NBA day 3

3-3 on the year

MEM -3 vs IND

Man, was I wrong about the Pacers or what?? After bashing them all off season, I decided to take them against the Raptors last night in Toronto. While the final score was closer than I expected, the Raptors were in complete control of that game in the second half and the Pacers lack any scoring outside of Paul George and Monta Ellis. Meanwhile Grindhouse played a Cavs team that wasn't losing two games in a row. Look for the Grizz to rebound in a big way against the Pacers tonight.

NYK +4.5 vs ATL

The Knicks actually looked like a decent NBA team last night!! They got contributions from several players and Melo didn't have to shoot 55 times in order to win the game! As a matter of fact Mel struggled a little bit, and they still won!! Tonight Melo is going to really enjoy playing a Hawks team that lost the junkyard dog who would have hounded Melo like a nice prime rib. Knicks win big as they start 2-0 for what feels like the first time in franchise history.

LAC -10.5 vs DAL

Holy shit this Clippers team is deep!! The 6-11 guys on this team are better than the Mavs starting 5 (sorry Dirk). Plus you have the return of Deandre Jordan to the team he ruined the offseason of! Look for Deandre to really twist the knife deep tonight as his Clippers get a blowout win in big D.

Monday Macho Madness!

POR (+2.5) @ WAS
Catz does not like this line and that's fair. Portland is certainly a good team, but good enough to beat a Washington that has started to come together after collapsing post All-Star Break? I'm not too sure myself, but when these situations arise, I look at two things: 1) Conference: The Blazers are 24-14 against the West this year on their way to 44 total wins thus far. That is impressive considering the injuries to the PDX roster. 2) Point Discrepancy: Not a very telling stat anymore with all the analytics out there, but still useful. The Blazers are +5 points while the Wizards are barely hanging in there at +1.4. The Wiz have a knack for playing and winning close games, so this one should be a close, playoff environment type of game.

TOR (+5.5) @ IND
This is probably a trap game. I've been all over Toronto since last year, but this year, eh. They have cooled recently and when you take a look at their numbers, something just ain't right. The Raptors are a pitiful 15-20 against teams with a record above .500. 8 teams in the West top that record. Indiana is in the same boat, but they also weren't expected to win shit this year. Either way, 5.5 is too much for Toronto and I think something wonky is going on with Roy Hibbert. ROLL IT!


ATL @ SAC (+5)
This makes me more uncomfortable than leaving my girlfriend in a room with Bill Cosby! Sac Town was BLOWN THE FUCK OUT by Atlanta last week, but Catz brought up a good point. Atlanta is going to be playing Golden State tomorrow or some shit, so they basically don't care about this game. Roll the big Sac!

CHA (+5) vs. UTAH

I know the Jazz have recently become the Seahawks of the NBA with a whole slew of "Johnny come lately" fanz showing up right when the team gets hot and all of a sudden everyone has been down with Rudy Gobert from the beginning. But your boy B Catz isn't quite ready to drink the Jazz kool aid quite yet, especially with the return of Kemba giving the Hornets a boost when they were already playing well. 5 points is way too many points in this one and the Jazz are due for a letdown after their recent hot streak. HORNETZ ALL DAY!

LAL (+18) vs. GSW

This is easily the highest line I've personally seen all year. Based on that principle alone I have to roll it, HAVE TO!! Sure the Lakers are probably going to get smoked out by a Warriors team that's rested and hungry, but they also play Atlanta tomorrow night, so I am expecting them to look past the Lakers just enough to let this line cover. 12 point Warriors win.

OKC (+5.5) vs. DAL

Don't care if they are playing the Monstars or the Globetrotters anytime Rustle, Hustle, and Man-Muscle Wesbtrook (thanks Simmons and Cousin Sal) is getting points, I have to take it. Westy has been a triple double machine as of late, and while KD is expected to miss another week or so, there is no reason to expect his production to slip. Plus if his fuckin teammates could actually hit shots he would have easily had a triple double last game. Thunder not only cover, they win this game outright.

NBA ECF Game 2

MIA (+3) at IND (under 186) (WINNER) (WINNER!)

Well last game I was spot on as far as the Pacers winning  behind a balanced Lance effort AND a Chris Bosh suckfest. Tonight will be different. The Heat are not going to fuck around tonight and I think this might be a blow out. As a matter of fact, Catz told me this will probably be the biggest blowout in NBA Playoff history! That's a bold statement, but I follow his thinking. I mean, the Pacers opened this series getting a ton of calls and a solid Roy Hibbert effort. I don't think either of those things last over the series. Expect to see a lot of Udonis "Fuck da Police" Haslem on Hibbert tonight and a huge LeBron game. Oh and a possible Lance Stephenson ejection.  

NBA Playoff Winners

OKC (+4) at LAC over 213.5  (WINNER!) (WINNER!)

I will be real honest with you folks out there, this is not a pick that I would "bet the house on". This series is a tough one to call as these two teams are pretty evenly matched. It is hard to say if the post Durant MVP speech will wear off tonight and the Clippers from game 1 show up, or if we see near triple doubles from both Westbrook and Durant again. I am going to side the Thunder for this game and hope that it does not bite me in the ass. Really I am just backing Hustle Westbrook here and hoping that he brings a huge game and not one of those classic, "fuck everyone else I got this shit even though I have one of the best players in the league on my team" games. Clips and Thunder engage in quite a fun scoring romp, which ultimately I think that the Thunder win, possibly even a double OT, instant classic thriller.

