TNT Thursday lines and discussion

[Master P]

cle+8@sas 183

uta+3.5@den 220.5

pho@lal+1.5 225.5

 

[B.A.R.]

Here are the LVSC numbers as well

 

[B.A.R.]

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" bgColor=#c48f1b border=0><TBODY><TR class=oddsText_odd><TD style="POSITION: relative" vAlign=bottom width="100%"><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=13>01/17 8:05 PM</TD><TD align=right>

</TD></TR><TR><TD>501 Cleveland</TD><TD> </TD></TR><TR><TD>502 San Antonio</TD><TD> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>TNT

</TD><TD class=oddsText_odd vAlign=bottom noWrap align=middle width=58><NOBR> 184
-8.0 </NOBR></TD><TD class=oddsText_odd vAlign=bottom noWrap align=middle width=61><NOBR> </NOBR></TD><TD class=oddsText_odd vAlign=bottom noWrap align=middle width=61><NOBR>
-8.0 -110</NOBR></TD><TD class=oddsText_odd vAlign=bottom noWrap align=middle width=60><NOBR> </NOBR></TD><TD class=oddsText_odd vAlign=bottom noWrap align=middle width=61><NOBR> </NOBR></TD><TD class=oddsText_odd vAlign=bottom noWrap align=middle width=59><NOBR> </NOBR></TD><TD class=oddsText_odd vAlign=bottom noWrap align=middle width=61><NOBR> 183½
-8.0 -110</NOBR></TD><TD class=oddsText_odd vAlign=bottom noWrap align=middle width=67><NOBR> 183½
-7.5 -115</NOBR></TD><TD class=oddsText_odd vAlign=bottom noWrap align=middle width=61><NOBR>
-8 -110</NOBR></TD><TD class=oddsText_odd vAlign=center noWrap align=middle width=42><NOBR> Picks</NOBR></TD></TR><TR class=oddsText_even><TD style="POSITION: relative" vAlign=bottom width="100%"><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=13>01/17 9:05 PM</TD><TD align=right>

</TD></TR><TR><TD>503 Utah</TD><TD> </TD></TR><TR><TD>504 Denver</TD><TD> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>DEN-F-Nene-OUT, F-Martin-Questionable

</TD><TD class=oddsText_even vAlign=bottom noWrap align=middle width=58><NOBR> 217½
-3.0 </NOBR></TD><TD class=oddsText_even vAlign=bottom noWrap align=middle width=61><NOBR> </NOBR></TD><TD class=oddsText_even vAlign=bottom noWrap align=middle width=61><NOBR>
-3.5 -110</NOBR></TD><TD class=oddsText_even vAlign=bottom noWrap align=middle width=60><NOBR> </NOBR></TD><TD class=oddsText_even vAlign=bottom noWrap align=middle width=61><NOBR> </NOBR></TD><TD class=oddsText_even vAlign=bottom noWrap align=middle width=59><NOBR> </NOBR></TD><TD class=oddsText_even vAlign=bottom noWrap align=middle width=61><NOBR> 220½
-3.5 -110</NOBR></TD><TD class=oddsText_even vAlign=bottom noWrap align=middle width=67><NOBR> 220
-3.5 -115</NOBR></TD><TD class=oddsText_even vAlign=bottom noWrap align=middle width=61><NOBR>
-4 -110</NOBR></TD><TD class=oddsText_even vAlign=center noWrap align=middle width=42><NOBR> </NOBR></TD></TR><TR class=oddsText_odd><TD style="POSITION: relative" vAlign=bottom width="100%"><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=13>01/17 10:35 PM</TD><TD align=right>

</TD></TR><TR><TD>505 Phoenix</TD><TD> </TD></TR><TR><TD>506 LA Lakers</TD><TD> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>TNT
LAL-C-Bynum-OUT

