Back to Basics Picks

Thank God!!! This is probably the worst week of betting the boys DP have ever endured. Back to back to back 1-3 nights, is more embarrassing than Donald Trump mocking disabled reporters. We went back to the basics today, and can hopefully start the weekend without that garbage taste of sour picks in our mouth.

MIA +5 vs IND

Two years ago these teams looked like they would meet in the Eastern Conference Finals for the next fifteen years minimum!! Then LeBron left and Paul George broke his damn leg, and today we are looking at two completely reinvented teams. Won't be as fun as it used to be, but should be a decent game. Gotta take the defensive powerhouse Heat against Paul George and...well Paul George that's why they gave up 78 points in the first half against the Warriors.

GSW -5.5 vs BOS

Finally the public is on my side thinking that this is the night the Warriors finally go down!!! So what does DP do? We zig when others zag!! We go left when you sheep go right!! Of course if you know my record picking Warriors  games this year I would pull out a second mortgage and place it all on Boston because they are guaranteed to win now.

CHA +3 vs MEM

Biggest shocker of the regular season, MJ might actually be a competent owner!! This team is currently second in the East and look like the Charlotte team everyone expected last year, until Lance Stephenson murdered it with his piss poor attitude (and shooting). Memphis is old and slow and still depends on Jeff Green way too much. Nuff said.

OKC -3.5 vs UTA

Durant!! He's back!!! But, tonight will be all Russell Westbrook for no real reason. Lately he's been doing just enough and letting KD do all of the heavy lifting, tonight they do a little role reverse cowgirl and Hustle goes off for 45, 15 and 9 dimes.

3 Early NBA Storylines and Trends

Three Early NBA Trends and Storylines

We are about 20 games into the 2015-16 NBA season, and despite the Golden State Warriors dominating the court and the headlines, this year's edition of the Association has many underrated plot twists and turns to keep even casual fans interested. With the usual stars out in full force (LeBron, Curry, Durant, Davis, Szczerbiak...) and some young blood added to the mix (Wiggins, Towns, Skinny Kyle Lowry) the NBA looks to be in good hands going forward. Today we'll take a look at some of the story lines dominating the league and delve deep into reasons, longevity and hype factor that drive each story. 

1) Golden State EVERYTHING

MVP already? Crown his ass.

I don't care if this is the most talked about story in the NBA and possibly sports right now. What the hell are you supposed to do when one team has effectively broken a sport?! As of right now the Warriors are 21-0 and Steph Curry is running away with the MVP vote (while also jumping about 3 spots per day in GOAT conversation).  Let's start with league MVP Curry. He is averaging 32 ppg, 6 apg and 5 rpg while shooting 53% from the field, 46% from three and 93% from FT. The only thing we DO know about stopping Steph Curry is, you can't stop Steph Curry! So how the hell does this work, and who has a shot at beating this team? Well the best thing I can tell you is, it's the regular season. The Warriors are going to have to play a good team from the Western Conference from the second round on in the playoffs. A team with depth like the Los Angeles Clippers might have the chance to hang with the Warriors for 7 games. Much like the Spurs last few years, Golden State relies on the pick and roll to create matchup problems, leading to wide open threes. The one team that caused the Spurs problems during their latest run was the OKC Thunder. The Thunder were able to matchup with their small ball lineup and with their insane athelticism (Russell at the one, Durant at the four and Ibaka at the 5) the Thunder were able to switch on every screen and slow down San Antonio. These two teams could eventually foil the GS run this season, but it's all about winning a seven game series in the playoffs. Golden State has dominated the regular season thus far, but could one of these teams catch them in the playoffs? Probably not, but let's slow this train down before we eliminate every team out West.

Can it be sustained?
Going undefeated? No! But Golden State will certainly finish with the one seed barring some massive injury or suspension.

