Greatest profit-filled segment of the sports capping year:
The NBA Playoffs...gotta be THRILLED beyond words
(Especially after hearing the best three words we’ve heard in these parts for 4 long seasons, ‘Playoff-Ticket-Priority’ …. Go Blazers.
Time to get to work
Sat Apr 19, 2014 | 12:35 PM, EDT | ESPN
Air Canada Center | Toronto, Ontario (Canada)
6 BROOKLYN NETS (44-38)
3 TORONTO RAPTORS (48-34)
6 BKL
[1]
BKL 6-03 | 210 DERON WILLIAMS (29y)
BKL 6-02 | 190 Marquis Teague (21y)
BKL 6-03 | 195 Jorge Gutierrez (25y)
[2]
BKL 6-07 | 182 SHAUN LIVINGSTON (28y)
BKL 6-04 | 205 Marcus Thornton (26y)
BKL 6-06 | 200 Alan Anderson (31y)
[3]
BKL 6-08 | 225 JOE JOHNSON (32y)
BKL 6-09 | 220 Andrei Kirilenko (33y)
[4]
BKL 6-06 | 230 PAUL PIERCE (36y)
BKL 6-08 | 235 Mirza Teletovic (28y)
[5]
BKL 6-11 | 253 KEVIN GARNETT (37y)
BKL 6-10 | 235 Mason Plumlee (24y)
BKL 6-11 | 235 Andray Blatche (27y)
BKL 7-00 | 255 Jason Collins (35y)
3 TOR
[1]
TOR 6-00 | 175 KYLE LOWRY (28y)
TOR 6-06 | 200 Greivis Vasquez (27y)
[2]
TOR 6-06 | 195 TERRENCE ROSS (23y)
TOR 6-07 | 210 John Salmons (34y)
[3]
TOR 6-07 | 220 DeMAR DeROZAN (24y)
TOR 6-09 | 210 Amir Johnson (27y)
[4]
TOR 6-09 | 235 PATRICK PATTERSON (25y)
TOR 6-10 | 220 Steve Novak (30y)
[5]
TOR 6-11 | 231 JONAS VALANCIUNAS (21y)
TOR 6-10 | 250 Tyler Hansbrough (29y)
This series features a classic, clear and palpable contrast
The Nets’ likable ex-Celts, last-gasp-at-glory KG & Pierce;
Age & Championship Experience
vs
Toronto’s youthful, Lotto-breakthru & ex-Rockets’ inexhaustible starting 5; all in their 20’s, high-energy guys’ with the ever-dichotomous, accompanying Inexperience
The matchups we know we’ll keep hearing about are probably a bit ancillary
The Nets 37 Year Old KG vs Raps’ 21-years young, Powerpost, 6-11
Valsnciunas?
While compelling storylines, may cancel each other out for the most part
A more appropriate assessment may highlight the all-important Matchups It’s often stated that Brooklyn & Toronto have an abundance of EVEN Head-to-Head Matchups
[3 | SMALL FORWARD]
Brooklyn 6-08 “Joe-Joe Jay” Johnson
Toronto 6-07 Demar DeRozan
BOTH ended 2013-14 Regular Season in TOP 5 East SF’s
DeRozan clearly has a lack of Playoff Experience, (especially in contrast to Johnson)
Yet DeRozan's sparkling numbers, (22.7 PPG) left him 2nd to ONLY King James in P.E.R., Personal Efficiency Rating in East Small Forwards
DeRozan was a WORKHORSE; logging a robust 38.4 MPG
The 32 Year Old Johnson was solid as ever;
Leading the Nets in Scoring (16 PPG)
Yet, truthfully, this Matchup is really falls squarely to Toronto’s DeRozan this year & in this series
[1 | POINT GUARD]
Brooklyn 6-03 Deron Williams
Toronto 6-00 Kyle Lowry
Before folks naturally hand this Edge to Brooklyn & Deron Williams,
One must consider the body of work that Toronto’s Kyle Lowry has produced
Deron Williams had another highly productive year; finishing as the 4th Rated Point in the East (#14 NBA), w/3 to 1 Assist/Turnover Ratio to accompany 14.3 PPG
