NBA Picks and Trade Talk

By Dan Rodgers

I want to give a quick opinion on a few of the more notable trades that were pulled off in the NBA:

Wizards get: Nene, Brian Cook, future 2nd rounder
Clippers get: Nick Young
Nuggets get: JaVale McGee, Ronny Turiaf

This trade puzzled me because I'm not quite sure what the Wiz had in mind. They gave LA a young scorer to help replace Billups. They helped the Nuggets get younger and more athletic at the forward/center position. The Wizards got a quality veteran center, but they aren't in a win-now mode. Good move for LA/Denver, we will have to wait and see for Washington.

The Lakers situation is complicated because they pulled one trade to acquire Ramon Sessions and one to get rid of Derek Fisher. The Lakers didn't give up much in the trades talent-wise, but they did give up lottery protected first round picks. Still, Fisher is old and was a defensive liability. Sessions gives them more athleticism on both ends of the floor.

Warriors get: Andrew Bogut, Stephen Jackson
Bucks get: Monta Ellis, Kwame Brown, Ekpe Udoh

If Bogut can stay healthy, the Warriors will greatly benefit from this deal. They have a ton of scorers and could afford to deal Ellis. Bogut will solidify the defense in the paint and allow David Lee to play the four all the time. The Bucks dealt their injury-prone center for a scorer to complement Brandon Jennings. I think the deal is much safer for the Bucks but fairly even all-around.

Rockets get: Marcus Camby
Blazers get: Hasheem Thabeet, Johnny Flynn, 2012 second round pick

This deal presents incredible upside for the Blazers. They traded a 38-year-old center for a 25-year-old center and a 23-year-old guard, both of whom showed flashes of greatness in college. Thabeet hasn't been too much of an opportunity so he isn't a bust yet. Flynn averaged over 13 ppg and 4 apg as a rookie and hasn't been given a fair chance since then. Not to mention, who knows about the draft pick. Houston is clearly in a win-now mode, while Portland probably thinks they can win now and get younger at the same time. I think Houston might have been trade-raped... but only time will tell.

Picks:

Cleveland Cavaliers @ Philadelphia 76ers -9 = The 76ers get Andre Iguodala back tonight and Spencer Hawes is returning to form since returning from injury. The Cavs aren't a very good team and have lost three in a row. Starting center Anderson Varejao is still out with an injury and Jamison will be playing hurt. Philly hasn't been as good since their hot start, and needs to get these important home wins over bad teams as they are in a tight division race with the Celtics. I think Philly blows out the Cavs tonight as the Sixers have the youth to run with the Cavs and the experience to outlast them and pull away.

Minnesota Timber Wolves @ Memphis Grizzlies -5.5 = The Grizz have beaten the Wolves at home nine out of the last 10 times, including six in a row. Memphis lost the first three game of their road trip before posting an impressive win at the Lakers. They should carry that momentum back home as Minnesota will be without their starting center Pekovic and likely J.J. Barea as well. They will also obviously be without Ricky Rubio who is out for the season with a torn ACL. I think that Memphis found their stroke against LA and should go to work offensively against a Minnesota team that has allowed at least 100 points in four out of their last five games.

Enjoy the NIT games as well...

Rodgers That

Are You (your bracket) Still Alive?

By Dan Rodgers

The NCAA has been thoroughly entertaining thus far. Most of the games have been competitive and that is what most people want. However, I have a bracket, and even though my champion has been long gone, I can still tie for first place. If you go back and look at my bracket, I have Missouri beating Louisville in the Elite 8. If only I had chosen Louisville instead...haha.

I was working all day yesterday, so I didn't have time to post my picks, but I did like Louisville to win outright, and I already have Ohio State in my Final Four so clearly I liked them as well. Today we had Kentucky do work against Baylor, so I have another Final Four team correct. UNC is the other team (I have them in the championship), and they are tied with Kansas at halftime.

Anyway, on to the NBA...

Utah Jazz @ Atlanta Hawks -1 = This is an interesting game. Utah is not a good road team and Atlanta is a good team even though they haven't been playing great. They are at home and there is no reason they shouldn't win outright. The Hawks have won three in a row and just seem to do enough to win the game. Meanwhile, even with wins in their last two road games, Utah is a terrible 7-16 on the road this season. CORRECT - it took four overtimes to get it done, but the Hawks did as expected.

