Sports Betting Tips and Game Handicapping Picks » San Antonio Spurs

NBA Playoff Matchups in the West

Jeffdstuff — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 16:04:10 +0000

Ah, the Western Conference. Some people still say this is where it’s at.

And with good reason too because in the West, it doesn’t matter what seed you are because any one of these Western Conference teams can go on and win the NBA championship. In the 2010 NBA playoffs, it’s more or less the same story.

Heck, Kevin Durant, the youngest player ever to win the scoring title this season, will be playing from the no.8 seed with the rest of the Oklahoma City Thunder. You see, these guys could go on and advance to, probably the second round of the playoffs. The problem is, they will be on a head-on collision with the no.1 seed Los Angeles Lakers.

That’s right, it’s the defending champions for the Oklahoma City Thunder. That’s probably why NOBODY expects them to get past the Lakers in the first round other than them Thunder players and their mommas.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy for Kevin Durant and the season he had but when you pit him against Kobe Bryant? They don’t call him the Black Mamba for nothing.

The no.2 seed Dallas Mavericks take on the no.7 seed San Antonio Spurs in what is sure to be an exciting Texas shootout. Some people say the Mavericks, since the All-Star break, have supplanted the Denver Nuggets as the biggest threat to the Lakers in the West but since the Spurs caught fire late in the season, people are starting to reconsider that notion.

I mean, this is the San Antonio Spurs we’re talking about, the model of consistency in the NBA. And with a healthy Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili once again leading the charge, you can’t deny that the Spurs is one team to watch out for.

But if there’s one team that can be considered the team that can be considered the ”darkhorse” if you will to beat the Lakers in the West, it would have to be the no.3 seed Phoenix Suns.

The Suns clicked at the right time and...

NBA Basketball update on waived Players and their new teams

NBA Blogger B — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 09:54:41 +0000

Drew Gooden, the Power forward from the Chicago Bulls already has committed in signing with the San Antonio Spurs after he clears waivers. Drew Gooden was released by the Sacramento King, making him qualified to play for another NBA team during the 2009 NBA playoffs. The San Antonio Spurs are expected to sign Drew Gooden for $1.5 million for the remainder of their midlevel exception. The contract offered to Drew Gooden keeps the San Antonio Spurs under the NBA's luxury tax threshold thus making an interesting scenario in the upcoming 2009 NBA Playoffs.

Drew Gooden signing with the San Antonio Spurs would also come as the Cleveland Cavaliers have reached agreement with former power forward Joe Smith in which both teams are getting ready for a post season run that would make both of them heavily favoured contenders in their respective NBA Conferences.

Drew Gooden has averaged 13.1 points and 8.6 rebounds a game in 31 games with the Chicago Bulls this season until he was traded to the Sacramento Kings last February 18. The Sacramento Kings reached a buyout agreement with Drew Gooden that has saved the rebuilding NBA franchise almost $1.8 million. The Sacramento Kings are looking to boost Jason Thompson as a franchise player, putting Drew Gooden in their lineup would lessen the minutes of the 2008 NBA rookie that has shown considerable promise for further improvement.

Drew Gooden has just recovered from a...

2009 NBA Playoff Race Heats Up

Jeffdstuff — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 08:34:37 +0000

We are less than a couple of months from the postseason.

You read it, and that only means one thing, the 2009 NBA basketball season will just get interesting from here. Unless of course, if you’re a Piston fan like myself.

The second half of the season has already started and we have quite a handful of teams moving up and down the proverbial food chain. One of which is the Detroit Pistons.

The Pistons clearly has some serious problems, no matter how much the team (including their fans…) deny it or not. Detroit suffered the consequences of trading Chauncey Billups for Allen Iverson, thinking that the young Rodney Stuckey was already ready to step in for Mr. Big Shot.

Enngggrrrkkk… WRONG! A lot of people thought the Allen Iverson deal was the move that could put the Pistons over the hump. After three straight losses in the Eastern Conference finals, losing to Miami, Cleveland and Boston in three straight years, Joe Dumars felt that the move will finally bring Detroit back in the NBA Finals and change the makeup of the team for the better.

