What
a disappointing Wednesday. Usually it
would not faze me to go 1-3 with both leans hitting, especially after the 2
weeks I have had, however yesterday’s losses really stung due to the fact that
it was my first returning post on the forum and I wanted to come back with a bang. Nevertheless, watched all 4 games from
start to finish now and realize where I went wrong. Have made the necessary notes and adjustments in my
rankings. TNT Thursdays are my least favourite
day of the week in terms of capping. For
two years it has been one of the worst days for me but this year has been
different. I never force action on
Thursdays and may just decide to lay off and wait for a large Friday slate and
better opportunities on the weekend. In
any case, I will have an update later on in the evening and a final card by
6:00pm eastern. Whatever sides, totals
and props you are on, I wish you all nothing but the best of luck. Peace out - - - MAK
LOS ANGELES LAKERS @ BOSTON CELTICS
The two largest wagers I have had all season were on the Boston
Celtics. The first for 7 units was my
opening play of the year when Miami made their debut at the Garden. The second largest wager of the season for me
was a 6 unit moneyline dog play on the Celts exacting revenge in Los Angeles. Strangely though I will most likely sit this
game out. My initial gut feeling says
the Lakers will come out with the same mentality and poise as they did in
Memphis. I continuously here individuals
doubt the motivation of the champs, you are right to do so in some aspect,
however you need to pick and choose your spots with the Lakers. When there is even a minuscule motivating
factor for Los Angeles, they are a team to back.
They basically are a 4 man team with Fisher and Artest being the
important role players. Pau, Kobe, Andrew and Lamar are a formidable four. They rebound, defend, score and have a lot of jewelery. I cannot underestimate a
front four like that. Recently Los
Angeles has been attacking the basket, trying to get to the rim and get easy
points. Artest has been called out by
Phil Jackson, and although he did not take it very well, he has responded. He is doing the intangible things that the
Lakers desperately need. He has been
lost in translation this year and it is costing the Lakers on the defensive
end. Despite my gut telling me the
Lakers show up tonight, I have clear notes over the past two weeks that state “The
Lakers are beatable on the road vs a top-tier ball club” Well the Celts are as top-tier as you can
get. They are playing exceptional
basketball. The ONLY time I am afraid to
back the Celtics is on back-to-back situations.
7 of their 13 season losses have come on 0 days rest....that is over 50%
of their straight up losses....that is a staggering stat in my opinion. On multiple days rest, there may not be a
better team than the Celtics. My only
concern is their lack of depth right now.
They are missing massive rotation players. I think we have had an opportunity to see the
best of all the powerhouse teams EXCEPT for the Chicago Bulls and the Boston
Celtics. San An has had the same
starting 5 for the entire season. Bynum
is back for a full healthy Lakers team, we have seen Orlando, Dallas and OKC at
full strength as well. We have however,
not seen the REAL Boston Celtics. In the
playoffs you will see the same starting five most likely. I would prefer Perk manning the middle but it
may be Shaq. You will also have 4 solid
big front court players available on the 2nd unit. Erden, Jermaine, Shaq/Perk and Big Baby. With no Daniels, the Celtics lack a 2 guard
who can defend the perimeter and has size.
They do have Von Wafer and Avery Bradley, two young underrated defensive
guards. The biggest and most underrated
injury right now is to Delonte West.
West is PERFECT for the Doc Rivers system, he fits in to the PG role
much better than Nate Robinson and can play off the ball as well. Once he returns, look for Boston to really
excel for 48 minutes as playmaking ability will only decrease slightly when
Rondo goes to the bench. Depth is key
for Boston....but, they did not need depth to win in Los Angeles. They didn’t need Erden, Shaq, J.O or
Daniels. They won it in Los Angeles with
good games from the fantastic four (Rondo, Allen, Pierce and KG). Perkins was
the difference maker as Shaq was once again invisible. It was a fairly easy win, just goes to show
you what an absolute FLUKE their game 7 loss was to Los Angeles. In my opinion one of the biggest asterisks in
NBA championship history. They didn’t
deserve it, don’t care if all you Laker lovers come in here and bash the
statement, it is the truth and you know it.
The most historic rivalry in basketball is still the top matchup in the
NBA. I believe the Celtics come out hard
in the 1st quarter, they won’t need depth today, all they will need is defense,
Allen to break Reggie’s record and crowd support and they should take care of
the Champs with ease. It will either be on
the Celts or no play for me, leaning towards no play as I rarely ever go
against my gut instinct.