IND at WAS (-4) (UNDER 184) (L) (WINNER!)
Now this right here is a tough pick! People love the Wiz in this series and have written of the Pacers, for good reason. Are we supposed to believe that the Pacers are "back" now that they won a game on the road against a solid opponent? Is the Andrew Bynum stink gone, or still lingering in the nostrils of every man in that locker room? For Catz and I, this is an easy pick. The Pacers need to win 2 games in a row against a team that is over .500 to be respected again. Expect a horrible let down game from the Pacers in which they score 81 points. 

BONUS AFL PICK!!!

PITT at SPOKANE (+3.5) under 97.5

I am not really sure why the line setters out there think that this Pitt team can travel up into the frozen tundra hell hole that is Spokane and win this game, but apparently they do. I will happily take the Shock and watch them teach Pitt a thing or two about playing in the Arena League. I do think however, that despite the offensive fire power of the Shock that Pitt is able to keep this game under 97.5 points. Shock win, Pitts D and effort keep it under 97.5.

Dirty NBA Playoff Picks

LAC (+5) at OKC (UNDER 215) (L) (WINNER!)
This game definitely has a lot of OKC showing up and Durant celebrating his MVP with a huge blowout win potential. But I just can't wrap my head around the game swinging that drastically in the other direction. Do I think CP3 hits 8 threes and goes 12-14? No way, but the Thunder are not five points better than Lob City. Don't be surprised if this game turns in to a grind it out, slow it down possession based game that keeps it under 215 combined points. 

WAS (+4.5) at IND (UNDER 187) (WINNER!) (WINNER!)
Usually in this situation, we would advise you to go with the team that has been catching flack for the past few days. Usually in this situation, we would say, the Wizards are everyone's favorite team all of a sudden and that's bad for the ego. USUALLY, we would tell you that this game os set up for an epic Pacers bounce back where they hold the Wiz to 75 points. WELL, that ain't happenin. We've been waiting the entire playoffs for the Pacers to play like a playoff team and things just seem to get worse and worse. Tonight. Expect a close, defensive battle where the Wiz easily cover 4.5 and maybe lose. This series isn't over, but if the Wiz win tonight, they're going to take the Pacers home and go to town on them like a Greg Oden slampiece. 

NBA Picks

NBA Round 2

WAS (+4) at IND (UNDER 183.5) (WINNER!) (L)
The Washington professional basketball team rolls into Indiana tonight looking to set the tone of this series. I'll tell you what, the Pacers better have woken up, ate their big ole bowls of cereal and hit the stadium ready to play, because this Wizards are rested and ready to rock. The Wizards ripped through a defensive juggernaut in Chi Town, and the Pacers aren't that much different from Chicago. Seriously how are they going to cover John Wall? Put PG24 on him, so that Bradley Beal gets open jacks all night?? Good luck. I'm looking at a high scoring game by the Wiz in which could very well be a blowout game and maybe 80 points from the Pacers if they are lucky. 

LAC (+5) at OKC (UNDER 213) (WINNER!) (L)

The Clips are not 5 points worse than the Thunder. The key to this series is sadly going to be DeAndre Jordan. If DJ can stay in the game and hassle Westbrook at the rim, the Clips will be able to outshoot the Thunder.  Tonight, I think Doc Rivers keeps the Clips in it until the final possession. 

NBA Picks

Fuck Mondays. You know who likes Mondays? Terrorists. You aren't a terrorist right? Cause this is 'merica! Now that we have that established let's brighten up that Monday a little bit.

CATZ
MIA (-8) at CHA (UNDER 187) (WINNER!) (L)
When was the last time Miami had an extended rest period? The fact that they have a chance to sit back for a few days and watch the other eastern teams battle it out for the right to face them is huge! Couple that with the fact that the Big Ole Al "Postmaster General" Jefferson will probably sit tonight, and you have the Heat running away with this one. Look for the Heat to come out and set the tone early with swarming defense as they sweep the series and get some well deserved R & R.

BJ
ATL (+6.5) at IND (OVER 186) (WINNER!) (WINNER)
As this is a must win for the Pacers, I fully expect them to blow it. Actually, I don't want to say that because the Pacers still technically have a lot of talent. They should win this game with a great performance by Paul George. People are really down on Roy Hibbert as well, which might be a good thing for the Pacers. There's only so much the man can do when Pero Antic is standing on the three point line all day and Paul Trillsap is getting in the lane with Jeff Teague. Take ATL in case they win outright again and take the over in case IND explodes for a big win.

SA (-4) at DAL (OVER 201) (P) (L)

I don't understand why Vegas thinks these teams aren't going to be over 208+ every game. Both teams play a fast pace, average over 100 and give up 98+ per game. The Spurs have to win this game and I would like to see that happen. Vince Carter pulled some bullshit last game, but the Spurs are the last team to be worried about being down 1 game. I think Parker and Ginobli go off tonight and Monta Ellis shoots 8-27 to kill the Mavs.

