Category Archives: eric gordon

2018 NBA All-Star Weekend Betting Odds & Picks

There aren’t any regular season NBA games to bet on this weekend, but there are plenty of opportunities to lay down some jellybeans on the NBA.

NBA’s All-Star Weekend has some favorable betting odds for their three big skills competitions: Slam Dunk Contest, Three-Point Contest and the Skills Competition.

Some of the better rising stars are in the events and even some All-Stars decided to participate.

Will a young, hungry guy make a name for themselves and win one of the competitions, or will an All-Star show why they are one of the best in the league?

Continue reading

2014-15 NBA Team Preview: New Orleans Pelicans

Anthony Davis New Orleans Pelicans NBAAnthony Davis is my sleeper pick for MVP. It is highly unlikely, but just like Derrick Rose did a few years back, he beat the odds and won the award over the usual candidates.

In order for Davis to become the next superstar, the Pelicans need to make the postseason. That is easier said that done in the hyper-competitive Western Conference.

New Orleans have a fun roster to watch. They can spread the court with shooters and score at the hoop with athletic finishers at the rim.

Here is the 2014-15 NBA season preview for the New Orleans Pelicans.

Continue reading

Suit Up! – The 2008 NBA Draft Analysis

The NBA Draft is now officially over and every team has forgotten about the disappointment of last season and are excited for a new season. A new trend may have started this year, I didn’t see any funky suits. What happened to the Jalen Rose and Hakeem Olajuwon? The only suit that I could take a swing at was the suit O.J. Mayo wore. It was a 3-piece suit, but it was super tight and appeared to be a bit short on him.

Also, I would like to note that this year’s “Best Hair Award” goes to Robin Lopez. Any hair that is barely dented by a hair, gets a trophy. Here is my recap of this year’s lottery selections.

1 – Bulls – Derrick Rose, Memphis , PG – No surprise here, we’ve known that he was going here for awhile. He should have a decent season this year, but the team still needs a few more pieces to compete with Boston and Detroit.

2 – Heat – Michael Beasley, Kansas State,PF – I am still a little shocked about this one. All the news you heard from Miami pre-draft was how this guy wasn’t their guy, but they still picked him. I guess it still seems a little fishy, unless it was all political and was trying to bait a trade. Beasley will fit well with Wade and Marion and they will have a much better season this year.

3 – Grizzlies – O.J. Mayo, USC, G – Minnesota did a good job in picking Mayo, but maybe a move was trading him away. The T-wolves received Kevin Love and Mike Miller, which will help a young team. Mayo can play the 1 or 2 and is a very versatile player, but with Mike Conley at the point, Mayo will look to fill the 2 spot. Look for Mayo to do well out of the gate and make Memphis, but they are still a few drafts away from filling the void that Pau Gasol left.

4 – Sonics – Russell Westbrook, UCLA, G – Westbrook was the perfect pick for the Sonics. He can defend, which was a serious need for the Sonics, plus he can help run the offense and get the ball to Durant.

5 – Timberwolves – Kevin Love, UCLA, PF – I didn’t think Love would go this high, but Minnesota finagled a trade with Memphis for the big man who can hit full-court shots. Kevin McHale still needs a lot for the T-wolves to be competitive, but this move looks like a smart one. Minnesota knows that they have a lot of work ahead of them, but for now, the Love/Jefferson combo in the post will drive defenses crazy. Good move McHale, it will take about ten of these moves for the people of Minnesota to forget about KG.

6 – Knicks – Danilo Gallinari, Italy, SF – Time will only tell if this pick will be a good one. His success depends on his ability to handle the pressure of playing in New York. The analysts are comparing Gallinari with Toni Kukoc and Dirk Nowitzki, but don’t they usually compare any big European who has a jumpshot with those guys?

7 – Clippers – Eric Gordon, Indiana, G – As you may already know, “America’s White Boy” have been critical of Eric Gordon in the past. Gordon reminds us of Sam Cassell-type of player who can score in bunches. Cassell had success with the Clippers, in the short time he was there. If Gordon can put together a full season, the Clippers made a good pick here.

