Love but as expected they would be bad anyway.

#30 – New Jersey Nets

They have been banged up but nothing justifies that awful start. Douglas Roberts is back, so is Harris, which means the offense should be better but the 0-17 start looks real.

Check More At: MVN

Power Rankings III: http://basketballoutsider.wordpress.com/2009/11/18/power-rankings-iii/

February 18^th, 2010. That’s the deadline for trades in the National Basketball Association and it has been a while since we had that many big names with the possibility to move before that date. For various reasons, we have a lot of teams trying to get free of who used to be their franchise players.

The first name that comes to mind and fit all those qualifications is Tracy McGrady. It’s not crazy to say that the Houston Rockets are ready to quit on T-Mac. His injuries throughout the years and his inability to play well during the playoffs series probably made them realize that McGrady won’t be the one to lead them to a championship and add that to the fact that the team always react well when he’s not there like they were better off without him. McGrady just underwent micro fracture surgery and a feud between him and the franchise about his comeback has been reported. The Rockets do need somebody who can create his own shots on clutch moments and T-Mac can be a nice trading asset for them to get that guy.

Another big name that can be on the move is Michael Redd. Redd, who was part of the Redeem Team, underwent another knee surgery last season and when he returned this year, couldn’t last two weeks before he needed to rest again. With the emergence of Brandon Jennings, questions about the coexistence of those two have been raised. It’s hard to imagine that Jennings can be this good if from now on he has to share touches with Redd and I believe won’t he have to, if somebody will have to take the backseat, it’ll be Redd and although he doesn’t seem to be the guy who makes a big deal out of it and with that backcourt they have a shot to make the playoffs, maybe the Bucks could be more comfortable without the controversy and trade him. Maybe Milwaukee is ready to move on.

Underrated players to move before the deadline are Stephen Jackson and Andre Miller. Jackson was just traded this week from the Warriors to the Bobcats but we shouldn’t rule out him switching addresses again still in the ongoing season because this is a trade that never made any sense anyway. Golden State gave Jackson a terrible contract, 3 year $28 million dollar extension, and nobody should be stupid enough to take it, even more Charlotte whose franchise is for sale and didn’t want to take on long term deals. Miller is on a similar situation. Portland had cap space free on the offseason and tried to sign a couple of big men, Paul Millsap and David Lee, however it didn’t work out and they had to go for the next best thing which was Andre Miller but the fact is that Miller doesn’t fit well in the Blazers backcourt, he’s a Guard that needs the ball and so does Roy who is better completed by a shooter, Steve Blake. Insiders believed that the Trail Blazers did the right thing by using the cap space to sign him because now they have an asset to trade and since Outlaw can be gone for the remainder of the season, they might need to get a Forward for their second unit.

The most likely player to move is Elton Brand. The Brand experiment hasn’t work so far in Philadelphia. The team only made the push to the playoffs last season after he went out and they were able to get back to the Iguodala Isotope. This season hasn’t been different. He’s a non factor there and a very expensive overpaid one.

This season’s trade deadline will be an exciting, promising one. Not all of these guys will be moved, although all of their teams would be better off without them. Trades in the NBA are all about dumping salary which makes tough to believe those guys will be gone however there’s always that team willing to make a move to try to get to the next level (or in the Bobcats’ case, somebody really stupid) and those players are the missing pieces of a lot of teams out there.

Check More At: MVN

One change you may notice from here on out is I will not be making every pick for every game.  Only the ones I am comfortable with.

I am not doing much else but researching NFL games right now but I wanted to throw out 3 NBA picks for tonight.

MIA vs TOR; MIA (+2.5), o-200

WAS vs OKC; OKC -3,o-193.5

POR vs GS; POR -7.5, o-206

These are very quick picks but I only picked them because I was confident in them, otherwise I’d leave them blank. Enjoy.

CHA V PHI; PHI -3, o-182

What the 76ers lack in defense, they gain in FG%, at least against the Bobcats (46% versus 40%). I still have some hope for the 76ers. This game should help put them back on the right track.

NY V IND; IND – 6.5, u-214

Indiana Pacers continue their streak at home against a struggling Knicks team.

OKC V ORL; OKC +12, o-189.5

Oklahoma City knows how to beat the Magic. They’ve done it before.  Only this time, the Magic will be prepared (or at least should be).  Orlando wins but not without a fight from the Thunder.

CLE V WAS; WAS +4, o-196.5

I normally don’t look at historical data but this is a different case. The Cavs have lost 19 of 23 road games against Washington since ‘96, including 9 loses in 11 games since drafting LeBron, and none in the past 2 years (0-4). On top of that, Cleveland is missing three of their best players (Shaq, Moon, and Varajeo) and Arenas is back for the Wizards.

MIA V ATL; ATL- 7.5, o-192.5

This normally could be a good game but the Hawks are hot and the Heat is not. Miami is struggling to find a rhythm and if they couldn’t find it at home against the Thunder, they won’t find it in Atlanta against the Hawks.

HOU V MIN; HOU -6; o-200

Houston had the victory in their game against the Suns well within reach but let it slip away.  They’ll be looking for revenge against a struggling Timberwolves team as they put the hurt on them early just as they tried with the Suns.  Only Minnesota isn’t a good enough team to come back.

TOR V UTH; TOR +8.5, o-215

The Raptors are a good team but they’ve unfortunately been playing some very good teams lately. Utah also has potential and looked good against the 76ers and the Cavs but they’ve also had some close calls that shouldn’t have been so close and lost games they should’ve won. Utah has the advantage here of more rest but Toronto should be able to hang in there.  Put this one at the bottom of your list though as the jury is not yet unanimous.