NBA Playoff Picks

The Catz Presents: Bizarro Playoff Picks

Yesterday, I tried to take control of my picks and put a ton of effort in, only to be rewarded with a 1-3 night. Well you know what playoffs? Fuck you. Today I'm gonna switch things up a little bit and give great reasoning on what I truly believe and then throw my pick in the opposite direction. Apparently my intuition is dead wrong this spring, so I'm gonna go completely against it (warning:this definitely means my intuition will be right today!).

IND at ATL (+2.5) (OVER 188) (L) (L)
My thoughts here were two-fold. One, there's no way that ATL takes two in a row in this game against a team that was 33-7 at one point right?? Pacers looked good in game 2, so why wouldn't they come out and turn it on in game 4? Second thought, well neither of these teams are offensive juggernauts (especially the Pacers) so it's absolutely stay under 188!! Take the Hawks (+2.5) and the over and watch the Pacers win by 50 in a 100-50 blowout.

SA at DAL (+3) (UNDER 200) (L)(WINNER!)
First off why is this series only on game 3? It feels like these times haven't played in three weeks, which is great for both teams because they are old as fuck. Now as far as the picks are concerned, San Antonio absolutely wins this game right? I mean it's the Spurs, no way does a decent Mavs team go up 2-1 on the 1-seed Spurs right?? Well they do today, and two of the best offenses in the NBA don't combine for 200 points! Do I believe this? Hell no, but we gotta hit a few knuckle-curves against the ace that is Vegas (a little baseball lingo for all the non-athletes out there).

MIA (-4.5) at CHA (OVER 187.5) (WINNER!) (L)
I've been on this Bobcats team all season like a frat boy on a drunken 18 year old freshmen at her first kegger. I really think they come out and give it their all at least one time this playoffs and steal one from the Heat before they lose the next two. Also these teams are known for their swarming defense and it definitely ends up 86-84 or something like that. So good luck with these two picks, they are terrible.


OKC at MEM (+3) (OVER 188.5) (P) (L)
This one might the worst pick I've made so far. There is absolutely no way the Grizzlies win 3 in a row against the MVP and his 2-seed Thunder team right? Even if they do manage to score the upset this game doesn't go into the high 90's right? Right??? Fuck me this is gonna be a rough day.

NBA Playoffs

NBA Wednesday Picks

After a long day of soul searching aka taking mushrooms and wandering around Joshua Tree for a day. Bobby Catz is back to give the people what they want. Some high quality NBA playoff picks

IND (-2) at ATL (OVER 186.5) (L) (L)

Atlanta played really well through six quarters of this series. Then in the second half of game 2, they got absolutely shit housed by the Pacers. While its still too early to anoint the Pacers as being back, Monday was the closest they have looked since January. Paul George will build on the momentum he was able to establish in game 2 and come out of the gates hot, putting this team on his back and carrying them to a game 3 victory. Don't think that won't make this game competitive and push the total under though. The Hawks can shoot the rock, and I expect a lot of points on both sides.

LAC (-2) at GSW (OVER 213.5) (P) (L)

The Clippers rebounded in a huge way to even this series at a game a piece. The biggest reason for that was the play of Blake Griffin, who was able to play more than 19 minutes this game. Look for this trend to continue as the Dubs have absolutely no answer for Griffin. However, unlike the last game I do expect this game to stay competitive throughout, pushing the combined total into the 215-230 range.

OKC at Memphis (+2.5) (OVER 189.5) (WINNER!) (WINNER!)

BJ: Consider my horn "tooted" after last nights gloryhole of a day! 5-1 in the NBA has been more rare around these parts than getting an in depth hockey analysis! First off, let me tell you that Catz had the reigns today and I pulled them away just to steal this pick. He really wanted to roll with the Thunder tonight and who can blame him? The Grizz looked throughly outmatched in game 1, and pulled one out of their bear asses 2 nights ago. But this is the grindhouse! The Thunder have to go in a play mistake free, physical basketball and everyone in the world is looking at that Thunder (-2) and saying, "2 points?!! That's it!" You're damn right, because this one is coming down to the wire, 10 seconds left on the clock, Grizz have a 96-95 lead, Westbrook gets the inbounds, screen from Ibaka, Durant crosses baseline and HE'S WIDE OPEN, WESTBROOK TAKES THE CONTESTED MID RANGE JUMPER THE GRIZZLIES WIN!!! 

Tuesday Mortal Sin Playoff Picks!

NBA Playoff Picks!

Another night of game 2's in the NBA.  In the first game of these series the road team scored the upset in each contest. Tonight, shits gonna swing back in the home teams favor.

ATL (+7.5) at IND over 186.5 (L) (L)
Absolutely a no-brainer. Indiana will probably come out and attempt to play their best game of the season, but this just isn't a championship caliber team. Whatever the fuck is going on in their locker room is obviously carrying over to the court, and the results are terrible. Pacers will probably win, but the Hawks will have another good showing in Indiana.

WAS (+5.5) at CHI under 180 (WINNER) (L)
Again we have another game where I think the home team wins, but keeps it close enough to cover the spread. I think this is a very slow, very low scoring affair that sees both teams struggle to score 80. Chi Town probably gets the win here, but don't be shocked if Chocolate City takes a 2-0 lead going back home. 

