The Seattle SuperSonics appear set to pluck another piece from the San Antonio Spurs.
The Sonics have scheduled a Thursday news conference amid reports that the team has hired P.J. Carlesimo as its new head coach. Team officials refused to comment Tuesday on a report that first appeared on the San Antonio Express-News Web site, which said Carlesimo had been chosen by Sonics ownership.
Carlesimo and former Minnesota coach Dwane Casey have been considered front-runners for the Seattle job. Casey told The Associated Press on Tuesday evening that he was informed by the Sonics they were going with another candidate. Casey said he was not told who the choice was.
“They said they were going in a different direction and that I made it a tough decision,” said Casey, a former assistant in Seattle. “I’m disappointed.”
Seattle general manager Sam Presti, who spent the last seven years working in the Spurs’ organization before becoming Seattle’s GM on June 7, was traveling and unavailable for comment.
The NBA finals continue to draw far fewer viewers than last year.
The San Antonio Spurs’ 75-72 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night received a 6.4 national rating and an 11 share on ABC, down 20 percent from the 8.0/14 for last year’s Game 3 between the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat.
The Game 3 drop follows a 30 percent plunge for Game 2 and a 19 percent decline for Game 1.
The rating is the percentage watching a telecast among all homes with televisions, and the share is the percentage tuned in to a broadcast among those households with televisions on at the time. A ratings point represents 1,114,000 households.
Golden State 31 27 31 24 4 117
Utah 28 35 27 23 14 127
1 Kobe Bryant, LAL 75 40.9 31.3
2 C. Anthony, DEN 64 38.4 29.1
3 G. Arenas, WAS 74 39.8 28.4
4 Dwyane Wade, MIA 50 38.1 27.8
5 LeBron James, CLE 76 41.0 27.5
6 Michael Redd, MIL 53 38.5 26.7
7 Ray Allen, SEA 55 40.4 26.4
8 Allen Iverson, DEN/PHI 64 42.7 26.3
9 Vince Carter, NJN 79 38.0 25.1
10 Joe Johnson, ATL 57 41.4 25.0
April 18 - Regular season ends.
April 19 - Rosters set for playoffs, 3 p.m. EDT.
April 21 - Playoffs begin.
April 29 - Early entry eligibility deadline, 11:59 p.m. EDT.
May 22 - Draft lottery.
June 7 - NBA finals start date (possibly June 5).
June 18 - NBA draft early entry entrant withdrawal deadline.
June 21 - NBA finals latest possible end date.
June 28 - NBA draft, New York.
By T.O Whenham
Are you interested in betting teasers in the NBA? You need to ask yourself a simple question – do you find betting teasers fun? If you do, and if you bet on sports largely to have fun, then betting teasers is a good idea for you. If, on the other hand, your goal is long-term profit and minimized house edge then you should probably avoid teasers in all but unique and specific situations. Don’t believe me? Let’s have a look.
First, what is a teaser? It’s a bet in which you take two or more teams and add a set amount of points to the lines of each team. In the NBA the most common teasers are 4.5, 5, and 5.5 points, with both higher and lower point totals available from some betting shops. Let’s say you liked the Lakers, who were favored by six, and Cleveland, who were two point underdogs. If you were to bet a 4.5 point teaser then those lines would become Los Angeles -1.5 and Cleveland +6.5. You bet both games on one ticket, and both results have to occur as you need them to in order for you to receive a payout on your ticket. You aren’t limited to just two games, either – you can add more games, and your greater risk is rewarded by a greater monetary return. Some books also have a super teaser that allows you even more points (often seven or more) at a lower payoff.
Teasers slash points off of a favorite’s point spread and add a further cushion to underdog’s, so they sound like a gift to bettors, don’t they? Wrong. So, so wrong. The problem is the house edge that you are sacrificing. A house edge is a fact of life in sports betting (unless you have a lot of degenerate friends you can wager with), but smart bettors look to minimize that edge in order to maximize their profit. Teasers certainly don’t do that. The reason for this is fairly simple to see.