DET V POR;  DET+ 11, o-178

Remember what I said in my last post? Detroit can play against a good team if that team doesn’t have a Kobe.  Replace Kobe’s 40 points from their last game with even just 30 points and you have Detroit losing by 3.  Portland has a Roy, but he’s still no Kobe. Detroit will lose by 6-8.

GS V BOS, GS +16.5, o-209.5

Warrior defense will be no match for the unstoppable Celtics scorers, but they are a good enough shooting team to not lose by 16.

NJ V MIL, MIL -10, o-187.5

New Jersey streak continues.

LAC V MEM, LAC +5.5, u-199

Clippers win.

SA V DAL; DAL -1.5, o-196.5

Dallas is hot and is seeking revenge from their most recent loss to San Antonio.

Here are the gory details.  Some thoughts:

• If the rumors of the Cavaliers offering Delonte West and Wally Sczerbiak’s corpse were true – the Warriors turned down some real cap help.
• While Bell offers “grit” and other white player properties, and Radmanovic is a decent shooter with a lousy contract, neither of them will be on the next good Golden State Warriors team.  There are no draft picks or anything coming their way.  Of course this is the coach who doesn’t play Brandan Wright and Anthony Randolph – so maybe Nellie would be the wrong coach for this.
• I am not sure if Nelson (the de facto GM – and a bad one to boot) intended to deal Jackson to an NBA Siberia, but I can see vengeance in his heart.  He extended Jackson (unconscionably) and gets rewarded with him begging to leave.  But that’s cold – especially when you spite the Warriors to do so.
• For the Bobcats, it gives them some offensive help.  For their impotent attack, any help is useful.  That said, Jackson offers no utility for them – except that he was dealt early enough to maybe be spun at the deadline (to a team, like Cleveland maybe).  Of course Charlotte might be too incompetently run to warrant such respect.

watch Golden State Warriors vs Boston Celtics online live stream TV sport 11/18, 18 Nov 2009. This Sport Games Starting time will be at 19:30 ET(US) or 01:30 CET (Europe). We will update the link several hours/minutes before the scheduled starting time. The live stream feed provided from free video tv hosting sites like ustream, justin tv, p2p, sopcast, tvu, tvants, uusee, etc. You can watch online Sport Live TV stream channel on November, 18 2009. The sport tv we cover here is NHL, NBA, KHL, NFL, AHL, NCAA, MLB, AHL, MLS, Soccer, EPL, Champion, UEFA, FIFA, U20, U17,  Football, Hockey, Basketball, SERIE A, NASCAR, F1, GP and others. If there is any of free tv hosting that airs these sport tv channel, we will update the link for you. Dont Miss to watch live sport tv between Golden State Warriors vs Boston Celtics online . Please click on below link to watch, online, free, live, stream, sport, tv, at 11/18 2009, Golden State Warriors vs Boston Celtics.

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Free live internet TV by online streaming is the best way to enjoy your sports shows on internet. Especially with the arrival of high-speed Internet today. It allows you to live stream and watch your favourite Live football, live basketball, Live soccer, Baseball and Hockey league matches via online streaming. Today there is game match between Golden State Warriors vs Boston Celtics. Other famous game in these categories that we coverhere are NBA, NCAA, NFL, MLB, AHL, KHL, NHL, MLS, UEFA, Champion League, FIFA, U20, U21, U17, Uropean Cup, Serie A (Italy), EPL (England), NPL (Spain), Bundesliga (Germany),  NASCAR, F1, GP and others.

There are thousands collections of Live internet TV hosting sites and video feeds. You can Watch Live streaming TV Stations or channels from many source. But to search and point your intended channels sometimes is very difficult since one site can offer thousand of free TV sport channel in just one day.  So Here, we provide summary of links that will provide free live streaming TV sports. In this site We focus on the  Baseball, Basketball, Hockey, soccer and other more spesific segment. Most watch free TV stations we cover for  Sport here are from, USA & Canada and some other popular sports in Europe and arround the world. Check out our featured free tv sport online live stream today 18 November 2009 (11/18) for Golden State Warriors vs Boston Celtics.  We will find the links from ustream, justin tv, p2p, sopcast, tvu, tvants, uusee, etc. So don’t need to worry about miss one of our favorite TV sport game match, we can now catch them online, usually just 24 hours later it will be stored in the hosting site, it depends on their policy. You can easily select and click to watch Golden State Warriors vs Boston Celtics and others sport channel online stream here.

#1 – Atlanta Hawks

#2 – Phoenix Suns

#3 – Denver Nuggets

#4 – Houston Rockets

#5 – Boston Celtics

#6 – Cleveland Cavaliers

#7 – Los Angeles Lakers

#8 – Portland Trail Blazers

#9 – Orlando Magic

#10 – Dallas Mavericks

#11 – Miami Heat

#12 – Milwaukee Bucks

#13 – Chicago Bulls

#14 – Oklahoma City Thunder

#15 – San Antonio Spurs

#16 – Toronto Raptors

#17 – Detroit Pistons

#18 – Utah Jazz

#19 – Indiana Pacers

#20 – Sacramento Kings

#21 – Philadelphia 76ers

#22 – Los Angeles Clippers

#23 – Charlotte Bobcats

#24 – Washington Wizards

#25 – Golden State Warriors

#26 – Memphis Grizzlies

#27 – New Orleans Hornets

#28 – New Jersey Nets

#29 – Minnesota Timberwolves

#30 – New York Knicks

Check More At: MVN

Power Rankings II: http://basketballoutsider.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/power-rankings-ii/

Here’s a link to Tim Kawakami’s article on Monta’s imminent departure.

And here’s Free Darko’s Bethlehem Shoals’ take on it.