</TD><TD class=oddsText_odd vAlign=bottom noWrap align=middle width=58><NOBR> -2.5
226</NOBR></TD><TD class=oddsText_odd vAlign=bottom noWrap align=middle width=61><NOBR> </NOBR></TD><TD class=oddsText_odd vAlign=bottom noWrap align=middle width=61><NOBR> -1.5-110
</NOBR></TD><TD class=oddsText_odd vAlign=bottom noWrap align=middle width=60><NOBR> </NOBR></TD><TD class=oddsText_odd vAlign=bottom noWrap align=middle width=61><NOBR> </NOBR></TD><TD class=oddsText_odd vAlign=bottom noWrap align=middle width=59><NOBR> </NOBR></TD><TD class=oddsText_odd vAlign=bottom noWrap align=middle width=61><NOBR> -1.5-110
225½</NOBR></TD><TD class=oddsText_odd vAlign=bottom noWrap align=middle width=67><NOBR> -2.0-110
225½</NOBR></TD><TD class=oddsText_odd vAlign=bottom noWrap align=middle width=61><NOBR> -2-110
</NOBR></TD><TD class=oddsText_odd vAlign=center noWrap align=middle width=42><NOBR> Picks</NOBR></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[SportsNut]

Isnt Thursday all about the Dogs?? Thats what I am thinking and an UNDER possibly in LAL. Not crazy about anything at the moment.

Bynum and Hill out . Which means Kobe appears to want to take over and shot every touch which leads to less production from his teammates as they are uninvolved. Suns havent looked good for awhile now and the short rotation got shorter when Hill went down. Banks is inconsistent.

Denver claimed to be worn out heading into Atlanta so what did one day do? Martin's availability?? With Nene out the Jazz could have a nice frontline edge caus ethere wouldnt much outside of Camby and Najera. Still though Utah stink away this year but has beaten DEN like 6 of 7...there might not be any defense till the 4th quarter.

lean towards Cle but not a great spot in the sense they struggled to pull out OT wins in consecutive games. Spurs have just struggled though lately. Line is tight but my lean is Cavs 1st H and game....

First Glance..

 

[Master P]

king james usually show up a lot on tv games..... really interested to watch on what he can do against bowen and the spurs

lakers being dogs by only 1.5? seems odd.... i think lakers pull this off but they will have a tougher time w/o bynum

 

[B.A.R.]

Nut,

one thing with total in LA...is Bynum really was a force on both ernds last meeting...no lean there...just wonder how pace and everything else will be different. KB obvious will approach 35-40 FGA's

 

[gpcyan3]

Cavs ML. Mark it down. o_0

 

[B.A.R.]

Cavs ML. Mark it down. o_0

Def playoff revenge..and SA has struggled as of late...might be worth a flier to the ML boys

 

[SportsNut]

Nut,

one thing with total in LA...is Bynum really was a force on both ernds last meeting...no lean there...just wonder how pace and everything else will be different. KB obvious will approach 35-40 FGA's

From what I remember from that game Bynum was hot early in the game and then they started getting contributions from everyone. Fisher played well in the 2nd Quarter , Kobe did his thing but wasnt overbearing really till the 2nd H, Ariza played well at times in the 2nd H and then they went back to Bynum again late...So I think Kobe is less trusting of his teammates when he doesnt Bynum to have to dump the ball into and Odom was 3 of 15 vs Seattle. I was thinking regardless of what pace they played if Kobe is chucking and ball hogging then the offense will suffer but thats just a guess....hopefully Kwame makes Amare work some for his points , not sure how healthy Marion feels after busting his shoulder a week ago . Just seems like a good spot for another less then spectular offensive performance but it is LAL and Pho....


He took 44 shots - 12 more than his previous season high and three fewer than his career high. "Tonight was one of those nights where I kind of had to read the mood of the team," Bryant said. "Us kind of being a little deflated with (Bynum) going down, being a back-to-back, coming in on the road, it was one of those things where I just kind of wanted to be a lot more assertive."

When asked about the difference between these Lakers and last year's team, Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni replied: "Bynum and Derek Fisher. They've got two better players than they had last time. So that's a big difference."

Gonna be interesting though cause Bynum did do a nice job vs Amare and if I recall Bell was just coming back from injuy. Hills absence just makes the 2nd unit less then spectular ....

Also I forgot that LAL went to Pho and won earlier. The keys were Raddy and Bynum off the bench that day and both could miss....

Definetly off my LAL lean.....thanks...:cheers:

 

[B.A.R.]

