NBA Season 2014-15 Discussion

[hazelnut]

NBA PRESEASON
10/29/2014

Denver Nuggets vs Detroit Pistons

Home - Denver Nuggets
Last away matches - L-W-L-L-L-L

Nuggets PG Ty Lawson, who suffered a broken rib in his only meeting with Detroit last season, is on track for the opener despite dealing with a hamstring issue that limited him to four preseason games.Denver is aiming to improve itself defensively, its biggest offseason splash came when it reacquired shooting guard Arron Afflalo, the team's second-leading scorer in 2011-12, the final season of his first stint with the Nuggets. Afflalo's scoring averages have improved in each of his seven NBA seasons, reaching 18.2 in a solid effort as Orlando's go-to guy in 2013-14. Afflalo was eighth in the league from 3-point range (42.7 percent), making him a potentially lethal addition for a team that likes to shoot early and often but finished in the middle of the pack from beyond the arc in terms of accuracy (35.8 percent).

Away - Detroit Pistons
Last away matches - W-L-W-L-L-L

Stan Van Gundy makes his return to the sidelines on Wednesday as the new head coach for the Detroit Pistons, who open a hopeful campaign at Denver. Van Gundy, who owns a .641 winning percentage in eight seasons with Miami and Orlando, was brought in to revive an organization that has endured six straight losing campaigns. Last season's edition went 8-24 down the stretch under interim head coach John Loyer, but Van Gundy's squad has some promise as it builds around star center Andre Drummond. Among the many items on Van Gundy's to-do list is to get more out of swingman Josh Smith, whose overall production took a tumble in his first season with the Pistons. Smith shot a career-low 41.9 percent and was a woeful 26.4 percent from long range, a factor that never deterred him from taking as many 3-pointers as he wanted; Smith's 265 long-distance attempts were a career high. Detroit made the fewest 3s in the Eastern Conference (507) but Van Gundy's teams in the past have often been among the best in the league from the perimeter.

Asian Handicap
Home - (-7.00)
Away - (+7.00)
Pick - Detroit Pistons (+7.00)
Odds - 1.92
Stakes - 8/10
___________________________________________
NBA PRESEASON
10/29/2014

New York Knicks vs Chicago Bulls

Home - New York Knicks
Last away matches - L-W-W-L-W-W

Jackson’s second-biggest move was hiring a new head coach, and the decision maker went with a familiar face in Derek Fisher, who ran Jackson’s triangle offense with the Los Angeles Lakers. “We want to be consistent in who we are, so when we get rebounds and stops we can get out into the open floor and attack before the defense is set up,” Fisher told reporters of the new New York offense. “That’s not the triangle offense, that’s transition offense.” Pushing the pace will be a pair of new point guards in veteran Jose Calderon and Shane Larkin, who saw limited time as a rookie in Dallas last season.

Away - Chicago Bulls
Last away matches - L-W-W-L-W-W

Rose has played just 10 games in the last two seasons and missed the playoffs in each of those campaigns, leaving Chicago defense-first and a little short on the offensive end. The 2010-11 MVP showed off his old explosiveness over the summer and continued to impress during the preseason as the Bulls worked Gasol and rookie Doug McDermott into the offense.

Asian Handicap
Home - (+4.50)
Away - (-4.50)
Pick - Chicago Bulls (-4.50)
Odds - 1.99
Stakes - 10/10
___________________________________________
NBA PRESEASON
10/29/2014

Portland Trail Blazers vs Oklahoma City Thunder

Home - Portland Trail Blazers
Last away matches - W-L-W-L-L-W

The Portland Trailblazers have the luxury of returning a fully healthy starting five that are coming off the franchise's best season since 2000. The offseason additions of Chris Kaman and Steve Blake add much-needed depth to one of the least productive benches in the league last season, and given the continued development of Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge, this team looks primed to deep in the playoffs this season.In ATS trends, the Thunder are 8-2-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings and 4-1-1 ATS in the last six meetings in Portland. However, the Thunder have never been this shorthanded, so despite the dominance over the Blazers, I'm actually taking the favorites at home to cover the spread. As good as Westbrook is, there just doesn't seem to be enough scoring to keep up with this Blazers squad.