Memphis Grizzlies @ L.A. Lakers -6.5 = The Lakers are 20-3 at home this season. The Lakers have won seven of their last 10. Kobe Bryant is the best scorer in the NBA (28.5 ppg). The Grizzlies have lost three in a row. The Grizzlies are 9-14 on the road this season. The Grizzlies lost last night in the same building to the Clippers by 16. These are all of the statistics I have come up with to enforce my decision of picking the Lakers tonight. INCORRECT - The Lakers played crap defense the entire night and Kobe got benched even though he had a solid shooting night.

Enjoy tonight's games. The Heat play in Oklahoma City tonight and it should be a great game.

Rodgers That

Let's Hope for a Sweeter Night

By Dan Rodgers

Well, last night was unfortunate. Tonight, I'm not feeling the Sweet 16 match-ups so much as a few NBA games. I'm just going to enjoy March Madness and leave the games tonight alone.

Phoenix Suns @ Indiana Pacers -3.5 = This spread is WAY off. The Pacers were down over 20 points last night in Washington and fought back for the outright win. They come back home tonight and face a Suns team that isn't playing poorly but has lost two straight and struggles on the road. The Pacers should rebound from their off-night yesterday and put together a complete game that should lead to them scoring well over 100 points. Go big on Indiana tonight. INCORRECT - Apparently, Indiana didn't feel like playing defense last night. They should be embarrassed by that loss and giving up those points to a far inferior team.

Minnesota Timber Wolves @ Oklahoma City Thunder -10.5 = The T-wolves haven't been playing very good defense, and I fully expect the Thunder to take advantage of that. Oklahoma City has scored over 100 points in four of their last five games while Minnesota has given up over 110 in three of their last five. This is just a game between two teams where one team is clearly the better team. I don't see any way Minnesota has the offense to keep up with an Oklahoma City team that tries to play defense. INCORRECT - Basically the same thing as written above, but the Thunder were able to win. Minnesota scored 140 points (in double OT, 116 in regulation). Kevin Love scored 51 points, including seven threes. He is clearly their best player and the one player OKC should have keyed in on him.

The last is another 8-point sweetheart teaser:

Cleveland Cavaliers @ Orlando Magic -1 = Once again we have the Cavs on the road against a team that is better than them. This is the same scenario and I wouldn't be surprised if Orlando covered the original nine, but we will play it safe and take them to one. CORRECT

Miami Heat -.5 @ Detroit Pistons = I got the Pistons game wrong the other night and they threw everything they had at Denver. Now they come home, most likely completely deflated because they lost at the end to the Nuggets. Miami will probably win be 20, but once again we will play it safe and make it so they only have to win. CORRECT

New Jersey Nets @ Atlanta Hawks +1 = The Hawks came through the other night when we needed them to so we will go with them again. The Nets struggle on the road, and Atlanta can even lose this game by one. The Hawks need to get their act together and play consistently if they want to put up a fight in the playoffs. CORRECT

The Knicks go into Toronto tonight looking to go 6-0 under interim head coach Mike Woodson. I wouldn't be surprised if the Knicks took care of business again tonight because they are clearly a more talented team than the Raptors. Hopefully they can keep this good defensive play going and get some confidence going into the playoffs. INCORRECT - Of course, the one night I write about the Knicks they get destroyed...

Enjoy the Sweet 16 and the NBA action tonight. I've got Baylor, UNC, Kentucky and Kansas advancing in my bracket.

Rodgers That

Tonight's NBA Picks

By Dan Rodgers

There are a few NBA games going on tonight that I've taken an interest in. Hopefully, you stopped by yesterday and saw both of my winners.

Detroit Pistons @ Denver Nuggets -8.5 = One thing I've learned is that home teams tend to cover a lot more than road teams. In this case, we've got a good team playing at home against a bad team. Not to mention the Nuggets are getting Wilson Chandler back, and he should provide a spark for the team. You all should know how much I think the Pistons suck, and even though they aren't as bad as Washington, Charlotte and New Orleans, I don't see them keeping it close. INCORRECT - sorry I can't predict Ben Gordon dropping 45 points and shooting 9/9 from three.

