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Free NBA Picks- (covers.com). nba injuries as of 12/6/06. Listen up; I got a quick question for you. Who is more valuable: Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant or Cleveland Cavaliers guard Larry Hughes? Let me guess and say 99.9 percent of you answered Bryant. And of course no one would call you crazy given Bryant’s highly publicized exploits, including three world titles and the fact that his 35.4 points per game last season accounted for over one-third of all the Lakers’ scoring. So yes, next to that, the gap between Hughes (playing for his fourth team, yet to win a championship and averaging just 15.3 points per game) and Bryant is about as wide as the distance from downtown Cleveland to Hollywood. But if this is actually the case, why have the Cavs managed to go just 3-6 ATS while Hughes has been out with an ankle injury and the Lakers are a perfect 2-0 ATS in two games that Bryant missed at the start of the season recovering from knee surgery? The reason is because books always adjust quickly (maybe even over-adjust) to the loss of a player like Bryant while you can guarantee they don’t spend as much time figuring out the impact the loss of Hughes will have on the Cavaliers. But underestimating Hughes’ value is a mistake because without him the Cavs are missing their best perimeter defender and second-best scorer. This allows the opposition to double and triple-team LeBron James which completely alters everything the Cavaliers can do on the offensive and defensive ends. But why would books waste their precious time contemplating Hughes’ injury when the people who chose Bryant at my opening question is probably the same number of people who never gave a second thought to Hughes’ absence from the Cavaliers rotation? The same goes for the New Jersey Nets and reserve center Clifford Robinson. It may surprise many to see New Jersey is just 1-5-1 ATS without the veteran in the lineup. But when you consider the depth and experience Robinson brings to a relatively young and thin New Jersey frontcourt, then the significance of his loss is apparent. The point is bettors can find incredible value going against a team when one of their key rotation players is missing. This is especially true in the first couple of games without the player. All it takes is a little homework and then some extra thought about how that player’s loss will impact how the team operates. Miami heating up? I was worried about the Miami Heat. I’ll admit it. But I’ve changed my opinion after watching the team play the Detroit Pistons last Thursday. Sure, they lost the game 87-85 but they still managed to cover as 3 ½-point dogs and they even had a chance to tie the game if not for an uncharacteristically bad shot by Dwyane Wade in the final seconds. I think all these problems at the start of the year will make the team better down the season’s final stretch. Dorell Wright is proving himself to be a capable pro and will give the team needed energy and enthusiasm when the team gets healthy. Secondly, Wright’s emergence allows Pat Riley to use Antoine Walker off the bench where he is probably better suited at this time in his career. And with Shaq still missing, there may be some value with this team as they fight to get back to the .500 mark before the big man returns in a couple of weeks. Pistons cooling down On the flipside, I am a little concerned about the Pistons. Their offense just doesn’t seem to have any flow or energy aside from Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince running off screens on the wings. Too often it looked like the Toronto Raptors offense of a couple of years back when they would just give it to Vince Carter at foul-line extended and let him try and do something with the ball. And with all due respect, neither Prince nor Chauncey Billups are V.C. Secondly, they still have no bench. Antonio McDyess and Lindsey Hunter looked another year older while Flip Murray looked like he was still struggling to find his place with this team. But this team keeps winning and at 11-6 straight up (10-7 ATS) they are sure to keep having the public`s support. I think that creates some excellent value going the other way.

NBA PLAYOFFS- (associated press): jackson to stansd trial for strip club incident. A judge ordered a Feb. 12 trial for Indiana Pacers guard Stephen Jackson, who faces charges after allegedly firing a gun during a fight outside a strip club. Jackson appeared in Marion Superior Court on Wednesday. He has pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of criminal recklessness and misdemeanor counts of battery and disorderly conduct. The criminal recklessness charge carries a prison term of six months to three years. The judge also set the same trial date for Deon Willford, the driver of the car that hit Jackson during the fight on Oct. 6. Only one trial will take place that day, and the state wants to try Willford first, said David Wyser, chief trial deputy for the Marion County prosecutor's office. Both Jackson and Willford have rejected deals that would have required them to plead guilty to the most serious charges, Wyser said. Jackson, on probation for his role in the brawl with Detroit Pistons fans two years ago, fired a gun in the air at least five times outside Club Rio, police said. Jackson originally told police he was punched but later said he was not, prosecutors said. He had stitches in his lip and had scrapes and bruises, police said. Jackson's attorney, James Voyles, has insisted that Jackson acted in self defense. Willford, 23, is charged with felony counts of criminal recklessness and leaving the scene of a personal injury accident and a misdemeanor count of driving without a license. Jackson told police that Quentin Willford, also at the club, started the brawl. Teammates Jamaal Tinsley, Marquis Daniels and Jimmie Hunter were at the bar but were not charged. Raymel Mattocks, a friend of Jackson's at the club, was charged with misdemeanor counts of battery, disorderly conduct and marijuana possession. Prosecutors said Mattocks started the fight. His trial was set for Jan. 18. NBA PLAYOFFS- (associated press): sale of memphis grizzlies on hold. NBA officials are not considering a sale of the Memphis Grizzlies, because the proposed buyers have not provided enough information on where the money would come from.

