Two games back Coach Jordan sat Haywood & Jameson and started Booth & Ruffin announcing “we’re really gonna start stressing defense around here.” The line-up change worked wonders as the Wiz beat Atlanta handily and then went to Indiana and caught them flat-footed as well. In the Indiana victory Arenas had his best game of the season, but that was because the Indiana guards are the slowest-footed in the League and have had trouble with muscular penetrators like Marbury and Arenas.
Atlanta hung with New York last night until deep into the fourth quarter. New York has, I think, morphed into a top half of the League team and they needed to shoot 5/7 from beyond the arc to pull away late. I like that Atlanta got slaughtered by Washington Wednesday night because it sets up the reversal scenario so common to these bottom tier teams.
So all in all it looks to me like bettors have over-reacted to the mild success the Wizard’s have had due to their line-up change and the value is with the home dog.
YTD +2.75
1/10 Chicago +180 L 1.0
1/9 Utah +125 W +1.25
1/7 Minnesota +240 L -1.0
1/6 Atlanta +285 W +2.85
1/5 Houston +275 W +2.75
¼ Orlando +800 L -1.0
1/3 Portland +2.5, 4Q L -1.1