I'm going to shoot for another sweetheart 8-point teaser:

Cleveland Cavaliers @ Atlanta Hawks +.5 = There is no reason for the Hawks to lose at home to the Cavs. They are clearly the better team and this game just fit perfectly in the sweetheart. CORRECT

Phoenix Suns @ Orlando Magic -.5 = This game fits in perfectly as well. The Suns just gave everything they had last night to beat the Heat and somehow blew the lead. The Magic should come out looking to have a good offensive game since they got embarrassed last night and they should take care of business tonight at home. CORRECT

Chicago Bulls +.5 @ Toronto Raptors = This is another game that just fit perfectly. The Bulls are the far superior team and there is no reason for them to not beat up on a weak Toronto team. CORRECT

Good luck tonight everyone.

Rodgers That

It's been slow...

By Dan Rodgers

Sorry for not posting for a few days, I was out of town... hopefully you did OK without me. Since the NCAA tournament is only Thursday through Sunday, the in between days are slow. Below you'll find my thoughts on a few games tonight.

NBA

Los Angeles Clippers @ Indiana Pacers -3.5 = This game puzzles me. Lob City is coming off a game in which they barely beat the Pistons in overtime, and their offense is struggling mightily. The Pacers had back-to-back losses to the apparently surging Knicks, but they beat Philly before that. They aren't struggling to score point and shouldn't have any issue against this Clippers squad. Indiana matches up well as they have bigs inside and capable shooters on the outside; however, LA does have Chris Paul and that could pose problems if the Pacers match him against Darren Collison. I still think the Pacers have no problem and win this one big. CORRECT - we coasted to an easy victory in this one...

Los Angeles Lakers @ Houston Rockets +3 = This is another very confusing line. The Rockets are a very good home team, while the Lakers have really struggled on the road this season, especially in comparison to the past. The Rockets have lost two in a row, but both were on the road. The Lakers had won five in a row before a home letdown to the Jazz. While they haven't had issues scoring, I think that Houston's home-court advantage will be enough to cover and possibly win outright. CORRECT - the Rockets dominated the fourth quarter and were able to pull out the win.

Best of luck. Expect posts in the coming days regarding my thoughts about the NBA trades that went down and my take on the Peyton Manning situation in Denver.

Rodgers That

So far so good

By Dan Rodgers

Well, I'm perfect thus far with my bracket. UNC-A made it interesting against Syracuse, but the Orange came out on top. Murray State absolutely owned Colorado State as I predicted. There is nothing tonight that I like as much as I liked Murray State.

Kansas State/Southern Miss is the only game that you could have gotten wrong. The other games have included relatively high enough seeds so that you shouldn't have gotten any wrong.

Long Beach State vs. New Mexico is the game to watch right now. LBSU is up by two with a few minutes left. There is usually a 5/12 upset so this could be it. New Mexico separated themselves with some free throws at the end and won by seven.

I think Gonzaga should beat West Virginia and since that spread is only Gonzaga by one point, you aren't really risking much besides picking the Zags to win straight up. CORRECT. There should be some great games the rest of the night, so if I were you, I would just sit back and enjoy them.

However, when it comes to the NBA there is one game I like.

Minnesota Timberwolves @ Utah Jazz -2.5 = The Jazz are 15-6 at home this season, and even though Minnesota is a solid road team, I don't think they can overcome Utah at home. Utah knows they need to stay solid and get some wins if they want to make the playoffs so they should take care of business at home like most teams. CORRECT

Rodgers That

No CBB Tonight... But We Still Have the NBA!

By Dan Rodgers

I know I've been struggling in my NBA picks recently (a pathetic 3-7 in my last 10), but I feel a turnaround tonight. We don't have any college basketball tonight as the brackets are all set and the first batch of play-in games is tomorrow, as well as the NIT.

There are a few NBA games that caught my eye and here's my take on them:

Milwaukee Bucks -3 @ New Jersey Nets = I know that I've been getting killed by taking road favorites, but I think this is a rare exception. The Nets are one of two teams (Hornets) that tend to play better on the road. New Jersey only has four wins at home, while 10 have come on the road. Like just about every other NBA team, Milwaukee plays better at home, but they've won two in a row, three of four, and put up 100+ points in three straight games. Ersan Ilyasova is playing lights out for the Bucks as they try to get by without Andrew Bogut. Ilyasova had 29 points and 25 rebounds in Milwaukee's last game against New Jersey. The Nets are coming off another home loss and will be without Mehmet Okur, Brook Lopez and possibly Deron Williams. CORRECT

Charlotte Bobcats @ New Orleans Hornets -7 = I know this is a huge spread between two terrible teams. I also know that I just spoke poorly about the Hornets at home, but they are playing the Bobcats! The Hornets look to put get their third two-game winning streak of the season, while Charlotte has lost three straight (including a 27-point beat-down handed out by OKC). I don't see any reason for the Hornets to not continue to build confidence and look for Chris Kaman to have another solid game in the paint. INCORRECT - one of the worst basketball games you will have ever seen...

