Basketball NBA Outright Preview

With the NBA season now a few weeks old it is time to have a look back at our original bets and see what else you can add to your portfolio.

At the start of the season I had suggested that the title race was a three horse one, since then things have changed. Oklahoma Thunder have traded one of their best players and the LA Lakers have fired their old coach and hired a new one. These two sides are not the sides that we thought a few weeks back and these changes have thrown things wide open especially in the Western Conference. What looked a two horse race out West now has at leave five contenders. More on the West later though let us look first at the East.

Miami Heat to win the Eastern Conference was something we were huge on at the start of the season, so as anything changed? Not a thing, especially not when you look at how the Miami Heat are playing, Lebron James is looking more and more like the second coming of Michael Jordan and Ray Allen has proven a perfect fit. The Champions are better than last season and that is scary news and the 4/6 (paddy Power/william hill) on Miami to win the east is still a steal. The rivals to the Heat all have big problems, Boston are still looking old and have not adjusted from the changes in the summer. Doc Rivers is a good coach and I’m confident given a whole season he can work the Celtics out however a side that lost to the Heat in the finals last year looks even weaker. The New York Knicks have started the season so well however I’m still not buying them. Come back to me on the Knicks when Melo is a legit player in games that matter. An injury to Danny Granger has hit the Pacers, while the Bulls are just hoping to get by until Derrick Rose returns. Miami to win the East is only going to look better as the weeks go by so get on now.

I don’t know what the Lakers have been thinking, first letting Mike Brown have a whole summer creating a system that clearly didn’t suit his stars, then after firing him getting it wrong again. It was a simple task hiring Phil Jackson with his triangle looking a perfect or Jerry Sloan the king of the pick and roll. Instead they apppointed Mike D’Antoni who excelled when at the suns with a fast running offence, good luck getting that done with Gasol and the veteran Lakers. The talent available at the Lakers is second to none however I’m unsure that the new coach knows how to get the best out of these pieces, worse still Dwight Howard already seems to have phoned out of LA. The wild west is now wide open, so who will take advantage? Bookmakers have the Lakers at 15/8 (william hill, You Win) and the Thunder at 2/1 (general). I’ve not been impressed by the Thunder since the loss of Harden. Kevin Martin is not on the same level as a replacement and they must wait for Jeremy Lamb to develop. The loss of Harden has made Westbrook look weaker as a player and Durant can not drag this team to glory himself.

You can never dismiss the Spurs at 11/2 (betfred/Coral/You Win) while the Clippers have impressed at 11/1 (paddy Power) however it is the Grizzlies who offer most appeal. Memphis are 8-1 for the season and have won eight straight. Rudy Gay seems to have turned back the clock, Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph are a killer big man combo and Mike Conley and Tony Allen are a more than capable back court. Take the 16/1 (Coral) and also have a nibble on the 28/1 (You Win/Bet Victor) on them winning the title as with their height this is the one match that the Heat do not want.

BEST OF THE BETS

GOLD: Miami Heat to win the Eastern Conference, 4/6 (paddy power, william hill)
SILVER: Memphis Grizzlies to win the Western Conference, 16/1 (Coral)
BRONZE: Memphis Grizzlies to win the NBA title, 28/1 (You Win/Bet Victor)

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18/11/2012     © Frixo 2024