Toronto’s 28-year old Kyle Lowry was truly dealing for Raps; coming into a Career Year, Avg Ing MORE than 3 to 1 Assist|Turnover%
Moreover, Lowry drained 2½ Threes/Game at 37.7%, while scoring 17.4 PPG
LOWRY IS HIGHEST RATED ECF POINT GUARD (ESPN Hollinger ‘P.E.R’)
Overall, Game 1 (after we gain the knowledge of the officiating crew)
Might be the cleanest look we get at the natural ‘best’ team covering
Especially in THIS series
Had initial lean w/Over, & with the number sinking to 194, playing it small
Despite Playoffs running 3-5% slower
And these 2 Teams combined for a #25 average Pace
Just believe the energy Toronto professes to ‘saturate’ Nets within, & Brooklyn’s fading Defensive numbers (#18 in NBA)
And the fact that the Raps Defensive Numbers are quite good (#9 NBA)
Liking Raptors to Win a 105-96 type game,
For all Toronto’s positives, the one issue they’ve had is PF’s & allowing FT’s
BKL is #5 in FT Rate | TOR is #22 in FT Rate Allowed
Still, the old-guard Refs are always chosen as the best (graded) stripes for Playoffs
Crawford’s, McCutcheon’s etc, don’t call the bump & nudge nearly as tight
ESPECIALLY in Game 1’s
These young Raptors are rested, w/a Deeper, more energetic Backcourt
If they are apt to be up for a Playoff Game, The HOME Game 1 is the time
Game 2, ‘adjustment’ time
Brooklyn could be the square play that hits for a Vet Squad w2 Days to prep (Tuesday)
1 UNIT
BROOKLYN
TORONTO | OVER 194 (-110 | sportsbook.ag)
2 UNIT
BROOKLYN
TORONTO -2½ (-115 | Betonline.com)
_____
Sat Apr 19, 2014 | 7:05 PM, EDT | ESPN
Bankers Life Fieldhouse | Indianapolis, Indiana
8 ATLANTA HAWKS (38-44)
1 INDIANA PACERS (56-26)
8 ATL
[1]
ATL 6-02 | 181 JEFF TEAGUE (25y)
ATL 6-03 | 207 Shelvin Mack (23y)
ATL 6-01 | 168 Dennis Schroeder (20y)
[2]
ATL 6-07 | 212 KYLE KORVER (33y)
ATL 6-01 | 175 Louis Williams (27y)
[3]
ATL 6-07 | 220 CARTIER MARTIN (29y)
ATL 6-08 | 212 DeMarre Carroll (27y)
ATL 6-04 | 215 John Jenkins (23y)
[4]
ATL 6-08 | 253 PAUL MILLSAP (29y)
ATL 6-08 | 237 Mike Scott (25y)
[5]
ATL 6-11 | 260 PERO ANTIC (31y)
ATL 6-09 | 254 Elton Brand (35y)
ATL 6-11 | 239 Mike Muscala (22y)
ATL 6-10 | 250 Gustavo Ayon (29y)
1 IND
[1]
IND 6-02 | 180 GEORGE HILL (27y)
IND 6-02 | 180 C.J. Watson (30y)
[2]
IND 6-05 | 210 LANCE STEPHENSON (23y)
IND 6-07 | 220 Evan Turner (25y)
[3]
IND 6-08 | 210 PAUL GEORGE (23y)
IND 6-07 | 225 Solomon Hill (23y)
[4]
IND 6-09 | 250 DAVID WEST (33y)
IND 6-09 | 245 Luis Scola (34y)
IND 6-09 | 255 Lavoy Allen (25y)
[5]
IND 7-02 | 290 ROY HIBBERT (27y)
IND 6-11 | 230 Ian Mahinmi (27y)
IND 7-00 | 265 Andrew Bynum (26y) INJ
Simple premise here:
Biggest of the Big & (lately) most maligned NBA Team
Facing off vs a 43.4% Win-%, Horford-Less, Vacant-in-Post Hawks?
Indy & their ‘D-W-W-D’ (Do What We Do) Coach
Should look to grind & lean & slog their way to a 93-82 Type Win
2 UNIT
ATLANTA
INDIANA | UNDER 186 (-110 | sportsbook.ag)
All the best, guys
(May have a considerable play in Sunday’s Portland at Houston Game
Yet not till Sun AM, upon the releaser of the all-important Referee Assignments)