8 – Bucks – Joe Alexander, West Virginia, SF – The Bucks were in love with Alexander for a long time now. This pick didn’t come as a surprise to anyone. They drafted three small-forwards in this year’s draft. Tou have to think that they will be good at that position for a few seasons. By the way, “Vanilla Sky” is the best nickname of any draft prospect since Fred Hoiberg’s “The Mayor.”

9 – Bobcats – D.J. Augustin, Texas, PG – A definite surprise here from the Bobcats. Charlotte is trying to trade Raymond Felton and by selecting Augustin, you have the exact opposite of Felton. Augustin isn’t going to be a big-time scorer, but he can handle the ball and run the offense much better.

10 – Nets – Brook Lopez, Stanford, C – “I know the Nets really like Brook Lopez,” that is how I started out my preview for this pick, but I never thought Lopez would be undrafted at this point. The Nets have had a really good day. They picked up Bobby Simmons and Yi for Richard Jefferson, which is making them much more physical. The Nets have needed a frontline scorer since Kenyon Martin left, Lopez fills the need.

11 – Blazers – Jerryd Bayless, Arizona, PG – The Pacers originally picked Bayless, but traded the pick with Ike Diogu to Portland for the #13 pick (Brandon Rush), Jarrett Jack, and Josh McRoberts. The GM for Portland has looked like a genius the last couple seasons, so I can’t really second-guess any of his decisions at this point. Portland will be a contender in the West next season, with or without a healthy Greg Oden.

12 – Kings – Jason Thompson, Rider, PF – Thompson is one of those under-the-radar type of guys, so this was surprising that he would be picked this high. They really needed a point guard, but without Bayless or Augustin available, they had to go with Thompson’s upside. I don’t see him being a factor the next season or two.

13 – Pacers – Brandon Rush, Kansas, SG – (see Pick #11) The Pacers have been in need of a shooting guard since the retirement of Reggie Miller. Rush is a good defender and is a proven winner. He has great size (6’7) and should give other guards troubles with defending his shot. The Pacers traded Bayless for Rush and gained a player that seemed more NBA-ready.

14 – Warriors – Anthony Randolph, LSU, PF – I thought the Warriors would pick Mario Chalmers with this pick, but NBA teams seemed to fall out of love with him. Instead of picking for need, the Warriors picked the next best prospect on the board with Randolph. I don’t understand the logic behind this pick since they drafted a clone of Randolph last season (Brandan Wright). They both are tall, but both need to get much, much stronger. Randolph is 6’10 and only 197lbs, he will end up in the D-League the next two seasons and it would still take a lot of hard work for him to live up to being a lottery pick.

After all the trades shake out, look for a “Draft Winners and Losers” post.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Up & Down – NBA Draft Prospects

I know the NBA draft is a few months away, but the NCAA tournament is fresh in my mind. I’m sure that a lot of stuff will start to come out about the player’s personal lives until draft time that may sway the teams from picking them, but I don’t want that to affect who we love. We also listed a few players that are down on at the moment. I’m not saying that we don’t think these players will be bad NBA players, but they are clearly over-rated.

Players We Love

Derrick Rose– I think there is a chance that Rose will be picked #1 overall. If the Heat end up with that pick, it will be hard to pass up on the guy. They could end up with an all-Chicago-area backcourt of Wade and Rose. I’m sure Beasley could be very effective with Miami, but a scoring point guard is hard to find in the NBA.

Michael Beasley– Everyone I know think Beasley is the best player in this draft. I think Beasley and Rose are kind of 1a and 1b, because they do different things. They are two players that are hard to compare. Beasley plays like Dwight Howard, but with a nice jumper. He is a definitely a game-changing player and can turn any team in the East into a playoff team.

Kevin Love– Love has amazed every scout that has laid eyes on him. He is more than just a regular big man, Love brings skills that sets him apart from other bigger guys in the draft. His cynics say that he isn’t athletic enough to play in the NBA, but he will end up being a threat whenever he touches the ball. He will be in the league for many years.