Washington Wizards @ San Antonio Spurs -14 = The last time I picked against the Wizards they won outright. However, they are on the road against one of the best teams in the West so I just don't see that happening. The Spurs, who will be getting Tony Parker back, look to rebound from a 120-108 loss to the Clippers and the Wizards are a good team to get your act together against. I expect a very complete game and a solid defensive effort from this veteran San Antonio team. CORRECT - WOW! What a nail-biter...

Detroit Pistons @ Utah Jazz -6.5 = This is an interesting game because the Pistons have somehow won three in a row (all at home). The Jazz are coming off back to back road losses and find themselves on the outside looking in for the playoff race in the West. Utah is a damn good home team (14-6) and even though the Pistons are playing well, they might just be what the doctor ordered considering how terrible they are on the road (3-15). Expect a big night from Millsap who has is averaging a double-double in his last few games against Detroit. CORRECT

Enjoy the games tonight and make sure to fill out your brackets!

Rodgers That

S.S. Review and a pick

By Dan Rodgers

Please refer to the previous post for my initial take on the selections...

The only game I've really liked today is the late game in the NBA.

Golden State Warriors @ Los Angeles Clippers -7.5 = Lob City is coming off one of their best offensive games of the season. They are starting a home stand and look to win back to back games for the first time in about a month. Golden State is coming off of an impressive win against the defending champs, but I think they hit a wall here. The Clippers match up will well with the Warriors and the last time they faced Golden State at home they won by 19. I think they coast to another easy victory.

I'll be breaking down the play-in games tomorrow and we are going to jump right into predictions.

Rodgers That

Better Lucky Than Good

By Dan Rodgers

Unfortunately, my early teaser didn't hit yesterday because Wake decided to suck while Maryland decided to have their best game of the season. Toledo was closer than I thought but that backdoor three was awesome and felt great after an iffy day.

Only one late game sticks out to me tonight in college basketball:

Missouri -5.5 vs. Texas = I know people say it's tough to beat a team three times in a season (Missouri won both regular season matchups), but the Tigers are a much better team than the Longhorns. Texas surprisingly beat Iowa State yesterday and Missouri destroyed Oklahoma State. I just think that the Tigers are hoping that winning the conference tourney (which would most likely mean beating Kansas) would earn them a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. CORRECT

I haven't done very well nor had much of an opinion of the recent NBA games but tonight that changes.

Utah Jazz @ Philadelphia 76ers -6.5 = This spread is way off in my opinion. Now, I haven't been completely on but most of the teams have been on the road. Philly is at home and Utah is a bad road team (5-13). The 76ers are coming off of a 32-point victory of the Celtics and there is no reason the same won't happen here. CORRECT

I also like the Celtics at -3 and Oklahoma City is a huge favorite at -13 but I think they can get it done at home. (Celtics destroyed but Oklahoma City got embarrassed and lost outright. )

Rodgers That

What'd we learn?

By Dan Rodgers

OK, last night was clearly an indication that I shouldn't just post a few thoughts before the games without during my usual research. On Saturday, I knew my stuff and had a fairly successful day hitting four out of five of my college basketball picks. Last night, at one point or another, every team I picked looked like they were going to cruise to an easy cover. Let's review...

The Orlando Magic defense was embarrassed last night, giving up 100 points to a Bobcats team that accomplished the feat for just the fifth time this season. Charlotte scored 13 points over their season average, and while Charlotte on average gives up 100 points per game, they only gave up 84 to a Magic team that scored nearly 10 points below their average. The difference was mainly in the fourth quarter. However, we saw spurts early on in the game. Orlando was up big in the second quarter before the Bobcats went on a 12-0 run in three minutes to end the quarter. That was a huge turning point in the game because that made the halftime deficit five instead of 17. Charlotte had taken the lead by the end of the third quarter and then Orlando's defense hit a wall in the fourth, only managing a pathetic 13 points. They were outscored by 15, which was just about the difference.