Let’s look at a simple two team, 4.5-point teaser. That wager typically pays out at even money. Since you have to win both games in order to win the bet then, over the long term you have to pick 70.7 percent of games correctly in order to just break even. That’s because .707 * .707 = .50, so if you pick 70.7 percent of games correctly then you will pick both right half of the time. The problem is that a shift in spreads of 4.5 points does not, over the long term, cause the favorites to cover more than 70.7 percent of their games, nor does it cause the underdogs to cover more than that mark. By making this bet over the long term then, you are willingly accepting a losing proposition. The situation doesn’t improve as the points you add get bigger, either. A 5.5-point, two-team teaser typically pays 5-to-6. That means you have to win 73.9 percent of your games to break even. As is the case with parlays, the house edge also gets larger as you add more teams to your parlay.
Though NBA teasers are not profitable over the long run, it is not theoretically impossible that situations could exist where the bet could make sense. All you would need to do is figure out what the break-even point of the bet is and then find situations where the historical occurrence of an outcome comes at a higher rate than the breakeven rate. None come immediately to mind, but, for the sake of argument, let’s say that you were to discover that teams favored by four win 85 percent of their games at home on nights when there is a lunar eclipse. If you were to find a night where the moon and the sun were aligned, and two teams were favored at home by four, then you would have a very worthwhile bet. With a good deal of handicapping work it is feasible that situations like that could be found in the NBA, much like the Wong teaser has been shown to be profitable in the NFL.
Despite the long-term inherent lack of profitability in the NBA teaser, there may be specific situations where a teaser could be attractive. Say, for example, that your handicapping has led you to identify two solid favorites that you like, but which you are lukewarm about. If both teams were favored by seven, and you figure that they will win by somewhere between five and eight points, then you won’t feel confident betting on them on the point spread, but you also wouldn’t feel confident betting on their opponents. You could confidently bet the moneyline, but the return would be low given the size of the spread. By using a four-point teaser you could adjust both point spreads down so that the spreads are below your predicted score. That might be the best way to confidently maximize profit potential given your suspected result.
Teasers aren’t the best bet on the board by any means. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t play them, though. Some people love the action and excitement of the wager. You just need to know what you are betting, and what it is costing you. If it still seems worthwhile then go for it.
By Nigel Kerry
In 1946, the Basketball Association of America started the first basketball season in America. However, in 1949 the BAA merged with the National Basketball League to form the National Basketball Association which is better known as NBA.
In the beginning, NBA had seventeen franchises. However, this was reduced to eleven in 1950 after the franchises were consolidated. 1950 also witnessed a major change in NBA with the acceptance of first African American players. Chuck Cooper joined the Boston Celtics, Nat Clifton joined the New York Knicks and Earl Lloyd joined the Washington Capitols. In 1950, Minneapolis Lakers won the first NBA Championship.
In 1954, NBA had the smallest number of franchises with only 8 teams. These were Knickerbockers, Celtics, Warriors, Lakers, Royals / Kings, Pistons, Hawks and Nationals / 76ers. These eight franchises are still there today.
Until 1967 NBA played with the six team format when it expanded by the addition of two teams. This expansion was in response to the American Basketball Association being formed. The two teams were added in 1975 and 1977. In 1976, NBA reached an agreement with American Basketball Association which added four of its franchises to the NBA raising the total number of franchises in NBA to 22.
The current sixteen team tournament started in 1984. The first round was then changed to a best of five playoff. In 2003, the format was changed again to best of seven which is still being used. There are now thirty franchises in NBA and the division structure has been realigned with three divisions and each having five teams. These changes too place from 2004 to 2005.