Players We Don’t Love

Eric Gordon– I hate doing this to a fellow Hoosier, but he totally tanked at the end of the season. I know Indiana was going through a lot of turmoil, but this could be a sign of things to come. If Gordon is stuck in a situation where his team is losing or plays for a coach that he has no confidence in, Gordon won’t give his best. In his lone NCAA tournament game, he played in his worst game. I’m not 100% sold that he has the “character” to play in the NBA right now, he should have stayed another year and dominated.

O.J. Mayo– Mayo has been a possible #1 pick since he was a sophomore in high school. His choice of going to USC surprised everyone and he had a good freshman year. He is another player that could have benefited from staying another year, albeit he would have to play for Tim Floyd. Floyd is not a good teacher, Mayo should have went to a program with an established winner. Mayo needed a Roy Williams or Coach K-type of coach to guide him to mature into his potential. Mayo will be a top-10 pick, but at this point he is clearly coasting on his name alone.

Hasheem Thabeet– I watched a few UConn games this year and at times Thabeet looked very dominant. His defensive abilities are superb, but he is so raw on the offensive end that he may never be a double-double kind of player. At this point he can be compared to Ben Wallace or Dennis Rodman, but without the ability to grab rebound that isn’t supposed to get. Thabeet is 7-3, he will get a lot of rebound just due to his size, but will never be quick enough to grab as he potentially should. If Thabeet can learn to play in the post, he could have a Dikembe Mutombo kind of career, but that could be wishful-thinking.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Hoosiers Love Tom Crean

The Indiana Hoosiers have named Tom Crean as the new head coach. Crean has coached Marquette University since 1999 and has been an assistant for many years. He was an assistant under Jud Heathcote and Tom Izzo at Michigan State, so he knows what to expect as a coach in the Big Ten.

I was born and raised in Indiana and I can’t say that I’ve been much of an IU fan. Kentucky has always been my team, but I respected the Bob Knight years and what they accomplished. My youngest memory of watching college basketball was when the Hoosiers won the 1987 NCAA tournament over Derrick Coleman and Syracuse. I’m not sure if IU can get back to what it was under Knight. I know Indiana is a breeding ground of some amazing talent like Greg Oden and future Tar Heels star, Tyler Zeller, but they never get the state’s best player. In recent years, teams like Ohio State or North Carolina have stolen away the Hoosiers base. I’m can’t say that it is impossible for Crean to win a few Big Ten championships, but I haven’t seen much from Crean’s teams since Dwayne Wade left Marquette. In years after Wade, Crean had Travis Diener and Steve Novak, who are both in the NBA, and did re-create the magic of his lone Final Four team.

Don’t expect Crean to turnaround IU right away. If Eric Gordon stays another year and they get Armon Bassett back, IU could be good enough to make the tourney. Those are big “ifs,” but Crean is what he is and that is a good recruiter, good coach, and squeaky clean violation record.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Didn’t Eric Gordon Used To Be Good?

At the beginning of the season, Eric Gordon looked like a phenom. He was the main reason IU started 17-1 and didn’t look like a freshman. He shot the lights out and was clutch in every game. What happened last night? Not only was Gordon have the worst game of his young college career, but he turned into Vin Baker at the free throw line. The kid is an 84% free throw shooter, but he could barely locate the rim. He was laying enough bricks that he needed to apply for a Home Depot membership card.
I have watched the NCAA tournament for most of my 27 years on this planet. I’ve seen some extraordinary individual achievements (Glen Rice, Randolph Childress, Bo Kimble) that were the main reason that their team won. This was the first time that I have seen the play of one freshman make their team look like a middle school team. I am not only picking on Gordon’s shooting, but he was constantly turning the ball over and making bad passes. Gordon wasn’t even running during most of the game. He walked up and down the court. He wasn’t even running hard to get open. He made Arkansas look like Nolan Richardson’s with Scotty Thurman and Corliss Williamson. I’ve seen Arkansas a few times this year, don’t be fooled, they are not a good as IU made them look.

Before this game, every NBA mock draft had Gordon being a high lottery pick. Do you feel comfortable drafting a guy who looked lazy in the biggest game of his career?

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.