November 29 , 2006 HOME - SPORTS NEWS
NBA PLAYOFFS SPORT NEWS & MLB NEWS
nba picks, free nba picks, free nba playoff picks & nba playoff picks content
nba picks, free nba picks, free nba playoff picks & nba playoff picks content
Free NBA Picks- (covers.com). sonics fueding in house.
Seattle SuperSonics coach Bob Hill may have thrown gasoline on the flames that are threatening to consume Seattle`s season when he fired back at his disgruntled reserve players following Sunday’s 20-point beating at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs.
Hill stated that while he takes the blame for the Sonics recent skid, he points to his bench’s lack of production as the main reason for the teams recent defeats. These comments came after top reserves Earl Watson and Damien Wilkins demanded more playing time and a separate offense for when they take the floor.
"When players say they need more minutes, well you`ve got to give me good minutes now,” Hill told the Seattle Times. “The second unit just hasn`t played as well.”
Seattle’s bench has combined for totals of 23 and 17 points in the losses to Sacramento and San Antonio this past week, behind poor performance from Watson, Wilkins and forward Nick Collison. All three have shot well below their career averages from the floor this season and have allowed opponents to make runs when they are on the floor because of the lull in the offense.
"Pros hold themselves accountable, younger players have the tendency to point the fingers," Hill told reporters. “‘Well, if you had been out there two more minutes, we`d be down eight instead of six. It`s their job to hold themselves accountable and play efficiently when they`re on the floor."
This public conflict has sparked questions about the team’s chemistry and has forced Hill to play his starters far more than he would like to. These issues have also started the rumor mill about the possibility of getting rid of the problematic Watson to freeing up some roster spots and allowing Hill to solidify his rotation.
"When chemistry goes bad, we are very careful about doing anything with a team,” says professional handicapper David Malinsky. "The margins between winning and losing are so small that a team needs to be going hard every night to have a chance. When there is any dissension it is time to be careful, and that particularly looks like the case here.”
Malinsky believes that the bench issues are just one of the Sonics` many problems this season. He says if the reserve players want to contribute effectively, they should look to do it on defense, where Seattle needs it the most.
The Sonics are the seventh worst defensive team in the NBA. They`ve allowed teams to score 101.4 points per game on 48.6 percent shooting. While they`ve shown a talent for offense by scoring more than 100 point per game, the star players are not known for their defensive prowess.
“It is awfully hard to have (Rashard) Lewis, (Ray) Allen and (Luke) Ridnour in the same starting lineup, because while all can score, as a group they are simply not good defensively,” says Malinsky. “What they need from the bench are some role players that can balance things out by hitting the boards hard and making up some of those deficiencies, but that has not been the case.”
The inconsistent production has lead to a 7-8 over/under record this season. <
Oddsmakers have the Sonics listed as 2 1/2-point favorites and the total set at 194 1/2 for tonight’s game against the Orlando Magic which tips off at 10 p.m. ET on FSN West.
NBA PLAYOFFS- (associated press): james getting plenty of help in cleveland.
LeBron James is the face of the Cleveland Cavaliers, but he`s been getting solid contributions from his teammates in key situations lately.
James and company look to win their seventh straight home game Wednesday when the Cavaliers host the New York Knicks as 10 1/2-point favorites at Quicken Loans Arena.
Cleveland (9-5 SU and 6-8 ATS) has won its last two games over New York (5-11 straight up and 7-9 ATS), including a 102-96 road victory as a 5-point favorite Nov. 13 that featured a breakout game from Damon Jones, who came off the bench to score 29 points on 7-of-10 shooting from 3-point range and has played well ever since.
Jones entered the game against New York averaging just 4.5 points on 31.3 percent shooting in his first six games. Since that game, though, the nine-year veteran is averaging 13.9 points on 50 percent shooting from the field, including 43.8 percent from 3-point range (21-of-48).
In the Cavs` 108-95 home victory as 7-point favorites Saturday over Philadelphia, Zydrunas Ilgauskas came up with a huge performance.
After scoring a season-low two points in their loss Friday to Indiana, Ilgauskas had season highs of 18 points, 15 rebounds - including a franchise record-tying 12 offensive - and five blocks.
`Z` did a tremendous job, Cleveland coach Mike Brown said. He got on the ground three or four times going after loose balls, that`s a heck of an effort for a guy that`s 7-foot-3. His points and rebounds were tremendous, but his five blocks is what I like to see.
James had 25 points and 11 assists against the 76ers, and had 29 points against the Knicks earlier this season. He`s averaging 33.7 points in his last three games against New York.
