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May 23rd, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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On Monday night, the Orlando Magic will attempt to salvage at least one more game in their season when they take on the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Orlando Magic vs. Boston Celtics (-7)
Monday May 23rd, 2010
8:30 ET, TD Banknorth Garden

Orlando Notes: The Magic have put themselves in a boat load of trouble in this series thanks to an offense that has just let the team down. The team shot 41.6 percent, 39.4 percent, and 36.9 percent respectively in Games 1 through 3 of this series. Needless to say, those aren't numbers are going to cut it. It's not as though the defense has failed miserably either. Holding Boston to 95 points or less in all three games should've yielded at bare minimum one victory. F Rashard Lewis was brought to Orlando to play well in situations like this, and he came with the price of a maximum contract. Unfortunately for him and for the Magic, he has only scored a total of 15 points in this series after scoring at least 17 in each of the final three games of the Atlanta series. C Dwight Howard doesn't look overly interested in playing anymore this season. He only scored seven points on 3/10 shooting in Game 3 and picked up a technical foul, his second of this series. If he remains frustrated in Game 4, the Magic stand no chance.

Boston Notes: Only putting 94 points on the board probably wasn't what HC Doc Rivers had in mind for Game 3, but the fact of the matter is that six players scored in double figures in a well rounded effort to take command of this series. F Glen Davis led the way with 17 points for the hosts. F Rasheed Wallace also had ten points off of the bench. G Rajon Rondo is still averaging a double-double with points and assists in this series, and he had yet another productive game on Saturday. Even though he only shot 4/14 from the field, he scored 11 points and dished out a dozen assists. Boston has had three respectable shooting games in this series, including a 46.6 percent effort in Game 3. The team nailed six triples on Saturday, which was only two fewer than Orlando made in spite of the fact that the Magic took 19 more attempts from long range.

Current NBA Betting Odds: Orlando Magic vs. Boston Celtics – Game 4

Sportsbook
Total
JustBet Sportsbook
+7
-7
188
Diamond Sportsbook
+7
-7
188.5
BetUS Sportsbook
+7
-7
188

Trends of Note: All of the Orlando trends seem to be tainted due to the fact that it has struggled so badly against the C's. The Magic are 6-1 ATS in their L/7 road games against teams with a winning record and are 19-6-1 ATS in their L/26 games following an SU loss of at least ten points. However, looking at some of Boston's betting trends is just mind-boggling. The C's have covered six straight games and are 6-1 ATS in their L/7 home games. They're also 7-1 ATS in their L/8 home games against teams with a winning road record. The road team and the underdog are both 7-1 ATS in the L/8 clashes between these teams.

The Final Word: The Magic have simply had it in this series. There's no way that they are going to be able to rebound from this hole unless they figure out how to shoot the ball. But with the mental distractions and the huge deficit, it's hard to see this series getting back to the Sunshine State.

Free NBA Picks: Boston 98 – Orlando 81

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May 20th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

My fellow comrades: I'm sure that I'm not going to be the first one that says this, nor will I be the last. I can't wait to see Mikhail Prokhorov run the New Jersey Nets.

Tell me the truth: I'm sure that I wasn't the only one that was wondering how Prokhorov, a Russian billionaire, was going to figure out how to successfully off the Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers in a quest to acquire Kentucky PG John Wall with his selection in the 2010 NBA Draft. Anyone who claims that they weren't thinking that absolutely has to be lying.

Prokhorov's interview with ESPN prior to the draft lottery (shown above) was classic. So how are you going to build a fan base in New Jersey, and then eventually Brooklyn? Easy.

"I'm going to turn Knicks fans into Nets fans."

 

 

Now, normally, I would say that that's about as easy as getting Cardinals fans to become Cubs fans or Redskins fans to become Cowboys fans. But this is a lot different. The Nets have been the laughing stock of the NBA for awhile now, but when a man who looks like Ivan Drago comes out and guarantees that he is going to win a championship within five years, you can't help but become intrigued.

And why not? Yes, there's a salary cap to worry about, but does Prokhorov give one damn whatsoever about the luxury tax in the NBA? When you're a billionaire (that's right… billionaire with a B), does a wimpy little few hundred grand really mean anything? Are you paying attention LeBron James? Dwyane Wade? Chris Bosh? Amare Stoudemire? Joe Johnson? David Lee? Dirk Nowitzki?

