Nadal Continues To Dominate on Clay

Posted on April 15, 2011 by leetee21

Rafael Nadal is the man to beat on clay. Everybody in world tennis knows this. In fact, many tennis betting pundits believe he is unbeatable on the surface.

This view is backed up by the fact that Nadal today extended his unbeaten run at the Monte Carlo Masters to 34 matches with a comfortable victory over Richard Gasquet.

The Spaniard progressed to the last eight of this year’s competition, brushing aside his opponent 6-2 6-4 in a match that he rarely found himself under any pressure.

Chasing his seventh straight title win in Monte Carlo, Nadal will now face Ivan Ljubicic in the quarter-finals after the Croatian defeated fifth seed Tomas Berdych 6-4 6-2.

In reality though, it doesn’t really make too much difference who Nadal faces at this stage of the tournament. As Roger Federer mentioned yesterday, the World No.1 rarely has any problems against players outside the Top 20 on clay.

Gasquet did work hard to cause an upset in the second set of Nadal’s recent match, but it was never going to be quite enough. Even if Nadal is taken down to the wire on clay, you always feel he will have the energy conserved to emerge victorious.

Referring back to Federer’s quotes from yesterday, it is worth noting how even he – a 16-time World Champion – accepts that Nadal is difficult to beat on clay.

The World No.3 said: “He’s clearly the overwhelming favourite for this tournament. We all know how good Rafa is on this surface.”

If things go according to form, those placing tennis bets will note how Federer and Nadal could meet in the Monte Carlo Masters final later this month as the build up to the French Open at Rolland Garros continues.

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Grizzlies to Make Run at the Playoffs Without Rudy Gay

Posted on March 30, 2011 by leetee21

The Memphis Grizzlies have been making things uncomfortable for the top teams in the West all season. Those looking at March Madness Betting note how they have had great success against the eliteteams in the NBA and few want to face them in a first round series. They are young, athletic and play hard. As the playoff chase enters the final stages, the young Grizzlies will have to make that last push without their best player. Rudy Gay has been shut down for the remainder of the season.

Those studying the March Madness odds state how Gay was hurt mid February in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers. He underwent weeks of rehabilitation but it was announced last week that he will miss the rest of the season.

This, of course, is a major blow for the Grizzlies as Gay was having a stellar season.

Gay averaged 19.8 points per game and 6.2 rebounds per game until he was injured. The Grizzlies have been very competitive in his absence going 9-6 as of Saturday. This is all happening as they try to make the Western Conference playoffs for the first time since the 2005-2006 season.

The Grizzlies currently hold the eighth seed as they try to hold off the Houston Rockets and clinch a berth. The Rockets hold the tie-breaker over the Grizzlies and have a relatively easy schedule the rest of the way. Not to mention the Rockets have been playing exceedingly well since the All-Star break.

In Gay’s absence, the team is hurting on defense due to Gay’s athleticism and length but to be honest, their offense has been better. This can happen when a team loses it’s focal point on offense and everyone realizes they need to step up.

They demolished the San Antonio Spurs without Gay, which is a great sign seeing as if they can grab the final playoff spot in the West, they will be playing the Spurs in a best of seven game series.

The Grizzlies are a team still on the rise so just making the playoffs will be a successful season. Winning a few games in the opening round will be icing on the cake. With or without Gay, NBA teams don’t want to be facing the Grizzlies as the season winds down or in the postseason. They are just the type of team that can sneak up and bite you.

The Grizzlies can take whatever playoff experience they get and add it to what should be an even better team next season when Gay returns healthy and ready for more.

 

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NBA Draft Prospects on Display in NCAA Tourney

Posted on March 25, 2011 by leetee21

This time of year it is hard to focus on the NBA game as the college kids take center stage in March. The NCAA tournament is in progress and that has basketball fans watching brackets, buzzer beaters and who is going to be a good NBA pro.

Basketball betting pundits note how the teams that are going to be in the lottery are watching closely as each potential draft prospect can use the tournament to raise their stock in the June draft. Of course this could all be a mute point if the whispers amongst NBA Betting pundits of a NBA lockout are true.

But let’s forget all that negative stuff and focus on who looks like they are ready to dominate the NBA game once their college dreams are over.

The two hottest names that are being talked about are Kemba Walker out of Connecticut and Jimmer Fredette out of BYU. Both are electrifying and both can take their teams on their back.