Away - Oklahoma City Thunder
Last away matches - L-W-L-W-W-L

The Oklahoma City Thunder kick off their season with a visit to the Moda Center to battle the Portland Trailblazers.Often criticized for taking too many shot attempts, Russell Westbrook will now have the reins taken off him to start the season as the Oklahoma City Thunder will be without Kevin Durant for at least a month. Being a professional athlete, Westbrook deflected all questions about the upcoming challenge in typical fashion, saying that it will be a team effort. However, things recently went from bad to worse as Reggie Jackson just joined the injury ward along with Jeremy Lamb and Anthony Morrow, so get ready to see plenty of shot attempts for Westbrook and Serge Ibaka. Durant has said that he won't make the mistake of getting back on the court too soon, so it's going to be up to coach Scott Brooks to find a way to keep the team afloat in the crowded West until reinforcements arrive.

Asian Handicap
Home - (-8.00)
Away - (+8.00)
Pick - Oklahoma City Thunder (+8.00)
Odds - 2.02
Stakes - 10/10
___________________________________________
NBA PRESEASON
10/29/2014

Memphis Grizzlies vs Minnesota Timberwolves

Home - Memphis Grizzlies
Last away matches - L-L-L-L-W-L

The Memphis Grizzlies hope to make the playoffs for the fifth straight season and with nearly the same veteran roster returning they should. The tag team tandem of Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol remains one of the more physical and dominant big man duos we’ve seen in a while. The Grizzlies also added Vince Carter, who may have lost his prime ages ago but is still capable of hitting big shots and dropping double digits most nights. The main issue I have with the Grizzlies is the lack of scoring that’s haunted them over the years. Yes, Mike Conley is one of the more underrated point guards and improved his game tremendously last season, but there’s not enough offensive firepower to help Memphis get over that hump. Still, the Memphis Grizzlies are one of those squads most teams in the league don’t want to play.

Away - Minnesota Timberwolves
Last away matches - W-W-W-L-W-L

The Minnesota Timberwolves will finally find out what life is really going to be like without superstar Kevin Love. While the star power is gone from Minnesota, the Timberwolves have some young talent in place to be excited about moving forward. Ricky Rubio is one of the better young point guards in the game and Thaddeus Young has been a consistent scorer for the last six seasons. Anthony Bennett should also improve with a full season under his belt and less pressure being on a new team. Of course, everybody is wondering how Andrew Wiggins is going to perform as a rookie, as he was the ultimate prize in the Love deal. I also like the addition of Mo Williams, as he adds some experience to a young roster and a much needed scoring spark off the bench. I like the direction the Minnesota Timberwolves are taking, but it’s going to take time for everything to fall into place.

Asian Handicap
Home - (-8.00)
Away - (+8.00)
Pick - Minnesota Timberwolves (+8.00)
Odds - 1.95
Stakes - 9/10
___________________________________________
NBA PRESEASON
10/29/2014

Toronto Raptors vs Atlanta Hawks

Home - Toronto Raptors
Last away matches - W-W-W-L-L-L

The Toronto Raptors finished last season at 48-34 that was good enough to win the Atlantic Division. The Raptors had a nice season but they lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Nets and they are hoping this season to take another step forward. DeMar DeRozan was an All Star last season and he led the Raptors averaging 22.7 points per game. Kyle Lowry is also back after signing a contract extension averaging 17.9 points and 7.4 assists per game and Jonas Valanciunas is back in the middle where he averaged 11.3 points and 8.8 rebounds. The Raptors shot 44.5 percent from the floor last season including 37.2 percent from beyond the three-point arc. Dwane Casey appears to have a team that knows how to and expects to win.