And so it ends…

Weird to think the Warriors, whose GM is an indoctrinated Nelson crony, will now be building around Steph Curry, Biedrins and Randolph, who is so far in Nellie’s doghouse that Cheryl Miller talks about it in her pre-second quarter commentary in NBA2k10, which, as we all know, is a frigging video game.

Another dismal day for me yesterday as my slump continued.  I was 3-1 in NBA and 2-2 ATS and 3-1 O/U. Combined with the MNF game I was 3-2, 2-3, 3-2. I feel tonight may change things around.

Tons of great NBA and NCAAB games today. After just watching some of these early games I’ve realized I need to learn a lot more about this year’s college hoops teams before I start really picking them. For example, I never would have expected Kentucky to win over Miami (OH) by 2, nor would I have thought CSU-Fullerton would beat UCLA. But that’s how it goes I guess.  So here are my picks for the NBA games today:

GS v CLE, GS +15, o-215

Without Shaq, the Cavs will be a little lighter on defense than normal. GS knows how to score (only 2 games under 100 points this year), they just can’t play defense too well, which means it may be tough to stop LeBron. But they’ll be able to keep up enough to stay within 15 points.  Plus getting rid of Jackson may be a big burden off of their shoulders that will help them relax.

IND v NJ, IND -4, u 188.5

I just know the Nets have to win a game sometime.  I wanted to put them over the Pacers here as the Nets almost beat Miami the other day.  But Miami has been struggling and Indiana is on fire right now.  I can’t pick a team who just beat the Celtics to lose to a team that has yet to win a game in its first 10 tries. Pacers should at least have 6 wins in a row after their game against the Knicks after this one.

OKC v MIA, MIA-5.5, o-179.5

The Thunder has been uncharacteristically good while the Heat has looked a little flat this year.  Both teams will look like their normal selves tonight as Miami takes control. People are starting to take notice of Oklahoma City, which means they’ll start playing more aggressively.

LAC vs NO, NO -1.5, u-192

The Clippers have lost 10 straight to New Orleans and have lost the last 3 in New Orleans by an average of nearly 23 points.  However, the Hornets are without Chris Paul, their lead man. On top of that, the Clippers looked amazing in their win against the Thunder.  They say all good things come in threes.  Or something like that. What I’m trying to say is “they” don’t know anything about basketball, as the Clippers will still lose this one. The Hornets don’t need Paul to win and it may even let someone else finally shine.

PHO vs HOU, PHO +2, u-221

The Rockets’ stock is way up as they beat the Lakers on Sunday.  Did everyone forget they also lost to the Sacramento Kings on Friday? I just can’t go against Nash and the Suns.

TOR vs DEN, DEN -7.5,  u-219

After starting 5-0, Denver went on to lose 3 out of 4 before then crushing the Lakers on Friday.  They’ve had 3 long days to think about that game and rest up in Denver for a matchup against the Raptors, who are definitely an underrated team. They have some potential but are very schizophrenic.   On top of that, and this being their 3rd of 4 road games and they are playing at elevation, Denver will take this one.

CHI vs SAC; SAC -1, u-198

The Bulls just aren’t looking great so far.  They have one of the worst scoring units in the league and their differential is -3.1. Until they can change that, I’ll go with the home team with an undefeated home record.

DET vs LAL; DET +10,  u-191.5

No odds up yet but I’ll take the Lakers at home on this one.  With Kobe slowed by his groin it won’t be a blowout but maybe by 6-8 points. If the spread is -8.5 or greater I’ll have do a little more research, and if it’s more than -11.5 I’ll probably just go with the Pistons.

Have fun in Charlotte, Stephen Jackson

Chalk one up to the trade demand gods. Disgruntled swingman Stephen Jackson got his wish today and was shipped from Golden State to…get this — the powerhouse Charlotte Bobcats! Jackson, who “just wants to win”, joins one of league’s worst franchises, as opposed to Cleveland — his preferred destination. Enjoy, fine citizens of Charlotte.

Jackson, a career 42% shooter that thinks he’s some sort of superstar, was dealt along with Acie Law for the potent package of Raja Bell and Vladimir Radmanovic. In nine games with the Warriors this season, Jackson averaged 16.6 points and 4.7 assists per game while clashing with head coach Don Nelson. Still, that doesn’t necessarily make him a bad guy.

Also of note today: Memphis and Allen Iverson agreed to terminate the washout guard’s contract. That, after A.I. took a leave of absence 10 days ago after complaining about coming off the bench in his first three games with the Grizzlies. Funny, because one of the only teams I could’ve seen taking a shot on Iverson was the Bobcats, but that’s less likely now that they have another little whiner in town. Is this the last we’ve seen of the man formerly known as The Answer?

ESPN.com’s Mark Stein first reported this morning, November the 16^th, that the Golden State Warriors and the Charlotte Bobcats reached an agreement on a trade that will send veteran Stephen Jackson and Guard Acie Law to Carolina and bring Swingman Raja Bell and Wingman Vladimir Radmanovic to Oakland. According to the report, Jackson, who made it clear he wanted to be dealt with a contender, seems to be OK with the deal and expects to be on uniform tonight against the Magic.

