Celtics, Mavericks cap Thursday doubleheader
Celtics, Mavericks cap Thursday doubleheader
With a four day break on the horizon for the All-Star Game this weekend, the NBA concludes its first half of the season with a trio of contests tonight, including two that are part of the weekly TNT twinbill. First up is Michael Beasley and the Miami Heat traveling to Chicago to do a little Bull fighting. And Game 2 finds the Boston Celtics putting their league-best record on the line in Dallas against the Mavericks.
I was ready to give the fine folks at TNT the Harper Seal of Approval for their clever plan to add a good, old-fashioned game of H-O-R-S-E to the All-Star Weekend festivities. But then it was revealed that the three players involved (Kevin Durant, O.J. Mayo, Joe Johnson) would in fact be playing G-E-I-C-O.
The blatant corporate twist is bad enough, but what really gets me is the bait and switch. So I am boycotting the insurance company in question. The gecko and the cavemen and the googly-eyed stack of money can all go take a flying leap. Guess what? I just saved a bundle on my car insurance…by not buying any. I’d sooner take the bus than line your pockets.
There. Rant over. Let’s put a headlock on Thursday’s betting lines and spend the money we make on something worthwhile.
Miami at Chicago (-3½, 196)
Thursday, Jan 12, 7:05 p.m. (ET) TNT
Here are two prime examples of rebuilding teams with chemistry issues. The Heat (27-24 SU, 23-26-2 ATS) are in the stronger position, mostly because they have the best player on either side: Dwyane Wade. He’s played all 51 of Miami’s games this year, matching his workload in each of the past two seasons. And what a performance: 29.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 7.4 assists per 40 minutes. Those are MVP numbers.
And surrounding Wade… m’eh. He’s worth 14.2 Wins Above Replacement Player (WARP) according to Basketball Prospectus; Shawn Marion (3.7 WARP), Mario Chalmers (2.5 WARP), Udonis Haslem (1.3 WARP) and Michael Beasley (0.3 WARP) have been positive contributors, but nothing to write home about. And there’s this gaping hole at center where Shaquille O’Neal used to be.
The Bulls (23-29 SU, 25-26-1 ATS) have been an object lesson in bad chemistry for two years running. They have more overall talent than Miami, but nobody even close to Wade’s level to point the way. Luol Deng (2.0 WARP) seems to be the only regular player with his head screwed on straight. That makes life impossible for first-year coach Vinny Del Negro; his players give him no credibility when he tries to crack the whip.
Be that as it may, Chicago is 5-3 SU and 7-0-1 ATS in its last eight games. Drew Gooden has groin and abdomen injuries, and Larry Hughes has been placed on the inactive list while the Bulls try to ship him out of town, so Del Negro has little choice now but to play his best players and ride out the storm. Ben Gordon (2.9 WARP), Tyrus Thomas (3.7 WARP) and Joakim Noah (3.8 WARP) are all in the starting lineup and playing decent ball alongside Derrick Rose (3.2 WARP). Oddsmakers have responded by pegging the Bulls as 3½-point favorites with a total of 196.
Boston at Dallas (+2½, 196½)
Thursday, Jan 12, 9:35 p.m. (ET) TNT
There is no shortage of elite talent and leadership on either of these two teams. The Boston Celtics (43-11 SU, 30-24 ATS) went from worst to first last year with the additions of Kevin Garnett (7.9 WARP) and Ray Allen (5.1 WARP) alongside Paul Pierce (6.0 WARP). The Big Three continue to drive Boston to the top of the Eastern Conference, and they’re surrounded by quality young players like starting point guard Rajon Rondo, who just can’t get no respect despite his 9.0 WARP.
The Mavericks (31-20 SU, 24-27 ATS) have their own Big Three of Dirk Nowitzki (6.9 WARP), Jason Kidd (7.9 WARP) and Josh Howard, whose 0.9 WARP is partly due to his only playing 34 games this year. But Howard’s production level hasn’t been the same since Kidd came to town last year:
2006-07: 20.02 PER
2007-08: 18.53 PER
2008-09: 16.26 PER
Howard took some heat last year for his admission of offseason marijuana use and for declaring his race-based dislike of the national anthem. Between those incidents and his production decline, Howard has become something of a forgotten man in Dallas. Handicappers know better. With Jason Terry out for an unknown period (estimates range from three to six weeks) after breaking his hand, Howard led the Mavs with 23 points, six rebounds and five assists in Tuesday’s 118-110 win over the Kings (+10½).
Dallas will need more of that Thursday night as home dogs against the Celtics. The early betting odds had the Mavs getting anywhere from 2½ to four points, with a total ranging from 196½ to 198½ points.
