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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
Almelo, Holland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - PSV Eindhoven will look to get back on
track in the Dutch Eredivisie on Saturday when it travels to Heracles Almelo
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
Betis squad.
Betis, the 15th-placed team in the table, has been on the rise as
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
Championships - Accenture Match Play Championship was set Friday afternoon.
The top 64 players from last week's World Ranking all committed to play at The
Gallery
Almirola surprise winner of Busch pole >>
Daytona Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In 2006 Aric Almirola won a pole as a
substitute for Denny Hamlin. Hamlin drove the car in the race to a second-
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
It’s time to see how the biggest NFL free agent signings will perform for their news teams. Some will work out and could be the difference that makes a difference in the win column.
We look at the best off-season signings and if they should influence your NFL betting this season. Julius Peppers – Peppers was the biggest prize available on the 2010 NFL free agent market and the Chicago Bears opened the bank to bring his talents to the south side.
Peppers is explosive, he can get around blockers and cause quarterbacks to lose their minds. We all remember the classic Peppers game last year against the Vikings where he hounded Brett Favre into his worst game of the season. Peppers joining the Bears could be the reason Favre retired for good Tuesday morning. In addition to Peppers, the Bears added Chester Taylor to back up Matt Forte, Forte didn’t have the same intensity in 2009 compared to 2008 and bringing in Taylor will challenge Forte to bring it every game or he’ll risk losing carries to Taylor.
Betting on the Bears is a good option this season because of Julius Peppers and to a lesser extent Taylor. Antonio Bryant and Terrell Owens – The Cincinnati Bengals signed two former number one wide receivers to line up with Chad Ocho Cinco. Antonio Bryant had a huge season in 2008 catching 83 passes for over 1200 yards but regressed last season. Playing for the Tampa Bay Bucs last season was a large part of the regression, everyone was bad in TB last season.
Bryant should have a bounce back season if he can win the number two spot from Terrell Owens. If Bryant wins the number 2 WR spot, it will open up a completely new set of problems for the Bengals. If Owens is forced to the bench in favor of Bryant, his attitude will create trouble for Carson Palmer and head coach Marv Lewis. If Owens is the number two receiver, it means Bryant can’t live up to his past numbers and the Bengals are still limited in the passing game. NFL bettors should be wary of laying their money down on what could potentially be the biggest gong show in the league in 2010. 2010 football betting lines for this can be found at this top online sportsbook. Karlos Danby – The Miami Dolphins have a great running back tandem in Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown, a good young QB in Chad Henne and now the Bill Parcells regime is building a solid defense.
NFL bettors should be wary of laying their money down on what could potentially be the biggest gong show in the league in 2010. Karlos Danby – The Miami Dolphins have a great running back tandem in Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown, a good young QB in Chad Henne and now the Bill Parcells regime is building a solid defense. They signed away the Arizona Cardinals top linebacker Karlos Danby. In the past two seasons, Danby has totaled 228 tackles, 5 sacks, 3 interceptions and 3 forced fumbles. The Dolphins are the forgotten team of the AFC East with the second longest odds to win the division but with the addition of Karlos Danby and a trade for WR Brandon Marshall makes the Miami Dolphins legitimate contenders in the AFC East and in the NFL’s Eastern Conference.
The Dolphins will make NFL wagering fans a lot of money this season, get in early and enjoy the cash.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.
NFL betting action is back! At MySportsbook, all of the pro football odds are posted for the NFC North. Check out how we see the four teams in this cloudy division stacking up this year in the chase for the playoffs! Green Bay Packers (+125) - With QB Aaron Rodgers leading the offense and DC Dom Capers working his magic on defense, the Packers are a real force to be reckoned with.
Virtually nothing changed on this offense for Green Bay from last year to this year, save for the addition of rookie OT Brian Bulaga to the bunch. Expect more huge numbers from the Pack, and a relatively favorable schedule should get them over the hump and into the playoffs once again this season. My NFL Betting Predictions: 11-5, 1st place in NFC North Minnesota Vikings (+130) - There are still too many unknowns about the Vikes this year. There is a huge difference between QB Brett Favre and either Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels under center. Plus, is Favre comes back, is he really going to be able to keep his pick total under double digits again? Depth at running back looked like it might have been an issue with RB Chester Taylor fleeing in free agency, but drafting RB Toby Gerhart should pick up the difference. This defense is still suitable, but with a first place schedule, making the playoffs is going to be very tough regardless of whether #4 comes back or not.
There is a huge difference between QB Brett Favre and either Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels under center. Plus, is Favre comes back, is he really going to be able to keep his pick total under double digits again? Depth at running back looked like it might have been an issue with RB Chester Taylor fleeing in free agency, but drafting RB Toby Gerhart should pick up the difference. This defense is still suitable, but with a first place schedule, making the playoffs is going to be very tough regardless of whether #4 comes back or not. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.
Chicago Bears (+350) - The Bears are probably a bit of an overhyped team once again this year.No, we don't think it is plausible for QB Jay Cutler to have as bad of a season as he did last year, and we do think the additions of RB Chester Taylor and DE Julius Peppers are going to help immensely, but there's still something in the water in the Windy City that we aren't so sure about. Maybe Chicago finds its way to .500... but then again, maybe it doesn't. If Favre comes back, Cutler might be the worst quarterback in this division this year.
Detroit Lions (+1500) - The Lions are probably once again going to be the whipping boys for the rest of the teams in the NFC North, but they aren't just going to roll over and die once again. There is some real talent amassing on this team offensively, as the combination of QB Matt Stafford, RB Jahvid Best, WR Calvin Johnson, and TE Brandon Pettigrew should put a bunch of points on the board if the offensive line can even remotely hold up. The questions really lie on defense, where it feels like DT Ndamukong Suh is going to be trying to stop opposing teams all by himself. This year should show some marked improvement in the Motor City.
The Patriots will make NFL betting fans a lot of money this season, get in early and enjoy the cash.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.
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