BKN (+4.5) TOR under 190.5 (L) (L)
Brooklyn!!! Is in the building! Why bet Brooklyn in this game? Is it their experience? The fact that they have a legit ten man rotation? Nope none of those things, bet the Nets for no other reason besides the fact that they have destroyed Dirty Picks this season. You know the old saying? If you can't beat em, join em. Nets cover and keep this one under.

NBA Playoff Picks: Round 1

NBA Playoffs Round 1

Toronto (-2.5) at Brooklyn (L)
Catz and I have had a real affinity for the Raps this year. I used to be a big DeRozan hater because he couldn't shoot and he played the "Shooting Guard" position. The dick swingin wing man out of Compton has put together a nice career and should shine in these playoffs. On the other hand, Catz and I have been absolutely destroyed by the Nets this year. I think we were 1-19 in games where the Nets were involved. I'm not a big numbers guy, but I don't think that's a good percentage. Either way I think the Raptors have a good home game here and are guided by Kyle Lowry being a bad ass. Wait for Keven Garnett to talk shit to Jonas Valenciunas this game and for JV to punch him in the fuckin face. Raps win, KG loses and Melo's wife still tastes like cereal.

Golden St. at LA Clippers (-7) (L)

Nobody wants to play Steph Curry right now and with Klay Thompson joining him in the back court, the potential for an upset is definitely there. Well it ain't going to happen. Chris Paul is the best point guard on the planet and he needs to get out of this round clean to keep that title. Let's not forget he now has Blake Griffin, who is playing at a very high level, to lean on. No Bogut, too much Jermaine O'Neal and a whole lot of Jamal Crawford!

Atlanta Hawks (+7.5) at Indiana Pacers (WINNER!)
Consulting with Bobby Catz, we decided the best course of action here was to bet against the Pacers. Though I expect them to win this game, I rarely see them cover anything over 5 points. We have to go with the Hawks here and I think they scrap themselves within 6 to cover this one. Actually, I full expect the Hawks to win this one. It will be like 81-77.

Memphis at OKC (-7.5) (WINNER!)
I was really disappointed that the Mavs didn't play OKC. Memphis isn't the kind of team that seems like they can handle Westbrook. I mean, nobody is stopping KD, but when you let Westbrook's crazy ass go off?! That's trouble. I expect a great game from Marc Gasol, but fucking Tayshaun Prince starts for the Grizz.

NBA's Most Disappointing Players

The 10 Most Disappointing Players of the 2013-14 NBA Season

Now that the regular season is over, you will be inundated with all kinds of all-NBA teams and MVP recap pieces. We here at Dirty Picks decided to do things a little differently and pick ten players who had the most disappointing seasons. This was determined by a couple of different factors including; expectations, salary, overall team performance, and in the case of Larry Sanders all of the above. Once again, just to be clear this is not a list of the ten worst players in the NBA, or ten players who have had the worst season, just the ten most disappointing players based on this season alone.

10) Paul George
Right off the bat we get it started with a player that is sure to have millions of readers calling for my head at the conclusion of this sentence. However there are a combination of factors that have landed Paul George on this list. First off, coming out of the gate he was an absolute nightmare, averaging 23 ppg while shooting 47% from the field and 40% from three! At times he played like a young T-Mac hitting every shot he took and accordingly the Pacers steamrolled to a 41-11 record. Then the All-star break happened and all of sudden his numbers began to gradually decline to 20.4 ppg and his shooting percentage plummeted to 39.7% from the field and 33% from three. This culminated in PG hitting rock bottom in March, where he saw his scoring output drop again to 18.9 ppg and 37% shooting from the field! Naturally the Pacers also struggled and have had a very rough past two months that saw them relinquish their stranglehold on the number one seed in the East (they did get it back). Basically George is on this list because of the lofty expectations that people had for him before the season and after the first few months. Is it his fault that people were saying he was the third best player in the league after a Lebron and Durant? No, but it is disappointing that he didn't get there. Also there have been the embarrassing stories about him impregnating a stripper and getting catfished by a gay man (allegedly). My personal favorite explanation for why he has been struggling and the team has gone cold since the break? Allegedly him and Roy Hibbert accidentally crossed swords during a ménage a trois after a game in Utah, again not confirmed. On the other hand if they go on to win the title this year I will issue a statement apologizing for this ranking (not likely), but as of right now he has definitely had the tenth most disappointing NBA.

9. Kyrie IrvingI know that picking two of the five starters in an NBA ASG doesn't win me very many supporters for this list, and it doesn't help that he won the ASG MVP. However, take that game out and you will notice that his season on the whole has been very disappointing. Is it all his fault? Absolutely not, but as a number one pick and alleged superstar he deserves to shoulder some blame. His ppg decreased this season from 22.5 last year to 20.5 this year, and he saw a drop in his shooting percentage going from 45% to 42% from the field and 39% to 36% from three. Couple that with the recent reports that he is just counting the days until he can pull a Lebron and get of Cleveland when his contract expires, and you have a very disappointing season. The biggest knock on Irving is that plays almost zero defense, and opposing point guards routinely torch him for career highs. Would the Cavs have been better off taking Oladipo this past draft instead of Bennett since neither of their guards play anything close to NBA defense? 100%, but that would require Dan Gilbert to look like a competent owner and not someone that the Washington Generals would probably pass on. Recently one scout came out and said that Kryie is more likely the next Stephon Marbury rather than a player who can take your franchise to the next level, and the Cavs record this year reflects that. Hopefully the scouts are wrong and the Cavs do something this offseason to shake up this roster, but as it stands right now he's had the ninth most disappointing NBA season.

