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NBA Weekly Changes
By Mike Neri
One of the important things to keep close tabs on during any sports season is
the subtle shifts that take place all the time with coaches, players and teams,
especially with the playoff approaching. Teams heading to the playoffs will
often make adjustments to try and improve their team for the postseason. Even
teams out of the playoffs will make adjustments like resting star players and
giving more time to the kids.
Did you notice the Celtics have lost 5 in a row, failing to cover in 3 of them?
Did you also notice they are without their top two players, Paul Pierce and
Al Jefferson? Pierce is suffering from a swollen left elbow, a tender left foot
and a frustrating season of various ailments. The Celtics have shut him down.
The Green have a league-minimum of eight-players on the roster and that was
cut to seven when Sebastian Telfair left in the fourth quarter with a mild ankle
sprain, a loss to the 76ers, 102-94.
Denver is finally coming together, just in time for the playoffs, on a 13-5
SU/ATS run. Hard to believe they are focusing more on defense: They were allowing
103.6 points a game entering this week, 106.7 in the first month of the season,
but 99.7 ppg in April. In a recent game, they held the Mavericks to 36 percent
from the field and 17 percent from 3-point range, and finished with just 71
points!
The Nuggets limited the Clippers to 43 percent from the field and 18 percent
from 3-point range. In five wins in seven days, Denver went 3-0 when it scored
more than 100 points, 3-0 when its opponent scored more than 100 points and
2-0 when it scored fewer than 100 points. "We know we can score whenever
we want," forward Carmelo Anthony said. "But it's nice to know we
can do it on the defensive end." Of course, we'll see how that works out
in the playoffs.
When teams are on streaks late in the season, there are usually reasons for
them. A year ago the dysfunctional Knicks were in a late season freefall, going
6-27 Su/11-22 ATS over 33 games. They packed it in! And what has happened this
season? 3-12 SU, 3-12 ATS the last 15 games. Changes don't always work wonders,
but it's important for a good handicapper to know these changes, even small
ones, that are taking place.
It's remarkable that the Hornet continue to play well despite a rash of late
season injuries to key players. Hornets forward David West and guard Devin Brown
have led the charge, on a 5-1 SU/ATS run. With four games left, the Hornets
remain 10th in the Western Conference standings, one game behind No. 8 Golden
State.
You may recall one year ago that Orlando did a major overhaul over the last
month. Orlando went with kids like 7-foot Darko Milicic, 20 years old, and guard
Carlos Arroyo, age 26, and 20-year old Dwight Howard and they got hot. They've
been on a bit of a roll this season trying to make the playoffs on a 5-4 SU/5-3-1
ATS run. But you won't know about things like this unless you look for changes
every day!
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