Back on the NBA Wagon

Miami Heat @ Portland Trail Blazers
Opening Spread: Miami -5
Current Spread (as of 6:00pm): Miami -3.5

I know I gave the teaser earlier that I may be picking two NBA lines. There was the caveat that any late line movement would detour me from making the second pick. Cue Chris Bosh. Since the Heat made the announcement that Bosh wouldn't be with the team for at least the next couple of games due to a death in the family, the line has moved over a point. Now I just don't know what to think about that game. Sure the Heat still have Lebron and DWade, but who is going to slow down LaMarcus Aldridge? Don't say Joel Anthony. He's a low post defender that specializes in help defense around the rim. Put him 16ft+ away from the basket with Aldridge facing him up and he's out on an island.

Now I'll admit that my forte isn't NBA, but even Charles Barkley could see that there's going to be match up issues on both sides of the court in that game. For that reason, I consider the Heat versus Trail Blazer's a stay away. If you don't feel good about one side or the other that's enough reason to just walk away and not waste your time or risk your money.

Oklahoma City @ Orlando Magic
Spread: Oklahoma City -1


Oklahoma City has the best scoring duo in the NBA right now. I challenge any of the readers / followers to comment on this post to give me a better duo. I'm certainly playing the odds with that challenge. It's a win / win for me. Let's explore the possibilities:

1. Either I'll get some comment activity on this blog, which is something I wouldn't mind happening, or;
2. No one will comment which will make it look like I made a valid point. Full disclosure, out of 12 posts there has only been two total posts (shout out to my dude @OneTwentyFour for those too)

So to the 10's of readers that follow this blog right now, challenge issued. Challenge my opinion or risk my ego growing just a little bit more.

Now, back to the game. On the other side of the ball, you have a Dwight Howard that was probably playing with 80% effort prior to the All-Star weekend. He was still putting up monster numbers which is really scary. With the trade deadline approaching in the next couple of weeks, I'm curious to see the effort that he puts into these games. It seems as though in these kinds of situations in the NBA, more than any other professional sport, player's seem to have some lackluster performances leading up to their expected departure from a team (i.e., Lebron's last playoff series with Cleveland).

Fact, team's don't play all that well with a distraction, especially a 7'0'' 270lb franchise altering distraction.

Regardless of what Howard we see tonight, the Thunder are going to be running up and down the court often. The Magic are more of a half court team and probably won't respond well to that style of play. Even though the Thunder are on the road, the way that they have been playing, as well as how hot Durant / Westbrook continued to be through the All-Star Game; there's only a few teams that can threaten their momentum ... and the Magic is not one of those teams. The Thunder Roll(s) .. see what I did there?

Pick: Oklahoma City -1