By Ronn Wyckoff
I was speaking with my older son during the holiday about practice planning for his 5th grade boys team. One issue we discussed was how to build confidence and train the young players to not dribble all the time with the strong hand. Also, many young players look way too much at the ball while they dribble. This is especially true when the player comes under pressure. This will most likely be accompanied by turning the back on their teammates while trying to keep from losing the ball.
While I don’t have the space here, nor the capability for diagrams and pics that can illustrate all this, here are some of the drills I teach. I will attempt to give as much text detail as I can to give you a good ‘visual’.
To preface these drills, if you at any time have a player finding it difficult to dribble with the off hand, or to keep from looking at the ball while dribbling, take them back to the very basics where you teach them “how” to dribble. This is where they can learn to dribble without looking at the ball and where you have instilled confidence and control with use of the weak hand. They must have a place that’s comfortable to fall back to, when this happens, in order to then be able to work forward for success.
#1) Start with walking while dribbling the ball at hip height. Because of the distance the ball is off the floor, the ball is out of the dribbler’s hand for this time/distance. It could cause their confidence to ebb, causing a need to look at the ball. Have them walk and dribble slowly, using the hand/elbow action they learned early on. (If they have too much trouble, take them down on one knee and continue to practice and build confidence there.)
As the player increases forward motion, the ball will have to be pushed out ahead of the dribble-side foot, even with, but slightly outside, the hip. Practice going around dribbling, first with one hand, then the other. Each time they change sides with the dribble, the ball should be dribbled slightly forward of the front foot and pushed slightly toward the other hand while the other hand comes toward the ball to continue the dribble.
By now, players should be able to jog easily, dribbling at hip height, pushing the ball slightly ahead of the ball side foot. There will be ball errors, but emphasize the coaching points up to this point. Don’t let them slap at the ball. Have them drive the ball with the fingers and the arm movement you’ve practiced. They should be able to dribble with either hand and minimize looking at the ball.
#2) Now, set up 4-6 chairs in a straight line. Explain to the players that when they approach a chair, to pretend it’s a defensive player and they must dribble by it using the hand away from the chair. Teaching Point: Always dribble with the hand away from the defensive player, keeping the dribbler’s body between the ball and the defender.
Have the players walk the dribble out to the first chair, passing to one side using the rule above. Have them touch the top of the chair with the near hand as they go by. This will make the player aware that the ball is being dribbled with the hand away from the chair. As they pass the chair, the ball is switched over (still on the dribble) to the other hand, so when they pass the next chair, they will do so on the other side, again touching the chair with the near hand.
#3) From the straight line of chairs, go to a ziz-zag set up. The angles approaching the chairs are sharper now and the players will actually be changing directions with each chair. Walk through first, then jog, then run. Touch each chair in the beginning to check the hand being used for the dribble. As they go around a chair, have them immediately change dribble hands for the next chair.
#4) Have the players line up on the end line. On the whistle, have them move slowly up the floor, on the dribble. On the next whistle, stop and assume a protective stance while continuing the dribble. On the next whistle, switch dribble hands and start again up the floor. At each stop, the player goes into the protective stance. On each start, the player will have switched dribble hands and go back to an up-right open court stance. This alternating action simulates having no pressure on the open court and then meeting the pressure of defense. Watch for balance, foot placement, body angle, correct dribbling hand for the direction heading, the angle of the back, and dribble height.
#5) Eyes Up Drill. This is designed to have the player protect-dribble all over the backcourt area, halfway between the mid-court line and the three point line. The coach, or another player, can move around anywhere below the three point line.
Never turning their back on the other player, the dribbler must continually change directions/dribbling hands in order to hold eye contact with the other person. When that other person raises their arm over-head, the dribbler must immediately make a good pass to the person with the hand up. The passer then makes a fake and then a cut to the basket for a return pass and layup.
This drill teaches keeping the eyes up, protecting the dribble, making a pass off the dribble and fake and cut to the basket.