Stephen Jackson wanted out and now he’s out but not for a contender. In Charlotte, Jackson comes to help a much needed offense that failed to score more than 80 points in five of its nine games played in the season however a price will be paid. Throughout the summer and the past season, the Bobcats have done what they could to not take future contracts because everyone knows that the team is for sale. Even with Jackson there and even if Gerard Wallace starts playing like he did last season, this team is still a couple of steps away from finally reaching the playoffs. Jackson absolutely robbed the Warriors on the offseason when he took a 3 year $28 million dollar contract and he knows that no other team was willing to pay him that kind of money but Michael Jordan did and that’s odd because it goes on the opposite direction of everything they have done so far. It’s good to see that maybe Jordan and Larry Brown still a winning vein in them and that they are still willing to make aggressive moves in order to compete for that wide opened playoff spot on the East however it’s tough to believe that this contract won’t be restructured. Call me crazy but I can easily see Jackson getting traded again this season (probably for Cleveland) or reach a buyout agreement on the summer.

The Warriors finally are free of one of their cancers but Jackson was only one of the many unhappy veterans, as we found out last week the feud between Manta Ellis and Don Nelson, and the concern of management is that the discontentment of those guys continues to hang over their young talent. On the deal for Jackson, Golden State got payroll relief for the near future and short term depth. Raja Bell’s contract expire in the end of the season but for now he’ll be much needed in order to replace Kelenna Azubuike who is done for the season, while Radmanovic has another year left in his deal and will be a nice trading asset next season because of his expiring contract which the Warriors could get a first round pick on the draft, that is expected to be one of the best classes of all time, and keep building around their youngster talent.

Like many other in this league, this was a strange trade. The Bobcats just went the reverse way of what we all expected for a 31 year old veteran that will make them better on the offense but not on the locker and won’t put them ahead of the teams they are fighting for playoffs spots (Pistons, Pacers, Raptors) which makes us wonder how long until he breaks out a fight with Larry Brown and gets traded for Cleveland. It’s weird to say but the Warriors actually did a good job and got the best out of the deal. The Capitan is now out of the books and in exchange they got a Guard they need right away because of injury but not for the future and two guys that won’t mess up even more their chemistry issues and will also be out of the books soon. Nelson is 23 wins away from his record and retirement which could mean that next season, hopefully, we can actually see a Warriors team on the right direction. Sounds utopian but it could happen and the seeds are already planted.

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Feud between Ellis and Nelson: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/warriors/detail?blogid=39&entry_id=51532

Yeah…I can see this working out…NOT!

I’m really glad for the Warriors that they finally got rid of the distraction this whole thing created. Don’t get me wrong, trading Stephen Jackson and Acie Law for Raja Bell and Vladimir Radmanovic is definitely a step in the wrong direction talent-wise for Golden State, but it will improve their team chemistry – not because I think that Bell is the best locker room guy ever – it’s more an addition by subtraction kind of thing.

I’m glad that Jax hasn’t got traded to a contender, because I don’t like the idea of players demanding and quarreling their way into a better situation. Just doesn’t sound right to me. He has the talent to turn a team around and he was in the perfect situation to prove it – last season he scored 20+, dished out 6+ assists and grabbed a bit more than 5 boards per game. Stephen has all the tools to be a leader and he could have taken the next step by leading the Warriors to a better record.

Anyway, it is what it is. For more information, check out this link (ESPN.com).

Don’t forget to check out my NCAAF picks for today’s games.

Yesterday was a fairly decent day for me.  It’s a little bittersweet for me because once again I didn’t play all of my positions and all the ones I left on the table won, so I went 4-4 on the games I played when I could have easily been 9-4.  I need to be as confident in my analyses as I expect you guys to be! Just look at my record so far, how come I can’t trust it?

Anyway, I went 11-2 straight up and 9-4 ATS which again is tough to swallow as Cincy came up 1 touchdown short of making my prediction perfect (I predicted 31-21, score was 24-21). And my Huskies didn’t look like a #14 team against Wright State. I was a mere 5-3 on the over/under, a category I’m still winning with but need to get stronger at.  One game I missed by 1 point, though, which is always tough.

Anyway, I’m heading out to watch the local college football team and will be gone all day so I’m going to make these NBA picks and then head out.  Enjoy your Saturday of Sports! (By the way, sportsbook.com has a bunch of prop bets on the NE vs IND game that I may get into tomorrow, so check back for those.

POR V CHA; CHA +2.5, o-173

All streaks, good or bad, come to an end sometime.  The Blazers have won 5 straight while the Bobcats have failed their last 3 games. But the Bobcats’ only 3 wins this year have all been at home, and their only loss at home was to the Magic.  Portland is flying high right now but is starting to feel the fatigue of 3 straight road games.  Charlotte will catch them off guard tonight.

NO V ATL; ATL -11, o-201

One belief of mine is you just don’t bet against a hot team at home, especially if it’s against a not-s0-hot team.  While I feel the Hornets could cover the spread, I’m not going to bet against a Hawks team that beats the Celtics in Boston for a 3rd straight victory.

DET V WAS; DET +4.5, u-185.5

Detroit is struggling on the road and Washington is struggling at home, but I feel the Pistons are an underrated team right now.  Their 4-4 record doesn’t say much but after 2 straight wins they are starting to get their confidence and rhythm back.

PHI V CHI; CHI -6.5, u-188.5

Chicago is another underrated 4-4 team, and 3 of their 4 wins have been at home.  Put that on top of a struggling Sixers team and you have a winning mix. Plus, the Bulls have had too many close calls lately, they’ll be looking to finally get a win with some authority tonight.

MIN V MEM; MIN +8, o-201.5

It’s always a tough call when you have two teams with a combined record of 2-17. You really can’t know enough about either team this early in the season as to which one is worse.  I feel the safest bet would be for Memphis to win but with an 8 point spread I’d say the Timberwolves can cover it.  Minnesota has had some close games against top teams so you can’t say they’re that much worse than the Grizzlies.  You never know what will happen once they get out on the court, though.