Former NBA player Brian Davis leads an investment group that wants to buy a majority stake in the Grizzlies. He has declined to name the investors or discuss financing.

The sale must be approved by the NBA, and league president Joel Litvin said in a statement Tuesday the NBA hasn't received all the information requested from Davis and can't continue to review the purchase.

"Among other things, and despite numerous requests from the NBA, we have not been provided with important information about other potential investors, including the sources and amounts of funding that they would supply," according to Litvin's statement.

"In addition, based on the limited information that we have received, it appears that certain elements of the transaction would not comply with NBA rules. As a result, and contrary to their public statements, the NBA is not taking any action at this point with respect to the proposed transaction."

Davis leads an investment group that includes former NBA player Christian Laettner, who along with Davis was co-captain of Duke's championship team in the early 1990s. In a statement issued Tuesday night, Davis apologized for implying the entire proposal had been submitted to the league.

"We are working to finalize our submission and apologize for any confusion these comments may have caused," Davis said.

Davis has said he plans to invest $40 million to $55 million personally to become controlling partner of the team, and that he and Laettner would have two to five partners.

Local minority owners of the Grizzlies decided against trying to match the $252 million offer to buy out buy out Michael Heisley's 70-percent share of the team. Under Davis' contract with Heisley, the minority owners had until Friday to match Davis' offer.

Heisley announced the proposed sale in October, saying he and Davis agreed on $360 million as the total value of the franchise. The minority owners own 30 percent of the team.

NBA PLAYOFFS- (associated press): nba power rankings as of 12/06/06. 1 2 12-4 (10-6-0) 0.408 -11.00 Dallas Last week we mentioned the Mavericks were the league's hottest team. This week we're back to tell you nothing's changed as the win streak hits 12 in a row (10-2 ATS). 2 14-4 (10-8-0) 0.660 -10.00 Utah Overall it was a tough week for the Jazz; however in their defense they did beat the Spurs, and are still a solid 14-4 on the season. 3 12-5 (9-8-0) 0.558 -9.25 San Antonio San Antonio better dig in its spurs if it wants to halt a recent 2-3, 1-4 ATS slide. This is definately a different team without Ginobili in the lineup. 4 13-5 (9-9-0) 0.357 -9.00 Orlando It's about time that we start taking this Magic team seriously, and it's about time that totals bettors take note of Orlando's current 12-6 under trend. 5 9-6 (7-7-1) 0.710 -8.75 Phoenix Things continue to heat up in the desert where the Suns have now rattled off six straight wins. They're still over-valued against the number however as they've covered in just three of those victories. 6 11-5 (8-7-1) 0.556 -8.50 L.A. Lakers The Lakers have to be feeling the heat of the streaking Suns on their back. That said, a 2-1 week is certainly nothing to complain about. 7 11-5 (6-10-0) 0.439 -8.25 Houston A loss at Phoenix is the only scratch on the Rockets record during their past six games, and a stout defense has lead to the under cashing in six straight Houston contests. 8 11-6 (10-7-0) 0.332 -8.00 Detroit The boys from Motown had rhymed off eight straight victories before coming up short in Charlotte. Now a tough four-game road swing looms in the near future for the Pistons. 9 10-5 (10-5-0) 0.370 -7.50 Denver They're not going to stop anybody, but they'll sure as heck outscore them. The Nuggets are now 10-5 on the season, and over bettors have profited from a 11-4 advantage when they take the floor. 10 9-9 (11-7-0) 0.432 -6.50 Indiana So how does a .500 team crack our Top 10 list? Easy, just look at the schedule the Pacers have been asked to navigate. 11 10-7 (7-10-0) 0.268 -5.75 Cleveland A 62-point outing at Houston reinforces the fact that this team needs help, and in the worst way. 12 7-9 (7-8-1) 0.441 -5.50 Chicago The Bulls are finally living up to the preseason hype; currently riding a 4-0, 3-0-1 ATS streak. Even better for Chicago fans is that they'll play each of their next seven games at home. 13 9-8 (11-6-0) 0.824 -5.25 Golden State While none of us should be too surprised, the wheels are coming off quickly in Golden State. It's tough to win in this league; tougher if you refuse to play defense with any sort of regularity. 14 8-8 (6-10-0) 0.717 -5.00 L.A. Clippers They may have reversed the losing streak; however this team still isn't playing with enough consistency to warrant much attention. 15 7-9 (7-9-0) 0.563 -4.25 Miami At 3-1, 4-0 ATS in their last four games it now seems as if the champs are going to stand up and defend their crown. Considering they're just 7-9 on the season, I say it's about time! 16 8-7 (8-7-0) 0.850 -4.25 Sacramento Playing back-to-back nights at Dallas and San Antonio seems unfair, but following that up with Orlando, at Phoenix, and Miami makes matters even worse. 17 8-8 (7-8-1) 0.344 -3.50 New Orleans New Orleans has been bitten by the injury bug early and often this season, and as of late the results have not been pretty. 18 7-9 (10-6-0) 0.742 -3.00 Minnesota Win a few, lose a few, and the beat goes on in Minnesota. 19 7-9 (6-9-1) 0.332 -2.00 New Jersey The Nets followed up six straight losses with a pair of much-needed victories. Too bad they only came against the likes of Boston and Philadelphia. 20 7-8 (9-6-0) 0.322 -1.25 Atlanta They're 2-1 in their last three but Hawks backers would be quicker to tell you that they're also riding a 5-2 ATS run. 21 7-10 (9-8-0) 0.731 -0.50 Toronto The Raptors are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games and things just got better for the league's best-kept betting secret; they're now winning as well as covering! 22 6-10 (6-10-0) 0.364 1.00 Washington Although they did put forth a 2-1 week, we've seen, and expect little magic from this Wizards team. 23 6-10 (7-9-0) 0.582 1.00 Milwaukee The Bucks are 2-1, 3-0 ATS to start their five-game west coast swing, and in shocking fashion half of their wins this season have come against the superior conference. 24 4-12 (9-7-0) 0.563 1.50 Memphis If you can't score with consistency than you must stop people from scoring with consistency. The Grizzlies have done neither. 25 5-12 (6-11-0) 0.457 1.75 Charlotte Would you believe me if I told you that the Bobcats have beaten Cleveland, New Jersey, Detroit, and San Antonio this season? 26 6-12 (7-11-0) 0.710 2.00 Portland It was only a matter of time before the Blazers reverted to their usual form, and they did so by losing five straight and allowing more than 100 points in four of those contests. 27 7-11 (9-8-1) 1.147 2.25 Seattle When you rank 30th in both defensive fieldgoal percentage, and defensive rebounding, you're not going to win a lot of games. Just ask this 7-11 Sonics team. 28 5-10 (6-9-0) 0.243 3.25 Boston If 5-10, 6-9 ATS is what the Luck of the Irish gets you; I'll pass. 29 6-13 (8-11-0) 0.404 3.75 New York I'm not at all surprised that the Knicks have just three wins in their last 10 outings, but what does shock me is that all three wins came in somebody else's building. 30 5-11 (9-7-0) 0.310 4.00 Philadelphia Last week at Miami the Sixers attempted 34 more shots, committed six less turnovers, and stole six more balls than the Heat. They also lost by double-digits. If that's not a sign of a bad team, I don't know what is. NBA PLAYOFFS- (covers.com): ats records as of 12/06/2006. 1 DEN 2 UTA 3 MIN 4 DAL 5 IND 6 GS 7 SA 8 ATL 9 LAL 10 PHI