The makeup did change, but it wasn’t anything better. From being one of the powerhouse teams in the East, the Pistons are just hovering above the .500 mark with Rodney Stuckey and Allen Iverson running the backcourt. All that is left for this team is hope that teams in the 9, 10, 11 spots won’t be talented enough to overtake them.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, on the other hand, is a team surging in the East. With the injury to Boston Celtics star Kevin Garnett, it seems...

NBA Basketball Betting Preview for the 2009 NBA All Star Game

NBA Blogger B — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 10:02:07 +0000

The 2009 NBA All Star Game which will be held at the US Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona is just a few days away. The 2009 All Star Game would be yet another basketball gambling delight as this would feature the NBA’s top basketball players of the year with the exception of players that were left out of the fray.

Kobe Bryant would be appearing in his 11^th All Star Game and is a favourite to win this year’s NBA All Star game MVP award. With the way the Los Angeles Lakers are playing it would not be a surprise if Kobe Bryant goes home with the award.

On the other end of the court would be Kevin Garnett who would be playing in his 12^th NBA All Game, yet would not be a favourite to win the MVP award. LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers is the reigning All Star MVP and is next in line on the polls to take the award.

Notable NBA Players are...

The 2009 NBA All-Star Game is Set

Jeffdstuff — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 08:58:20 +0000

The representatives for both the Eastern and Western Conference were finally determined.

With the 2009 NBA All-Star Game only a few more days away, we finally learned who among the league’s top players will be representing the two conferences for the mid-season classic.

And since this year’s All-Star game will be in Phoenix, let’s start with the two guys who’ll be representing the host city on February 15, Suns forward Amare Stoudemire, who was voted in as a starter, and Suns center Shaquille O’Neal, voted in as a reserve by NBA coaches.

You read it, Shaquille O’Neal is back in the All-Star game, moving past NBA greats such as Michael Jordan, Karl Malone and Jerry West to land in second place in the all-time All-Star appearances made by an NBA player. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was selected 19 times, still leads everybody.

The 2009 NBA Western Conference All-Stars will be led by reigning NBA MVP Kobe Bryant. He will be joined by New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul in the West’s starting backcourt.

Rounding up the Western starters are Tim Duncan and Yao Ming, joining Stoudemire in the frontcourt.

Joining Shaq as a reserve for the 2009 NBA Western Conference All-Stars include Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, Chauncey Billups, Tony Parker, Brandon Roy and David West. The Western Conference will be coached by the Lakers’ Zen Master Phil Jackson.

For the 2009 NBA Eastern Conference All-Stars, defending NBA champions Boston Celtics will have two representatives with Kevin Garnett starting at the...

Shaquille O’Neal still hates the Spurs

Jeffdstuff — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 03:49:00 +0000

Apparently, Shaq has this grudge with the Spurs.

The 2008-09 NBA basketball season is almost here and Shaquille O’Neal is still irritated of the San Antonio Spurs for forcing him make his free throws.

Yes, the former Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat and now, Phoenix Suns center of attraction, Shaquille O’Neal, is not a fan of being forced to the foul line to shoot 15 feet away from the hoop with the infamous Hack-a-Shaq strategy teams have started to use against him.

Specifically speaking, Shaq wasn’t a fan of the strategy the San Antonio Spurs used against him in last season’s playoffs where he had the Phoenix Suns leading handily only to hand the lead back to San Antonio after the Spurs intentionally fouled him each time they get.

That was more than a few months ago and apparently, the Phoenix Suns center is still fuming about it.

‘’The only thing I call cowardly is when you’re up by 10 and do it,'’ Shaquille O’Neal said. ‘’That’s a coward move and [Spurs coach Gregg Popovich] knows that and I’ll make them pay for it.'’

‘’I just have to go to the line and hit them and make them pay, and I will, I’m not worried.'’

Shaq has been a notoriously poor free-throw shooter throughout his career, and the Hack-a-Shaq strategy exposes his weaknesses best. Shaq thinks the strategy makes the game less appealing to fans although I find it quite amusing really.

O’Neal shot 50 percent from the charity stripe last season. That number goes...