Whereas the Knicks have spent all of their money in their history on incredibly large stiffs like Allen Houston, Stephon Marbury, Larry Hughes… and the list could go on and on… the Nets are inevitably going to forget about these second class names and go straight to the top. I mean, could Prokhorov said anything short of the fact that his goal in this offseason is to bring King James to New Jersey? And if he doesn't succeed, how many people are getting fired (or worse!)?

Even though many don't exactly welcome this move with open arms, the NBA should be drooling over the prospects of getting billions of dollars into its league. Yes, salaries may be driven higher, but so will national exposure. After all, you don't think that the Nets aren't going to become Russia's team just as Yao Ming has made the Houston Rockets China's team? This is going to be another case of a guy that you love or a guy that you hate. He's George Steinbrenner crossed with Mark Cuban crossed with the Maloof Brothers.

Get ready my comrades. The Mikhail Prokhorov era is coming to New Jersey and it won't stop until the Big Apple has been taken over. From there, the artists that will soon be formerly known as the New Jersey Nets will turn into the rulers of the NBA.

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May 17th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The Eastern Conference Semifinals continue on Tuesday night from Amway Arena, as the Orlando Magic duke it out with the Boston Celtics.

Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic (-7.5)
Tuesday May 18th, 2010
8:30 ET, Amway Arena

Boston Notes: The Celtics are on fire right now, as they have both won and covered four straight NBA playoff betting lines dating back to Game 4 of their series with Cleveland. In Game 1 against the Magic, they never trailed and really dominated some of the key statistics in the matchup. Boston won the fast break points battle 20-6 and enjoyed an 18-15 turnover edge as well. F Paul Pierce had his best effort since Game 3 of the first round of the postseason in Game 1 against the Magic, scoring 22 points on 6/8 shooting from the floor. He and fellow G Ray Allen led the way, as Allen scored 25 points and knocked down some clutch free throws down the stretch to ice the game. The only bugaboos that HC Doc Rivers can really point at on an individual basis are the performances of G Rajon Rondo and F Kevin Garnett. KG only shot 4/14 from the floor and was often really harmed by the presence of the Magic big men. Rondo, who averaged over 20 points and 11 assists per game against the Cavaliers, only scoring eight points and dished out eight helpers.

Orlando Notes: HC Stan Van Gundy can point to the fact that his team never gave up hope that it could win in spite of the fact that it trailed by 20 points late in the third quarter for motivation to carry into Game 2. He can also assure his squad that, regardless of the fact that it is facing an 0-1 series deficit, that it hasn’t been beaten the game following a loss since the middle of January, a stretch of 50 straight games! However, on the court, things are simply going to have to improve from Game 1 to Game 2. C Dwight Howard only shot 3/10 from the field, and in spite of the fact that he had a double-double (13 points, 12 rebounds) and blocked five shots, his seven turnovers and poor shooting percentages were killers. F Rashard Lewis only shot 2/10 from the floor as well. G Vince Carter led the team in scoring with 23 points to go with five boards. G Jameer Nelson ripped down nine rebounds of his own to go with 20 points.

NBA Betting Odds: Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic Game 2
Sportsbook
Total
JustBet Sportsbook
+7.5
-7.5
188.5
Diamond Sportsbook
+7.5
-7.5
188.5
BetUS Sportsbook
+7.5
-7.5
188

Trends of Note: The Celtics have now covered three of their L/4 NBA wagering wars against Orlando in this series dating back to the regular season. The C’s are also 17-7 ATS in their L/24 games as dogs of 5.0-10.5 points and are 57-28-2 ATS in their L/87 games as road underdogs overall. The Magic are a stunning 65-32-3 ATS in their L/100 games following an ATS defeat and are 66-32-2 ATS in their L/100 following an SU defeat. They’re still 7-2-1 ATS in their L/10 home games and were 12-2 ATS in their previous 14 before dropping Game 1 to Boston on Sunday.

The Final Word: It’s time for a turnaround for the Magic. Boston played arguably the best game that it could possibly play on the road and still only won by four points. Look for Orlando to play inspired basketball and to put this series back on level terms with a comfortable win in Game 2.

Prediction: Orlando 95 – Boston 83

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May 16th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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On Monday night, the Western Conference playoffs kick off with a great Game 1 matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns.

