Maddux Sports Blog

Yesterday we made team predictions in the NBA. Today it’s time for the players:

MVP: Kobe Bryant. Last year Kobe got a taste of what it’s like winning a title on his own. His team has the potential to be even better this year, and he knows that he’s not going to get a lot of better chances than he has this year to add another one. That’s a serious motivation, and nobody responds to motivation better than Kobe. As an added bonus, Bryant doesn’t have the distraction of looming free agency hanging over him like some of the other contenders for this award have.

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Before we get too far into the season I had better weigh in with some predictions and prognostications. I’ll look at teams today and individuals tomorrow:

Western Champion: Lakers. I think that the Artest experiment is going to work, and that will make this team tough to beat. If Andrew Bynum can stay healthy he’ll have a good year and another anther dimension to this team. The window isn’t going to stay open forever in L.A. and Kobe and everyone else knows it, so they will look to take advantage of their strength while they can.

Western runner-up: San Antonio. Richard Jefferson should fit here like a glove.

Biggest Western surprise: Golden State. I don’t think that they are a playoff team, but I also don’t think that they will be the doormats that most seem to think that they will be.

Hardest team to read: Portland. I like so much of what they have, but I have never bought the Greg Oden hype, and I’m just not sure how far this team can go as it is. I want to think that they are a 50-55 win team, but I feel like they might disappoint as well.

Western cellar dweller: Sacramento. If there is anything to like about this team then I can’t think of what it is. Tyreke Evans is going to be good, but he can’t do it alone.

Most improved Western team: Clippers. I am going to fall into this trap. Blake Griffin will be a big help when he is healthy, Baron Davis can’t be as bad as he was last year, and Eric Gordon is ready to be a star.

Eastern Champion: Boston. Like the Lakers, Boston knows that their window is closing. I think that the addition of Rasheed Wallace is brilliant, and that this team will be exceptionally hard to score on. I love the tone they set early by going into Cleveland and leaving with a big win.

Eastern runner-up: Orlando. I don’t buy into the Shaq experiment in Cleveland, and I think that Vince Carter makes the Magic a different and mostly better team. Dwight Howard is older and wiser now, and he is good enough to carry this team on his back – especially with a healthy Jameer Nelson at his side.

Biggest Eastern surprise: Toronto. I don’t think that their opening win over the Cavs was a fluke. It’s time for Andreas Bargnani to prove himself, and Jay Triano is the coach to help him do that. Adding Turkoglu was a master-stroke, and Demar DeRozan will contribute as the season goes along. Chris Bosh will be a focused player while the team is winning, and the loss of Jermaine O’Neal and Shawn Marion is addition by subtraction. This is definitely a playoff team, and I think they have an outside shot of hosting a playoff series.

Hardest team to read: Detroit. They were lousy last year but the stories you hear about the chaos that Michael Curry caused are pretty compelling. With a new coach and an updated roster it’s hard to get a sense of how much better this team can and will be.

Eastern cellar dweller: Charlotte. There is a chance that they could get their act together a bit, but I’m not betting on it.

Most improved Eastern team: Chicago. The obvious first answer is Toronto, but we have already covered them. Last year the Bulls squeaked into the playoffs and then gave the Celtics a big scare.This year they certainly won’t need to squeak in. Last year Derrick Rose was rookie of the year. This year he becomes a superstar.

Most of the dust has cleared from signing day, and we have a pretty good sense of how things will turn out. As a Michigan fan I am reasonably pleased – we lost two defensive ends that we needed, but we gained three players we weren’t supposed to get including a promising QB prospect in Denard Robinson and a nice receiver. Given that we went an incredibly lousy 3-9 last year this is one heck of a class. We should end up about 7th overall. Rich Rodriguez never had a class at West Virginia anywhere near this strong, so I am feeling good. Hope things went as well for you and your team. Unless you like Ohio State, in which case I hope none of your recruits qualify academically, your current players all quit, and you are forced to use the tuba players in your band as the offensive line, and the drum major at QB.

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There are some darn dismal clubs in the NBA and there are some good players on those terrible teams. Here are a few guys who can turn a game around with the flick of a wrist, a grand leap or a big dunk.

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It seems strange, but there is a surprising amount of interesting coaching news percolating around today. Here’s a look:

Dan Reeves is reportedly interviewing to become the offensive coordinator for the 49ers. Though I like the Niners and Reeves, I don’t get this at all. Reeves is 65, he has a radio gig that keeps him busy enough, and he has spent some time working to establish a football program at Georgia State University. He hasn’t been in the pro game since he left Atlanta in 2003, and hasn’t been a coordinator since 1980. It’s hard to figure out why he would be inspired to get back into this game, and why he would want to take a risky job like this one if he did. I can only imagine that nothing will ultimately come of this one.

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North Carolina Tar Heels: As I write this, the team that so many thought would be number one in the nation, is 1- 2 in the ACC and 15- 2 overall. Thus far the #6 Heels have lost to unranked Boston College and  #3 Wake Forrest. Both of which are division opponents. Their lone ACC victory came last night as they beat the unranked Virginia Cavaliers 83- 61. How good is North Carolina? Time will tell but my feeling is that they are not as good as many of us thought they were.

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So, the question is, “How much football can you watch?” The answer is, “A lot.” But if the gridiron scene is starting get a bit old like this week’s Christmas turkey leftovers, here are a few events that are certainly worth a look if not a watch.

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The Lakers convincing win over the Celtics to end Boston’s 19 game winning streak was the highlight of the Christmas basketball action, but there was more to take note of as well. San Antonio’s last second win over the Suns was further proof that San Antonio’s bad start was just a blip on their path to the same predictability dull dependability that they have become known for. Cleveland won yet again, but they had to work way too hard to get past the lousy Wizards. Dallas looked very convincing against the Blazers. The Mavs are another Texas team that has turned things around after a forgettable start. Most surprising, though, was Orlando’s win over New Orleans. Orlando didn’t look like they were working very hard, yet they crushed the Hornets and totally shut down Chris Paul.

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The games that are likely most compelling this weekend both for sports bettors and fans:

NCAA Basketball

Saturday

Butler at Ohio State - Both teams are undefeated, and both teams are looking to prove that they are for real. Butler beat up on the Buckeyes two years ago when they played, and the Bulldogs are undefeated on the road, so this one should be fun.

Memphis at Georgetown – This is Georgetown’s first real game since they lost to Xavier. They have a lot to prove. Georgetown similarly has had one big test – Tennessee – and they failed it pretty badly. Both teams were highly regarded coming into the season, but a second loss here will hurt one of them in the public’s eye.

Oral Roberts at UNC – Oral Roberts is truly terrible defensively. North Carolina is ridiculously good. It will be fun to see just how bad this one gets.

Xavier at Cincinnati - A great in-city rivalry between two teams that don’t much like each other.

Sunday

Gonzaga at Arizona – Chase Budinger is much improved this year, but he needs to show that on a big stage. This would certainly count.

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We’re going to delay our regularly scheduled programming a bit this week in recognition of the start of the NBA season. I don’t generally bet on the NBA as much as other sports – I get most of my hoops fix from the college ranks – but I do love the league, and I look for intriguing betting opportunities daily. As the season gets underway, here are ten things I will be keeping an eye on as a bettor:

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