Similarly, the Lakers were up seven after the first quarter, and we all once again thought we were going to cruise to an easy victory. However, a pathetic second quarter (17pts) led to a four-point halftime deficit. However, the defense picked up the slack after half and held the Pistons to nine points in the third quarter. The Lakers were once again up seven and we all assumed they had gotten their act together. However, the offense was once again pathetic in the fourth quarter (17pts) and L.A. only managed 78 points in regulation against a Pistons squad that on average gives up just under 96 points per game. That is seriously embarrassing, but what is even worse, not only did they not get their act together for OT, they lost outright also!

Last night was crazy in the NBA because in three out of the six games the underdog won outright, making the spread off in those games by 8.5 points or more. Vegas must have loved that.

NCAAB wasn't much better... I threw you North Texas, Villanova and Valparaiso...

North Texas was up 55-42 in the second half, but then they realized that they need to blow their huge lead like everyone else, and they were outscored 32-15 the rest of the game.

Villanova was actually down four at half but left no doubt in the second half and just destroyed Rutgers by 21 (the only bright spot of the night).

After sweeping Detroit in the regular season, the Crusaders held a 31-25 lead early in the second half. However, Detroit took the lead after an 11-0 run, and while Valparaiso cut the lead to one possession, the Titans eventually pulled away for a 20-point victory and a NCAA berth.

The Big East tourney is the main attraction right now, so I'll be back later with some thoughts on the early games today.

Let's hope for a better day than yesterday!

Rodgers That

Consistency is key

By Dan Rodgers

I have class like right now and I've had class all day so this one is the definition of a quickie...

Once again, we have the Charlotte Bobcats and Detroit Pistons playing tonight. Since both are at home, against the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers, respectively, we are getting value. These teams just suck wherever they play.

Orlando Magic -9 @ Charlotte Bobcats = The Bobcats have no one to matchup with Dwight Howard in the middle, and we all know that Orlando is one of the most dangerous teams in the NBA from beyond the arc. This one shouldn't even be close at halftime.

Los Angeles Lakers -5.5 @ Detroit Pistons = The Lakers are having an off season compared to their track record, but they are still among the best in the NBA with All-World guard Kobe Bryant. No reason why L.A. doesn't take this one easily against a completely over-matched Pistons squad.

Nothing tickles me too much in NCAAB, but a few picks are: Villanova, North Texas, and Valparaiso.

Enjoy the games while I'm in class!

Rodgers That

Picking Dirty

By Dan Rodgers

So I didn't post anything the past two days. However, I did pick the Pacers and Grizzlies (both hit), however, I got screwed by a 41-point 4th quarter by the Jazz who scored eight points in the final 20 seconds.

A basic rule of thumb I go by in the NBA: Charlotte, Detroit and New Orleans are terrible. I know Detroit has 12 wins compared to only four my Charlotte, but the Pistons are awful and always look to go against them when they are on the road or facing a damn good team (like Memphis). The Bobcats are just the worst team in the NBA bar none. They give up 15 more points per game than they score, which means the odds are in your favor to go with the other team. Plus, the good part is that the Bobcats often fall far behind early and don't fight back so you can coast to an easy win. The Hornets tend to fight at home, but Indiana is way better and a matchup nightmare. However, against a mediocre team, the Hornets tend to put up a good fight at home but often get blown out on the road.

As for NCAAB yesterday, I loved Memphis early. That game was a blowout as expected. I also liked UConn, and Jim Calhoun didn't let us down in his first game back. Unfortunately, I was on the losing side of only the second home loss of the season for South Florida. Beating West Virginia and clinching the fourth seed and a double-bye in the Big East tournament would have all but locked up their ticket to the NCAA tournament but they disappointed big time.

There wasn't too much I liked the rest of the day... But let's move on to today...

Kentucky -5 @ Florida = The No. 1 ranked team plays their final game of the season today and they look to become the third team since 1956 to go undefeated in the SEC. They handled the Gators easily last time and Florida has lost their last two. I think Kentucky will get it done and cover the five points. I'm not crazy about them but definitely confident. CORRECT

Michigan -5 @ Penn State = This line puzzles me... Michigan beat the Nittany Lions at home by 18 points. Once again, I don't feel that Penn State deserves 13 points just for being at home. Also, State has lost their last three, including a 24-point beat-down at Purdue. I think Michigan should take care of business again, especially because they are still fighting for first place in the Big Ten. CORRECT

Ohio State @ Michigan State -3.5 = The Spartans beat the Buckeyes by 10 in Ohio and I think they can sweep the season series. State controls their own destiny, if they win, they win the Big Ten regular season title. INCORRECT - MichSt was up nine at half and lost outright.