Phoenix Suns (+6.5) @ Los Angeles Lakers
Monday May 17th, 2010
9:00 ET, Staples Center

Phoenix Notes: The Suns reached this point in the season in spite of the fact that few thought that they were deserving. The San Antonio Spurs were supposed to knock the men from the deserts out of the postseason in the second round, but instead of doing that, they were erased in the minimum four games. The Suns are run by G Steve Nash, who shot over 46 percent from downtown in the first two rounds of the playoffs. F Amare Stoudemire is about to have his biggest test of the postseason having to play a long series against the LA bigs . So far this postseason, Stoudemire has scored 20.5 points to go with 7.0 boards per game. The leading scorer in the playoffs for HC Alvin Gentry is G Jason Richardson at 21.5 points per game. The Suns are undefeated in these playoffs when he scores at least 20 points, and he has been a lethal shooter, capitalizing on 51.0 percent of his shots from the field overall and a blistering 51.5 percent from beyond the arc.

Los Angeles Notes: Remember when the Lakers fans were calling for G Kobe Bryant's head? All of a sudden, he has scored 30+ points in five straight games. To no one's surprise, LA is 5-0 in those five. After surviving that long series with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Lakers came back and took the Utah Jazz out in four games as well. F Pau Gasol is going to have his work cut out for him in this series, as he hasn't had to run at this tempo or play against a team as physical on the inside as Phoenix could be with him. However, so far, Gasol has passed his tests with flying colors, averaging 20.2 points and 13.1 rebounds per game. C Andrew Bynum is still battling a knee injury, and though he is expected to play, HC Phil Jackson is very concerned that his young center might not be able to keep up at this tempo with his ailment.

NBA Betting Odds: Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Lakers Game 1

Sportsbook
Total
JustBet Sportsbook
+6
-6
210.5
Diamond Sportsbook
+6.5
-6.5
210.5
BetUS Sportsbook
+6
-6
210.5

Trends of Note: The regular season series ended three games to one both SU and ATS in favor of the Lakers. The Suns are 20-6 ATS in their L/26 games against teams with a winning percentage of at least .600. They're also 20-8-1 ATS in their L/29 following an SU victory. However, when playing on at least three days of rest, they're only 6-13-1 ATS in their L/20. The Lakers are only 3-11 ATS in their L/14 games following an ATS victory and just 3-8 ATS in their L/11 divisional games. However, they are 5-1 ATS in their L/6 overall since Game 5 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals.

The Final Word: If the Suns can get out of the blocks in a hurry and force the pace of this game, this could be a great spot for an upset. With as many days off as these two teams have had, pretty much anything could happen. We're still not convinced that the Lakers are that much better than the Suns are, and we're going to hope that the visitors can find a way to eke out a very close Game 1. The tempo of this series will be set with an upset, as Los Angeles is going to be behind the 8-ball in a hurry.

Prediction: Phoenix 111 – Los Angeles 108

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May 13th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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In what could amount to be the last game that F LeBron James ever plays as a Cleveland Cavalier, the Boston Celtics will look to eliminate the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference in an NBA playoff betting battle on Thursday night.

Cleveland Cavaliers @ Boston Celtics (-1)
Thursday May 13th, 2010 
8:00 ET, TD Banknorth Garden

Cleveland Notes: Right now, the Cavaliers are in for a very scary proposition. In the event that they lose Game 6 on Thursday night, James is a legitimate threat to leave the team and exercise his options as a free agent for next season. LeBron had a miserable Game 5 on Tuesday night at Quicken Loans Arena, scoring just 15 points on 3/14 shooting with six boards and seven assists. Only C Shaquille O'Neal scored more than 20 points for HC Mike Brown's team. Gs Anthony Parker and Mo Williams were virtually non-existent yet again in Game 5, as the two only combined to score 23 points. F Antawn Jamison, who may also be playing his final game as a Cavalier on Thursday, only scored nine. Cleveland only pulled down 31 rebounds, one of its lowest totals of the entire season.