Away - Atlanta Hawks
Last away matches - W-L-W-L-L-W

The Atlanta Hawks made the playoffs last season despite finishing the regular season six games under .500 but once they got there they threw the record out the window and nearly knocked off the top seeded Indiana Pacers losing to them in seven games. The Hawks return talent as Al Horford played just 29 games last season but he averaged 18.6 points and 8.4 rebounds a game. Paul Milsap is averaged17.9 points and 8.5 rebounds and Jeff Teague averaged 16.5 points and 6.7 assists. The Hawks shot 45.8 percent including 36.3 percent from beyond the three-point arc and they set a team record making 768 three-pointers a year ago. Head Coach Mike Budenholzer may have his work cut out for him this year.

Asian Handicap
Home - (-4.50)
Away - (+4.50)
Pick - Toronto Raptors (-4.50)
Odds - 2.01
Stakes - 10/10

[hazelnut]

NBA PRESEASON
10/30/2014

Orlando Magic vs Washington Wizards

Home - Orlando Magic
Last away matches - L-L-L-W-W-W

The Orlando Magic were crushed by the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday, as they struggled from the field were sloppy with the ball. The Magic shot 38.1 percent from the field and turned the ball over 18 times. Tobias Harris led the way with 25 points, Nikola Vucevic grabbed 23 rebounds and rookie Aaron Gordon scored 11 points off the bench. The Magic held their own for much of the game but were outmaned by Anthony Davis in the paint and simply didn’t have enough offensive firepower to keep up. The Orlando Magic are a young team that’s going to need some time to become more competitive in this league. However, a combination of Gordon and Elfrid Payton has the potential to be very effective this season. Tobias Harris is questionable for this game with a knee injury.

Away - Washington Wizards
Last away matches - L-L-L-W-W-W

The Washington Wizards are coming off a Wednesday loss to the Miami Heat, a game in which they were outscored by 10 points in the second half. The Wizards have to be somewhat disappointed with the results, as they shot a solid 48 percent from the field and turned the ball over only 14 times. Drew Gooden and Marcin Gortat each scored 18 points while John Wall had 16 points and 11 assists. Paul Pierce was 6-10 from the field in his Washington debut and racked up five assists. Nene Hilario and DeJuan Blair, who missed the game due to suspension, are expected to participate in this game. The Washington Wizards played well enough to win the game in Miami, but now have to be pleased to get majority of their team back heading into this matchup.

Asian Handicap
Home - (+4.00)
Away - (-4.00)
Pick - Washington Wizards (-4.00)
Odds - 1.91
Stakes - 9/10
__________________________________________________ ____________
NBA PRESEASON
10/30/2014

Minnesota Timberwolves vs Detroit Pistons

Home - Minnesota Timberwolves
Last away matches - L-W-W-W-L-W

The Timberwolves opened their season on the road for the first time since 2000-01 with a 105-101 loss Wednesday at Memphis. Thaddeus Young, who was acquired from Philadelphia in the three-team deal that sent Kevin Love to Cleveland, scored 26 on 10-of-18 shooting in his Minnesota debut. Despite being without Love, who averaged 12.5 rebounds in his final season with the club, the Timberwolves held a 47-33 rebounding advantage against a Grizzlies squad that finished fifth last season with an average rebounding margin of plus-3.2.

Away - Detroit Pistons
Last away matches - L-W-L-W-L-L

The Detroit Pistons lost to the Denver Nuggets during their season opener on Wednesday, 89-79. Josh Smith led the way with 25 points and Spencer Dinwiddie scored 15 points off the bench. While Andre Drummond shot 50 percent from the field and grabbed nine rebounds, he wasn’t nearly as aggressive and dominant as he was in the FIBA tournament. Detroit clearly missed Greg Monroe on the offensive end and the glass, but the big man is expected to miss this game as well to finish up his suspension. The Detroit Pistons need to discover more offensive weapons, as shooting 36.9 percent from the field simply isn’t going to cut it against anybody in this league. Expect guys such as Caron Butler and D.J. Augustin to be more aggressive off the bench in this matchup.