8. Ricky Rubio
This guy was supposed to come in and dominate the NBA with his ball handling skills and elite level passing abilities, and he has! The problem with Rubio, and it is quite a big problem, is that his scoring and shooting are awful. This year his scoring went from 10.7 ppg to 9.5 ppg which isn't a huge drop, but when you actually look at the percentages it gets particularly nasty. He shots 48% from 0-3 ft! Lay-ups! This should be the bread and butter for a guard, not less than a coin flip chance of going in! 3-10 ft is 34%, better but not great. The real shocking one 10-16 ft is 18%!! That means he has zero midrange game. Which for someone who runs the pick and roll is an absolute nightmare. Any team with a half decent defensive coach (not you Mike Brown) figures out about three minutes into the game that not only will Rubio not take the shot if you sag off him, but he won't make it either. This leads teams to being able to double or triple Kevin Love and force someone else on the Wolves to beat them (spoiler alert, it won't happen). Seriously watch the Spurs or a team like that next time they play Minnesota. They don't even attempt to guard Ricky and even an average offensive player should be able to make teams pay with this sort of strategy. He's on pace to have one of the worst shooting percentages of all time for someone that has logged as many minutes as he has. Rubio was expected to take a huge leap forward this season because it was his first real offseason this summer and he was 100% healthy. Now Kevin Love is thinking about what all Kevin's do to Minnesota and get out when his contract expires next year. You think if Ricky was playing like a top 5 point guard for the Wolves, this would even be a topic of conversation? No way, Jose. Rubio has easily had the eighth most disappointing NBA season and so far a very disappointing career.

7. Anthony Bennett
This one could be argued against very easily; first off he wasn't supposed to go number one so the expectations are unfair, number two he is a rookie so he needs some time to adjust. Well the fact of the matter is he did go number one and fair or unfair that comes with a certain amount of expectations. Secondly he's having an atrocious season even by rookie standards. It started in summer league when he looked fat, could barely stay on the court for 15 minutes a game, and didn't do anything besides get diagnosed with sleep apnea (I guess that's an achievement?). Then the season started and he looked worse somehow. He started off missing some crazy number of shots in a row as he looked sluggish, was forcing shots, and overthinking every aspect of the NBA game. Then the injuries started happening, he would miss a few games here, miss a couple more weeks here and currently hasn't played in weeks. Now he has had a few flashes although his durability has kept him from building on these signs of promise. Couple that in with the fact that Mike Brown was barely giving any minutes to a prospect that needed every minute he could get in order to develop. Seriously how the hell is Mike Brown a coach? It's not like the Cavs were competing for anything, why wouldn't he play him 25 minutes a game at least after the first month when it seemed pretty obvious that Dan Gilbert wouldn't be cutting down the nets this year? Remember when he said at last years lottery that they are making the playoffs this year? That was a good laugh, I wonder how many members of the Cleveland entourage  will show up to this lottery? All in all this season by Anthony Bennett was incredibly disappointing and while it is too early to call him an all-time bust, he is certainly on track. Look at the comparison between him and all-time bust Kwame Brown. Bennett averaged 12mpg, scoring 4.1ppg, 3.0 reb, and shooting 35% from the field and 24% from three! The most egregious stat though, a PER of only 6.7! The league average is 15!! Average!! Kwame managed to play 14mpg, scoring 4.5ppg, grabbing 3.5 rebs and shooting 38%. The real kicker, his PER was 11.2! That's not even average but almost double what Bennett managed to put up and Kwame is considered the biggest bust in the last ten years.

6. The Kanter- Derrick Favors combo

Remember a few years back when the Jazz were a fringe playoff team thanks to Paul Milsap and Al Jefferson, but the word on the street was just wait until the two young guys behind them get the minutes? Watch out, these two were supposed to dominate NBA defenses in a reincarnation of the Twin Towers the Spurs trotted out in the early 2000's (slight exaggeration). Well it hasn't happened this season, if anything they are the main reason the Jazz have gone from fringe playoff contender (43-39 2012-13) to possible number one pick candidates (24-57, this year). Put it this way, if you are a Jazz fan who would you rather have going forward? The combo of Al Jefferson (22.0 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 22.8 PER) and Paul Milsap (17.9 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 19.8 PER), or the great unknowns that are Kanter (12.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg, and 15.7 PER) and Favors (13.2 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 18.8 PER)? At least they were relevant with the previous duo. Both of these guys are still young players and it would be unfair to write them off at this point (especially Favors), but it looks more like they are gonna be role players at best rather than legit NBA all-stars.