Draymond has been causing matchup issues all year...he knows

The Big Question:
"What is the rest of the league going to do to slow this team down?"
Well a few things have been tested, and failed. The Clippers and Cavs both tried sending double teams at curry, but he's too good of a passer (as is the rest of the team) to be bothered by that. The Clippers recently tried getting physical with Curry as Chris Paul hounded him for an entire half. Turns out that didn't work! Not only is Curry stronger now, but this is not a one dimensional team! If Curry is getting "roughed up" he's going to become a creator and find other ways to dominate the game. So what's next? Foul him while he's inside the three point line? I don't think so. The only way a team will have a chance is if they go equally as small and are able to switch every screen. Let Draymond take 10 footers and drive to the hoop one on one maybe? Just don't let him get the ball off a pick and pass out a wide open corner three. Free layups, no threes? It's radical, but it might just work!

2) Paul George and the Indiana Pacers

The video of George's leg breaking should never be viewed

The fact that Paul George is playing basketball is great. He was the hot young superstar that was going to be the next guy to dethrone LeBron James. Hell, he had passed up Kevin Durant as the number two guy in the league. Well all that went out the window during a Team USA exhibition game in which PG's leg snapped in half in one of the most gruesome injuries since Shaun Livingston did the same. Well, not only is YG Trece back, he's better than ever!!! George is averaging 27 ppg, 8 rpg and 4 assists as well as playing All NBA First Team defense. Oh and he just dropped a career high 48 on the Utah Jazz. Having George back and dominant is great for the league and fans of silky smooth scorers around the world. With George's suprising play comes another suprise: The Indiana Pacers.

The Pacers have opened the season as a top four team in the East while picking up wins against the Bulls, Clippers and Heat. Head coach Frank Vogel has moved his squad from the slow, plodding defense first vanilla fest to a run and gun, three shooting, deep benched machine! With PG at the helm, a slew of scorers to help take the load off (Monta Ellis, Rodney Stuckey) a resurgent CJ Miles and a solid defensive big man rotation, the Pacers could be one move away from once again being a thorn in LeBron's side.

Can it be sustained?

Not sure. Will PG be playing at the same level at the 60 game mark? Can guys like CJ Miles and Monta Ellis be depended on for a whole season? Something tells me this team is going to hit a rough patch around the All Star break, but maybe they could pull together a trade to add another name to this squad.

The Big Question:

"Can you trust Paul George after his last dance with superstardom?"

2013-14 was a rough year for George, the Pacers and everyone else involved. The collapse was spurred on by Roy Hibbert turning into the worst player in NBA history, Lance Stephenson doing all the Lance Stephenson things you don't want Lance Stephenson doing (you know what I mean) and Paul George just kind of fading into the background. After being anointed the second best player in the NBA, PG let a lot of people down with his very average play during the second half of that season. He seemed to return to form during the playoffs, but just couldn't reach that next level when his team needed it during the conference finals against LeBron and the Heat. That series culminated with PG scoring 7 points in a 23 point blowout to end the season. The basketball world might need to see George go off in the playoffs before accepting him as their basketball savior again. 

3) The Eastern Conference Sludge Pool of Mediocrity

Derek Rose is a big part of the Bulls identity crisis

Early on this season, it seems like the East has finally gained some ground on the West. Well...maybe. If anything, things have just gotten muddled and confusing. The Raptors may have taken a step back, the Wizards DEFINITELY took a step back, the Bucks haven't made a leap, the Celtics, Magic and Pistons are fun, young upstarts that pose no threat as a 7 or 8 seed and the Hornets are owned by Michael Jordan. Hell, if you look at the top of the Conference, the Cavs aren't a "sexy" team by any means (especially with the injuries). The Bulls are going through an identity crisis at the moment and the Heat have some glaring weaknesses despite a strong roster. So what the hell are supposed to make of all this?

Can it/will it be sustained?
History tells us yes. The Cavs are going to be at the top and barring some crazy meltdown/locker room cancer issue, the Bulls will be too. The Heat should be in the top 3 as well, but you can't count them in because of health issues. It looks like another top heavy year in the East.

The Big Question:
"Will the East correct itself?"
Teams like the Raptors and Wizards have too much star power to be middle of the pack in the East. Those two teams should be competing for a three seed at least, but it appears that coaching is getting in the way of that. Whether it be via trade or coaching change, one of these teams will compete for the three seed and have people talking by the All Star break.

