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02/18/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The NBA's best take center stage on Sunday, as the Western Conference and Eastern Conference clash in the 56th annual All-Star Game at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
In the 2006 annual event, Dwyane Wade's follow shot in the lane with 16.6 seconds remaining rallied the East past the West, 122-120, at the Toyota Center. LeBron James had 29 points and six rebounds for the East and at 21- years-old was named the youngest MVP in the history of the contest. Wade ended with 20 points for the East, which rallied from a 21-point third-quarter deficit to win the contest for a second straight year.
The East has won six of the last 10 All-Star contests overall.
Miami's Shaquille O'Neal, Cleveland's James and Toronto's Chris Bosh makeup the starting frontcourt for the Eastern Conference, while Wade of the Heat and Washington's Gilbert Arenas combine to give the East a strong starting backcourt.
Shaq is a 14-time NBA All-Star and has been selected to the All- Star Game 12 times by the fans (1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007). However, this will be just the 11th game that he has played in. The monstrous center did not play in the contest in 1997, 2001 or 2002.
James, who was the 2003-04 NBA Rookie of the Year, will be playing in his third NBA All-Star Game, while Bosh is participating in his second. Wade, who was the MVP of the 2006 NBA Finals, and Arenas are both appearing in their third contest. Arenas and Bosh are both in the starting lineup for the first time in their careers.
The bench for the Eastern Conference is filled with plenty of talent. Detroit's dynamic backcourt of Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton headline the reserves for the East. The Pistons All-Star duo has earned their way into the contest for the second time in their careers in as many years. They are joined by Atlanta's Joe Johnson, Orlando's Dwight Howard, Caron Butler of the Wizards, New Jersey's Vince Carter and Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal, who was voted in as a starter for last year's contest but did not play because of a groin injury.
Butler, Howard and Johnson are all making their All-Star debuts, while Carter has been selected to his eighth All-Star team and Jermaine O'Neal has earned his way on to his sixth squad, including 2006.
New Jersey guard Jason Kidd was originally named as a reserve to the East squad, However, Kidd is sidelined with a back injury and will not play in the contest. He would have played in his eighth All-Star Game (1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007), The versatile Kidd has been voted as a starter three times (1996, 2000, 2001) and as a reserve five times.
Washington's Eddie Jordan is the head coach for the Eastern Conference All- Stars. Jordan is in his fourth season with Washington. He has guided the Wizards to two straight playoff appearances.
The Western Conference is feeling the injury bug for this year's contest, and will try to halt a two-game losing streak. The starting frontcourt for the West was supposed to consist of Houston center Yao Ming and forwards Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs and Kevin Garnett of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Tracy McGrady of the Rockets and the Lakers' Kobe Bryant, who won the MVP of this contest in 2002 at Philadelphia, makeup a very athletic backcourt.
Yao, who leads the Rockets in scoring (25.9 ppg) and rebounding (9.4 rpg), suffered a non displaced fracture in a bone under his right knee during a 98-93 loss on December 23rd to the Los Angeles Clippers. The 7-6 Yao, who had been in the starting lineup four straight years for the West, is expected to be sidelined at least until early March and will not participate in the mid- season classic.
Duncan, who shared MVP honors with Shaq in the 2000 contest in Oakland, is making his ninth All-Star appearance, while Garnett will play in his 10th All-Star Game and was the MVP in the 2003 contest in Atlanta. McGrady will take the court for his seventh All-Star contest, sixth as a starter, and Bryant, who won the MVP of the 2002 contest, is making his ninth straight All-Star appearance, all as a starter.
Two-time reigning NBA MVP Steve Nash of the Suns, Denver's Allen Iverson and Carlos Boozer of the Jazz were all supposed to be reserves for the West. However, the three All-Stars are all dealing with injuries. Nash has right shoulder inflammation, Iverson is hampered by a sprained right ankle and Boozer, who would have made his All-Star debut, has a hairline fracture in left fibula.
Boozer is averaging team-highs in points (22.1 ppg) and rebounds (11.8 rpg) for the Jazz, while Nash, who would have played in his fifth All-Star contest, leads the league in assists (11.8 apg) and Iverson, who was acquired by Denver from Philadelphia in a blockbuster deal on December 19th, is averaging 28.7 points and 7.6 assists in 35 games for Sixers and Nuggets. Iverson has won the MVP twice (2001, 2005) for this event and had played the previous seven All- Star contests for the East, all as a starter.
The healthy bodies on the bench for the Western Conference are very versatile and athletic. The frontcourt has Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard, Shawn Marion and Amare Stoudemire of the Suns, and Utah's Mehmet Okur.
Seven-time All-Star Ray Allen of Seattle and Tony Parker of the Spurs are the backups for Bryant and McGrady. Allen, who made the East squad three times as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks, is playing in his fourth consecutive All-Star Game as a member of the Sonics, while Parker is playing in his second-career mid-season classic in as many years.