Boston Notes: Game 5 was most certainly one of the best displays by an underdog road team in these playoffs . It wasn't the greatest game in the world for Boston's newest sweethearts, G Rajon Rondo (16 points, seven assists), but it was a fantastic one for some of the old guard players that helped lead the C's to a championship a few years ago. G Ray Allen led all scorers with 25 points, including shooting 6/9 from beyond the arc. F Paul Pierce scored 21 to go with 11 boards and seven assists in what amounted to be his best game in the playoffs to date. F Kevin Garnett chipped in 18 points and six boards. As a team, Boston shot a blistering 55.0 percent from the floor and 53.3 percent from downtown. The Celtics also won the rebounding edge 41-31 and committed seven fewer turnovers.

NBA Betting Odds: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics Game 6

Sportsbook
Total
JustBet Sportsbook
+1
-1
196
Diamond Sportsbook
+1
-1
196.5
BetUS Sportsbook
+1
-1
196

Trends of Note: The Cavaliers have one brand new trend going for them that they don't get to exorcize often. They are 4-1 ATS in their L/5 games following a home defeat of at least ten points. If that trend doesn't continue tonight, their 2009-10 season will come to a close and LeBron may be departing with it. Cleveland has yet to cover a spread in the playoffs when playing on one day of rest (0-6) and is 2-9 ATS in its L/11 games against teams with a winning record. The C's are now 17-8 ATS in their L/25 games as favorites of less than five points, and even though they are just 7-15 ATS in their L/22 Eastern Conference Semifinal affairs, they have both covered and won three of the L/4 in this series.

The Final Word: Boston has to remember what it went through last season when it had a 3-2 series lead against the Orlando Magic. The situation was slightly different, as Game 6 was in Orlando, while Game 7 was in Beantown. C's fans aren't going to want to remember back to back seasons as "What could've been" if they had held serve on their home court. The Celtics just won't let that happen tonight. Even though this isn't really a Game 7, the atmosphere is going to have to feel as such for the hosts, as the prospects of winning a Game 7 at Quicken Loans Arena, especially after already winning two games there in this series seems grim at best. The Cavaliers look like a team that has given up, and unless LeBron puts together another one of his patented superhuman efforts, this could be the last time we see him suit it up for the Cavs.

Prediction: Boston 95 – Cleveland 89

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May 9th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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It's a do-or-die situation for the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night, as they engage in battle with the Orlando Magic in the fourth game of this best-of-seven NBA playoff betting affair.

Orlando Magic (-5.5) @ Atlanta Hawks
Monday May 10th, 2010 
8:00 ET, Philips Arena

Orlando Notes: The Magic have simply been the dominant team in this series, outscoring the Hawks by nearly 100 points in three games. The team has had at least two 20+ point scorers in every game in this series, including putting four at that level in Game 2. The Magic won each quarter in Game 3 by at least five points in yet another truly amazing display. C Dwight Howard is proving that he just doesn't have an equal in this series, scoring an average of 23.7 points and bringing in 15.0 rebounds per game against Atlanta after going four games without a double-double against Charlotte. Unlike in that first round series against the Bobcats, HC Stan Van Gundy has been able to use his big man to the fullest extent due to the fact that he has stayed out of major foul difficulties.

Atlanta Notes: It's hard to love anything that the Hawks are doing right now. They look like a team that has just totally given up on the season. G Mike Bibby has been totally MIA during this entire series, as he has scored just 12 total points and given out six assists in the three games. G Joe Johnson hasn't put it together quite yet in a game either. In Game 3, he shot just 3/15 from the floor and scored eight points. Obviously it goes without saying, but another game like that will be the last in Atlanta's season. F Josh Smith is having a respectable series for Atlanta, as he has scored at least 14 points in all three games and is coming off of a double-double in Game 3. The Hawks haven't shot better than 41% in any of the NBA betting battles against the Magic, which just isn't going to cut it.

NBA Betting Odds: Orlando Magic vs. Atlanta Hawks Game 4

Sportsbook
Total
JustBet Sportsbook
-5.5
+5.5
193
Diamond Sportsbook
-6
+6
194
BetUS Sportsbook
-5.5
+5.5
193.5

Trends of Note: Dating back to the regular season, the Magic have won 13 straight games, and they are 11-2 ATS in those 13. They've outscored their opponents by over 17 points per game in this postseason and just don't look beatable right now. Orlando is 45-22 ATS in its L/67 games against the Eastern Conference and 35-17-1 ATS in its L/53 games as a favorite. The Hawks are just 1-10-1 ATS in their L/12 playoff games as underdogs and have yet to cover a game in these playoffs as pups (0-4 SU and ATS). Atlanta is 3-0-1 ATS in its L/4 games following a double digit home loss, but this circumstance is totally different from the average situation.