5. Andrea Bargnani
The Knicks traded a first round pick for this guy!!  Although that fact is more indicative of the Knicks front office (good luck Phil!) than the value of Bargs. The fact of the matter is they gave up a first round pick for this guy that is probably going to be 12-15 lottery pick in a deep draft. Great move Knicks, now would I put Bargs on this list with all that said if he had a good season? Yeah probably, but he's been terrible too. He only managed to put up 13.3 ppg and 5.3 rpg with a PER of 14.5! The real trouble here was he shot 27% from 3, for a stretch four who's go to is shooting from deep that is ridiculous. The knock on him has always been his defense, and for some reason the Knicks thought bringing in someone to pair with their already atrocious defensive lineup was a solid idea. Combine that with the fact that they already had a power forward that makes a ton of money and doesn't play any defense and this trade makes no sense. If you were smart when you saw this trade before the season you probably said "well that won't work" but unfortunately for you, you don't run the Knicks. Bargnani makes this list for two reasons; the Knicks traded a first round pick for him (!!!!!!!!!!!) and his play doesn't not reflect the amount of money he gets paid (11 mil this year, 12 next year). Terrible team, terrible front office, terrible player/salary and a terrible trade all add up to equal the fifth most disappointing NBA season.

4. OJ Mayo

Remember when Mayo was a high school legend that was even drawing comparisons to Lebron James because apparently he had a pro game at the age of 16? Sure he's never lived up to that potential, but he was a first round pick and showed that he could contribute for an NBA team in a starting roll (15.3 ppg, 4.4 apg, 3.5 rpg with a 13.9 PER for the Mavs). Then the Bucks gave  him some money in the offseason (3 year deal for 24 million!) and it went downhill fast. First he showed up to camp out of shape which was partially blamed on the delicious fried food in Milwaukee (hilarious!) then he realized that this team was going to be terrible so he started jackin up triples and going at about 20% of full speed. His numbers went down across the board as he finished with a scoring average of 11.7 ppg, 2.4 apg, and 2.2 rpg with an 11.2 PER! At times he has even been a healthy scratch for games, which is absolutely ludicrous because of the money the Bucks are paying him. Is it all his fault that the Bucks are the second worst team in the NBA? No, more on who's fault it is later, but he's definitely a contributor. Hopefully he works himself back into shape this offseason and actually gets back to contributing at an NBA level next year before he decides to spend an entire offseason eating fried cheese curds and mozzarella sticks from Chilis.

3. Josh Smith aka J Smoove
I remember looking at the free agents this past summer and thinking you know who could really be good on the right team? Josh Smith, well unfortunately he did not end up going to the right team. He went to the Pistons (for 14 million a year!!), a team with some talented pieces, but zero coaching and front office stability. What did this lead to? It led to no one being able to tell Smoove not to jack up 3.5 triples a game even though he was making only less than 1 of them! Smith is on track right now to have one of the worst shooting seasons of all time from 3! Read that sentence again! Josh Smith, of all time!! You would think that if a player wasn't a great three point shooter he might not take very many threes in the hopes of fluffing his percentage at least a little bit. Not Smoove though, not only is he shooting 26% from three, but he's also shot over 200 threes! A ridiculous combination that not only leads to a terrible PER (14.0 down from 17.7 a year ago) but also leads to a million (numbers not exact) points for the other team on fast breaks because he's not crashing the glass or attacking the paint like he should be. His numbers from his last year with the Hawks went down across the board, scoring from 17.5 ppg to 16.4, rebounds from 8.4 rpg to 6.8 rpg, and his shooting percentage from 46% to 41%! Josh is a terrible shooter, shouldn't be shooting as many shots as he is and the Pistons gave him a ton of money. For those reasons alone, Smoove has had the third most disappointing NBA season.

2. JR Smith
JR had a great season last year. He was rightfully crowned as the NBA's sixth man of the year and deserved every vote that he received. The Knicks used him perfectly, he was knocking down shots consistently (18.1 ppg, 42% shooting, PER of 17.6) and everything just seemed to work. In the offseason he was rewarded with a nice little contract that was probably right around fair market value (3 years, 16 million). Then this season started and the old JR Smith started to rear his ugly head again. The jacked off balance triples that went in last season? Well they weren't falling this year, and when they don't fall the poor shot selection becomes way more noticeable (14.3 ppg, 40% shooting, and a PER of 13.6!). Recently the Knicks looked like they had one last battle in them as they fought for that remaining playoff spot! Then Smith decided to jack 22 triples in a Sunday game against the Heat which absolutely killed the Knicks playoff hopes. Not only has he not looked like a sixth man of the year, but at times he looks more like a D league player than a quality bench player. If his shot starts falling again next year he could definitely return to his sixth man ways, but he's always gonna be bad when it comes to shot selection and defense and those things aren't changing. From reigning sixth man, to someone that Tim Hardaway Jr has threatened the job security of, JR Smith turns in the second most disappointing NBA season.