GS V MIL; MIL -7, o-209.5

The Bucks are looking good this year and being at home where they are 3-0 and the Warriors being 1-3 on the road, I see another Milwaukee victory.  Plus I see the Knicks as softening up Golden State yesterday just enough to let the Bucks take full control of the game.

Those are the only games with odds right now and I won’t have time to come back and check later so I’m going to just stick with those for today.

Poor little Stephen Jackson

Stephen Jackson isn’t a bad guy. Sure, he was one of the main players in The Malice at the Palace and fired a gun outside a strip club a few years ago, but he’s still a great guy. He’s also not to blame for the mess he’s gotten himself into in Golden State, despite agreeing to a three-year, $28 million contract extension prior to last season.

Jackson, or “Captain Jack” if you’re an idiot, is arguably the biggest bum in the NBA (DeShawn Stevenson makes a legit case). Seriously, it blows my mind that professional sports teams still get mixed up with guys like this, because all they ever do is kill teams. Anyway, in case you haven’t been following, Jackson publicly requested a trade a couple months ago and has been at odds with coach Don Nelson ever since. After practice today, he spoke out:

“People want to pan me out to be the bad guy,” he told the Associated Press. “I just want to win.

“A lot of people think just because you play basketball, you make a lot of money, you just bite your tongue and be the bigger person,” he added. “That’s not me.”

Oh yes, the classic case of a guy wanting to win. Here’s the solution, then — do it. I’m tired of these guys complaining about not being on a winning team. If you’re as good as you think you are, then go and turn your team into a winner. That’s why you make 10 million a year.

Anyway, Jackson crowing about how he’s being made out to be the bad guy is hilarious, because he’s the definition of selfish. Yeah, I’m sure every contender will be lining up to acquire his services.

If you want the methodology, go back to Week 1:

Some observations:

1. The Nets stink.  They had a dead tired motivation-less Celtics team in, had a chance to win and still let it get away.
2. The Magic, who were the top defensive team a year ago using these sorts of metrics, are a paltry 21st so far.  It’s an underreported story, but their defense is why they won a year ago.
3. The Warriors only moved up to 26 on the strength of a 146-105 pasting of fellow dreck Minnesota.
4. The Celtics still #1, but the defense slipped to #2.  The Suns diced them up good last Friday, and hopefully it’s tired legs (4 games in 5 nights) and not something larger.
5. Suns obviously a huge surprise.  Their #10 ranking is really due to the #20 defense.  That said, an adequate defense has been good enough for their really good teams – so maybe this is not so bad.
6. The Rockets still in the Top 5.  Incredible.

#1 – Boston Celtics

Yes, they are no longer undefeated and they struggled to beat a shorthanded Nets however they are still playing the best basketball of the NBA.

#2 – Phoenix Suns

During the season preview, I wrote that the Suns are the easiest team to predict that will blow our expectations and they are doing just that. The run and gun is back with the killer combination of Nash and Stoudmire who are returning to their old forms.

#3 – Los Angeles Lakers

Still without Gasol for the entire last week and now without Bynum, the Lakers struggled a little bit against the goods Thunder and Rockets and ran over who they should, the Grizzlies and the Hornets. Kobe’s performance throughout the week has been impressive.

#4 – Orlando Magic

Throughout last week, the Magic found their first two losses of the season against a banged up Pistons and against the young Thunder, both on the road. Off course they miss two of their top scorers, Rashard Lewis and Vince Carter, but what were surprising are the statements from both Stan Van Gundy and Dwight Howard who said some of them quit on those games.

#5 – Denver Nuggets

Tough schedule for the Nuggets this week, on a trip to the East Coast, they played four games on the road and found their first two losses, against the Heat and the Hawks on back to backs when they clearly seemed warn out.

#6 – Miami Heat

Their only loss was to the Suns on a game that Stoudmire went off. Wade is carrying them again this season and their early schedule has been favorable. On this pace, they are on their way to the playoffs.

#7 – Dallas Mavericks

Disappoint heartbreaking loss against the weak Hornets on a game when they didn’t show up to play their best basketball but had it on their hands late and let it slide. Good win against a good Raptors team at home.

#8 – Cleveland Cavaliers

It’s scary to see the Cavaliers against good teams, even at home this season. Off course they can run over the Knicks, but they can’t generate any offense from somebody else not named LeBron James when they face a decent playoff team. Shaq just doesn’t fit there.

#9 – Atlanta Hawks

They did allowed 103 points to a Bobcats team that simply can’t score but a huge win against the Blazers on the road worth the rise on the rankings.

#10 – Portland Trail Blazers

They did drop a game against a pretty good Hawks at home but wins against an upcoming Thunder and the aging Spurs worth the spot.

#11 – Houston Rockets

On a battle against the defending champions, Kobe Bryant was just too much for them and they lost however it was clear which team won on the swap. Ariza took them to overtime and was a fumble away of the win.

#12 – Chicago Bulls

Weird loss to the Heat at home but huge win against the Cavaliers on the road last week. They are the Miami Dolphins of the NBA, so many formations, variations and rotations, cool to watch.

#13 – Oklahoma City Thunder

Huge win against the Magic at home when they just run over them however Oklahoma City lost every other game of the week.

#14 – San Antonio Spurs

They look old and Parker is hurt already.

#15 – Philadelphia 76ers

They’re such a .500 team. This week they lost to the Celtics and the Pistons, who they should and beat the Nets who they also should.

#16 – Detroit Pistons

No Hamilton and no Prince last week but some way, somehow they stole a win against the Magic. They seem on the right way.

#17 – Washington Wizards

We can’t blame them for the tough losses this week. Washington miss Antwan Jamison and Mike Miller. Jamison is supposed to their third high scorer and Miller is such a nice option on the Wing that without those guys, their offense is just limited.