The Final Word: It may be do-or-die time for the Hawks, but there just isn't any hope of survival for much longer for them. This is a team that looks disoriented on the court, and it just isn't trying hard. There could be a level of complacency for the Magic, but in all likelihood, another romp is going to be in the cards once again.

Prediction: Orlando 105 – Atlanta 92

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May 6th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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In Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Quicken Loans Arena, Boston Celtics president of basketball operations, Danny Ainge decided that it would be a great idea to toss a towel in the air during a free throw taken by Cleveland Cavaliers F JJ Hickson. The move cost him $25,000 in fines from the NBA. Now, the two teams will take the court in NBA betting action once again for Game 3 at Boston Garden on Friday night.

 

Cleveland Cavaliers (-1) @ Boston Celtics
Thursday May 7th, 2010
7:00 ET, TD Banknorth Garden

Cleveland Notes: Do the Cavs have the ability to flip the switch at this point? They were jostled around a bit in Game 1 before storming back from a late deficit to knock off Boston in Game 1, but were pummeled into submission in a Game 2 defeat at "The Q." Aside from F LeBron James, who scored a pedestrian 24 points, no one else really put together a strong effort for the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference. F Antawn Jamison scored 16, while F JJ Hickson put up a 13 point effort off of the bench. Aside from that though, no one really came to play. HC Mike Brown knows that all of the role players around his franchise star need to pick up their play, or Cleveland is going to fall behind 2-1 in this best of seven set.

Boston Notes: The Celtics did what they had to do in Game 2 and took home court advantage away from the Cavs. However, holding serve at Boston Garden has been difficult all year, as the C's went just 12-28-1 ATS there in the regular season. All five starters scored in double digits for Boston in Game 2, and the hero once again was G Rajon Rondo, who had 13 points to go with 19 assists. He now has 40 points and 31 helpers from the two games in Cleveland, clearly making him the MVP of HC Doc Rivers' squad heading back to Beantown. F Kevin Garnett, who has scored 18 points and ripped down ten rebounds in each of the first two games of this series, is listed as questionable for Friday night's Game 3 due to a strained foot that has held him out of practice.

NBA Betting Odds: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics Game 3

Sportsbook
Total
JustBet Sportsbook
-1
+1
191
Diamond Sportsbook
-1
+1
191
BetUS Sportsbook
-1
+1
191

Trends of Note: The Cavaliers are still a solid 11-4 ATS in their L/15 duels with Boston, including posting a 7-3 ATS mark in Beantown in their L/10 visits. The C's are just 3-7 ATS in their L/10 games following an outing in which they scored at least 100 points, but they're an amazing 8-2-1 ATS in their L/11 games as home underdogs. Cleveland is 8-2 ATS in its L/10 playoff games as favorites of less than five points and is 18-7-1 ATS in its L/26 Eastern Conference semifinal battles. The Cavs are also a rock solid 12-5 ATS in their L/17 NBA betting battles coming off of at least three days of rest.

The Final Word: This is the game that the Cavaliers really have to go ahead and flip the switch. They're clearly the superior team in this series at least in terms of what's on paper, and even though the Celtics look like they're going to be an annoyance in this series, they still shouldn't be a huge issue. Cleveland can expect a massive game out of King James in his efforts to bring his city a championship before his potential free agency this summer. Look for the Cavs to take back home court advantage by thumping Boston on its home court on Friday night.

Prediction: Cleveland 99 – Boston 87

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May 5th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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After the hosts won Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, NBA playoff betting action continues on Wednesday night with a duel in the desert between the San Antonio Spurs and the Phoenix Suns.

San Antonio Spurs @ Phoenix Suns (-2.5)

San Antonio Notes: HC Gregg Popovich can't be happy with the fact that he really only had three contributors in Monday night's Game 1 loss to the Suns. G Manu Ginobili (27), G Tony Parker (26), and F Tim Duncan (20) all reached the 20+ point plateau on the night, but no one else scored more than G George Hill, who netted just nine points on 2/9 shooting. The biggest disappointment has been F Richard Jefferson, who only took three shots for the entire game in a series that should suit him quite well. The former New Jersey Net has only averaged 8.6 points per game in the playoffs, and it's starting to look more and more like he is going to just be a non-factor for the silver and black.