Siena @ Loyola Maryland -6.5 = Loyola is having a great season and they swept the regular season series with wins by seven and 11. I see no reason for them to not win this game convincingly as well. CORRECT

Purdue @ Indiana -6 = The Hoosiers won at Purdue by 17. Now Indiana is at home and I think we are getting a bargain with a line of six. Purdue is a decent team and they definitely fight until the very end, but Indiana is coming off of a huge 15-point win over Michigan State and I think they follow that up with another big win. CORRECT

NBA

I'm not currently crazy about any games, but I'm going to re-evaluate later and I might add something.

UPDATE:

New York Knicks +2 @ Boston Celtics = So I didn't want to make a play and I just wanted to watch this great game. If I would have done something, I would have teased the Knicks. It was a great game so I hope you caught it. DIDN'T PICK

New Jersey Nets -4.5 @ Charlotte Bobcats = So I ended up deciding that the Nets are a decent enough road team to take care of business. With Lopez back to playing in the paint, they'll take care of business. INCORRECT - The Nets dominated the second half after an iffy first half, they were covering but a couple of late buckets allowed Charlotte to kick the backdoor wide open... What a waste of a 57-point performance by D-Will... also, the Bobcats went 37/39 from the charity stripe, the Nets missed 11 FTs... it happens

Other Notes: I like the Rockets to win at home (the spread is around -1), and I also think the 76ers will give Chicago all they can handle and should cover as well at home (spread is around +4).

Enjoy the games for the rest of the night.

Rodgers That

Mostly NCAAB with a Pinch of NBA

By Dan Rodgers

Tonight is a huge night in the world of college basketball. A few conference tournaments get underway or continue tonight (Atlantic Sun and WCC) and three top 25 teams play tonight, including No. 1 Kentucky. They face Georgia at home, and while they may not cover the huge spread on the game (19.5), they shouldn't have any issue retaining the No. 1 spot.

As you might know, I'm a Virginia Tech fan. They play in Clemson tonight and basically need to win out the regular season and win the ACC tournament if they want to go dancing. They've gotten screwed a lot this season and been on the short end of a ton of close games (lost 9 games by 5 or less, 5 games by one possession). I'll be rooting for them as always (6.5 underdogs tonight), but it sucks to see them so close to making the tournament every year and getting screwed.

On to my game of the night.

There is one game, from a spread viewpoint, that stands out to me: Washington -7 @ USC

USC lost in Washington by 28. I'm sorry but I don't think that USC should be getting 21 extra points just for being at home. USC is the worst team in the Pac-12 and Washington is in first. Two of Washington's three conference losses were on the road and they were to three out of the other top five teams in the conference. USC hasn't won a game in over a month, hasn't scored over 54 points in over a month, and Washington averages more than 20 more points per game than USC (74.9 - 53.3).

I honestly see no way that USC covers this and wouldn't be surprised if Washington had this covered well before halftime and cruised from there.

Washington 72 (-7) USC 49

NOTE: I'm not going to do units right now, I'm just going to make picks.

There aren't many games going on tonight in the NBA, but there is one really good one: Oklahoma City Thunder @ Orlando Magic

The late game on TNT (the early one is above) is Miami Heat @ Portland Trail Blazers. That is definitely not a bad game and I think the Blazers will give Miami all they can handle. I'm not a big fan of any of these games, unlike the Lakers last night or the Pacers two nights ago (I felt the same about them as I do about Washington). So I'm just going to sit back, relax, and enjoy the games.

Rodgers That

NOTE: This is not a gambling website, nor does it promote gambling.

And We're Back...

By Dan Rodgers

So it's been a while... I hope everyone enjoyed the Super Bowl a few weeks back. My prediction of the Giants winning outright was correct. We just finished NBA All-Star Weekend, and it kind of sucked in my opinion. The halftime show was good, better than the Super Bowl halftime show.

We are in full-swing in college basketball and NBA seasons. We already have to deal with Joe Lunardi's "first 4 in and last 4 out" every night on ESPN.

We are in the second part of this shortened NBA season, and teams are still trying to get into a grove. I'm going to start doing weekly reviews, and my position on surprise teams and why they're successful. Also, I'll be talking about my fantasy basketball team and how I'm going in my league.