1.  Larry Sanders!!! 

Larry became a fan favorite last year after his stellar defensive play (2.8 blocks per game, 9.5 rpg, PER of 18.7!) helped the Bucks snag the eighth seed and got him a nice little contract worth some serious money (4 year extension, 11 million a year). Then this season started and he broke his hand in a bar fight before Thanksgiving! When a team wants to make you the face of the franchise which is what the Bucks did by giving him that kind of contract, one of the things you don't want to do is immediately go out and get into a fight and injure yourself. When Larry did get back on the court he didn't play nearly as well as what was expected from him after last season (1.7 bpg, 7.2 rpg, PER of 14) and looked like a backup post player at best. Then BAM he gets hurt again in an on court (thank god) accident and is out for the rest of the season. If you think that's where the story ends, then you don't know Larry. About a week ago he decided to come out publicly after failing the NBA's drug policy for marijuana and rail against the policy for it's old and outdated methods. Needless to say the NBA could care less about his opinion and he was hit with a five game suspension. So once again to summarize if you are the Bucks are looking to make someone the face of your franchise and in the first six months of that new contract the player goes out and breaks his hand in a bar fight and then gets suspended by the NBA for smoking weed during the season, you are in trouble. Also throw in an embarrassing scandal involving PETA and the mistreatment of his pit bulls for good measure! Good luck with what looks like the second worst contract in the NBA (sorry Amare) going forward and the number one disappointing season by an NBA player. Notice how the Bucks, and Knicks have multiple players on this list? No coincidence as to why they are terrible.

Free NBA Pick Friday

NBA Free Friday Frenzy Picks

Due to a serious lack of games last night I was only able to give the readers two wins on two picks. Well to make up for that tonight we have another full set of NBA picks in honor of the season being just about done.

NY at TOR (-5) (L)
For a week or so it looked like the Knicks might actually be able to salvage some portion of this miserable season by making the playoffs. Then JR Smith decided to take an NBA record 22 threes against the Heat and not only cost me my sanity, but obliterate their playoff hopes. Although mathematically they are not eliminated, their schedule is very tough from here out starting with tonight's match against the Rapetors. Look for the Raps to show the Knicks how to play some good quality team ball, while dominating them in a warm up for the playoffs in 10 days. Rapes by twenty, Knicks still garbage.

IND (+5.5) at MIA (L)
In what will undoubtedly be my worst pick of the 2013/14 NBA season, I'm going with the Pacers to cover a spread. I'm trying to forget that they are terrible against the spread and have been so bad lately that their coach decided to sit the starting five in order to "rest their legs". With all that said they have kept every game with Miami close this season and there is no reason why they should not be able to tonight either. Look for a 1-3 point win for either team and a nice cover.

CHA(-5) at BOS (L)
The Catz have been my golden goose all season, and a trip to Boston is definitely one more reason to get another egg. Expect a huge night from the law firm of Jefferson, Walker, and Douglas-Roberts as the Catz roll in bean town.

WAS at ORL over 196 (L)
I really do not have a great reason for wanting take the over here I just don't think of either team as a defensive powerhouse, and Orlando plays well at home. It may not be the 145-130 Rockets-Lakers score fest we saw the other night but it should be well into the hundreds.

ATL at BK (-6) (L)
The other night I decided to go with the Nets after getting brutalized by them all season and guess what happened? They lose, but in their defense it was the second night of a back to back after a huge win against the Heat. Now that they have had some rest, I expect them to come out at home and return to their winning ways. Nets roll as the final spot in the eastern conference remains up for grabs at least one more night.

DET at CHI (-10.5) (L)
Detroit has dropped 17 of 19 games on the road. You know where the worst place to travel to when you are attempting to fix your road woes? Chi tizzy! Couple that with the fact that the Bulls are playing their best basketball of the season and you have a recipe for a blowout. Look for Joakim "bow tie" Noah to teach the Pistons about running an offense through a high post and enjoy the win.

PHI at MEM under 199 (L)
Memphis likes to slow the game down and force opponents to use the entire shot clock before taking a bad shot. Watch this happen to the Sixers time and time again tonight as they struggle to not only crack a hundred, but to crack 80!

HOU at MIN over 217.5 (WINNER!)
The Rockets have treated me well lately by betting them to go over no matter what the line is. The Wolves despite the play of rookie Gorgei Dieng are terrible on defense and there is no reason this game won't turn in to a good ole Texas shootout! Look for H-town to score at least 120 at this one goes over.

NO (+15.5) at OKC (L)
Call this one the Catz big ass balls pick of the day. There is absolutely no reason the Thunder shouldn't blow these Pelicans out of the water (see what I did there!) as they cruise to a forty point win. However, I have my fingers crossed for some complacency by OKC as they get ready for the playoffs.

 CLE (-4) at MIL (L)
The Bucks are terrible, the Cavs are not as bad. Take the Cavs and watch Waiters go 1-17 as I curse the city of Cleveland.

PHX at SA under 211 (L)
Two potent offenses that will definitely combine for a solid 250 points on paper. Well luckily for you these games aren't played on paper. Take the under and bite your fingernails off as this game gets real close but stays under.

POR (-350) at UTA (WINNER!)
I like Rip City to win this game, I am just not comfortable enough to take the 7.5 point line. Look for Lillard to drop a couple of stink bombs from deep and for Portland to win by 5 on the road.

GS at LAL under 220.5 (WINNER!)
Another pick that has terrible potential to go crazy wrong. The Lakers are one of the five worst teams I have ever watched play defense and the Warriors aren't exactly 2002 Red Wings. For some reason though I am still feeling like this one fails to live up to expectations. Look for the Warriors to score upwards of 110, but the Lakers will fall short of the century mark and keep this one from going over.

SOOOoooOooOOOoOOOPer Sunday Picks!