Phoenix Notes: The Suns didn't really get much more than three contributors either in Game 1, but the trio of G Steve Nash, G Jason Richardson, and F Amare Stoudemire didn't need much help. Nash was particularly effective at cutting into open space and taking a free shot, which resulted in him scoring 33 points. The Canadian guard has averaged 17.6 points and 9.8 assists per game during the playoffs. Richardson just keeps hitting outside shots, which makes the Phoenix a very, very dangerous club, particularly in transition. He is shooting 51.0 percent from beyond the arc in these playoffs, and is leading the team in scoring at 24.0 points per game. Stoudemire finally logged his first double-double of the playoffs in Game 1 against the Spurs. Even though he hasn't had a truly dominating performance yet in the postseason, there's no shame in averaging 20.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per night.

 

NBA Betting Odds: San Antonio Spurs vs. Phoenix Suns

BetUS Sportsbook – Phoenix -2.5 (205.5)
BoDog Sportsbook – Phoenix -3 -105 (205)
Diamond Sportsbook – Phoenix -2.5 (205.5)

 

Trends of Note: The Suns are now 4-0 SU and ATS this season against San Antonio. They're also a perfect 4-0 SU and ATS when scoring more than 100 points in a game in the playoffs. The Spurs are only 1-3 SU and ATS on the road in the postseason. Both teams are just red hot overall right now, as Phoenix is 30-11-1 ATS in its L/42 games overall, while San Antonio is 21-10-1 ATS in its L/32 overall. The Suns are 39-19-2 ATS in their L/60 attempts as home favorites. The Spurs are just 1-7 ATS in their L/8 playoff games as underdogs.

The Final Word: This is a game that Phoenix absolutely cannot lose, and both teams know it. San Antonio knows that it has the ability to run with the Suns, but it would really prefer not to, especially at that quick of a tempo. However, Nash just doesn't have anyone that can guard him right now, and for as long as he has the ability to drive into open areas to pull up for easy shots and have the option to kick it out to Richardson for threes, this is going to be a very, very tough team to beat. The Spurs have the horses to win games in this series, but stealing at game at US Airways Arena seems to be more of a pipe dream right now than a reasonable reality.

Prediction: Phoenix 106 – San Antonio 99

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April 16th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

The NBA playoff betting series prices are posted at BetUS Sportsbook, and here at Cappers Info, we're making our picks for the eight teams that will survive to reach the Conference Semifinals in the quest to be called NBA Champions.

Los Angeles Lakers (-800) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder  - The Thunder aren't your average #8 seed, as they won 50 games this year and proved that their youthful exuberance can give anyone trouble. Even though they can be expected to play the Lakers tight in each game in this series, there isn't a man on this team that has any real experience at this level. In close games, we're banking on G Kobe Bryant, who has been there and done that, to shine brightly and bring the purple and gold to the second round.

Dallas Mavericks (-175) vs. San Antonio Spurs – Dallas has taken on a completely new persona since the Caron Butler deal, and now, F Dirk Nowitzki has the best supporting cast around him that he has had in years. The Spurs have been banged up all season long, but they appear to be as healthy as they're going to be for the remainder of the postseason. San Antonio has all of the playoff experience in the world, but this is the year that the Mavs really could make a run at the whole enchilada. We like the boys from Big D to get through in a lengthy six-game series.

Phoenix Suns (-600) vs. Portland Trail Blazers – What a terrible break the Blazers suffered when they lost G Brandon Roy for the remainder of the playoffs! Without Roy, Portland's already anemic offense really just loses all of its punch. Phoenix runs up and down the court and will probably score in the vicinity of its 110.2 points per game. Anything near that should be enough to dismiss a bunch of Blazers that just have to be devastated by their loss.

Denver Nuggets (-170) vs. Utah Jazz – Here's another case where injuries are probably going to turn the tide in a series. Fs Andrei Kirilenko and Carlos Boozer are both up in the air for the start of Utah's series against Denver. Not having both in the lineup really hurt this team, as there would've been a huge difference between being the #3 seed had it beaten the Suns on Wednesday and the #5 seed where it sits now. The Nuggs went 34-7 at home this year, and even though Utah also went 34-7 on its home court, that pivotal seventh game being at Pepsi Arena may make all the difference. Don't be shocked if the home team win all seven games in this series.

