Well, here we are... NBA season again.
That was quite an interesting year last year that many will never forget. Hopefully we have full normalcy back to the NBA season this year, and we should. As usual, this is a top heavy league but that doesn't mean we cannot make some money. We shall see. I had a rollercoaster season last year betting. Like, wild swings. That happens though and I knew I was going into uncertain situations at times but that is all part of it.
I wasn't a believer in Milwaukee and their atrocious defense all year. Even into the playoffs, I was not. They got a perfect first round matchup though and we know what happened with injuries vs New Jersey. No way they win that series if both teams were healthy but that is all part of the grind of the season. The Nets players maybe were not conditioned(cough, Harden) to endure a long postseason. With that being said, they then entered another dream matchup vs a Hawks team that is up and coming but not yet ready for primetime. With that being said, that is when they started to turn the corner a bit imo as far as all around play. They had stepped up the defense the series before but this was becoming a better 'team'. They showed that in the NBA Finals and when Giannis gutted out that Game 2, I earned so much newfound respect for the man. I finally 'cashed' in on this team in the deciding game pretty big so that was a perfect finish to the season with one of the greatest performances we'll ever see in a closeout situation. Congrats to the Bucks!
As far as this season... You'll see me with a lot more input on my 'Stons. The rebuild is starting to shape together nicely and this should be a fun team to watch. I expect many ups and downs... lot of growing pains but also some excitement down at Hot N Ready and a team that should stay in the 8-10 seed convo for quite awhile. I haven't even been there for a hoops game yet but plan on going to a few during the winter.
In the East, we obviously have the champs and then some uncertainty with the Nets and Sixers. This will obviously start to resolve itself in the next few months and we'll get a better idea of who is to be favored here in the conference. I know what I want to see happen, we shall see what comes to fruition. After that we have the Heat, Bulls and then a bunch of middling teams...including one I'll chat about in a few...
Out West, that collection of guys on the Lakers is going to be interesting. Things really come down to injuries in the spring and with an aging LeChina and brittle Davis you just never know. As far as this 2015 all-start team, eh...we'll see. I love Brodie and he brings something they need when LeBron is resting or sitting out. We'll see how the chemistry is when this squad is all together. Utah seems on the brink but that defense is not good at all. They need to be like a Milwaukee and flip the switch in May. They couldn't do that last year. The Warriors will be fun, but not a serious title contender. Dallas has Luka and parts but that is another defensive disaster. The Nuggets are stuck with Malone, need I say more? Clips are an afterthought... Blazers better start real well or I think Dame goes by deadline. That leaves Phoenix... the defending conference champs. I assume they will step back in the regular season but be ready for the playoffs. I honestly have no idea who wins this right now, at all. This should be wild.
Alright, I have veered away more and more from futures/rsw/etc last few years. I mean, I have gotten some nice value on Nuggets and Jazz bets in the past but in the NBA it is so hard to get teams like that to the point of even hedging. As far as RSW's, with all the resting and limited motivation... these have been tough. Reallly, only that GSW under 2 years ago was basically a win before the season even started. With that being said, there is one team that I wanted to concentrate on this year...
Your...Chicago Bulls.
First of all, I loved the trade for Nikola last year. He is a personal favorite of mine and he brings a lot to any team he is on. LaVine is a great player, bottom line. The additions via trade and free agency might not be the splashiest but they are good, solid players that should fit in on this team well. Lonzo, even though he is easy to rip on, is getting better and better each year. The kid works hard. We know what Demar will give you, that is consistent points. Caruso is a great bench fill as well. The thing with guys like Caruso and Lonzo...they play defense...which is a foreign concept in todays league. Williams and White have some injury issues but should be healthy here in the next month or so(White later). When looking at a RSW, we have to expect injuries...I like they have some depth to help in those situations. Obviously the keys here are the two all-star guys, Vucevic and LaVine. Remember, this is a free agency year for Zach as well... I think he has a great season and with less pressure to score all the time turns into a bona-fide recognized star. I just really like this team. The question will be the mesh of DeMar with LaVine but I think they will be okay there... they can also hide his defense a little bit.
This isn't a team of mega stars or prima donnas... they won't be taking rest days often, if at all. LaVine has never made the playoffs, and this is a contract year. They have a damn good big man and nice pieces to surround them. The East is nothing to write home about after the top 3-4 teams. A team like this should feast on the bottom feeders. Chemistry is important, obviously... and November is a grind but I see this team ascending all year and being a 5-7 seed when things are all said and done.