#18 – Toronto Raptors

They are on the same, lost for whom they supposed to and beat who they supposed to.

#19 – Charlotte Bobcats

They got their first wins of the season this week. As Raja Bell and Flip Murray came back, they won some outside shooting which helped them to beat inside out defenses like the Nets and the Hawks.

#20 – Utah Jazz

They are such a weird team. Utah showed up to play against an aging Spurs but dropped against the Jazz. Really?!!

#21 – New Orleans Hornets

This is the one, clear team that reached the playoffs last season and won’t make it this one. They quit on Byron Scott. Chris Paul is playing unbelievable games and they are still losing badly.

#22 – Milwaukee Bucks

They are who we thought they were: win at home, lose on the road.

#23 – Los Angeles Clippers

Kris Kaman was their MVP this week (something I thought I would never say in my life) as they started to twist their season.

#24 – Indiana Pacers

It was a better week to Larry Bird’s team but it is always a better week when you face the Knicks.

#25 – Minnesota Timberwolves

They are still bad and they miss Kevin Love a lot but at least they fight and you can’t ask for more than that. Two heartbreaking losses against teams that are way better than they are, Celtics and Clippers, made their week.

#26 – Sacramento Kings

Wow. On a week when Kevin Martin got hurt and Nocioni was arrested, the Kings beat the Grizzlies and the Warriors at home, shocked the Jazz in Utah and had a close game against the Hawks in Atlanta. Probably their best week in a while and they are now (wait for it, wait for it) 3-4! Sacramento won 42,9% of their games and now I’m on suicide watch.

#27 – Golden State Warriors

They are still a mess but a talented one and that’s what makes it frustrating.

#28 – Memphis Grizzlies

Where to begin? 5 games played this week, 5 games on the road, and 5 losses. Iverson debuted but came off the bench, was unhappy, went to the media and left before even played one single home game. It’s unsure if he’ll ever come back and even so, when.

#29 – New Jersey Nets

There’s no way to blame anybody for this slow start. The Nets lost four of their top scorers in one week, faced the Celtics with only eight healthy guys and still put up a decent fight. At least they are trying.

#30 – New York Knicks

They quit. How couldn’t they?

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Power Rankings I: http://basketballoutsider.wordpress.com/2009/11/01/power-rankings-i/

My main criteria for Random Raptors Moments: Obscurity. I wanna find stuff that I didn’t even know happened. For example, did you know Mark Jackson moved into fifth in all-time assists in his half season in Toronto and even grabbed a standing ovation from the ACC crowd? Could’ve fooled me…

#1 – Boston Celtics

After only three games played on the season, the Celtics already showed us why they are the strongest team of the league. At this point of the season, premiere week, when everybody is healthy and when even Rasheed Wallace seems motivated, Boston showed its true colors. A huge win against the Cavaliers on the road, two blowouts against the Bobcats and the Bulls, that’s how they started their season.

#2 – Orlando Magic

Two easy wins for the Magic early on the season. Neither the 76ers nor the Nets have enough firepower to compete against the defending Eastern Conference Champions. Their first real test was this Sunday against the Raptors in Toronto.

#3 – Los Angeles Lakers

After a great win on ring night against a very decent Clippers team, the Lakers missed Pau Gasol a lot Friday against the Mavericks who outplayed LA on the boards, reason why they beat them. On a game where even Shawn Marion showed up to play, it became clear how much the Lakers miss Gasol. Phil Jackson needs Odom Kardashian to come out off the bench otherwise he has no bench and Bynum is not a reliable offensive weapon when Kobe is well guarded.

#4 – San Antonio Spurs

After three games played this week, we still haven’t seen the Spurs yet. On opening night, they ran over a weird Hornets team, then on the very next night they were surprised, probably out breathed, by an awesome rotation of the Bulls and then last night they smashed the Kings.

#5 – Denver Nuggets

Two huge wins for the Nuggets: at home against the Jazz who showed up to play on their first road game of the season, then on the road against a very deep Blazers team. Carmelo Anthony is taking to the next level again this season, averaged about 33 points on those two games.

#6 – Dallas Mavericks

After a disappoint loss to a much improved Wizards at home on opening night, the Mavericks bounced back with two huge wins at Staple Center against the Lakers and the Clippers. Although LA miss Gasol a lot, it was interesting to see how the small Mavericks will look like in clutch time against good teams and it looked good even without Josh Howard. It’s still very early to say but maybe I was wrong about Shawn Marion.

#7 – Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland is the only team besides the Clippers to play four games until this Sunday. On opening night, they showed why they are not ready to face the Celtics, then on the road lost to a talented Raptors team and then two wins against the Timberwolves and the Bobcats. When tested the Cavaliers did not respond well. They are not that close to the championship than everybody thinks.

#8 – Atlanta Hawks

Two wins at home against the Pacers and the Wizards less two. Untested yet. First big game is today on Staples against the defending champions.

#9 – Phoenix Suns

Steve Nash and the run and gun are back. Phoenix scored a lot on their first two games against two bad defensive teams. After his 20 assists performance last night, Nash made us remember that his team is still there and that they are the easiest one to blow up our expectations.

#10 – Portland Trail Blazers

After a win on opening night against the reformulated Rockets, the Blazers were unable to stop Carmelo Anthony and Trevor Ariza. Now they have a 1-2 record to start the season.

#11 – Oklahoma City Thunder

Expected to be the surprise team of the year, except for the fact that everybody knows they are coming, Kevin Durant and his Thunder already stunned somebody. After an expected win on game one against the Kings, they beat the Pistons in Detroit.