Brown expects guard Larry Hughes to play after missing the last six games with a high ankle sprain. Hughes started the first eight games of the season, averaging 13.8 points.
The Cavs are off to a 7-1 start at Quicken Loans Arena after going 31-10 at home last season.
They have been winning most of their games fairly easily during their six-game home winning streak, with three of the last four by at least 13 points. Cleveland split its two games with the Knicks at Quicken Loans Arena last season, but has won 12 of its last 15 home games against them.
The Knicks are 4-5 on the road after winning just eight road games all of last season - tied for second-fewest in the league.
New York lost at Chicago, 102-85 as a 7-point underdog, on Tuesday to drop both games of a home-and-home series with the Bulls.
They turned the ball over 23 times Tuesday after turning it over 26 times Saturday.
Stephon Marbury played the entire fourth quarter, but missed all three of his shots and committed three of his five turnovers as New York was outscored 31-17 in the final 12 minutes.
Marbury finished with seven points on 2-of-13 shooting after not taking a shot for the first time in his career and scoring no points in 19 minutes Saturday.
I don`t have the ball as much as I normally do, said Marbury, who is averaging 6.6 points and shooting 36 percent in his last seven games. We had three guards in there tonight. Any one of us can have the ball. I`m used to having the ball. It`s an adjustment.
Forward Quentin Richardson missed Tuesday`s game with a strained left hamstring, and is listed as day-to-day. Richardson averaged 13.7 points while starting the first 15 games.
NBA PLAYOFFS- (associated press): books giving orlando no respect.
Coming off an impressive win over one of the Western Conference`s best teams, the surging Orlando Magic look to avoid a letdown against one of the conference`s worst clubs when they take on the Seattle SuperSonics on Wednesday night at KeyArena.
Oddsmakers have Seattle listed as a 2 1/2-point home favorite. The total is set at 194 1/2.
Orlando (11-4) has won four straight and eight of nine, including an 88-75 victory over Utah on Monday. In a matchup between the teams with the best records in their respective conferences, Orlando overcame a poor shooting night thanks to another strong performance by Dwight Howard.
The forward had 21 points and 16 rebounds for his sixth straight double-double and 11th of the season on a night when his team, which has been one of the NBA`s most accurate from the field this season, shot a season-low 39.5 percent.
We couldn`t do anything with Howard, Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. He`s so big and long, we couldn`t keep him off the boards. He got huge rebounds and he obviously made his free throws.
Howard was just 4-of-11 from the floor, but 13-of-16 from the foul line. The Magic are shooting 48.1 percent from the floor on the season.
Howard also helped Orlando outrebound the Jazz 45-36, including 15 offensive boards against the league`s best rebounding team. The Jazz average 45.3 rebounds per game.
The big thing is we were able to get stops at the other end of the court, Orlando coach Brian Hill said. We did a good job getting to the free-throw line and getting balls off the glass that gave us a lot of extra possessions on a night where we frankly didn`t shoot the ball well.
Hill`s club was 26-of-34 from the foul line, as opposed to 16-of-20 for Utah.
With strong shooting and solid, consistent performances from Howard, the Magic are off to their best 15-game start since the 1999 season, when they also opened 11-4.
Howard is averaging career highs of 16.7 points and 13.7 rebounds, and he`s been at his best on the road, with 19.1 points and 15.8 rebounds per contest in seven games away from Orlando.
Howard averaged 18 points and 17 rebounds in two games against Seattle (6-9) last season.
The Sonics have lost two in a row and five of the last seven, including a 98-78 rout at the hands of San Antonio on Sunday. Seattle shot a season-worst 38.4 percent from the field and was outscored 27-15 in the final quarter.
Ray Allen led Seattle with 21 points, while reserve Nick Collison added 15 points and seven rebounds off the bench.
Bob Hill criticized the play of his reserves, who, without Collison`s contribution Sunday, scored 10 points.
We have been doing so poorly with our bench scoring, he told the team`s website. When we got to our bench, our scoring just falls off, and it puts more pressure on Rashard Lewis and Ray Allen. That`s a problem. We`ve got to get some points. There is no help for the first group.
Damien Wilkins, a reserve averaging 6.2 points, disagreed with his coach`s assessment.
He says the bench is struggling a bit, Wilkins said. I say he needs to develop more trust in us. It seems like his leash is so short with everybody. If he develops a little more trust in us, I think we will be able to play with and develop more confidence.
NBA PLAYOFFS- (associated press): nba power rankings as of 11/29.
1 12-2
(9-5-0) 0.500 -10.50 Utah
Utah retains the best record in the NBA after a 3-1 week that also brought the return of AK47. Utah backers rejoice!