Asian Handicap
Home - (+4.00)
Away - (-4.00)
Pick - Minnesota Timberwolves (-4.00)
Odds - 1.90
Stakes - 10/10
__________________________________________________ ____________
NBA PRESEASON
10/30/2014

Cleveland Cavaliers vs New York Knicks

Home - Cleveland Cavaliers
Last away matches - L-W-W-W-W-L

All eyes will be on the new-look Cleveland Cavaliers tonight as they look to kick off their season with a win at home. After going just 33-49 last season, the Cavaliers took Andrew Wiggins with the first overall pick and looked to be fully set to rebuild around Kyrie Irving. Scrap that idea. LeBron James decided to return home which meant that the Cavs were able to draw in Kevin Love and the new Big Three of the NBA was formed. Most people have the Cavs winning it all this season, including the bookies, but it remains to be seen how well the new team can gel together in just one season. This team has looked fantastic in the preseason games but the real test begins tonight.

Away - New York Knicks
Last away matches - L-W-W-L-W-W

York Knicks kept busy in the offseason themselves and hired Derek Fisher as the new head coach to employ Phil Jackson's famous triangle offense. It's a system that many have struggled to learn in the past and it looks like the Knicks haven't quite gotten it down pat yet. Last night, Carmelo Anthony scored just 14 points as the Knicks got absolutely destroyed by the Bulls 104-80. The late scratching of Jose Calderon didn't help the cause but to be fair, he wouldn't have had that much impact because the Bulls simply played at a much higher level across the board.They are working their way through a new system on offense, the Cavs will be working out how to play with a new roster so don't be surprised if this game is full of turnovers and sloppy mistakes. It's tough to lay so many points on a team that has yet to play a game, but all I know for sure is that the Knicks struggled mightily last night and I'm not expecting their problems to improve overnight.

Asian Handicap
Home - (-11.50)
Away - (+11.50)
Pick - New York Knicks (+11.50)
Odds - 2.02
Stakes - 8/10
__________________________________________________ ____________
NBA PRESEASON
10/30/2014

Dallas Mavericks vs Utah Jazz

Home - Dallas Mavericks
Last away matches - L-W-L-L-W-W

Dallas Mavericks are coming off a loss of their own, but there's no real shame in falling one point shy of knocking off the defending champs on the road. Monta Ellis poured in 26 points while Dirk Nowitzki added 18 points as the Mavericks fell to the Spurs by 101-100 on opening night. Chandler Parsons who signed with the Mavs in the offseason struggled his way to just five points on two of 10 shooting, but had a wide open three just bounce off the rim with 0.4 seconds remaining. Parsons will still be thinking about the missed shot, but I wouldn't put too much blame on him because both Nowitzki and Ellis passed up the ball in that possession.

Away - Utah Jazz
Last away matches - W-L-L-W-W-W

The Utah Jazz are expected by most people to finish right at the bottom of the Western Conference like last season, but there are plenty of positives to draw from their 104-93 loss against the Rockets last night. Sure, a loss is still a loss, but Alec Burks led the way with 18 points, Derrick Favors added 16 and Trey Burke had 15 points as the Jazz hang tough in a game they would've lost by 20 last season. There's still plenty of work to do on defense because the Rockets were allowed to shoot 14 of 27 from the three-point line, but the Rockets led by as many as 13 points in the third before the young Jazz stormed back to within three points to start the fourth.

Asian Handicap
Home - (-11.00)
Away - (+11.00)
Pick - Dallas Mavericks (-11.00)
Odds - 1.98
Stakes - 10/10
__________________________________________________ ____________
NBA PRESEASON
10/30/2014

LA Clippers vs Oklahoma City Thunder

Home - LA Clippers
Last away matches - L-L-L-L-L-L

The Los Angeles Clippers will be eager to write off the ugliness of last season after they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs following the Donald Sterling dramas. In the summer, LA signed Spencer Hawes and Jordan Farmar who will both play significant roles on this team, but probably their biggest move was taking in the excitable Steve Ballmer as their new owner. Finishing last season as the league's best offense, the Clippers did little to improve their defense. However, you just feel that the key players just need to stay healthy and we will see the LA right near the top of the Western Conference.