Yeah..that was 2nd game of year Nut..I believe....Halloween I think...and LA just buried them...

The game xmas at Staples..was like 92-89 at end of third but LA couldn't be stopped in 4th..and pretty much what you said occured...

I think this is a watch and see game..maybe 2nd half action...but Bynum was too critical in both wins at times IMO.

 

[SF_capper]

In bynum was too critical why not bet phoenix with him out? Small number, but you know phoenix realllly wants to win. From the blowout earlier this yr, to losing on christmas... off a loss in which they definetely were looking ahead to today

 

[BetCrimes1984]

Bynum was too critical in both wins at times

Whatever is true about the impact of missing LA players, equally true is the longer this season goes on, the worse I feel about the Suns. Something isn't right w/them compared to previous seasons. They're 2-3-1 SU in regulation their last 6 games, and 3-6 SU their last 9 road games - incl. losses to Minnesota (uggh) & the Clippers (ouch).
The "worst 26-12 team" out there, for whatever reason.

 

[sportjunky]

Seems like they're missing that 5th guy that's lights out from 3 that absolutely crushes the oppositions spirit. Hill does a lot of things well, but 3 point shooting isn't one of them. Shooting 35 % this year, 27% career, so he's stepped it up. But still, Hill shooting a 3 pointer has feel like a win for the defense. Marion and Bell aren't exactly lighting it up either. They're just not as scary from deep as they've been the past 3 years.


I saw a great article on the suns a few weeks ago www.freedarko.blogspot.com and what feels differing about them this season. Its kinda long, but its an interesting read.

Here is a link to the article (copy and paste below):

http://freedarko.blogspot.com/2007/12/kinder-gentler-machine-gun-hand.html#comments

(the comments section after the article are of high quality as well, so it might be worth clicking on the link)

12.24.2007



<!-- Begin .post --><CENTER>A Kinder, Gentler Machine Gun Hand </CENTER>




There seems to be a growing consensus that there's something wrong with the Suns. I don't think the change in perception has anything to do with their record – since, you know, it's the same as last year's at this point – or whether a win over San Antonio makes up for a loss to Minnesota. In fact, I don't think it has anything to do with how successful they've been, but something that Shoals has been fearing for a while now: their game has become infected by orthodoxy.

Some of the perceived dissatisfaction might be the result of jaded disciples of the Run and Gun who feel burned for putting their faith in them to bring legitimacy to the offense first, second, and third systems most of us crave. Worried that the Suns are inadvertently proving the cliche of "defense wins championships" a truism, there is reluctance to re-up the zeal for '08. A large chunk of the blame for the recent negative reaction is probably also owed to <?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = ST1 /><ST1LACE st="on"><ST1LACENAME st="on">Golden</ST1LACENAME> <ST1LACETYPE st="on">State</ST1LACETYPE></ST1LACE> for letting the wheels fall off the wagon entirely last spring. By dropping the "organized" from "organized chaos," the Warriors showed the world what fun the Run and Gun could truly be. They can argue that method underlies it all they want, but the madness is still the prevailing feature, something that cannot be said for <ST1:CITY st="on"><ST1LACE st="on">Phoenix</ST1LACE></ST1:CITY>. Contrasted with the absurdity of Barnes' full court bullets and <ST1:CITY st="on"><ST1LACE st="on">Jackson</ST1LACE></ST1:CITY>'s delayed no-looks, the Nash-led break can't help but feel downright traditional.



The Suns' diminished status as the darlings of the NBA goes beyond just them failing to live up to the gold standard set by <ST1LACE st="on"><ST1LACENAME st="on">Golden</ST1LACENAME> <ST1LACETYPE st="on">State</ST1LACETYPE></ST1LACE>. After all, the Warriors at their finest manage to make everyone else in the Association seem stodgy in comparison. The weakened bond between <ST1:COUNTRY-REGION st="on"><ST1LACE st="on">America</ST1LACE></ST1:COUNTRY-REGION> and the Suns is also attributable to the fact that we're an incredibly fickle bunch, especially now that some of the novelty has begun to wear off. In '05 everyone took notice that, holy crap, Amare eats babies. Then in '06 our interest was sustained by the fact that the machine kept churning almost as impressively even without Stoudemire. Last season, the joy was rekindled as an only slightly less explosive Amare was reintroduced and the offensive onslaught continued. This year, unless you're geeked for the Grant Hill renaissance, 07-08 just sort of feels like a redo of what has come before.