2 9-4
(8-5-0) 0.384 -10.00 Dallas
The Mavericks are the hottest team in the NBA, winning nine consecutive contests. This includes an impressive win over the Spurs in San Antonio.
3 11-3
(9-5-0) 0.381 -9.75 San Antonio
The Spurs continue to pile up victories, registering a 2-1 week. However, an injury to Manu Ginobili could see this team finally drop a road game at either Golden State, or Utah.
4 9-4
(5-8-0) 0.341 -9.00 Houston
Tracy McGrady publicly stated that he is willing to play second fiddle to Yao Ming, and so far it seems to be working as Houston improved to 9-4 on the year, following a 3-0 week.
5 7-6
(6-6-1) 0.746 -8.50 Phoenix
The Suns continue to compile victories, averaging 106.9 PPG. This week, Phoenix hosts Houston, Milwaukee, and Sacramento, and are looking to improve on what was a horrific start.
6 9-5
(9-5-0) 0.466 -8.00 Detroit
The team is winning, posting a 4-0, 3-1 ATS week and the defense is improving, allowing a meager 96.4 PPG. Things are seemingly starting to come together in Motown.
7 9-4
(6-6-1) 0.479 -7.50 L.A. Lakers
The Lakers made a statement last week, compiling three victories. Kobe Bryant averaged 26.0 PPG over that stretch, including a 40-point outing versus the rivaled Clippers.
8 10-4
(7-7-0) 0.247 -7.00 Orlando
Orlando leads the Eastern Conference after a 3-1, 2-2 ATS week. The Magic will be tested this week with six consecutive road games, starting in the mountains of Utah.
9 8-4
(8-4-0) 0.430 -6.50 Denver
The Nuggets are nothing short of amazing! Denver is 8-1, 7-2 since opening the season at 0-3 and leads the NBA with 110.5 PPG, resulting in a 9-3 advantage for over bettors. Now that's impressive!
10 9-5
(6-8-0) 0.204 -6.00 Cleveland
The Cavaliers continue to struggle without Larry Hughes, and on the highway, posting a 2-4 mark in his absence that includes losses at Indiana and Toronto.
11 8-6
(10-4-0) 0.928 -6.00 Golden State
Golden State had a difficult week, losing to Phoenix, and Denver twice before beating Utah. However, Mike Dunleavy is flourishing as the 6th man, averaging 10.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG and 3.4 APG.
12 8-6
(7-7-0) 0.432 -5.50 New Orleans
The Hornets are struggling to score, averaging just 92.6 PPG but are stifling on defense, allowing 92.5. That's good news for totals bettors as the under continues to cash at a 67-percent clip when they play.
13 6-6
(4-8-0) 0.653 -5.00 L.A. Clippers
The Clippers are slipping in the standings after dropping four consecutive contests. LA supporters are certainly feeling the pain, enduring a 0-4 ATS streak.
14 7-5
(6-6-0) 0.724 -4.75 Sacramento
Brad Miller returned to the Kings lineup on Saturday versus the Trailblazers. Miller battles Elton Brand, Dirk Nowitzki, and Tim Duncan this week. Welcome back!
15 7-7
(8-6-0) 0.389 -4.50 Indiana
The struggles continue for Indiana after losing to the Raptors on Sunday. It's about to get worse as the Pacers travel to Portland on Monday to start a five game western road trip.
16 6-6
(7-5-0) 0.731 -4.00 Minnesota
The Timberwolves are showing signs of life with victories over the Hornets and Clippers. Marko Jaric averaged 11.0 PPG and 4.6 RPG through Minnesota's 3-0 SU, ATS streak.
17 5-8
(4-9-0) 0.733 -2.50 Miami
Patience is wearing thin in Miami as the defending champs have struggled to a 5-8 start. In their defense, it is impossible to fill Shaquille O'Neal's (7'1", 325 lbs) size 20 shoes.
18 4-9
(5-8-0) 0.539 -2.00 Chicago
There is trouble brewing in Chicago and its not related to apparel. The Bulls are 2-8 on the road, including five consecutive losses to western opponents. Yes, the circus trip has again turned out to be just that.
19 6-9
(6-9-0) 0.699 -1.75 Portland
In our last rankings I suggested fading Portland. Hopefully you listened, as the Trailblazers are 1-3, 1-3 ATS since last week, losing by an average of 12.5 PPG.
20 5-8
(5-7-1) 0.453 -1.50 New Jersey
Despite soaring expectations in the Garden State the Nets are struggling. However, the Nets should improve to .500 with upcoming contests versus Charlotte, Boston and Philadelphia.