NBA PLAYOFFS- (associated press):stern say's introduction of new ball was wrong. Commissioner David Stern acknowledged Tuesday that the NBA should have sought more input from players before introducing its new game ball. AP Photo/John Marshall Mantel David Stern took responsibility for not consulting with more players about the new ball before introducing it. "It's an improvement in many ways," Stern told the New York Times in a story posted on its Web site Tuesday. "But if our players are unhappy with it, we have to analyze to the nth degree the cause of their unhappiness."

Stern said he will address the players' criticisms with Spalding, the ball manufacturer, but some are ready to get rid of it.

"I don't think anybody would complain if they take it away, I'll tell you that," Miami guard Dwyane Wade said. "Hopefully, we'll get back to the other balls."

Heat teammate Antoine Walker said Stern needs to take action.

"Saying and admitting that you're wrong is not good enough," Walker said. "Right now we just need to get back to the old ball. That's what guys are comfortable with and are used to playing with, and what we prefer."

Players have complained about the ball, changed from leather to a microfiber composite, since training camp began. They argue the ball bounces differently than the old one, both off the floor and the rim. The new synthetic material is more sticky when it's dry, but players say it's more slippery when wet -- which the league and Spalding deny.

"Everything is on the table," Stern told the paper. "I'm not pleased, but I'm realistic. We've got to do the right thing here. And, of course, the right thing is to listen to our players. Whether it's a day late or not, we're dealing with this."

The lack of player input about the new ball prompted one of the two unfair labor practice charges the union filed with the National Labor Relations Board late last week.

"I think it's never too late from a league point of view," Seattle guard Ray Allen said. "From a player point of view, at least we know it's not falling on deaf ears. At least it's trying to be handled and worked with."

Some of the league's biggest stars, from Shaquille O'Neal to LeBron James, have been among the most critical of the ball.

"You worry about that ball, and it kind of keeps you from doing what you have to do with it," Suns guard Raja Bell said. "I let that go. But I do think they should have probably asked guys. If you aren't going to ask the whole league, at least ask your superstars, the guys who make you the money."

Stern said he understands why the players feel as they do.

"I won't make a spirited defense with respect to the ball," Stern told the Times. "In hindsight, we could have done a better job.

"With respect to the ball, I take responsibility for that."