Away - Oklahoma City Thunder
Last away matches - L-L-W-L-W-W

The Oklahoma City Thunder hope Kevin Durant can get over his injury quick because even with Russell Westbrook pouring in 38 points last night, they still lost to the Trailblazers by 106-89. Lance Thomas added 14 points off the bench and Serge Ibaka had 10, but the Thunder completely fizzled out in the fourth quarter where the Blazers outscored them by 31-12. Durant did say after he had surgery that he won't rush his rehab at all, but after what I saw last night, his patience will surely be tested for a while.

Asian Handicap
Home - (-11.50)
Away - (+11.50)
Pick - Oklahoma City Thunder (+11.50)
Odds - 2.02
Stakes - 10/10

[PMI]

You do realize we're in the regular season now, right?

[Mel Cooley XU'81]

Now I know what my Derby Thread looks like to reasonable people.

[Xavier]

I will contribute to this thread, nothing against it, but can we move it to the Out on the Mall forum?

[Muskie]

Yes. When I get home to the mall it goes

[xu82]

Now I know what my Derby Thread looks like to reasonable people.

Haha! You're assuming a reasonable person has ever seen your Derby thread. :-)

Just kidding (mostly). The difference between the Derby thread and the NBA thread is 70% of the horses don't file for bankruptcy within 3 years of retirement.

[PMI]

Haha! You're assuming a reasonable person has ever seen your Derby thread. :-)

Just kidding (mostly). The difference between the Derby thread and the NBA thread is 70% of the horses don't file for bankruptcy within 3 years of retirement.

Nope, they're just turned into glue or Chinese food within 3 years of retirement.

[xu82]

Nope, they're just turned into glue or Chinese food within 3 years of retirement.

Wow! I was thinking put out to stud, which sounded much better in my mind. Much, much better.

[hazelnut]

NBA PRESEASON
10/31/2014

Indiana Pacers vs Memphis Grizzlies

Home - Indiana Pacers
Last away matches - W-L-L-L-W-W

The injury depleted Indiana Pacers managed a 103-91 opening home victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night. Center Roy Hibbert led the way with a monster stat line of 22 points, eight rebounds, and seven blocks. The win marked the 4th consecutive season opening win for the Pacers. Indiana will likely be without All-Star Forward Paul George for the entire season. we all knew that the Indiana Pacers would struggle early on without the services of Paul George, but it wasn't till right before the season that we learned that they would also be without David West and George Hill. Fortunately, the Pacers' first test came against the lowly 76ers and they were able to take care of that, no problem. Roy Hibbert led the way on both ends, scoring 22 points on just eight shot attempts with eight rebounds and seven blocks while Donal Sloan and Rodney Stuckey added 16 points each. CJ Miles slipped into the starting lineup and added 15 points of his own but was an inefficient six of 17 from the field, but he will get plenty of chances to improve with George expected to be out for the entire season.

Away - Memphis Grizzlies
Last away matches - L-L-L-L-W-L

Marc Gasol said that he would make sure to be more aggressive on the team's offense and I guess he isn't a liar because he lit up the Timberwolves for a career-high 32 points on Wednesday night. Zach Randolph added 25 points and Mike Conley had 16 as the Grizzlies beat the Wolves by 105-101 for the franchise's first victory in a season opener since 2000. All the early signs for the Grizzlies are looking real good, but perhaps it's not time to get too excited because it's just one game and it was only the Wolves who just shipped off their leading scorer in Kevin Love.Memphis opened up their season at home with a 105-101 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. It was the Grizzlies 15th straight home victory. Center Marc Gasol had 32 points to lead the Grizzlies to their first season opening win since the franchise left Vancouver. Memphis used their strength inside to outscore the young Timberwolves 58-34 in the paint. The inside duo of Gasol and Forward Zach Randolph combined to shoot 24 for 33 on the evening. However, the Grizzlies will have to be better on the glass, as they were out rebounded 47-33 against an athletic Timberwolves frontline.