21 6-9
(8-6-1) 1.071 -1.50 Seattle
Ray Allen (25.5 PPG and 1.6 SPG) and Rashard Lewis (22.9 PPG and 6.2 RPG) are having spectacular seasons for Seattle. However, the NBA is not a 2-on-2 league!
22 5-8
(8-5-0) 0.348 -0.75 Philadelphia
The 76ers are 2-8 in their last 10 contests, falling to 5-8, 8-5 ATS on the season. Luckily this team competes in the lackluster Atlantic Divison.
23 5-6
(6-5-0) 0.414 -0.50 Atlanta
Since starting the season at 4-1 the Hawks have gone the opposite direction. Atlanta is 1-5, 2-4 ATS, including four losses to teams with losing records.
24 4-9
(5-8-0) 0.467 0.50 Washington
There is no excuse for losing seven consecutive road games, including a 15-point loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.
25 4-9
(6-7-0) 0.998 1.50 Toronto
Sam Mitchell is on the hot seat after starting the season with a 4-9 mark. On the bright side, Bargnani is showing notable improvement, averaging 11.5 PPG in 23.1 MPG last week.
26 3-10
(8-5-0) 0.596 2.00 Memphis
It was another dismal week for the Grizzlies, falling to 3-10 this season. The good news is that Memphis supporters were given a 5-0 ATS streak to ease the pain!
27 5-8
(6-7-0) 0.275 2.50 Boston
The chant, "Fire Doc" could be heard raining down from the rafters after a 101-77 loss to New York. Is it time for a change in Beantown?
28 4-9
(4-9-0) 0.441 3.00 Milwaukee
Charlie V. seems to be the missing component in Milwaukee. The Bucks are 1-4, 0-5 ATS since losing the power forward on November 17th.
29 3-10
(4-9-0) 0.482 3.50 Charlotte
The Bobcats are starting a three game road trip versus the Nets, Hawks and Wizards. The problem; the Bobcats are 1-4 on the road and 2-5 versus the Eastern Conference in '06.
30 5-10
(7-8-0) 0.348 4.00 New York
New York went 1-3 SU, ATS last week, losing Quentin Richardson in the process. It is good to see things are returning to normal in the Big Apple!
NBA PLAYOFFS- (covers.com): ats records as of 11/29/2006.
1 GS
2 MIN
3 UTA
4 DET
5 MEM
6 SA
7 IND
8 DEN
9 ATL
10 DAL
NBA PLAYOFFS- (associated press): golden state coach looks to hit personal milestone.
Don Nelson had no interest in discussing another milestone he's about to add to his coaching resume.
On Wednesday night, he could become only the second coach in NBA history to reach 1,200 victories when his Golden State Warriors host the Indiana Pacers. Lenny Wilkens has the career record for wins with 1,332.
"I guess you jinxed that," Nelson said Tuesday after a Warriors staff member brought up the fact he could do it by month's end. "I don't want to talk about that. Let's talk about something else."
Well, does he think he can catch Wilkens?
"I'll try not to. I don't want it," Nelson said. "I hope I retire before that ever happens. I'm a happy guy right where I am."
So are his Golden State bosses. Nelson's team is 9-6 and coming off impressive victories over Utah and San Antonio -- two of the NBA's elite organizations -- in a three-day span. The Warriors haven't reached the playoffs in an NBA-worst 12 years, since Nelson last took this franchise to the postseason in 1994 during his first stint as coach.
But there is hope in the East Bay again after years of disappointment and losing.
For now, Nelson is focused not on counting his victory total but getting his young squad to keep playing well. He is brutally honest when it comes to his players, and it's something they seem to appreciate so far. At least they know there's no wondering what the coach is thinking.
The 66-year-old Nelson, hired Aug. 30 in a surprise move to replace Mike Montgomery, has shown he isn't going to defend his athletes at all times. Fifth-year pro Mike Dunleavy, the third overall pick by the Warriors in the 2002 draft out of Duke who has greatly underachieved, is frequently booed by fans frustrated with his lack of contribution.
"A lot of it is his own fault," Nelson said. "He needs to step up and do more. I mean, I have the same problem the fans do. I'm not booing him, but I've thought about it a few times. He's got to get tougher. If that's what it takes [booing], that's what it takes."
And how does Nelson feel about Matt Barnes, who filled in nicely while guard Mickael Pietrus sat out the last two games with the flu? Barnes is averaging 19.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.67 blocks over his last three games.
"I get mad at him because he always has to do something sensational and it doesn't ever really work out," Nelson said. "If they can make the play, it's one thing. He's like 0-for-10 on sensational."