45-49 wins
Chicago RSW O 42.5 5 units
That was quite an interesting year last year that many will never forget. Hopefully we have full normalcy back to the NBA season this year, and we should. As usual, this is a top heavy league but that doesn't mean we cannot make some money. We shall see. I had a rollercoaster season last year betting. Like, wild swings. That happens though and I knew I was going into uncertain situations at times but that is all part of it.
I wasn't a believer in Milwaukee and their atrocious defense all year. Even into the playoffs, I was not. They got a perfect first round matchup though and we know what happened with injuries vs New Jersey. No way they win that series if both teams were healthy but that is all part of the grind of the season. The Nets players maybe were not conditioned(cough, Harden) to endure a long postseason. With that being said, they then entered another dream matchup vs a Hawks team that is up and coming but not yet ready for primetime. With that being said, that is when they started to turn the corner a bit imo as far as all around play. They had stepped up the defense the series before but this was becoming a better 'team'. They showed that in the NBA Finals and when Giannis gutted out that Game 2, I earned so much newfound respect for the man. I finally 'cashed' in on this team in the deciding game pretty big so that was a perfect finish to the season with one of the greatest performances we'll ever see in a closeout situation. Congrats to the Bucks!
As far as this season... You'll see me with a lot more input on my 'Stons. The rebuild is starting to shape together nicely and this should be a fun team to watch. I expect many ups and downs... lot of growing pains but also some excitement down at Hot N Ready and a team that should stay in the 8-10 seed convo for quite awhile. I haven't even been there for a hoops game yet but plan on going to a few during the winter.
In the East, we obviously have the champs and then some uncertainty with the Nets and Sixers. This will obviously start to resolve itself in the next few months and we'll get a better idea of who is to be favored here in the conference. I know what I want to see happen, we shall see what comes to fruition. After that we have the Heat, Bulls and then a bunch of middling teams...including one I'll chat about in a few...
Out West, that collection of guys on the Lakers is going to be interesting. Things really come down to injuries in the spring and with an aging LeChina and brittle Davis you just never know. As far as this 2015 all-start team, eh...we'll see. I love Brodie and he brings something they need when LeBron is resting or sitting out. We'll see how the chemistry is when this squad is all together. Utah seems on the brink but that defense is not good at all. They need to be like a Milwaukee and flip the switch in May. They couldn't do that last year. The Warriors will be fun, but not a serious title contender. Dallas has Luka and parts but that is another defensive disaster. The Nuggets are stuck with Malone, need I say more? Clips are an afterthought... Blazers better start real well or I think Dame goes by deadline. That leaves Phoenix... the defending conference champs. I assume they will step back in the regular season but be ready for the playoffs. I honestly have no idea who wins this right now, at all. This should be wild.
Alright, I have veered away more and more from futures/rsw/etc last few years. I mean, I have gotten some nice value on Nuggets and Jazz bets in the past but in the NBA it is so hard to get teams like that to the point of even hedging. As far as RSW's, with all the resting and limited motivation... these have been tough. Reallly, only that GSW under 2 years ago was basically a win before the season even started. With that being said, there is one team that I wanted to concentrate on this year...
Your...Chicago Bulls.
First of all, I loved the trade for Nikola last year. He is a personal favorite of mine and he brings a lot to any team he is on. LaVine is a great player, bottom line. The additions via trade and free agency might not be the splashiest but they are good, solid players that should fit in on this team well. Lonzo, even though he is easy to rip on, is getting better and better each year. The kid works hard. We know what Demar will give you, that is consistent points. Caruso is a great bench fill as well. The thing with guys like Caruso and Lonzo...they play defense...which is a foreign concept in todays league. Williams and White have some injury issues but should be healthy here in the next month or so(White later). When looking at a RSW, we have to expect injuries...I like they have some depth to help in those situations. Obviously the keys here are the two all-star guys, Vucevic and LaVine. Remember, this is a free agency year for Zach as well... I think he has a great season and with less pressure to score all the time turns into a bona-fide recognized star. I just really like this team. The question will be the mesh of DeMar with LaVine but I think they will be okay there... they can also hide his defense a little bit.
This isn't a team of mega stars or prima donnas... they won't be taking rest days often, if at all. LaVine has never made the playoffs, and this is a contract year. They have a damn good big man and nice pieces to surround them. The East is nothing to write home about after the top 3-4 teams. A team like this should feast on the bottom feeders. Chemistry is important, obviously... and November is a grind but I see this team ascending all year and being a 5-7 seed when things are all said and done.
45-49 wins
Chicago RSW O 42.5 5 units