Cleveland Cavaliers (-4000) vs. Chicago Bulls – Now, we're not suggesting that you actually lay -4000 on the Cavs at this point, but it's hard to see how Chicago, which just went .500 at 41-41 this year, can win four games against the best team in the NBA. Cleveland just has too much oomph, and barring a catastrophic injury to F LeBron James, it won't even break a sweat getting through the first round of the playoffs.

Orlando Magic (-1000) vs. Charlotte Bobcats – The Magic posted the best record in the NBA in the second half of the season, and they won their final six games both SU and ATS to help make a statement to the rest of the league. Orlando was the representative for the Eastern Conference last year, and it will take the first step towards going back to the NBA Finals in what should be a relatively quick series against an overmatched Charlotte franchise that has never tasted the postseason.

Atlanta Hawks vs. Milwaukee Bucks (+525) – If there's an upset brewing in the first round of the playoffs, this could be it. This is a nice price on a Milwaukee team that just has heart, grit, and tenacity and plays its heart out every single night. Even though C Andrew Bogut isn't in the lineup, the Bucks still have a deeper team than the Hawks do. Atlanta is clearly the more talented team, but this is a winnable series for Milwaukee.

Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat (+150) – This is another nice price on an underdog that is capable of pulling off an upset or two in the playoffs. G Dwyane Wade is going to be the most talented player on the court at all times in this series, which is going to keep the Heat in every game. The Celtics were only a .500 team over their L/54 games of the season, and they're overrated going into this best-of-seven set. If Miami can find anyone else aside from Wade to help take the pressure off, they can finish this series off in six games.

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February 18th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

With the NBA's trading deadline just a few hours away, there have already been sweeping changes from coast to coast. And I'll bet with the headline of this post, you think I'm talking about Caron Butler or Antawn Jamison or Kevin Martin or Amare Stoudemire…

Guess again. 

I'll be the first to admit it… As I was sitting down and watching ESPN on Wednesday night and I saw, "Breaking News" come across the Bottom Line and then saw that the New York Knicks had reached an agreement to trade… I immediately stopped, looked back down at my computer, and continued my work. I figured that this was finally the T-Mac deal that everyone was talking about that would send the former All-Star to the Big Apple.

 "Good for him," I thought.  I should've thought twice.

Though McGrady was traded from Houston on Wednesday, it wasn't to New York. It was to Sacramento. Instead, the Knicks pulled off the move of the century.

In what probably amounted to be the least interesting and least impactful trade in the history of sports as we know it, Darko Milicic was traded to the Timberwolves for Brian Cardinal.

All together now: "Woohoo"

Remember when Darko was considered the next big thing on the international scene? Some people thought that he should've been the #1 overall pick that year… over some guy named LeBron. Oops. Instead, the Pistons grabbed Milicic with the #2 pick in front of stiffs like Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade.

Has there ever been a less relevant draft pick crammed in and amongst as many superstars as Darko? We all know the story of how Milicic started his career on HC Larry Brown's bench and never really emerged as anything more than a mop up player. Now, he's the butt of basically every joke in the league, including this one.

Just last month, Milicic demanded to be released from his contract, but not without collecting on his cool $7.5M. He told the New York Post that, "I would be the happiest guy if I was home with my baby." Now, just over a month later, he was sent to a version of basketball's purgatory: Minnesota.

Maybe it's a good idea to go home, Darko. You're still young, yet as the #2 overall pick in the draft… a draft position that has often provided franchises with the players that have changed their entire team history… you've only managed to be bounced around through Detroit, Orlando, Memphis, New York, and now Minnesota, and you've been dubbed, "The Human Victory Cigar," because you're only on the court for whatever team you're playing for when games are out of reach.

Truth be told, we don't even really know if Darko can ball or if he's just another prototypical big, goofy looking stiff. Maybe the opportunity is finally there for him.

While the other members of that draft class are all entering their free agent seasons and will be signing huge contracts in the summer, Milicic needs to head home and go try to reinvent himself as a player. Maybe then, someone will prove that he truly is wanted in basketball.

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