And Nelson told 21-year-old guard Monta Ellis on Monday night that he had better start playing if the Warriors were going to beat the Spurs. Ellis scored 14 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter of a 111-102 win, with Nelson saying Tuesday that Ellis slept through the first three periods.
Whatever works, the players say of Nelson's methods. They are winning, so Nellie has to be doing something right.
"He's our legend. Legend Nelson," Pietrus said.
Nelson stressed to his team Tuesday not to get too high after these last two wins against Western Conference powers. It's still early and Golden State will have played a franchise-record 12 home games in November, the Warriors' most ever in one month.
"I worry about everything with a young team," Nelson said. "There isn't anything I don't worry about. I told them today, 'Don't get too full of ourselves. The Force was with us the last two games."'
Nelson said point guard Baron Davis' status for Wednesday would be a game-time decision depending how his tender right ribs feel. He has missed three straight games and four of five.
NBA- (asociated press): grizzlies gasol not worried about trade rumors
Pau Gasol admits his days with the Memphis Grizzlies may be numbered.
Less than three months after being voted MVP at the FIBA World Championships following Spain's gold-medal triumph over Greece, Gasol has been the subject of trade discussions while he recovers from foot surgery.
The Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls are believed to be among the teams interested in acquiring Gasol.
"It's not the first time that my name appears in the rumor section of the NBA," Gasol said. "It's not something that worries me at this time although I am following the story from the press.
"The only thing that has changed with respect to the past is the delicate situation of the Grizzlies in terms of results, as well as the changes that have taken place within the offices with the change of ownership."
Along with being up for sale, the Grizzlies are 3-10 without their star forward.
Gasol, who is hoping to return sometime in December, has averaged 18.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in his five-year NBA career.
"My aim right now is to return to play and help the Grizzlies win games," Gasol said. "I will soon return to train with the team. It's not a question of whether I want to play for the Grizzlies or not."
Last season was Gasol's best as he averaged 20.4 points and 8.9 rebounds.
Then in the World Championships, Gasol was named MVP despite fracturing his foot in the semifinals. With Gasol watching from the bench, Spain rolled to a 70-47 victory over Greece in the final.
NBA PLAYOFFS- (associated press): charlotte sign vetran derek anderson.
The Charlotte Bobcats added depth to their backcourt Tuesday by signing veteran swingman Derek Anderson.
Anderson
The move was made to help lessen the load for point guards Raymond Felton and Brevin Knight. Anderson has experience playing point guard, shooting guard and small forward.
"That versatility was definitely a factor so he can spell the guys at the point and also do some scoring," Bobcats coach and general manager Bernie Bickerstaff said. "He can take some pressure off our young wings."
Charlotte will be the seventh team for the 32-year-old Anderson, who was selected 13th overall by Cleveland in the 1997 draft. The former Kentucky star averaged 8.1 points with Houston and Miami last season, but wasn't re-signed by the Heat.
"This was a better situation than the other offers I had," Anderson said. "I wanted to find the best fit for me. It's a matter of using my skills to help the team out."
The Bobcats created a roster spot for Anderson on Monday when they waived guard Alan Anderson.
NBA- (espn.com): bobby jackson fined for blasting officials.
The NBA fined New Orleans Hornets point guard Bobby Jackson $20,000 on Monday for verbally abusing officials and failing to the leave the court in a timely fashion after being ejected.
Jackson was tossed in the third quarter of the Hornets' 85-73 loss at Dallas on Saturday night when he was hit with two technicals.
He protested a foul call with 2:18 left in the period and had to be restrained from going after referee Derek Richardson by teammates, who pulled him toward the locker room.
FREE NBA PICKS - (associated press): clippers extend coachs contract.
The Los Angeles Clippers and coach Mike Dunleavy have reached a four-year contract extension worth more than $21 million, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday, citing multiple sources.
According to the report, the team and Dunleavy's agent have worked out a deal that will pay him more than $5.3 million a season. The Clippers have not made the deal public because bonuses tied to future playoff appearances were still being worked out, the Times reported.
The Clippers, long synonymous with losing, improved dramatically under Dunleavy last season, posting their best win total since the franchise's glory days as the Buffalo Braves in the mid-1970s. The team reached the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons and came within one win of reaching the Western Conference final.
The Times reported the offer is close to the $6 million a year Dunleavy's agent initially proposed and would make him among the highest-paid coaches in the NBA. Dunleavy, the NBA's 1999 coach of the year, currently earns $2.5 million a season, and his deal expires at the end of this season.
|