#12 – Houston Rockets

The team that almost nobody believes, the Houston Rockets starts the season 2-1. They lost on opening night to the Blazers in Portland where is always tough to play but then beat the Warriors on the road where is also tough to win and behind Trevor Ariza’s 31 point performance, they beat the Blazers last night. Watch out for Houston. Without any star and with that “nobody believes us” thing going on, they are my sleeper pick to make the playoffs.

#13 – Washington Wizards

Expected to be the comeback team of the year, the Wizards started the season with a surprising win on the road against the Mavericks, a loss to the Hawks in Atlanta and homecoming win against the Nets. They miss the presence of Antwan Jamison inside and Caron Butler’s injury can be a problem however Gilbert Arenas looks great.

#14 – Philadelphia 76ers

A loss to a great team on their first game and two wins against very bad teams. The fact that they had to go to overtime against a very bad Knicks can be concern. Elton Brand still doesn’t fit well and the new uniforms suck.

#15 – Miami Heat

Behind Dwayne Wade, as always, the Heat starts the season 2-0. Against the Knicks at home shouldn’t count because everybody is going to beat NY but on the road against a very decent and very solid Pacers team, Miami showed basketball enough to compete for the playoffs.

#16 – Utah Jazz

With 24 seconds into the season, Utah already faced the first injury problem. Maybe it will be another long season for the Jazz. A loss to Carmelo on the road and then a win against the Rockets at home, that’s how they started their season.

#17 – Chicago Bulls

Great win against the Spurs at home but bad loss against the Celtics on the road. The Bulls showed that with this team, Del Negro is able use a lot of rotations and variations.

#18 – Toronto Raptors

Huge win against the Cavaliers on game one to prove that they can fight against the powerhouses, however a team this deep can’t lose to the Grizzlies, no matter how talented I think the Grizzlies are and I don’t care if it’s on the road.

#19 – Milwaukee Bucks

On the first two games, we were already able to see who the Bucks will be this season: tough at home and easy on the road. The clock from the feud between Scott Skilles and Brandon Jennings is ticking.

#20 – New Orleans Hornets

They were blown out by the Spurs and then suffered a lot to beat the Kings. It can’t be a good sign.

#21 – Memphis Grizzlies

Thankfully without Allen Iverson, the Grizzlies picked up a loss against the Pistons and a win against the Raptors. Zach Randolph does look good early on but what happens a time from now when he thinks he already proved everybody wrong, quit and you still have to overpay him?

#22 – Detroit Pistons

I still believe this team will get better down the road and make the playoffs but from now they look awful. Detroit has way too many outside shooters but no rebounders and that’s a problem.

#23 – Charlotte Bobcats

The Bobcats can’t score.

#24 – Minnesota Timberwolves

It’s a work in progress with the Timberwolves. Kurt Rambis is still trying to put his face on the team, meanwhile they beat the Nets on game 1 which I thought was an upset, even at home, because New Jersey is more talented and then they were ran over by LeBron James.

#25 – Indiana Pacers

Awful start for the Pacers, losses to the Hawks and the Heat could coast them the playoff spot down the road. They are not taking advantage to the fact that Granger and Dunleavy are still there, they’ll get hurt soon and everything will be more difficult.

#26 – Los Angeles Clippers

Bad start for the Clippers whom we expected to be the other comeback team of the season. They had such a tough schedule to begin the season (Lakers, Jazz, Suns and Mavericks) that we shouldn’t lose faith on them yet.

#27 – New Jersey Nets

After the disappointing loss on game 1 in Minnesota, the Nets were decent and fought a lot against the Magic and the Wizards who are superior teams.

#28 – Golden State Warriors

This is just the calm before the storm. Right now they are just losing; wait to see them imploding too.

#29 – New York Knicks

They suck.

P.S: Galinaro is kind of good.

#30 – Sacramento Kings

I can’t see them beating somebody. It’s impossible to go 0-82 but they have a shot.

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Nothing nearly as awesome happened Opening Tip-off this year.  Just a boring ring ceremony for the Lakers featuring championship rings so gaudy only an athlete could love and the Celtics showing the Cavs who’s king of the East, although defending Eastern Conference Champion Orlando may have something to say before all is said and done.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Holy crap, Orlando looks good.  A popular topic for discussion during the off season has been about which championship contender made the best off-season moves and as usual, Orlando gets no respect from the press.  Hedo Turkoglu played a huge role in getting the Magic to the NBA Finals, but Vince Carter is an All-Star, more efficient as a scorer, and just as capable of a distributor as the Michael Jordan of Turkey.  Courtney Lee’s poise and fearlessness as a rookie in the playoffs last season turned me into a fan (it didn’t hurt when he said told Craig Sager that playing with a face guard didn’t bother him and that it made him feel invisible.) but as a Cal alum, it was clear to me that Ryan Anderson was no mere throw-in in the Vince Carter trade.  Anderson gives them another big forward who can spread the floor and in the absence of Rashard Lewis, he is doing exactly that.  Jason Williams has looked good as Jameer Nelson’s back up, and Brandon Bass and Polish Hammer Marcin Gortat anchor arguably the deepest rotation in the East.  The Magic ended the preseason by blowing out a Hawks team that figures to be a fourth or fifth seed in the East and started the season by dismantling the Sixers, who also figure to be in the wide open Eastern playoff hunt.