Asian Handicap
Home - (+7.00)
Away - (-7.00)
Pick - Memphis Grizzlies (-7.00)
Odds - 1.95
Stakes - 8/10
__________________________________________________ ______
NBA PRESEASON
10/31/2014

Chicago Bulls vs Cleveland Cavaliers

Home - Chicago Bulls
Last away matches - W-L-W-W-L-W

The Chicago Bulls made short work of the Knicks in their opening contest at home on Wednesday, cruising to a 104-80 win while holding New York to a paltry 36.5% shooting. Derrick Rose played just 21 minutes scoring 13 points with five assists and two steals while getting to the foul line in signature fashion and converting 7-8 from the charity stripe. Pau Gasol scored 21 points and added 11 rebounds in his debut while Joakim Noah was quiet by his usual standards with three points, six boards, and three blocks in 20 minutes of work. The Bulls had a chance to test out their bench in the rout with 12 total players seeing action in the game; Taj Gibson produced as we’ve come to expect as a league-leading sixth man with 22 points on 10-12 shooting and eight rebounds and Aaron Brooks and Doug McDermott showcased the scoring potential Bulls’ teams in past years have been lacking from reserves with 13 and 12 points respectively.

Away - Cleveland Cavaliers
Last away matches - L-W-W-W-W-L

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost their opening tilt against the Knicks as 13 point favorites last night, failing to live up to lofty expectations on their home court despite building a 25-18 lead after the first quarter. LeBron James committed eight of the team’s 19 turnovers on the night while shooting just 33% overall and 1-5 from three point range. Kevin Love posted 19 points and 14 rebounds and Kyrie Irving scored 22 points while dishing seven assists, but the Cavs got virtually nothing in the way of bench production with Tristan Thompson and Matthew Dellavedova each scoring six points as the only non-starters playing more than ten minutes. A trip to Chicago to face the Bulls’ typically suffocating defense doesn’t seem like the remedy for a team that may need time to develop chemistry before showcasing a finished product on the court.

Asian Handicap
Home - (-5.00)
Away - (+5.00)
Pick - Chicago Bulls (-5.00)
Odds - 2.11
Stakes - 10/10
__________________________________________________ ______
NBA PRESEASON
10/31/2014

Milwaukee Bucks vs Philadelphia 76ers

Home - Milwaukee Bucks
Last away matches - L-W-W-L-L-W

the goat horns for their first loss on the season go to Jabari Parker. Parker managed only 33% of his field goal shots, missed both his free throws, and ended the night with only eight points despite playing 38 minutes. The Bucks are a team that's thin on offense and will need bigger nights from players like Parker and Jared Dudly, who made only three points and one field goal on the night. Speaking of not competing for 48 minutes, the Milwaukee Bucks hit the ground running and stormed out of the gates to a lead of 74-50 only to be chased down and beaten by 108-106 in overtime against the Hornets. Brandon Knight flirted with a triple double, scoring 22 points, eight rebounds and 13 assists while OJ Mayo and Khris Middleton added 17 points each, but all eyes were on Jabari Parker who scored just eight points in 37 minutes of court time. Being the first game of the season, you have to say that the Bucks didn't look too bad at all, except for the fact that they blew a 24-point lead.

Away - Philadelphia 76ers
Last away matches - L-L-L-L-L-L

The Philadelphia 76ers will be looking to bounce back from a 103-91 loss at Indiana last night in which they actually led by three points going into halftime. The real 76ers showed up in the second half and were outscored by 55-40 against a Pacers team missing four starters from last season. Tony Wroten filled in for the injured Michael-Carter Williams and led the way with 22 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, while Alexey Shved added 18 points off the bench, but the new starting lineup of the 76ers just couldn't compete for the entire 48 minutes.You can blame Philly's loss in their first game on several players, but not Tony Wroten. The 76ers small forward played 35 minutes and racked up 22 points including nine field goals, seven assists, and eight total rebounds. Nerlens Noel had a strong defensive game with three blocks and six defensive rebounds, but amassed only six points on the night.

Asian Handicap
Home - (-9.50)
Away - (+9.50)
Pick - Milwaukee Bucks (-9.50)
Odds - 2.02
Stakes - 8/10