Fredette is the nation’s leading scorer who has range starting once he crosses half. Walker has gotten better as the season has gone on and had that amazing run in the Big East tournament where he led his team to five wins in five days.

But this is where the NBA game can be a whole different world. Fredette is a dominant college player, there is no question there. But does his game cross over to the NBA? He will have to use his court sense and amazing shooting ability that to get him over the hump as he will always be up against more athletic players. There have been enough NCAA scoring machines that have vanished in the NBA game over the last several years that a lot of teams may pass on Fredette.

Walker however looks like he is ready for the NBA now. His size could be an issue but the NBA rules play into his strengths as there is less hand-checking and more space to operate. He is a winner and a competitor and could really help an NBA team right away.

The NCAA tournament is the perfect time for NBA scouts to evaluate talent before June. When you have a player in for tryouts, you can’t see how they are during crunch time. You can’t see how they lead a team and you can’t see them elevate their game.

You can’t judge a player on stats alone, you need to see them competing at the highest level and that is what March is all about.

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Rose Leads MVP Race Heading Into Home Stretch

Posted on March 14, 2011 by leetee21

With one month left in the NBA season, not only is the postseason chase in full swing, so is the race for league MVP. Before the season started, NBA Betting pundits note how the usual suspects were mentioned as potential winners. LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and so on. Not that many experts were talking about Derrick Rose, the point guard for the Chicago Bulls.

 

But as the Bulls climb the standings in the Eastern Conference, Rose is now the Basketball Betting odds on favourite to take the MVP award thanks to his outstanding play this season.

 

The Bulls changed the makeup of their team in the offseason by adding Carlos Boozer and defensive guru, Tom thibodeau, as head coach. Both additions were expected to put the Bulls in the discussions for the NBA title, and they have. But the number one reason for the Bulls being a serious threat in June is Derrick Rose.

 

Injuries to key players have forced the Bulls to play several different rotations during the first  five months of the season and it has been Rose that has been the constant. His numbers are incredible as he has clearly established himself as an All-NBA performer.

 

Rose may not be a proven leader yet, but his ability on the court has been leading by example. He has made everyone on the court better which is the true sign for what an MVP is. On top of it all, in a league with so many talented point guards, Rose has somehow earned separation from the pack. Now when you ask the fans who the best point guard in the league is, they are no longer saying Steve Nash, Jason Kidd or even Chris Paul, they are saying Derrick Rose.

 

There are only two real contenders in the race for the NBA MVP this season and that’s Derrick Rose and LeBron James. If you really believe Dwight Howard, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Nirk Nowitzki or even Dwyane Wade have a shot, you are ignoring the truth. Rose is the favourite at this point but you can never count out the powers of LeBron and what he is doing for the Miami Heat. Afterall, he is the reigning MVP of the league.

 

The final tiebreaker could come down to who’s team wins in the end. The Bulls and Heat are currently fighting it out for position at the top of the East with Boston. Rose has the Bulls primed to take it and himself to take his first NBA MVP award.

 

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NBA Trade Deadline Recap

Posted on March 8, 2011 by leetee21

Those looking at March Madness betting will note how the 2011 NBA Trade Deadline has come and gone for another season. How did your team make out? Regardless of the outcome, teams are now stuck with what they got to either make a postseason run or to ride out the season until next year.

A total of 13 deals took place before the 3 p.m. deadline on February 24th. Those studying the March Madness odds note how it could of very well been 14, but the Indiana Pacers and Memphis Grizzlies were not able to get the finer details worked out on a deal that would have sent O.J. Mayo to the Pacers for Josh McRoberts and a first round pick.

With all trade deadlines, there are deals that will pay off for a teams immediately. Other deals will benefit teams in the long term once players involved mature and grow into their new surroundings.

The two biggest deals immediately changed the landscape of the Atlantic Division with both Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams moving over. The Knicks traded away most of their starting unit to get  Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Renaldo Balkman, Anthony Carter and Corey Brewer.

Many fans and experts felt that giving up Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler,  Timofey Mozgov, a 2014 first-round Draft Pick, a 2012 and 2013 second-round Draft Pick, Kosta Koufos and $3 million was too  much.