A defensive player could be added to play on the dribbler. I would have them be passive at first, allowing the dribbler to move and pass freely. The more advanced the players, the more game-like this drill can be made. Don’t go live until individual defense has been taught!!
#6) Circle Dribbling. (King/Queen Of The Hill.) In the circle at center court, or if the free throw area has a full circle, have 4-5 players each go in with a ball. (Big kids use only 4 players.) On the whistle, each player begins to dribble, protecting the ball from the others while trying to knock the other balls away. For young players, you can go easy on the rules at first. No one may stop dribbling or dribble outside the circle, or they’re out. All players need to keep their eyes up to see what is happening and must dribble-protect while changing hands and directions and trying to slap the other balls away. Last one in is a winner. This is a fun competition drill at any level.
#7) Bumper Cars. This is an all over, half-court drill, where any and every type of skill and dribble may be used. More advanced players may go between the legs, behind the back and use a spin dribble. (This is the only free-style dribbling I allow at every practice.) Players must go after the other dribblers while avoiding having the ball taken away as they attempt to slap another dribbler’s ball away, if they can. Eyes are up all the time. Dribble never stops. It’s time to practice all the skills, alternating between open-floor and protect dribbles. 10-12 dribblers within the confines of a half-court makes for a good avoidance/skill drill.
In my DVD, Basketball On A Triangle: A Higher Level of Coaching and Playing, and in my book, with the same title, due out in ‘07, I go into much greater detail about how to teach all the things mentioned above. http://www.basketballonatriangle.com/
Yours in Sport & Spirit,
Coach Ronn
Ronn Wyckoff lives in Sarasota, Florida. He has spent more than fifty years in basketball.
In addition to playing for 15 years , he has coached over 40 years. In the States, and as an international consultant, he has coached boys, girls, men and women, winning over 75% of their games. For more about Coach Ronn, go to http://www.basketballonatriangle.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ronn_Wyckoff
By Jake Gambler
The main story for the Cavaliers in the 2006/07 season, as it has been for the past three and probably will be for the foreseeable future, is LeBron James. LeBron is by far one of the best young players that the league has seen in a very long time, and his performance last season was as impressive as any other players in the NBA.
LeBron James was third in the league last year with 31.4 points per game. His scoring numbers have improved every year since he has been in the league and there is no reason to expect a drop in production anytime soon. One thing that Cavaliers fans would be happy to see is an increase from his 6.6 assists a game. Once thought to be the heir apparent to Oscar Robertson, James still has a lot of work to do in getting his teammates more involved.
Playing aside LeBron in the upcoming season are role players such as Larry Hughes and Zydrunnas Illgauskas. Larry Hughes is coming off a slightly disappointing season in which he was injured for two-thirds of the year. He should benefit greatly from playing an entire season next to one of the best players in the league and return to his 2004 form when he averaged 22.1 points per game. Illgauskas is a great scorer at the center position and is usually the key to how well the team as a whole does. If he is able to set a tone early, the Cavaliers are very tough to beat.
Other role players who are expected to contribute to the team include Donyell Marshall, Damon Jones and Anderson Varejao. Marshall is an inconsistent scorer at the power-forward position who has a long range. Jones is another inconsistent shooter who can light it up from the three-point range. Both players are expected to improve upon mediocre 2005 seasons. Anderson Varejao is a pure energy player who can give the team a boost off of his reckless play. Varejao has to stay healthy, however, and make it past the sixty games played mark for the first time in his career.
Second-year head coach Mike Brown may not get much press, but there is no question that he got the job done last year by leading the Cavaliers to their first playoff berth in a long time and winning a playoff series. More will be expected from him and the team, however, in 2006/07 and Brown needs to make sure that his team is not happy with last years results. This is not a championship team yet, but they are only one or two players away from that status.
The author is a well knowned sports betting editor at Sports Betting Basketball. Visit ASB to learn about basketball betting and get up to the minute odds/scores.