NBA Finals Preview

Catz:

Cleveland in 5

   All this week, I'm sure all you have heard is about how Steph Curry is the greatest shooter that has ever graced the earth, and the people in Nor Cal probably already have their championship t-shirts printed up right? It's a done deal to most! But not for Bobby Catz. People are really underestimating what LeBron James is doing/has done over the last five years. He's made 5 straight finals. Detractors simply point out that he is doing it in the East, but in reality what the fuck does that mean?? I don't care if he made five straight finals in the Chinese basketball league, its still impressive no matter which way you look at it. You know why? Because its basically impossible to beat this dude in a best of five series. Sure you might get a game, you may even get a series lead, but unless your name is Greg Popovich and you have a fantastic San Antonio team, you aren't beating him in the finals either. And don't even try to come at me with the Mavericks winning in 2012. They were extremely well coached as well and James had not quite yet learned what it took to be considered a champion. The problem for the Warriors? This Cleveland team knows exactly what they need to do in order to win and they do it very, very well. 

   I honestly do not think this series is going to be that close. Curry and Thompson are fantastic shooters possibly two of the best of all time, but they don't know what it takes to win on the biggest stage quite yet. Every great player has to go through a loss in the finals before they breakthrough. This series reminds me a lot of the one a few years ago between OKC and Miami, also featuring the King. Everyone liked the hot shooting Thunder in that one and what happened? Harden no-showed, Durant and Westbrook struggled and after losing game one, Miami rallied to win four straight. That is exactly what I think happens in this series. The first game will be the hot shooting Warriors getting a win after they go 20-22 from three or something crazy and then the next four games will be a showcase for the cerebral assassin LeBron as he averages a triple double and gets his third championship ring to add to his collection.

Mr. Nutz

Golden State in 6

Over the past week we have seen an influx of Cleveland supporters pile their opinions on the "who will win" dumpster fire for the Finals. Well I'm here to tell you this is the real world, not some fantasy land where all our dreams come true and the underdog always has a chance. The Warriors were not just the best team in basketball this year, they were absolutely dominant. That dominance comes from an offense that can not be slowed or stopped, no matter what different matchups you try to exploit. Much like the Spurs teams of the last 3 years, the Warriors have an exceptionally strong bench to back up one of the best starting 5's in the NBA. Hell, I don't even know who technically "starts" as the minute distribution for this team lends itself to about 7 different guys being starters. But when you can rotate guys like Andre Iguodola, Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green, David Lee and Shaun Livingston in and out of your lineup, you're not skipping a  beat! 

All this bench fire power only hurts the Warriors' opponent, the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers. People are trying to hype up LeBron James as some sort of basketball alien that was plopped down during the playoffs to win the whole thing by himself. Well, he's not. He's been to 5 straight finals right? Well he hasn't won them all, that's for damn sure. Oh and this time, he's relying on JR Smith, Iman Shumpert and Timofey Mozgov to get him to the promised land? No fucking thank you. I will take a broken D Wade and a garb salad surprise Heat roster over the reject Knicks any day. LeBron is exhausted. Not only from carrying this team through the EC playoffs, but from playing non stop Finals games. He's going up against the best D in the league, while chasing around someone from the best ball movement offense in the league. Good luck LeBron, this is just another loss in your finals column.  

Sunday NBA

Slippery When Wet Sunday Picks

Bob's Shameless Sunday Picks


After a rough stretch of NBA games, we can all rejoice in the fact that today is finally Sunday. Tonight there is a lot of solid television to watch including the season finale of True Detective, and fan favorite Shameless. However if you think that I'm gonna be watching these shows instead of watching the games that I am throwing my cold hard cash down on then you would be right, but here are some picks anyway.

OKC (-12) at LAL (L)
The Lakers are garbage right now, the only team they could beat is probably the 76ers, but that would be a good battle. Expect Rus and KD to come out firing especially because the last time they played they were beaten by the Phoenix Suns. The Thunder will come out blazing and might score 200 against a porous Lakers D.