But the Knicks got the superstar they wanted. They got the scoring machine they wanted. Most importantly they got more leverage for bigger signings this summer. The Knicks might not be a better team overall after the deal, but they are relevant again in the NBA and that is what matters.

The other big deal involving the Atlantic Division, was the New Jersey Nets landing Deron Williams from the Utah Jazz. The Jazz get Devin Harris, Derrick Favors and two first-round Draft Picks in return. This deal looks like a winner for the Nets up front but the real winner in this draft will be determined on how Favors works out as a budding star.

The Nets missed out on LeBron in the summer and Carmelo but they finally landed their big star in Williams. He is an elite point guard which is so coveted in the NBA.

 

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Denver Nuggets Turning Into Gold Minus Carmelo

Posted on March 8, 2011 by leetee21

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March Madness Betting pundits will tell you that the drama has ended. Carmelo Anthony is finally out of Denver after being traded to the New York Knicks. The initial thought was that the Nuggets would be taking a step backwards but it hardly looks like that now (excluding Saturday night’s loss to the Clippers).

Fast forward a few weeks and those looking at March Madness odds note it is the Nuggets, not the Knicks who are burning up the NBA.

Before facing the Clippers on Saturday, the Nuggets were 5-1 since sending Anthony and Chauncey Billups to the Knicks in a three-team, 13-player trade that brought them Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler and Timofey Mozgov from New York and Kosta Koufus from Minnesota.

They are the highest scoring team in the NBA and their current hot streak included a 120-80 shellacking of the Charlotte Bobcats. In that game, the Nuggets had seven players score in double figures.

While the Nuggets have a long way to go and a tough road ahead, coach George Karl loves how the team has committed to competing through defence, which was always a deficiency in Denver since he took over the team.

Without Anthony in the lineup, the team concept has taken over and now Denver is one of the deepest teams in the NBA.

A key to Denver’s recent resurgence has been the play of Kenyon Martin.

K-Mart was putting up double-doubles with regularity until being sidelined early last March for 18 games with a knee problem. He eventually underwent knee surgery during the summer and missed the first two months of this season.

It took a while for Martin to bounce back but now he is on a run of averaging almost a double-double once again, and has shown signs of being all the way back after a year of knee trouble.

Martin has also been showing leadership to the younger players with the departure of Anthony and Billups.

All this is going on as the more publicized Knicks are struggling to find cohesion with their new star. New York has had a few big wins and has electrified the city but at the same time, they have lost to Cleveland twice. The offensive flow is not what it was before the trade and NBA pundits are wondering if they are actually better than they were before the deal.

In the long run, New York got the All-Star but for right now, it is the Nuggets that are playing like gold.

 

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Halfway There – NBA’s Disappointments

Posted on February 24, 2011 by leetee21

With the All-Star game behind us, now is the time that teams dig in and really push to either get into the playoffs or prepare for a deep run into June. So with four months of action in the books, what teams have been a disappointment so far?

Well first off, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Sure they were not expected to repeat as the team with the best record in the league. But many thought they could still compete and maybe battle for one of the last postseason slots. Minus LeBron James however, it has been a nightmare season for Cleveland. Until recently they were heading straight towards losing 30 games in a row. Not even a shocking upset of the Los Angeles Lakers before the All-Star break can save the season to this point.

The Washington Wizards were expected by basketball betting to be better or at least that was the buzz once John Wall landed in DC. They to had an embarrassing run of not winning a road game until a few weeks ago. Like Cleveland, not much was expected but certainly more than what is happening now.

The Philadelphia 76ers are starting to play better ball now but for the first few months they were one of the bigger disappointments. First year coach Doug Collins took some time to instil his plans and with the talent in Philly, they should post better numbers in the second half.

In terms of the teams that had potential to really make noise in the playoffs, the Denver Nuggets have been a letdown according to NBA betting pundits. With the Carmelo drama hanging over their heads, the Nuggets went from a team that could challenge to win the West, to a team barely keeping itself in the playoff hunt.

Finally, throwing record aside, the Lakers have been a disappointment to many, only because they are held to a higher standard. They are the defending champs and regardless of whether you think they are bored or waiting for the playoffs, they have had some horrible losses this season. Kobe Bryant is not what he used to be and cannot carry a team all by himself. Maybe L.A. is waiting for April to turn it on but the other contenders in the West are not fearing the purple and gold as much as they used to.

 

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