Normally sweltering San Antonio just got a little bit hotter with - appropriately enough - the Heat and the Sun bearing down on the Spurs. With the 2005/06 NBA season set to tip off Nov. 1, Miami and Phoenix, along with back-to-back Finals participant Detroit, appear to be the biggest threats to the defending NBA champs winning a second straight title. As always,
The Greek Sportsbook is offering extensive future book action on the upcoming campaign, including, but not limited to, odds to win the NBA Championship.
Several other teams, including outfits in Dallas, Denver, Seattle, Sacramento, Houston, Indiana, Cleveland and New Jersey, also could be on the rise and there's hope in both Los Angeles and New York where Phil Jackson and Larry Brown, respectively, will be calling the coaching shots, that a return to the playoffs is imminent.
Let's look at the major contenders:
San Antonio: Led by the triumvirate of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, the defending champions are the team to beat. Duncan (23.6 PPG, 12.4 RPG) simply is one of the game's best big men (without Shaq's troubles at the free throw line) while Parker (17.2 PPG, 4.3 APG) ably runs the show and, if you needed another reason to envy him, dates Desperate Housewife Eva Longoria. Ginobili does a little of everything (20.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 4.2 APG) and there's also the clutch 3-point shooting of Robert Horry, the underrated coaching of Greg Popovich (three NBA titles) and did we mention that the Spurs - especially Bruce Bowen - play defense with passion usually reserved for the daytime soaps.
Miami: The Heat came within a game of reaching the NBA Finals last season but, rather than play a pat hand, club President Pat Riley decided to shuffle the deck. The twin pillars of the team, behemoth center Shaquille O'Neal (22.9 PPG, 10.4 RPG) and slashing guard Dwyane Wade, (24.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 6.8 APG) remain but Eddie Jones (12.7 PPG, 5.1 APG) left in a 13-player, five-team deal, making room for Jason Williams (10.1 PPG, 5.6 APG at Memphis) to inherit the point. More significantly, Miami also acquired Antoine Walker, (19.1 PPG, 9.0 RPG with Atlanta and Boston) who, along with Williams and the returning Damon Jones (11.6 PPG, .432 on treys) should provide enough outside threats to open things up for Shaq and Wade. Udonis Haslem (10.1 PPG, 9.1 RPG) is a solid role player and Alonzo Mourning brings energy to his role as Shaq's backup. The Heat has more talent than any team in the league but Coach Stan Van Gundy will have to be a chemistry teacher or Riley, who's still yearns to coach, could be behind the bench before Christmas.
Phoenix: The feeling in Phoenix was that if the Suns played the style of up tempo game that resulted in the most wins and a 110-point average during the regular season, no one could stay with them in the playoffs either. Then Phoenix lost the Western Conference Finals to San Antonio in five games despite scoring 114 points in one game and adding 108 in another. Clearly, the Suns needed more of a defensive presence. Enter Kurt Thomas, rescued from New York for Quentin Richardson. Thomas (11.5 PPG, 10.4 RPG) will join Amare Stoudemire (26.0 PPG, 8.9 RPG) and Shawn Marion (19.4 PPG, 11.3 RPG) to form one of the game's most imposing front lines. MVP Steve Nash (15.5 PPG, 11.5 APG) still will push the pace with newcomer James Jones, acquired from Indiana, expected to shoot the long ball after finishing third in the league in 3-point accuracy last year. Joe Johnson, who was great when he wasn't injured, was dealt to Atlanta.
Detroit: With Larry Brown off to New York, the task now falls to Flip Saunders to take a team that was better than its individual parts back to the NBA Finals. The starting lineup of guards Richard Hamilton (18.7 PPG) and Chauncey Billups (16.5 PPG), forwards Rasheed Wallace (14.5 PPG, 8.2 RPG) and Tayshaun Prince (14.7 PPG, 5.3 RPG) and center Ben Wallace (9.7 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 2.3 BPG) is rock solid. Antonio McDyess (9.6 PPG, 6.3 RPG) was a valuable sixth man but if the Pistons return to the NBA title series for the third straight year it will be because of their stingy defense.
Dallas: Owner Mark Cuban still is looking for the formula that will get the Mavericks to the NBA Finals. The tinkering, which began with the departure of Steve Nash and the retirement of Coach Don Nelson last year and continued with the exodus of Michael Finley last month, has Dallas trying a mix of old and new, with a bit more emphasis on defense this season. Dirk Nowitzki (26.1 PPG, 9.7 RPG) is the centerpiece with Jerry Stackhouse (14.9 PPG), Josh Howard (12.6 PPG, 6.4 RPG) and Jason Terry (12.4 PPG, 5.4 APG) accompanying pieces. Erick Dampier (9.2 PPG, 8.5 RPG) was supposed to bring toughness to the paint but the former Warrior needs to avoid getting in foul trouble for that to happen. The Mavs are counting on young players such as Devin Harris and Marquis Daniels to blossom under the tutelage of recently acquired veterans Doug Christie and Darrell Armstrong.
