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02/16/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's hard to believe, but the NBA's All-Star break is here. This season has been filled with plenty of rim-rattling dunks and exciting finishes.
The trade deadline is near, and soon the playoffs will be here. When the postseason arrives, the NBA will hand out hardware to the players who are deserving of individual honors.
Here is a look at the front-runners for the season-ending awards that will be given out during the postseason.
MVP: DIRK NOWITZKI (Dallas Mavericks)
Nowitzki is playing like a man on a mission for the Mavericks, who are an NBA- best 44-9. A six-time All-Star, Nowitzki leads the Mavericks in scoring (25.3 ppg) and rebounding (9.4 rpg).
The Mavericks are a deep and talented team. But, Nowitzki has managed to do the things on the court that makes all of his teammates better. He is shooting over 50 percent from the floor, including an amazing 42.5 percent from beyond the arc. Nowitzki has been the catalyst for the defending Western Conference champions outstanding play. Right now, he deserves to unseat his good friend Steve Nash, who has won the award the last two seasons,
HONORABLE MENTION: Gilbert Arenas (Washington Wizards), Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers), LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers), Tracy McGrady (Houston Rockets), Steve Nash (Phoenix Suns).
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: BRANDON ROY (PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS)
The rookie class of 2006 has not had a very strong showing. Portland's Roy has been solid and has shown that he could be a future All-Star. He has posted 15.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 34 games for the young Trail Blazers.
Roy can play both guard positions and has a chance to develop into a deadly outside shooter. He is shooting just over 43 percent from the field, including 30.9 percent from three-point range. The 6-6 Roy is one of the pieces to the puzzle in Portland and his future is extremely bright.
HONORABLE MENTION: Andrea Bargnani (Toronto Raptors), Rudy Gay (Memphis Grizzlies), Adam Morrison (Charlotte Bobcats).
COACH OF THE YEAR: JERRY SLOAN (UTAH JAZZ)
Sloan has put it all together once again in Utah. The Jazz, who have missed the playoffs three straight years, are in first place in the Northwest Division, and own a comfortable 8 1/2 game lead over the second place Denver Nuggets.
The Jazz have talent, but Sloan has put together a system that has helped it mesh. Point guard Deron Williams is shining in his second year, while Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur have developed into All-Star under Sloan's tutelage.
HONORBALE MENTION: Avery Johnson (Dallas Mavericks), Eddie Jordan (Washington Wizards), Sam Mitchell (Toronto Raptors), Jeff Van Gundy (Houston Rockets).
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: MARCUS CAMBY (DENVER NUGGETS)
The Nuggets are not a defensive team, but Camby is the reason that they do make some big stops. The 6-11 veteran is averaging an impressive 3.0 blocks per game, which leads the league, in 42 contests.
Camby is averaging 11.9 points and a team-best 11.9 rebounds per game. He has defended the middle and the paint in a big way for Denver. The Massachusetts product uses his long arms and athletic ability to defend some of the NBA's best. He is the catalyst for Denver's transition game and his defense leads to a lot of easy baskets for the Nuggets.
HONORABLE MENTION: Tayshaun Prince (Detroit Pistons), Jermaine O'Neal (Indiana Pacers) Josh Smith (Atlanta Hawks), and Ben Wallace (Chicago Bulls).
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: KEVIN MARTIN (SACRAMENTO KINGS)
The 24-year-old Martin has shined for Sacramento this season. He has been one of the bright spots for the Kings, who are in danger of having their eight- year playoff run halted.
Martin, who is playing in his third year, leads the Kings in scoring (21.0 ppg). He has pulled down 4.3 rebounds, handed out 2.1 assists and has drained 49.4 percent of his field-goal attempts, including 42.0 percent from three- point land. The 6-7 Martin has raised his game to the next level and is definitely a big part of the Sacramento franchise.
HONORABLE MENTION: Andre Iguodala (Philadelphia 76ers), Hakim Warrick (Memphis Grizzlies), and Deron Williams (Utah Jazz).
SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR: LEANDRO BARBOSA (PHOENIX SUNS)
Barbosa could start on most teams in the NBA. He has averaged 16.8 points and 4.1 assists per game for the free-wheeling Phoenix Suns. The 6-3 Barbosa spells the reigning MVP Nash and also plays next to him. Head coach Mike D'Antoni is lucky to have the luxury of a player like Barbosa, who can play both guard spots and fits in perfectly in his system.
When Barbosa, who is shooting over 40 percent from beyond the arc, steps on the court for Nash, the Suns don't skip a beat. He pushes the ball up the court with tremendous speed and has the uncanny ability to get to the hoop and find his open teammate with a pass.
HONORABLE MENTION: Manu Ginobili (San Antonio Spurs), Jerry Stackhouse (Dallas Mavericks).
EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR: BRYAN COLANGELO (TORONTO RAPTORS)
Toronto's team president and general manager, Colangelo was brought in to change the environment and make the Raptors a winner. Colangelo, who was hired by the Raptors on February 28, 2006, was general manager of Phoenix for 11 years, and team president for seven before taking over in Toronto. He helped build the Suns into a contender and one of the most exciting teams in the league with smart personnel moves.
During last offseason, Colangelo added Bargnani, who was the first overall pick in the 2006 draft, and lightning quick point guard T.J. Ford, who was acquired from the Milwaukee Bucks in a trade for Charlie Villanueva. The Raptors are a surprising 29-24 and own a 4 1/2 games lead over the second place New Jersey Nets in the Atlantic Division.
HONORABLE MENTION: Joe Dumars (Detroit Pistons) and Ernie Grunfeld (Washington Wizards).
<< Curtis Cup headed to Scotland in 2012
Far Hills, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 2012 Curtis Cup will take place at the
Nairn Golf Club. The announcement was made Friday by the United States
Golf Association and the Ladies Golf Union.
The Nairn has hosted many amateur an
<< Jackson, Mullin, Vitale highlight Hall of Fame finalists
Las Vegas, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former Chicago and current Los Angeles
Lakers coach Phil Jackson, former St. John's and NBA star Chris Mullin, and
legendary ESPN sportscaster Dick Vitale highlight 15 Finalists for election
into t
<< PSV looks to get break out of slump
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for its week 25 fixture.
PSV, the league leaders, have faltered the last three
<< Real Madrid look for revenge on Betis
Madrid, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - When the Spanish La Liga gets underway
Saturday, Real Madrid will be looking for revenge on a suddenly resurgent Real
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Lyon get late rally to slip past Lille >>
Lille, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lyon increased its lead at the top of the
Ligue 1 standings to 14 points on Friday with a dramatic 2-1 win over Lille at
Stadium Lille Metropole.
Goals from Fred and Sebastien Squillaci in the final
Field set for WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship >>
Tucson, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The field for next week's World Golf
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Daytona Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In 2006 Aric Almirola won a pole as a
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place finish. This time the 22-year-old Almirola will get to drive the car
from t
Bears hit Briggs with franchise tag >>
Lake Forest, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Bears designated linebacker
Lance Briggs as their franchise player on Friday.
The designation means that Briggs will be guaranteed a one-year contract for
an average of the five highest
Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.
Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.
Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.
If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.
Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.
By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.
In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.
So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.
While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.
There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.
In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:
SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.
XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.
XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.
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