Expecting a rebirth each season is awfully unreasonable, especially considering most teams go years without bothering to shift plotlines, but with some of the newness worn off we can start to make out some of the uglier truths that our initial awe had previously masked. Namely, at his most offensive, D'Antoni is as rigid and systemized as the worst of <ST1:STREET st="on"><ST1:ADDRESS st="on">Right Way</ST1:ADDRESS></ST1:STREET> offenders that we generally rally against in these parts. His refusal to go beyond his top seven, even in the freaking preseason, because the surplus guys fail to perfectly fit his predefined roles is more miserly than even Larry Brown is capable of.

<?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O /><O></O>
Yes, well-executed fast breaks and alley oops will almost always be more entertaining than well-run pick-and-rolls, but exciting routines can still become routine. The parade of drive-and-kicks has become predictable and stale this year, with the countless corner 3's feeling eerily reminiscent of <ST1:CITY st="on"><ST1LACE st="on">San Antonio</ST1LACE></ST1:CITY>. Maybe it's profane to suggest, but when you get right down to it, Nash's dribbling just isn't that thrilling. Once you get past the facade of flash, his game relies as much on precision and execution as the Big Fun's. He's probably the only player capable of making a behind-the-back pass seem methodical and cruelly efficient.
Furthermore, the fact that <ST1:CITY st="on"><ST1LACE st="on">Marion</ST1LACE></ST1:CITY> is as uncomfortable under D'Antoni as Kirilenko is under Sloan is extremely telling. Interpret it as a battle of egos among would-be alpha dogs all you want, but to me it looks like unpredictability incarnated aching to be liberated. I'm sure Raja's having a great time enjoying a career that only Mike and Steve could have endowed him with, just as limited players like Bowen are loving life within the extremely limited structures that allow for their success; but for truly versatile gems like Marion, the orthodoxy is suffocating, regardless of the pace at which it presents itself.

I know there is probably rarely any truth to be gleaned from "NBA Live Trax," but I still couldn't help but laugh at D'Antoni's pep talk during a recent halftime. With the Suns looking flat for much of the first half, Mike earnestly urged his troops to "get wild and crazy out there!" as though insanity were a quality you could instill and not something you innately either have or do not. I'm all for embracing identity, but it has to come naturally. The calculatedness of D'Antoni's "organized chaos," right down to the emblematic "7 seconds or less" mantra, ends up feeling far too similar to the "at least four passes before shooting" bullshit that makes most of us cringe.
<O></O>
Perhaps we've unfairly burdened them with the expectation to lead an upheaval that they never had any interest in, but right or wrong, that 04-05 season did give us hope that a free-flowing system could at least shake the walls of the establishment a little. The McCallums of the world did their part to build up the narrative of the Suns as the antidote to structure and control, a plotline I'm sure most will cling to long after reality ceases to reflect the "anything goes" perception that we've tagged them with. Regardless of whether or not they see themselves as a part of the struggle, they will make their mark on it in the end. They've essentially become the reverse of the "fight the system from within" mindset (probably best symbolized by <ST1:STATE st="on"><ST1LACE st="on">Utah</ST1LACE></ST1:STATE>). By trying to do the Run and Gun, but doing it right, D'Antoni's efforts end up doing more harm than good by giving the revolution a bad name.




posted by Carter Blanchard @ 12/24/2007 03:48:00 AM

 

[B.A.R.]

Gotta love this blog posting a picture of STEED

LMAO

 

[Throwback420]

Gotta love this blog posting a picture of STEED

LMAO

:36_11_6:

 

[richardtonsj]

Is that one of those dot matrix printer? That's old school STEED!

:3_8_14:

 

[BetCrimes1984]

That looks more like Hunt. And I do believe that looks like a female dwarf's drivers license on that computer screen.

A picture paints a 1000 words.