Denver (+2.5) at NO (L)
Although the Nugs look more similar to the crew of the Black Pearl than an actual basketball team (mutiny!!!), the return of Ty Lawson has been huge. He can beat most guards off the dribble whenever he wants, and his slashing causes other defenders to help out leading to easy drop offs for dunks. Lucky for him tonight he goes against arguably the worst back court in the NBA. Brian Roberts and Austin Rivers are both porous defenders and exactly the type of players that Ty Lawson used to fuck back in prison (allegedly). Look for the Nuggets to blow the Pelicans out tonight winning by at least 15.


PHO (+7.5) at GS (WINNER!)
The Suns are in a dogfight right now for the bottom three seeds of the Western conference. Every game of their remaining 20 becomes basically a playoff type atmosphere. So far everything we have seen from the Suns is that they step up when it comes to big time games. They played the warriors tough in both games already this season, and there is no reason to think this game won't be decided by three or four points.
There we are three wins to finish off what has been a pretty shitty weekend set of picks, but a great start to the coming week. Also if my picks don't work out, fuck it grab a sixer, watch Shameless and True Detective and cry until you pass out.


BJ's Blatant Disregard for the Facts Pick
  Toronto @ Minnesota (OVER 207) (WINNER!)

Well I was going with Toronto +4, but that line is way to fishy. Instead, we'e going to go with two teams that have been absolutely ROLLIN on offense as of late. Two hot shooting squads that have been putting up big numbers over the last week on a Sunday? I say book it. 

BJ's Sunday Treat

Free NBA Picks

Golden St. @ Toronto (OVER 202) (PUSH)

No secrets or special formulas to figure this one out. Both these teams can score and are anchored by great scoring backcourts. The Raptors will slow down the Warriors a little, but this game should go over. Look for the shooting guards, Thompson and DeRoazan to score at least 28 apiece in another game we should all be watching. 

February 8th, 2014

  Both these teams can light up the scoreboard, that is the simple explanation. Combined, PHX and GS average 18 made three pointers per game, jacking up about 49 per game. They rank 5th (GS) and 7th (PHX) in overall pace, with Phoenix giving up the 5th worst opponent true shooting percentage in the league. The easiest reason to take the over? Well, you don't want to be the guy hoping the Splash Brothers suddenly go cold when it's 85-82 at the end of the 3rd quarter.
Golden State Warriors vs Phoenix Suns - OVER 209 (WINNER!!)

  The only thing to worry about here is Houston blowing the Bucks out so bad that they hit the over. Houston's rebounding edge and offensive production will be too much against a Bucks team that has the third worst TS% in the league. Houston will look to pull their starters early and let their mediocre bench finish the game against a tanking Milwaukee squad. Definitely don't watch this game.
Houston Rockets vs Milwaukee Bucks - UNDER 205.5 (WINNER!!)

Bob's Basketball Bonanza

  At first glance at this article and you will probably find yourself saying "no" more times than Kobe's Colorado accuser. 

  First off,  the Kansas Jayhawks going up against the West Virginia Mountaineers. The mountaineers are a young, athletic team well coached by Bob "DUI" Huggins.  Kansas, although very talented, has struggled at times to be the dominant powerhouse that their talent suggests they should be. Kansas is (-13.5) and although I expect them to win this game, the mountaineers will keep it close. Expect a single digit loss. 

WEST VIRGINIA (+13.5) vs Kansas  (L) 

  Next up, we have the Kentucky Wildcats against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Kentucky is another super talented team struggling to put together dominant performances despite a fuck-ton of talent. Although Mississippi state has had it's own struggles this season, Kentucky has had a tough time in conference play on the road, with both losses coming by a combined 7 points. Expect an ugly game that sees poor performances from every player on Kentucky not named Julius Randle. 

Once again Kentucky wins, but does not cover (-13).

Kentucky vs MISSISSIPPI ST. (+13) (WINNER!!)

  Finally, an easy call between two pretty good teams, expect the Michigan wolverines to cover (+5) on the road against the Iowa Hawkeyes because Iowa is full of white players and Glenn Robinson's son plays for Michigan!! Little "Big Dog" carrying the wolverines to a cover!

MICHIGAN (+5) vs Iowa (L)