Denver: Recovering from prostate surgery may not be nearly as difficult for George Karl as resuscitating the Nuggets was last year so there's hope in Denver for both coach and team this season. Carmelo Anthony (20.8 PPG), Kenyon Martin (15.5 PPG) and Marcus Camby (10.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG) are the mainstays up front with Andre Miller (13.6 PPG, 6.9 APG) and Earl Boykins (12.4 PPG) working the backcourt.
Seattle: The Supersonics made 196 more 3-point field goals than their opponents last year, an offensive philosophy that isn't likely to change this season now that Ray Allen (23.9 PPG) has signed a long term contract to remain in Seattle. Rashard Lewis (20.5 PPG) keeps the heat off Allen.
Sacramento: With Chris Webber and Doug Christie elsewhere, the Kings are a much different - some would say "better" - team than the one that opened the 2004/05 season. With a starting lineup consisting of holdovers Mike Bibby (19.6 PPG), Peja Stojakovic (20.1 PPG) and Brad Miller (15.6 PPG, 9.3 RPG), as well as newcomers Shareef Abdur-Rahim (16.8 PPG, 7.3 RPG with Portland) and Bonzi Wells (10.4 PPG with Memphis), Sacramento should be a factor in the Pacific Division.
Houston: The acquisition of shot-blocker Stromile Swift (10.1 PPG, 4.6 RPG with Memphis) gives the Rockets another big time player to step in alongside Tracy McGrady (25.7 PPG, 6.2 RPG) and Yao Ming (18.3 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 2.0 BPG).
Indiana: Reggie Miller has finally retired but the Pacers hope that Sarunas Jasikvicius, who torched the USA squad for 23.3 PPG in the 2004 and 2000 Olympics while a member of the Lithuania national team, can pick up the slack. With the return of a healthy Jermaine O'Neal (24.3 PPG, 8.8 RPG) and a chastened Ron Artest (24.6 PPG in seven games) and Stephen Jackson (18.7 PPG), Indiana is back in the hunt.
Cleveland: The Cavaliers really helped themselves when they resigned center Zydrunas Ilgauskas (16.9 PPG, 8.6 RPG) and picked up fist team all defense guard Larry Hughes (22.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG with Washington) and power forward Donyell Marshall (11.5 PPG, 6.6 RPG with Toronto). Now LeBron James (27.2 PPG) and Drew Gooden (14.4 PPG, 9.2 RPG) have a great supporting cast.
New Jersey: The deal for Shareef Abdur-Rahim fell through but the Nets still have plenty of firepower in Jason Kidd (14.4 PPG, 8.3 APG), Vince Carter (27.5 PPG in 57 games with New Jersey) and Richard Jefferson, who averaged 22.2 points per game in 33 appearances. Jeff McInnis (12.8 PPG with Cleveland) is insurance for a brilliant but brittle Kidd.
Milwaukee: Michael Redd, (23.0 PPG) who established an NBA record when he hit eight 3-pointers in a single quarter, returns, bolstered by top draft choice Andrew Bogut and freshly acquired Bobby Simmons (16.4 PPG with the LA Clippers). Point guard T.J. Ford is back from injury to put it all together.
At least Phil Jackson can turn to Kobe Bryant (27.6 PPG) when things get sticky for the
LA Lakers. Larry Brown has no such safety valve in
New York.
Bets and Pieces: A good future bet should stand on its own merit but cagey hardcourt bettors also understand that entering the NBA post season with a live futures ducat also presents opportunities to maneuver and hedge. The more options, the better for the player.
Speaking of options,
The Greek Sportsbook also is offering NBA future book over/under prices on regular season wins for all 30 teams. What's more, the Greek has odds posted for which player will be named the league MVP and which first year player will earn Rookie of the Year accolades.
In the former category, at odds of 9/2, Miami's Shaquille O'Neal is a slight favorite over Cleveland's LeBron James and Phoenix's Amare Stoudemire, each 5/1. Minnesota's Kevin Garnett, 13/2, San Antonio's Tim Duncan, 7/1, and Miami's Dwayne Wade, 8/1, also are single-digit contenders.
No. 1 NBA draft selection Andrew Bogut of Milwaukee is an 11/2 favorite to be named the NBA's top rookie. Atlanta's Marvin Williams is the 6/1-second choice with Utah Deron Williams and Chris Paul of New Orleans each listed at odds of 13/2 to take home the hardware for top freshman in the league.
