Wizards -1.5 tonight
We got our win behind us, time to start a streak here I suppose. At any rate, we are going out East for tonight's tip...all the way to the nation's capital. If we can't be happy with the politics going on there, perhaps the people of D.C. need a different reason to cheer...maybe the Wizards are starting to give them just that. The Wizards, much like their opponent tonight, are coming off of whole-sale changes to their roster. Just as the Knicks have done, the Wizards are revamped and playing some new-look ball. However, there is a key difference between what these teams are doing. The Wizards made deals and got younger...while they are clearly "building" for the future, they are going about it a completely different way than the Knicks. The Knicks acquired nothing but expiring contracts to try and shore up their chances at making a run toward either LBJ or D-Wade...however, in doing so, they've ruined their chances at fielding a competitive team now. Fortunately for them, they didn't have much of a chance to do so anyway. So, a couple of the worst teams in the NBA face off tonight, and while most of the sports nation could care less, I see a golden opportunity to jump aboard the Wizards train.
Off to the Sagarin rankings quick to see what's going on with these two cellar dwellers. The Wizards rank 23rd, while the Knicks occupy the 27th spot in the overall rankings here. The Wizards actually have a better record against the top 10 teams in the NBA than even a team ranked as high as the #6 ranked Boston Celtics. While it isn't much to write home about, they are 5-12 vs those opponents. The Knicks, well, they aren't. That's about all for the Sagarin rankings in this one, not much to say, everyone knows these teams are bad. Oh well, moving on.
Injuries and recent performances is next. The Wizards lost Josh Howard recently for the rest of the season with a torn ACL. That's a tough injury to watch, but it happens in professional sports. That being said, he was only recently acquired anyway, so the Wizards haven't gotten too use to him being there, so their dependence on him won't be too difficult to overcome. When you are talking recent performances, it is essential to notice the key difference here between these teams. The Wizards are trending up, having won 3 of 4 at home, and the Knicks are trending down, having lost 8 straight games overall. This is a sad team right now, and I'd attribute the Knicks decision to acquire T-Mac similar to the situation the Philly 76ers were in when they acquired A.I. Clearly, these moves are all about tickets, and less about functionality of their teams. All things considered, the Wizards are playing some decent ball here, with recent wins over the Bulls and Nuggets, while the Knicks....well, they look like they'd lose to the NY Liberty if they had to play them right now. I'm impressed with the way Blatche has played lately, and I think the big difference here is where they are playing. These teams just played 2 games in 5 days at the beginning of the month, and each team took the home game. That trend is surely to continue tonight, and I'm on the Wizards train at -1.5, all the way to the bank. GL tonight guys!
My Pick: Wizards -1.5 tonight vs. Knicks. GL all.
Off to the Sagarin rankings quick to see what's going on with these two cellar dwellers. The Wizards rank 23rd, while the Knicks occupy the 27th spot in the overall rankings here. The Wizards actually have a better record against the top 10 teams in the NBA than even a team ranked as high as the #6 ranked Boston Celtics. While it isn't much to write home about, they are 5-12 vs those opponents. The Knicks, well, they aren't. That's about all for the Sagarin rankings in this one, not much to say, everyone knows these teams are bad. Oh well, moving on.
Injuries and recent performances is next. The Wizards lost Josh Howard recently for the rest of the season with a torn ACL. That's a tough injury to watch, but it happens in professional sports. That being said, he was only recently acquired anyway, so the Wizards haven't gotten too use to him being there, so their dependence on him won't be too difficult to overcome. When you are talking recent performances, it is essential to notice the key difference here between these teams. The Wizards are trending up, having won 3 of 4 at home, and the Knicks are trending down, having lost 8 straight games overall. This is a sad team right now, and I'd attribute the Knicks decision to acquire T-Mac similar to the situation the Philly 76ers were in when they acquired A.I. Clearly, these moves are all about tickets, and less about functionality of their teams. All things considered, the Wizards are playing some decent ball here, with recent wins over the Bulls and Nuggets, while the Knicks....well, they look like they'd lose to the NY Liberty if they had to play them right now. I'm impressed with the way Blatche has played lately, and I think the big difference here is where they are playing. These teams just played 2 games in 5 days at the beginning of the month, and each team took the home game. That trend is surely to continue tonight, and I'm on the Wizards train at -1.5, all the way to the bank. GL tonight guys!
My Pick: Wizards -1.5 tonight vs. Knicks. GL all.
like atl bulls as well...
good luck guys