The Cavaliers were exposed as a deeply flawed team during the Eastern Conference Finals last year after dominating the competition through the regular season and first two rounds of the playoffs.  Mo Williams choked as a second option, the bench proved to be paper thin, and Mike Brown had everyone wondering how he won Coach of the Year.  The King’s castle was on shaky ground, so like the Phoenix Suns did two years before to solve their problem against opposing big men in the playoffs–then it was Tim Duncan, now it is Dwight Howard, the Cavs traded for Shaq to the excitement basketball fans around the world.  The team would respond by losing the opener to a similarly retooled Celtics team and then the next game against an improved, but in no way world-beating Raptors squad.  The games played out as if the playoffs had never ended, with LeBron playing like a video game character and his team providing absolutely no help.  The bench and Mo Williams put up a better showing in the win against Minnesota, but Shaq was again a non-factor and the Cavs were playing Minnesota.

The Celtics, at this exact moment, are the team to beat.  Orlando, for all the praise I have just given, has yet to be truly tested.  After dismissing the Cavs, the Celtics locked horns against a young Bulls team fresh off a decisive win against a championship or bust Spurs team.  The baby Bulls wet the bed on their second of back to back games after making the Spurs look old in the tail end of their own back-to-back.  Kevin Garnett looks healthy which is bad news for any team with championship aspirations.  Rasheed Wallace has looked good with his new team and Marquis Daniels has quietly filled the hole at back up point guard that has been questionably handled by the likes of Sam Cassell, Stephon Marbury, and Eddie House the past few years.

In a truly unexpected turn of events,  the Dallas Mavericks–after an embarrassing and deflating loss at home to the Wizards–stepped into Staples Center and comfortably beat a Pau Gasol-less Lakers.  I don’t see any reason to panic if I’m the Lakers since they are without their second best player and newbie Ron Artest is still working harder to fit in than to play his game.  Also, Andrew Bynum looks to be a force at center if his knees hold.  I’m more confused by the Mavericks, who have plummeted in the power rankings ever since, as one NBATV analyst put it, “Stephen Jackson beat [Dirk Nowitzki] up and took his lunch money.”  Sure, Mark Cuban thinks this team was good, but he’s Mark Cuban.  Reggie Miller predicted this Lakers team would start 20-1 based on its soft opening schedule.  Of course, Bay Area sports writer Tim Kawakami also predicted the Warriors would start 7-1–before returning to Earth and ending up in the 35-win range.

Even outdoors, Anthony Morrow was able to snap the net off the rim this preseason.  His 22 points per game was good for second behind Carmelo Anthony, who appears to have reached the proverbial “next level” as a player.  Morrow’s percentages were eye popping for a volume shooting guard:  57% from the field, 52% from beyond the arc, and 96% at the charity stripe.  Unfortunately, with impressive looking Stephen Curry replacing Monta Ellis as the team’s starting point guard, Morrow will be coming off the bench for the Warriors, most likely to spell Curry, leaving Morrow to struggle to find shots with awkward-at-best Ellis running the team.  This showed when Morrow managed only seven shots in a heart breaking loss at home opening night against a hard working, but ultimately untalented Rockets team who were on the bad end of a back-to-back, having lost to the Trailblazers the night before.  In true Warriors fashion, the defense gave up near career offensive nights to opposing players and found a way to lose despite leading by ten at the half.  Maggette logged heavy minutes at power forward and shot a disgusting 3-for-14 (though he at least worked the glass for 9 boards).  Meanwhile, Warriors fan lust object Anthony Randolph rode the pine for all but 10 minutes of the game, producing 8 points, 4 rebounds, and a block in his short allowance of time.  On the positive end, Curry’s shot started falling in the second half for the first time since he was drafted, using his mid-range jumper to keep the Warriors in the game until the final possession.  But when you let Trevor Ariza score 25, it’s hard to win.  The struggle to get shots for Morrow continued against the Suns in Phoenix, with the sharpshooter managing only 1-5 from the field in 25 minutes.  Maggette was held under 20 minutes, but still shot an anemic 2-7.  Randolph got to stretch his legs for 24 minutes and produced 12 points and 7 boards.  Steph Curry continues to put my fears that he’ll shoot 36% to rest by going 5-9, including 2-3 from three-point range.  All in all, everyone was slightly less impressive than opening night, except Azubuike, who provided a spark with 17 points off the bench.  Unfortunately, they were completely outgunned by the Suns, who have recommitted to running despite missing many of the pieces–not the least of which head coach Mike D’Antoni–that allowed them to succeed at it in the middle of the decade.  Steve Nash had a career night with 18 points and 20 dimes playing against Curry.  Old fogey Grant Hill scored 18 after putting up 19 against the Clip show, or Warriors South as they are known around here.  No Suns starter scored fewer than 18.  Channing Frye chipped in 22 and was 6-7 on three pointers–or 6-6 according to the terrible Suns announcers, who, among other things, declared Steve Nash clearly a better shooter than Ray Allen, and Leandro Barbosa, who scored 24, the fastest man in the league and clear favorite to win Sixth Man of the Year.  STAT got his 20 in as well.  It is going to be a long season in Warriorsland.

An atomic bomb, that’s the best definition for the Golden State Warriors in the upcoming season. Things are already bad in Oakland but we all know that it’s going to get worse. During the offseason, Capitan Stephen Jackson requested a trade to a contender, he wasn’t granted. Then, in order to force the move, Jackson has pulled his best Brandon Marshall impersonation and told how he always felt about Don Nelson. It hasn’t worked so far.

The Warriors are a team where the players don’t like each other, the coach stopped caring a long time ago and the fans don’t rebel about the way their franchise is ran. They do have a lot of talent and up comers which means they will be able to steal a game here and there but, because of the many chemistry issues, they will be blown out all the time. The problem is that nobody seems to care because at some point they will play junky time at home against a very good opponent, Stephen Curry will push a fast break and an alley-oop to Anthony Randolph who will dunk, the building will go crazy, there will be an standing ovation and nobody will note how much they suck as a team.

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