NBA Playoff Betting Preview: Game One San Antonio Spurs at New Orleans Hornets

NBA Blogger — Sat, 03 May 2008 16:46:03 +0000

SBG Global Opening Line: Hornets - 3.5 , Total 183.5 The New Orleans Hornets will face the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs in game one of the best of seven Western Conference semifinals on Saturday night. The Hornets took out the Dallas Mavericks easily in the first round while the Spurs dispatched of the Phoenix Suns in five games in their opening series. SBG Global reports that early NBA betting has the public taking Spurs on the Road. The matchup in this series should be intriguing as the Spurs are the league’s oldest and most experienced team with 11 players in their 30s. They have star players in Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. New Orleans has eight players who are under the age of 30. Their stars are league MVP candidate Chris Paul and David West. The two teams look very evenly matched in this series. They finished the season with identical 56-26 records and they split their four head-to-head meetings. The reason New Orleans got the higher seed was based on their superior conference record but that was only by one game...

NBA 6th Man Award belongs to Manu Ginobili

Jeffdstuff — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 04:27:18 +0000

Manu Ginobili was awarded with the NBA Sixth Man award.

The San Antonio Spurs guard led his team in scoring, averaging a career-high 19.5 points to go with 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists.

That is something considering you’re on the same team with the likes of Tony Parker, Jerry Stackhouse and of course, Tim Duncan.

In the 74 games Manu Ginobili played in the 2007-08 NBA basketball season, he came off the bench 51 times.

''I really don’t care about coming from the bench if that helps the team to win a championship,'' Manu Ginobili said.

''That is what I'm going to remember when I retire, the rings I have. Not the fact I played 28 minutes or 33 or my name being called in the starting lineup. That’s not going to make thedifference in 10 to 15 years.''

''He's one of the better players in the NBA, who just happens to come off the bench,'' San Antonio Spurs starting guard Michael Finley said.

''Any other team in the league, he’d probably be starting, but for him to come off the bench and put his ego aside it just shows what kind of team we have, and more importantly what kind of player and All-Star he...''

2008 NBA Betting Tips for Feb.21 Games

Jeffdstuff — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 08:11:08 +0000

The 2007-08 NBA basketball season resumes on Thursday, a day after both Shaquille O’Neal and Jason Kidd made their respective debuts, losing to the Lakers and Hornets respectively.

And while watching Shaquille O’Neal play surprisingly well only to be spoiled by his STILL poor free throws not to mention losing to one of his former teams from Los Angeles, ENTERTAINING to say the least, Shaq’s ex-teammates from Miami are playing on Thursday and watching those guys lose again should be a treat.

Yes people, the Miami Heat will be visiting Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady and the rest of the Houston Rockets in Texas.

The Houston Rockets, one of the hottest teams in the NBA this year, have won their last nine games to improve to 18-3 since January 4. NBA oddsmakers put the spread against the surging Rockets –11 against the hapless Miami Heat who have lost their last five games.

Expect the Houston Rockets to cover with Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming leading the way.

Meanwhile, the defending NBA champions, San Antonio Spurs will also be visiting another struggling team, the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Spurs recently added defensive specialist Kurt Thomas from the Seattle Supersonics in exchange for Brent Barry and Francisco Elson. Spurs guard Toy Parker will not play due to a heel injury, while the Timberwolves will...

NBA Betting Preview: San Antonio Spurs +1 at Boston Celtics

Jeffdstuff — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 10:16:16 +0000

The San Antonio Spurs (32-16 SU, 23-25 ATS) are without 2007 NBA Finals MVP Tony Parker, who is out indefinitely due to a heel injury. And contrary to rumors, the injury is basketball-related and nothing to do with a strain from a super kinky sexual position with Eva Longoria. Without Tony Parker in the starting line, the Spurs haven't been as brilliant as we know they can be even though their NBA record may show otherwise. The Spurs have a 4-1 SU record in their last 5 games, but are disappointingly 6-13 ATS in their last 19 games. The Spurs are also 4-9 in their last 13 games on the road.Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics (38-9 SU, 29-17-1 ATS) maintain the best Bet on record in the NBA so far this 2007-08 NBA regular season. They've posted a few wins despite having top All-star vote-getter...