[cocknocker]

The NBA season is in full swing now and most of the blockbuster trades that were going to happen have happened already. So what you see is what you get for all intents and purposes. This means that the handicapping will get a little easier in the second part of the season following the All Star break. One of the best ways to handicap in the second half of the season is to identify the squads that are playing for something such as playoff positioning, and to also identify those teams that are tanking it, and those teams that are looking to unload some players to clear room for the cap next season and beyond. The spreads will start to get larger, and look like college football lines in the upcoming weeks. I have in mind a few teams that I will be riding in the second half of the season that are not quitters and play with a lot of passion. I will call these these the underdog squads.

1.) Golden State

The Warriors have darn near an entire roster of guys who can create a shot off the dribble and they arealso getting healthy now with the return of Montae Ellis. You have Jamal Crawford, Stephen Jackson, Corey Maggette, Anthony Morrow, CJ Watson, Killenna Azubuike who can all creat their own shot at ay given moment and also knock down free throws and three pointers. Manning the middle is Andres Biedrins who is a fantasy league All Star and a stat boxstuffer. They are well coached by Don Nelson and always ready to run even when they are down big in a game. This team is one of those teams that you cannot give 8 points to when they are fully healthy, because although they lack a good power forward, they are an extremely deep team with shooters galore. It doesn't hurt that they are a joy to watch because of the style factor too.

2.) Chicago Bulls

This is another team that hit rock bottom with an abundance of injuries, but they are getting healthy now, and the linemaker has gotten used to giving them points. This team is underperforming due to the lack of an experienced head coach. They need to shore up the defensive end of things as offensively they can be a juggernaut if they get things rolling with the abundance of talent that they have. As with the number 1 underdog team, they have an abundance of players that can create their own shot off the dribble, and they have good rebounding big men as well. With Hinrich, Gordon, Rose, Sefolosha, Nocioni ad brick thrower Larry Hughes, they have a load of scoring talent. I don't think that Coach Del Negro is the right guy for the job, but at least if motivated, this team hs the talent to pull some good upsets because they have some guys playing for contracts.

3.)Toronto Raptors

It's kind of hard to figure this team out because on paper they should have a much better record than they have at this point, but I will attribute that to O'Neal's brittle body and lack of cohesiveness as a result with respect to being there every day for his team mates. The Raptors last year had the biggest margin of victory on average at home in the NBA. That was last year. This year they are not putting up a fight and seem to lack heart, as it is rare that they mount a comeback when they go down big. However, they are one of the best 1st quarter teams in the NBA, so always look for them to get off to good starts and possibly play them not only fr the 1st quarter but also for the 1st half as well. What they lack is players tha can create their own shot, or penetrate to the basket and kick it out for good shots. I look for thisteam to make a trade before the deadline and get another guard with ballhandling skills as they sporely miss TJ Ford and his knack of getting to any spot on the floor that he wants to get to. Even though he is a damn fool, Jamaal Tinsley is not fast, but he is an adept ball handler, and Marbury is also out there as well. But this team has some promise to cover spreads simply because of Bosh and the attention that he draws on each possession. With the acquisition of a guard the Raptors will be fine in the second half.

4.) Indiana Pacers

There is no quit in this team as they have already realized that their chances of making the playoffs were nil to none from training camp but what they can do is get some good covers in the second half of the season. Surrounding Danny Granger, you have an entire squad full fo expert marksmen from three point land and an excellent coach. The rebounding is done by their garbage man Foster, and he is good at tracking down errant three point shots and havng the uncanny Dennis Rodman like quality of knowing where the majority of their missed shots are going to fall. But with Dunleavy, Murphy, TJ ford, Deiner, Daniels, Jack and company, the Pacers roster is stuffed with shooters galore. I look for them to have many overs in the second half of the season as they are void of any defense whatsoever. Coach O' Brien needs to draft a fly swatter and not the slow methodical one he got in Roy Hibbert.

5.) Minnesota T-Wolves

Oh my, this team is looking pretty scary right now, and Coach McHale has them playing out of their minds. What he did was pure genius with this squad. By reducing the minutes of unproductive players and increasing the minutes of those who are productive, the T-Wolves are headed in the right direction. Boosting the minutes of Rodney Carney is one of the moves that he made that is working out well, and he has given their offense a much needed scoring punch. Kevin Love is getting les minutes but he is being more productive in spite of that with the time he is getting. Malcontent Rashard McCatns is getting less and less time and I look for him to be dealt in the second half of the season. Telfair is responding to McHales coaching and is living up to the potehtial he had as a prep in high school. Randy Foye is already a good player and his increased minutes are a byproduct of his dedication and work. Ryan Gomes is giving a consistent 12 points per night and of course in the middle is on of the NBA's premiere big men in Al Jefferson who gets very little notoriety but is a great center nonetheless. Throw in the shooting and length of Mike Miller and there you go. Instant covers, just add water.

So those are the fabulous five. The Bucks would have made the list, but with the loss of Redd for the season, I think that management may start to view him as unreliable and they may start playing for a draft choice down the stretch. Teams such as the Clippers, Knicks, Wizards, and Kings will start to mail it in and will be serious fade material while they jockey for golf balls in David Stern's magic machine. The Thunder will be delightful for a little while longer, but they are rebuilding and they also will be looking for some golf balls later on in the season.

So have happy wagering in the second half of the NBA season. In a couple of days i will make up the list of the heavy hitters, the teams that are going to crush the teams in the paragraph above like empty beer cans.

[Dexter]

couldnt agree with you more on the warriors - nelson let davis go b/c of ellis, and he's a 23/5 guy in the next year or 2. while he's a 2 guard in a point guards body, he can create shots for others. the warriors have arguably (ck from oak can atest to this) the best home court atmosphere in the league. that arena sounds like cameron indoor on many nights. the cavs got a taste of that - and i will no doubt be on many warrior home games for the rest of the year.

[hajune]

Very astute write up.

[ANDYW15]

couldnt agree with you more on the warriors - nelson let davis go b/c of ellis, and he's a 23/5 guy in the next year or 2. while he's a 2 guard in a point guards body, he can create shots for others. the warriors have arguably (ck from oak can atest to this) the best home court atmosphere in the league. that arena sounds like cameron indoor on many nights. the cavs got a taste of that - and i will no doubt be on many warrior home games for the rest of the year.

Seconded - Biedrins is a rebounding machine.

[peetlui]

If the Pacers could play some defense they'd be scarey.