Posted on
4/17/2008 3:55:02 PM
NBA Basketball Betting – Playoff Preview
By Dave Golokhov
(8)Denver Nuggets @ (1)Los Angeles Lakers
In 2006-07, the Denver Nuggets finished with 45 wins and started the Western Conference Playoffs as the No. 6 seed.
In 2007-08, they improved by five games but barely clinched the No. 8 seed in the West.
Online sports betting and basketball betting fans should note that regardless of where the Nug’s sit, they can expect to be golfing shortly.
The Enver Nuggets – since there is no D in Denver – are about to get bombed by one of the Championship favorite.
A No. 8 seed has upset a No. 1 seed only three times in NBA history, one of which came last year when the Golden State Warriors upended the Dallas Mavericks. The Nuggets just don’t have the makeup of a team that can pull an upset of that type of proportion.
Their starting point guard is Anthony Carter, who has exceeded expectations as a floor general but he is a liability defensively. Compounding the problems is that the Nuggets also don’t have any possible solution as to how to slow down Kobe Bryant.
Denver can score with anyone, but that game plan doesn’t work when they can’t stop anyone.
The Lakers won the season series 3-0, averaging 118 points per game. To make matters worse, Pau Gasol didn’t play in any of the three games.
The Nuggets will have their hands full to even win one game in this series. Yes, the Lakers are that good.
NBA Free Picks: Los Angeles
(6)Phoenix Suns @ (3)San Antonio Spurs
It’s time to find out if the Phoenix Suns franchise-changing trade to acquire Shaquille O’Neal has made a difference.
Over the past few seasons, the Suns have runned-and-gunned their way to almost every type of accolade you can achieve in the NBA save a Championship. They’ve had the first seed in the West before and they’ve won individual awards galore. But their carefree style consistently failed in the playoffs.
After disappointing fans in the offseason when they neglected to make any significant changes to the roster, general manager Steve Kerr dropped a bomb when he acquired Shaquille O’Neal.
O’Neal, who at the time was enduring one of his worst seasons as a pro, was a huge gamble. Now we’ll find out if it paid off.
The Spurs have stood in the way of the Suns in the past and they are the hurdle once again.
The Suns won the regular season matchup 3-1 but Tony Parker didn’t play in two of the games. The Spurs are typically a different beast in the playoffs as well.
But the Suns should be better tailored to defeat the Spurs. By trading away Shawn Marion, the Suns weakened their perimeter defense and their ability to run. Running against the Spurs didn’t work and the Spurs don’t have a lot of weapons from the perimeter.
Expect this series to be very closely contested by the Spurs are the champs and they have home-court advantage.
NBA Free Picks: San Antonio
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