After rebounding fairly well last night (2-1), I've decided to stop telling my followers to go against whatever picks I make in order to win. With that being said, don't be mad if you end up taking out that second mortgage on your home because of the Bobcat.

IND at CLE (+5.5) (WINNER!)
The rational NBA fan looks at this game, sees the Pacers at the top of the Eastern Conference and the Cavs at the bottom. Easy pick right? Well don't be so quick there skippy, the Pacers are one of the worst teams at covering spreads despite their overall record. They consistently let teams not named the Heat hang around and have rarely blown teams out. On the flip side the Cavs front office has to have noticed that the Waiters/Irving combo is not going to work going forward. Each guard plays noticeably better when the other one sits, and if you don't think they regret not taking Oladipo this past summer then you don't know the NBA. Expect that Cavs to keep this one close even though it scares the shit out of me to back a team that can't even make the playoffs in the Leastern conference.

MIN (+4) at BK (L)

You know the old saying; fool me once shame on me, fool me twice, fuck Sugar (sorry bud). I've consistently gotten my picks for and against the Nets wrong. Either I back them because I acknowledge they are a solid ten man team and they get blown out at home, or I say I can't support a team that starts Shaun Livingston at shooting guard and they beat the Heat three times in a season! Seriously there is no winning when it comes to picking Nets spreads. So if I were you I would go to a bank, take out a loan for 35,000g's and place it all on the Nets, because this pick is sure to come back and bite me in the ass. If you still want to pick the Wolves just know that in my upcoming article on the ten biggest disappointments of the NBA season I have Ricky Rubio ranked seventh. Good luck out there! 

TOR (-4.5) at ORL (WINNER!)
This line looks a little too low for my liking that makes me think Vegas is just waiting for people to jump all over the Raptors only to watch them get blown out by thirty. However we have had success backing the Raptors all season and I'm not going to stop now. Look for Kyle Lowry to put on a clinic for rookie of the year candidate Victor Oladipo as the Raptors win big in the Magic kingdom.


BJ's Bonus Grind Pick

Memphis @ Portland (Under 189) (L)
Both teams are fighting for their playoff lives right now. I expect a nice Grit n Grind type of game from Memphis, while Portland goes to its bread and butter of LaMarcula (He'll suck the life out of your defense!!) in the post. Portland likes to get up and down and give up a shit ton of points, but I think their will be a limited amount of possessions. Either way, Bread n Butter vs Grit n Grind should be awesome!

Bob's NBA Picks

UTAH (+11) at IND (WINNER!)
The Jazz actually look like a competent team as of late. The return of Derrick Favors has been big for the interior presence, and Trey Burke is really coming in to his own at point. The Pacers on the other hand are doing more "cruisin" than the owner of the car dealership from the movie The Goods (I call it looking for a friend). The Pacers definitely win this game, but expect a close contest throughout with the Pacers winning by six to eight in the end.

Hawks at Suns (-8) (WINNER!)
The Suns are locked in a battle for the last remaining spots in the Western Conference. That means they need every win they can get against the subpar East. Look for the Dragon to take this game over early and often  as he has scored +30 in his last five games. Suns win this one comfortably as the push towards the playoffs continues.

Dallas at Spurs (-6) (PUSH)
The cross state rivalry adds another chapter tonight. The Spurs are in the middle of an extended homestand after being out on the road for 9 straight during their annual rodeo road trip. This stretch of games is going to allow them to get really close to the Thunder in terms of the number one overall seed. Dallas has been playing better of late, but tonight they will come up short in the fourth and watch SA cruisin to a ten point win.

Tuesday Tongue Tornado Pickz

NBA Picks by Bobby Catz

LAL at IND (-13) (WINNER!)
It's been a while since Paul George had a break out game. Well tonight is that night. The lakers lack anything resembling a defensive perimeter player and last I checked weren't great on the interior either. Look for the pacers to play suffocating D and for PG to go off for forty.

MIN at PHX (-3) (L)
The Suns, fresh off a heartbreaking loss to the rockets, always rebound well, especially at home. Combine that with  the fact that NBA teams have realized that the Wolves only do one thing well, which is get the ball to Kevin Love. Do you think Love has a calendar that just marks off the days till he can get the fuck out of 'Sota? It's gonna be a long year and half. Also watch Goran Dragic, he's having a fantastic season.

POR (-3) at DEN (WINNER!)
Yes I'm aware that LMFAO (Lamarcus Mother Fuckin Alridge is Outstanding) is out tonight, but I have inside information from a guy at the last blazers game that said his fill-in, Thomas Robinson, is a star in the making. In addition coach Brian Shaw  and the nuggets aren't getting along that well lately. Look for this deep rift to continue and the nuggets to lose by 15 even to a LMFAO-less blazers team.

HOU (-4) at SAC (WINNER!)
Houston looks to continue it's road trip out west with another victory. Even though the Kings have looked better in recent weeks, they still have no help besides Cousins, Gay, and Thomas. Look for Houston to nail upwards of 15 triples and this one to be over somewhere in the second quarter.

B B B BONUS PICK!!!!!! 

CHI (-1.5) at ATL (WINNER!)

Easy bonus pick here, a depleted Hawks team runs up against the defensive juggernaut Bulls. This one could get ugly for the Hawks, unless Korver hits 15 3's this could easily end up being 95-36.