Anthony, who served a 15-game suspension earlier this season for his participation in the infamous brawl with the New York Knicks on December 16th at Madison Square Garden. Josh Howard and Okur will both be appearing in their first All-Star Game, while Nowitzki will play in his sixth, Marion his fourth and Stoudemire in his second.
Phoenix' Mike D'Antoni, who makes his All-Star coaching debut, will be calling the shots from the West bench. D'Antoni has led the Suns to back-to-back Pacific Division titles and two straight appearances in the Western Conference finals. He was named the 2004-05 NBA Coach of the Year.
The starters for tonight's contest were determined by the fans' votes, while the 30 head coaches in the NBA voted for the reserves in their respective conferences after the starting players for each squad were finalized.
Head coaches for the East and West All-Star teams are based on teams with the best winning-percentage in each conference following the games on February 4th. Dallas Mavericks head coach Avery Johnson and Detroit Pistons head coach Flip Saunders were not eligible to coach in this seasons contest because they coached in last year's game.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
This could be Wade's year to grab MVP honors. Wade can do it all and has proved many times that he is capable of taking over a game single-handidly. The defending world champions All-Star guard showed what he is capable of against Dallas in the 2006 NBA Finals and will be ready to showcase his talents on a different stage.
Stoudemire is definitely back and looks like the dominant force he used to be. The 6-10 Stoudemire, who averaged 26.0 points and 8.9 rebounds during his first All-Star season in the 2004-05 campaign, played just three games last season because of a serious knee injury. He underwent successful left knee microfracture surgery in October 2005 and had a tough road back to the court. The Suns star forward wants his peers and all of the NBA fans to see first hand how he can dominate against anyone who gets in his way.
NOTABLE
This is the first time the mid-season classic will be played in Las Vegas.
Anthony, Bosh, James and Wade are all members of the 2003 NBA Draft Class. James was selected first by Cleveland, Anthony third by Denver, Bosh went No. 4 to Toronto and the Heat grabbed Wade with the fifth overall pick.
Allen, Anthony, Josh Howard and Okur were the four replacements for Boozer, Iverson, Nash and Yao on the Western Conference roster.
Johnson replaced the injured Kidd on the East squad.
Duncan (U.S. Virgin Islands), Nowitzki (Germany), Okur (Turkey), and Parker (France) are the four international players who will participate in this year's contest. The 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 NBA All-Star Games all had a record-tying six international players on the respective rosters.
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Brandon Roy Favorite to Win 2007 NBA Rookie of the Year
Portland TrailBlazer’s guard, Brandon Roy, is MySportsbook.com’s overwhelming favorite to win the NBA Rookie of the Year odds.
Despite missing 20 games due to an injury earlier this season, Roy has definitely put up the best numbers of his 1st year peers. In 32 games, Roy is averaging 15.3 PPG, 4.2 boards and 3.5 assists in over 33 minutes of play per game. While most rookies breakdown as the season progresses (see Morrison), Roy is only getting stronger as his playing time and scoring average has increased each month.
With 30 or so games left in the regular season, Roy isn’t a lock for the award by any means. Other rookies are putting together some pretty impressive campaigns and a few could give Roy a run for the award with increased playing time. Heading the list is first pick, Andrea Bargnani of the Toronto Raptors. Even though he has started only two games all season, Bargnani is averaging 10.3 PPPG while shooting 35% from deep.
Randy Foye of the Minnesota Timberwolves could be set to give Roy the best competition NBA Rookie of the Year betting lines. With the benching of Mike James, Foye looks like he could be the starter in the T-Wolves backcourt for the rest of the season. So far, Foye has averaged 9 PPG and 2.4 assists in just under 21 minutes per game. With his new role of starter, Foye’s numbers will definitely increase. In his first game as the new starting guard this past Sunday, Foye had 10 points; five rebounds and 8 assists. More importantly, he logged 34 minutes of playing time; his third highest run of the season.
Adam Morrison, of the Charlotte Bobcats, was the favorite early on in the season after averaging 15+ PPG through the first month of the season. Ever since his torrid start, Morrison’s point production has declined each month. This really isn’t surprising, considering at 6’8” he only weighs 205 lbs. Obviously he will need to hit the weights big time during the off-season in order to keep from breaking down in the future.
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My fellow Americans, as tempting as it may be to don the coat and HD-ready tie in order to deliver this State of the Game address before the cameras, I know better. As Brad Paisley sings on his latest album, "I'm so much cooler online."
The ideas for this annual essay to kick off the MySportsbook.com college football betting preview flowed like frat-house beer, which is to say they were cheap and spilled all over the floor. The 2007 season will be better than 2007, if only because there will be more of it. A year ago, the NCAA Football Rules Committee made two rule changes in the interest of speeding up the game. These changes went over like Kobe burgers at a vegan banquet.
To its credit, the rules committee rectified its mistakes. This season the clock once again will start when a kickoff is received, rather than when it is kicked, and the clock will not start so quickly on a change of possession.