With all this talk about basketball, please don't forget about baseball! Spring training has begun and players are reporting and are beginning team organized activities. I'll also be getting into season predictions, as well as fantasy baseball.

Rodgers That

Reppin' 716

By Dan Rodgers

The New York Knicks have been busy in this brief time since the agreement of the new CBA. They pulled a deal with the defending champion Dallas Mavericks to get Tyson Chandler. One new clause in the CBA is called the "Amnesty Clause." Over the length of the deal (10 years), every team can cut one player without any of the usual financial repercussions to the salary cap, etc. The Knicks already used their amnesty on point guard Chauncey Billups (who has since been claimed by the Los Angeles Clippers). Billups was due over $14 million this season.

The New Orleans Hornets have been attempting to deal Chris Paul to any Los Angeles team, but the league (David Stern) apparently doesn't want Paul to go to L.A. There have been rumors linking Paul to the Knicks but nothing as of recent.

The Knicks made another temporary fix by signing Mike Bibby, who will likely split time with Toney Douglas. Second-year shooting guard Landry Fields will try to build off of successful first half last season, and the Knicks brought in more youth at guard by drafting former Georgia Tech shooting guard Iman Shumpert.

Of course, all of these signings are to complement superstars Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire. If you haven't gotten the title yet: Melo is No. 7, Amar'e is No. 1 and TC is No. 6.

The Knicks made the playoffs last season but were swept by the Celtics. Now, with a revamped frontcourt, and a good mix of youth and experience at guard, the Knicks are hoping to battle it out with the Heat, Celtics, and Bulls to represent the Eastern Conference. The Hawks usually compete but they just aren't good enough. However, if the soon-to-be Brooklyn Nets keep Deron Williams and can workout a deal for Dwight Howard, they will more than likely contend.

It should be a crazy 66-game season, and I can't wait.

Rodgers That

Why the Mavs Can't Win the Finals

By Dan Rodgers

My sincerest apologies for the month delay in posts. I had final exams, projects, and moved out of my apartment. This post is going to be about the Dallas Mavericks inability to "win" the NBA Finals.

While some of you may be thinking I'm crazy because Dallas won game two and they are the only team this post-season to win a game at Miami. Also, Dirk Nowitzki outscored the Heat 9-3 in the final three minutes of the game.

These things might lead you to believe Dallas has a very realistic chance of winning the 2010-2011 NBA Finals. I would most definitely agree with you, and I'll go as far as saying that I would much prefer to see Dallas win the series. However, if you noticed above, win is in quotes. This is because no matter what happens in the series, the focus will be on how the Heat performed.

If Miami wins, everyone will remember that the "Big 3" were able to capture a championship in their first season, and who was that team they beat? If Miami loses, everyone will remember that LeBron James blew it once again and what seemed to be a lock to win the finals couldn't prevail. Who beat them though?

Unfortunately for the Mavs, Miami has stolen so much of the spotlight that it is likely they will be the focus no matter the result.

I think Miami will win at least one championship during the time they have D-Wade, LBJ, and Chris Bosh. Hopefully it won't be this season. Enjoy the rest of the series.

Rodgers That

Can't Buy Me Love

By Dan Rodgers

This NBA season has two big names being talked about for the MVP race. Heat forward LeBron James and Bulls guard Derrick Rose.

Chicago is coincidentally tied for the two-seed in the Eastern Conference with the Miami. However, there is someone who is not being mentioned for the MVP and I think he should be leading the discussion.

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love is dominating the NBA this season and should be the leading MVP candidate.

Love: 20.9 ppg 15.7 rbp 2.5 apg
Rose: 24.6 ppg 4.4 rpg 8.1 apg
James: 26.2 ppg 7.5 rpg 7.1 apg

Love is leading the NBA handily in rebounds, and obviously he isn't going to be anywhere near the top in assists. I understand the Timberwolves (15-49) suck but they would easily set the record for the most losses in a single season without Love. He has a double-double in every game played in December, January and February. He has set the Twolves franchise record for most double-doubles and he is one short of the all-time NBA record of 51 set by Moses Malone in the 1978-1979 season.

I understand the Twolves suck and that will probably mean that Love won't even get consideration, but just consider what the guy is doing on a terrible team. He is shooting 47% from the field, 42% from three-point range (yes he can shoot long distance) and he is 86% from the free-throw line. I mean the guy gets double digit points and rebounds every game and does it efficiently.