With a four day break on the horizon for the All-Star Game this weekend, the NBA concludes its first half of the season with a trio of contests tonight, including two that are part of the weekly TNT twinbill. First up is Michael Beasley and the Miami Heat traveling to Chicago to do a little Bull fighting. And Game 2 finds the Boston Celtics putting their league-best record on the line in Dallas against the Mavericks.
I was ready to give the fine folks at TNT the Harper Seal of Approval for their clever plan to add a good, old-fashioned game of H-O-R-S-E to the All-Star Weekend festivities. But then it was revealed that the three players involved (Kevin Durant, O.J. Mayo, Joe Johnson) would in fact be playing G-E-I-C-O. The blatant corporate twist is bad enough, but what really gets me is the bait and switch. So I am boycotting the insurance company in question. The gecko and the cavemen and the googly-eyed stack of money can all go take a flying leap. Guess what? I just saved a bundle on my car insurance…by not buying any. I’d sooner take the bus than line your pockets.
There. Rant over. Let’s put a headlock on Thursday’s betting lines and spend the money we make on something worthwhile.
Miami at Chicago (-3½, 196)
Thursday, Jan 12, 7:05 p.m. (ET) TNT
Here are two prime examples of rebuilding teams with chemistry issues. The Heat (27-24 SU, 23-26-2 ATS) are in the stronger position, mostly because they have the best player on either side: Dwyane Wade. He’s played all 51 of Miami’s games this year, matching his workload in each of the past two seasons. And what a performance: 29.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 7.4 assists per 40 minutes. Those are MVP numbers.
And surrounding Wade… m’eh. He’s worth 14.2 Wins Above Replacement Player (WARP) according to Basketball Prospectus; Shawn Marion (3.7 WARP), Mario Chalmers (2.5 WARP), Udonis Haslem (1.3 WARP) and Michael Beasley (0.3 WARP) have been positive contributors, but nothing to write home about. And there’s this gaping hole at center where Shaquille O’Neal used to be.
The Bulls (23-29 SU, 25-26-1 ATS) have been an object lesson in bad chemistry for two years running. They have more overall talent than Miami, but nobody even close to Wade’s level to point the way. Luol Deng (2.0 WARP) seems to be the only regular player with his head screwed on straight. That makes life impossible for first-year coach Vinny Del Negro; his players give him no credibility when he tries to crack the whip.
Be that as it may, Chicago is 5-3 SU and 7-0-1 ATS in its last eight games. Drew Gooden has groin and abdomen injuries, and Larry Hughes has been placed on the inactive list while the Bulls try to ship him out of town, so Del Negro has little choice now but to play his best players and ride out the storm. Ben Gordon (2.9 WARP), Tyrus Thomas (3.7 WARP) and Joakim Noah (3.8 WARP) are all in the starting lineup and playing decent ball alongside Derrick Rose (3.2 WARP). Oddsmakers have responded by pegging the Bulls as 3½-point favorites with a total of 196.
Boston at Dallas (+2½, 196½)
Thursday, Jan 12, 9:35 p.m. (ET) TNT
There is no shortage of elite talent and leadership on either of these two teams. The Boston Celtics (43-11 SU, 30-24 ATS) went from worst to first last year with the additions of Kevin Garnett (7.9 WARP) and Ray Allen (5.1 WARP) alongside Paul Pierce (6.0 WARP). The Big Three continue to drive Boston to the top of the Eastern Conference, and they’re surrounded by quality young players like starting point guard Rajon Rondo, who just can’t get no respect despite his 9.0 WARP.
The Mavericks (31-20 SU, 24-27 ATS) have their own Big Three of Dirk Nowitzki (6.9 WARP), Jason Kidd (7.9 WARP) and Josh Howard, whose 0.9 WARP is partly due to his only playing 34 games this year. But Howard’s production level hasn’t been the same since Kidd came to town last year:
2006-07: 20.02 PER
2007-08: 18.53 PER
2008-09: 16.26 PER
Howard took some heat last year for his admission of offseason marijuana use and for declaring his race-based dislike of the national anthem. Between those incidents and his production decline, Howard has become something of a forgotten man in Dallas. Handicappers know better. With Jason Terry out for an unknown period (estimates range from three to six weeks) after breaking his hand, Howard led the Mavs with 23 points, six rebounds and five assists in Tuesday’s 118-110 win over the Kings (+10½).
Dallas will need more of that Thursday night as home dogs against the Celtics. The early betting odds had the Mavs getting anywhere from 2½ to four points, with a total ranging from 196½ to 198½ points.