However, kickoffs have been moved back five yards, to the 30, which will force more returns. (Thus forcing the clock to run. Clever, huh?) Special teams might decide a lot of games, because coaching strategy will come straight out of another new Paisley lyric (almost), I'd like to check you for kicks.
Paisley sings with a twang, which is why he's appropriate for this college football season. The sun coming up over the 2007 college football betting lines season rises from the south. It's a Southern football world. As the Southeastern Conference begins its 75th year, the power shift is noticeable.
Eight-figure budgets, glamorous settings -- and that's just for the head coaches. The SEC has four coaches who have won national championships -- the greatest aggregation of coaching know-how since Eddie Robinson dined alone.
Steve Spurrier, Phil Fulmer, Nick Saban and Urban Meyer have given lie to the idea that a conference championship game is too daunting a hurdle on the road to No. 1. In six of the past 10 seasons, the national champions played and won a conference championship game -- three of the six (Tennessee, 1998; LSU, 2003; Florida, 2007) from the SEC.
There will be more of the same this season, if the preseason prognostications are correct. Six SEC teams are in the preseason coaches' poll, more than from any other conference. Only one conference has talent so deep that a team with 15 returning starters, including the best quarterback in the league, from an eight-win season is considered an afterthought. That may speak more to Kentucky's losing legacy than to the wisdom of the predictions, but there you have it. And seriously, keep an eye on Wildcats QB Andre' Woodson.
The reach of the South extends all the way to No. 1. Take a look at the team that is a consensus pick to win the national championship. The quarterback is from Shreveport. The best wide receiver is from Nashville. The top recruit is from New Orleans.
So what's the campus doing in Los Angeles? Hey, it is the University of Southern California.
USC lost two Pacific-10 Conference games a year ago, the first time that had happened in five seasons, and university officials withstood the urge to form blue-ribbon panels to unearth the cause of such a disaster. Instead, the Trojans gathered themselves and routed Michigan, 32-18, in the Rose Bowl.
USC's losses at Oregon State and at UCLA last year should have given pause to those who question the Pac-10's football prowess (such as, without naming names, L.M. from Baton Rouge). The league only got deeper this season; Dennis Erickson is taking over an Arizona State team that never quite got out of its own way under his predecessor, Dirk Koetter.
Erickson will resume his quest to become the first coach to win a national championship at two schools. Both he and Spurrier, now in his third season at South Carolina, returned to college football at schools with lower profiles than where they won their titles.
That isn't the case for the third coach looking for the national championship double. You may have missed this, but NASA reported the astronauts on the space shuttle last spring made contact with what can only be described as beings from another galaxy.
The leader of the aliens said, "We come in peace," followed by, "So how do you think Nick Saban will do at Alabama?"
The public is reacting to the new Crimson Tide coach as if he is the Barry Bonds of college football -- beloved at home for what his fans believe he is going to do, hated on the road for his intimidating attitude and for what his detractors believe he did (bend NCAA recruiting rules). I made this comparison from the dais at a charity dinner in Mobile, Ala., last month, and the chill that washed over me didn't come from the air conditioning.
Saban will attempt to prove that he can remake in Tuscaloosa what he built in Baton Rouge, much like another member of the national championship fraternity. Bobby Bowden is attempting to remake at Florida State what he built at, um, Florida State. Bowden rebuilt his offensive staff, bringing in four new coaches led by Saban's former offensive coordinator, Jimbo Fisher, to jump-start an offense that has been dead for a couple of years.
The Atlantic Coast Conference is expected to show new signs of life, too. That is said with no disrespect toward last season's champion, Wake Forest, which provided one of the best story lines of 2007. The Demon Deacons begin this season in their customary position, overshadowed by the Virginia Techs, Miamis and Florida States.
It's not that Wake will find it difficult to duplicate its success in 2007 as much as the feeling that success engendered. Surprising success is the narcotic of sport. It never feels quite so euphoric the next time. Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese has figured this out. He refers to 2007, when a league looked down upon by fans and foes alike took three undefeated teams into November, as "Cinderella."
The fairy tale may be over, but the Big East has four genuine Heisman Trophy candidates in Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm, West Virginia tailback Steve Slaton and quarterback Pat White, and Rutgers tailback Ray Rice. Rutgers, as did Wake Forest and, of course, Boise State, proved last season that the have-nots in college football occasionally have quite a lot.
The Broncos' rousing 43-42 overtime victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl has raised the profile of all schools in conferences that don't get automatic BCS bids. This season, TCU and Hawaii are the preseason favorites to burst through the BCS doors and earn an at-large bid. The Warriors return 14 starters from an 11-3 team, including quarterback Colt Brennan.
Brennan not only broke the single-season record with 58 touchdown passes in 2007, but he also led Division I-A in passing efficiency (186.0). The senior is expected to contend for the Heisman Trophy, and neither his success nor the rise of his team should come as any surprise in the 2007 season.
After all, Hawaii is the southernmost team in the country.
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