Will we have the 2009-10 NBA Season?
Thursday, October 8th, 2009
That’ll just suck if you already have your fantasy teams ready.
The last time the NBA went through a lockout season, the San Antonio Spurs earned their first title in franchise history. And while the 2009 NBA basketball season is still a month away, they’re already talking about another strike.
The lead negotiator and spokesman for the NBA referees union said a lockout appears ”imminent and unavoidable” following the latest breakdown in talks.
Lamell McMorris said the officials made another $1 million in concessions in their proposal, but believes it’s evident the league is not interested in further discussions. The officials then headed home after spending the last 24 hours meeting in Chicago.
The contract between the NBA and its officials expired Sept. 1 and the sides have been trying to reach a new two-year deal. McMorris said they largely agree on salaries, but the union has balked at the league’s attempt to change retirement benefits.
Without a new deal, replacement officials will be used when preseason play opens Oct. 1. The NBA last began a season without its regular referees in 1995-96, when the caliber of officiating was roundly criticized.
”We’re prepared to be locked out by the NBA but also remain open to ongoing dialogue,” McMorris said, adding that negotiations have been difficult because the league ”has made pretty clear they have a goal they are trying to achieve as it relates to these long-term benefits.”
The NBA withheld comment…
LeBron James to get help from Shaq?
Thursday, June 18th, 2009
The tipping point.
That is exactly where Shaquille O’Neal is at this point of his career. It seems it was only yesterday when he won three championship rings with Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles, since then, he moved on to win another one in Miami before failing to do the same in Phoenix.
Now that he’s stay in Arizona is about to expire, rumor has it that the Cleveland Cavaliers are interested in having Shaq play alongside LeBron James. Sure, at 37 years old, Shaq won’t be able to lead ANY TEAM deep into the postseason, but with No.23? It might just work.
According to the rumors, the Cleveland Cavaliers are willing to trade Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic for Shaquille O’Neal. O’Neal will be making $20 million next season in the final year of his contract while Wallace will make $14 million and Pavlovic $4.9 million with only $1.5 million guaranteed.
The salary exchange is close enough to make the trade between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns work.
Sure, the Suns are giving up a four-time NBA champion like Shaq but the fact of the matter is, the seven-footer is on the verge of retiring anyway and since they would end up saving $10 million in the deal, that will at least point them towards the right direction in rebuilding the franchise.
If Ben Wallace takes a buyout after he gets traded to Phoenix, the Suns would save even more money. Wallace has already hinted that he is contemplating on retirement after the Cavs, heavily favored to play for the NBA championship, lost to the Orlando Magic after six games in the Eastern Conference Finals.
It is very unlikely for Wallace to postpone…
Can Cleveland beat Orlando in Game 5?
Tuesday, May 26th, 2009
The Cavs may have finally gotten the wakeup call they needed.
For the second time in the 2009 NBA Playoffs, the Orlando Magic outplayed the Cleveland Cavaliers, winning Game 3, 99-89 to take the 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals.
It seems it was only yesterday when the Cleveland Cavaliers were dominating people, marching on to the Conference Finals after sweeping the first two best of seven series wars placed in front of them.
Nobody, at least basketball fans from Cleveland anyway, thought that the Cavaliers will be down 2-1 after the first three games of the 2009 NBA Eastern Conference Finals. Heck, they probably never anticipated that they’ll be down 2-1 to the Magic since they were probably anticipating a Cleveland – Boston match-up in the playoffs all season.
Yes, the Orlando Magic, after all their struggles in the first two rounds of the postseason, have simply been phenomenal against the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Imagine this, after stunning the Cavaliers in Cleveland, winning Game 1, 107-106, to steal homecourt, the Magic could’ve been easily up 3-0 if it wasn’t for that dramatic three-point shot LeBron James made at the buzzer in Game 2. After winning Game 3 by a handful, 99-89, the Magic now has this series under control and the Cavaliers, on the ropes.
So what does Cleveland have to do to tie this series at two games apiece? Easy. The Cavs need to match Orlando’s physicality. If they don’t, they might see Mo Williams busted open again.
Or worse, they might see their chances of…
Can Cleveland beat Orlando in Game 2?
Thursday, May 21st, 2009
The Cavaliers finally lost one.
In what has been a stunning display of domination by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2009 NBA Playoffs, they finally lost their first playoff game, losing 107-106 to the no.3 seed Orlando Magic in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
It was probably one of the most improbable of wins. If you haven’t been watching these playoffs lately, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been so dominant that they were already a shoo-in for the 2009 NBA Eastern Conference Finals as early as the first round.
After sweeping the first two rounds of the playoffs, sweeping both the Detroit Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks, the Cleveland Cavaliers had more than enough time to prepare for whichever team will come out of the East to challenge them. When the Orlando Magic officially dethroned the Boston Celtics in seven games, the Cavaliers were clearly not ready for them just yet.
When a team had THAT much time away from the court like the Cleveland Cavaliers did, the last thing you want when you get back on the floor are delays that can get you out of your rhythm. When the Orlando Magic took the floor of the Quicken Loans Arena, Dwight Howard showed just how good he really is, THAT and he kept the Cavaliers off their rhythm. All that in the opening minutes of Game 1.
Thanks to Dwight Howard ferociously slamming the ball down early in the first quarter, the 24-second shot clock above the rim was knocked off and the game had to be stopped for at least eight minutes.
Those precious eight minutes probably took any semblance of a rhythm LeBron James and his Cavaliers had early in Game 1.
The Cavaliers did build a 15-point lead at halftime but since Orlando was MAGIC, that 15-point lead MAGICALLY disappeared as Orlando was able to overcome LeBron James’ 49-point night to take the early 1-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Game 2 is scheduled this Friday still in…
Orlando’s Odds of beating Cleveland
Monday, May 18th, 2009
Can Orlando beat Cleveland?
As the 2009 NBA Playoffs get more interesting each day, online sportsbooks like SPORTSBETTING.COM has already wondered on some future matchups and has even posted some prospective betting odds for it even before the final four teams were determined.
But since we already know that it’ll be the Cleveland cavaliers going up against the Orlando Magic in the East while the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Denver Nuggets in the West, it’s time for you to make your picks and earn a lot of cash already.
The Orlando Magic are only a 6.5-point underdog in their series opener vs. the Cavaliers. While the odds suggest the Magic have a better shot matching up against Lebron and his crew, bettors still like Cleveland to cover the number, as 76 percent of all the early action has come in on Cleveland.
These betting options are live right now at SPORTSBETTING.COM with their new ‘’Prospective Betting’’ thing. In fact, every possible playoff matchup through to the final game of the season is up on the board and open for betting.
Looking even further down the playoff road, bettors have been focused on the NBA Finals and in particular, the Los Angeles Lakers matching up against, you guessed it, LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers. Steady betting action has been coming in on the ‘’prospective’’ line for Game 1. That line has the Cavaliers favored by 4.5 points. The betting action is tilted 70 percent to the home side.
However, bettors have targeted the Los Angeles Lakers as a strong play in Game 3 of this ‘’prospective’’ series. This would be the Lakers’ first game back home at the Staples Center and if they are coming back down 2-0, or even split at 1-1. It looks like the bettors feel this is a good spot for Kobe Bryant and the team to have a big night, buoyed by the home town fans.
The line for Game 3 of the NBA Finals is LA -5. The Lakers are receiving 74 percent of the betting action.
Wagering on the Cavaliers against the Magic has been…
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