All three of those percentages are better than Rose's and they blow James' numbers out of the water except FG% in which James is 2% better. That should mean something in the MVP talk.

So we'll see what happens as we approach the end of the season, but I hope Love destroys the record and wins MVP (and not just because he is on my fantasy team).

Rodgers That

NBA trades shake up league

By Dan Rodgers

A few notable trades, other than Melo to the Knicks, took place before the deadline. The most notable of those other trades was probably former-Jazz PG Deron Williams being traded to the New Jersey Nets. In return, the Jazz received PG Devin Harris, rookie forward Derrick Favors, a 2011 first-round pick, a 2012 first-round pick (via Golden State) and cash considerations.

I think the Jazz absolutely destroyed in this trade. The Nets needed a star because they didn't win the Melo sweepstakes so they settled for Williams. The Jazz were smart enough to realize that Williams probably wouldn't have re-signed with them when his contract is up in 2012.

Devin Harris is a solid guard and Favors is a rookie so it can't hurt to take a chance on him. The draft picks are always good to pile up because you have to replenish the talent pool and there is nothing wrong with cash.

Other trades include Charlotte sending Gerald Wallace to the Blazers for bench players and draft picks. Boston also sent Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to Oklahoma City for Jeff Green, Nenad Krstis and a draft pick.

Melo and Deron Williams were the high-profile players to change teams but players like Harris, Wallace and Perkins can be important to a teams success. We'll see how much of an impact they have on their teams since all are playoff bound.

Rodgers That

Big Apple 'Melo-ing out

By Dan Rodgers

Of course the day I decide to write a tidbit about the trade is the day that the trade finally get done.

Carmelo Anthony has reportedly been traded to the New York Knicks, according to the Denver Post. Apparently, the trade involves Anthony and at least two other Nuggets, four Knicks, draft picks and cash.

WOW...I'll write more when I know what players were involved...

UPDATE:

Knicks Get:

• SF: Carmelo Anthony
• PG: Chauncey Billups
• G: Anthony Carter
• G/F: Sheldon Williams
  
• F: Renaldo Balkman (former-Knick)

Knicks C Eddy Curry and PF Anthony Randolph are reportedly going to be traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Nuggets Get:

• F: Danilo Gallinari
• F: Wilson Chandler
• PG: Raymond Felton
• C: Timofey Mozgov
• Knicks 1st-round pick 2014
• Warriors 2nd-round pick 2012 & 2013
• $3 million cash
  

This is an awkward trade for the Knicks. They gave up a ton of depth to get Anthony and if Billups retires they will have to start Toney Douglas. Douglas has looked good at times but I don't know if he's ready to start.

The Knicks are now forced to either play a very small lineup with Amar'e Stoudemire at center or start Ronny Turiaf or another bench player there. They'll probably do the latter of the two options.

I can't wait until Sunday Feb. 27, 2011 when the Knicks play the Heat. That will be a great game and early test for the Melo/Amar'e combo.

Rodgers That

'Melo Out

By Dan Rodgers

The NBA trade deadline is three days away and we have yet to see anything noteworthy. The big player that everyone wants to know about is Denver Nuggets Forward Carmelo Anthony.

The Syracuse product is easily a top 10 player in the NBA and he is only 26 years old. The big players are the New Jersey (soon to be Brooklyn) Nets and New York Knicks. The Nets owner has said that he met with Melo and that it went great.

Per an article from ESPN New York, "As you know, my instinct was to stay away and I still think that is [the] right decision," Prokhorov said.

Mikhail Prokhorov, owner of the Nets and Russian billionaire, called of the talks about a month ago but said the meeting went "fantastic." The Nets look to be forcing the Knicks to play their hand if they want Anthony.

The Knicks, in response, have drawn a line in the sand. They have offered the Nuggets a trade and have said they won't budge from there. The trade will likely have the Knicks give up Wilson Chandler and Raymond Felton among other players.

As a Knicks fan, I don't want them to get rid of Danilo Gallinari. Felton has been great this year but if the management thinks Toney Douglas can take over then you have to trust them. Look for the Knicks to try and force the Nugs to take Eddy Curry in the trade because his contract is ridiculous. I pray that NY doesn't give up another first round pick. Years and years ago they screwed themselves by trading picks years into the future and they are just getting past those drafts. If the Knicks can get Melo, keep Gallinari, Landry Fields and their first round pick it should be a good trade for New York.

I'll update if there are any deals worth noting.

Rodgers That