NBA2K9 Contest Starts Now!
November 29, 2008
Now is the time to set your roster for November 30th’s games in our fantasy basketball contest. Your roster needs to be set by Noon EST on November 30th! Remember to set your roster by Noon EST each day every day from 11/30 to 12/6.
The contest is simple. Score the most points in our fantasy basketball league from 11/30 to 12/6 and you win NBA2K9. For more information, click here.
It doesn’t matter if you haven’t played at all up to this point. It’s a salary cap league so everyone is on the same playing field and all that matters is how you do next week.
Click here to register now!
Good luck!
Pick of the Week: Nuggets (-4) at Timberwolves
November 28, 2008
Image by Getty Images via Daylife
So we’re 1-1 in our picks now as the Magic came through last week, not only covering the spread, but beating the Pacers straight up. This week we’ll try something new and pick the favorite. The Denver Nuggets are on a roll right now and not only will they beat the Timberwolves, but they’ll win by more than 4! I’m sure George Karl likes that pick!
Here’s why you need to think about picking the Nuggets tomorrow:
- This team is on fire! They’re 9-3 in their last 12 games and look at who those 3 losses are: Lakers, Hornets, Cavaliers. Not too shabby.
- In that stretch, they won at Boston and at San Antonio by 9 and 10, respectively. Yeah, I think they can handle Minnesota by only 4 or more.
- This is a back-to-back for Minnesota while the Nuggets will be rested. Minnesota is in Oklahoma City tonight, then has to fly home.
I’m honestly surprised this game is only a 4 point spread. This could easily be a blowout.
Head on over to BetUS to make your picks for this weekend!
What NBA Teams Have to be Thankful For
November 26, 2008
It’s been a good year for some and a bad year for others, but every team, no matter how bad has something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving (yes, including the Thunder). So this Thanksgiving…instead of sulking over that trade you wish your team had made, look at the bright side! Here’s some things you can be thankful for no matter which team you support.
Atlanta Hawks - Be thankful for a return to respectability, it’s been a while.
Boston Celtics - Um, 17 NBA Championships good enough for ya?
Charlotte Bobcats - You’ve got a young and exciting core. The future is full of possibilities.
Chicago Bulls - Derrick Rose. Enough said.
Cleveland Cavaliers - Be thankful for contract law which will keep Lebron around until at least 2010.
Dallas Mavericks - At least it’s the owner facing insider trading charges and not you!
Denver Nuggets - Having a real point guard.
Detroit Pistons - Having a surreal two guard.
Golden State Warriors - Be thankful for having an exciting, high-scoring offense. You’re halfway there.
Houston Rockets - Neither Yao nor T-Mac is out for the year yet.
Indiana Pacers - Danny Granger is turning into a gem.
Los Angeles Clippers - Be thankful your team is underachieving and could get better rather than just being really bad.
Los Angeles Lakers - Kobe.
Memphis Grizzlies - O.J. Mayo is the real deal.
Miami Heat - D-Wade is healthy and playing great! What more could you ask for.
Minnesota Timberwolves - Um….maybe the Golden Rule applies and the Celtics will return you the favor of a franchise player in the future.
New Jersey Nets - You might move to Brooklyn and get Lebron.
New Orleans Hornets - Chris freakin’ Paul
New York Knicks - D’Antoni, Lebron maybe? Things are looking up.
Oklahoma City Thunder - At least the drama is over with and you have a city to play in, right?
Orlando Magic - Dwight Howard is only 22!
Philadelphia 76ers -You aren’t off to a sputtering start like last season and have a good shot at the playoffs.
Phoenix Suns - You get to host the All-Star game, plus your team ain’t too shabby.
Portland Trailblazers - Greg Oden, Brandon Roy - oh, yes, the investments look like they might pay off.
Sacramento Kings - As a fan, your number (#6) is retired!
San Antonio Spurs - You could start with being thankful for the last decade and once you’re healthy, this year should be pretty good too.
Toronto Raptors - See “Cleveland Cavaliers” and replace Lebron with Bosh.
Utah Jazz - Be thankful the Western Conference Finals are a real possibility.
Washington Wizards - At least injuries tend to heal, your 2nd half could be great.
NBA Power Rankings - Week 5
November 25, 2008
As the 5th week of the season begins, we’re seeing relatively few surprises. The Knicks have been better than expected, the Clippers worse, and the Rockets look like they might be the title contenders some expected, but there aren’t really any major surprises. Seeing the Wizards at 1-10 and firing Eddie Jordan surely was not expected, but without Gilbert Arenas and Brendan Haywood, NBA fans weren’t shocked in the least. Here’s a look at this week’s power rankings:
1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. Boston Celtics
3. Cleveland Cavaliers
4. Orlando Magic
5. New Orleans Hornets
6. Houston Rockets
7. Detroit Pistons
8. Phoenix Suns
9. Utah Jazz
10. Denver Nuggets
11. Portland Trailblazers
12. Atlanta Hawks
13. San Antonio Spurs
14. Dallas Mavericks
15. New York Knicks
16. Philadelphia 76ers
17. Miami Heat
18. Toronto Raptors
19. Chicago Bulls
20. New Jersey Nets
21. Miami Heat
22. Golden State Warriors
23. Indiana Pacers
24. Milwaukee Bucks
25. Charlotte Bobcats
26. Memphis Grizzlies
27. Minnesota Timberwolves
28. Los Angeles Clippers
29. Washington Wizards
30. Oklahoma City Thunder
At this point, some big questions are:
- Will the Wizards turn it around?
- Can the Rockets challenge the Lakers?
- Will the Knicks make the playoffs?
What do you think?
Pick of the Week: Magic (+2) at Pacers
November 21, 2008
Alright, last week’s pick was close but no cigar for as the Thunder came up just short of the spread against the Knicks, but I’m feeling confident this week. I’d still feel confident betting against the Knicks on just about anything, but there’s a better game in tonight’s lineup. Look at the Magic! 2 point dogs at Indiana. Ok, Orlando has won 4 straight, including 3 on the road, and they’re underdogs to a mediocre Pacers team?!? Looks like a good pick to me. Of course a road NBA game is always tough, but the Magic are young and will be well-rested for this one. I like the Magic to win this straight up and the 2-point spread is just icing on the cake.
Here are some good reasons to look at the Magic tonight:
- As we mentioned, Orlando will be well-rested. They’ll have had 2 days of rest and they’re young anyways so fresh legs are a guarantee.
- Orlando is on a roll. They’ve won 4 straight and will need to win games like this if they want to compete with Boston, Cleveland, or Detroit for Eastern Conference supremacy.
- The Pacers have no answer for Dwight Howard. Jeff Foster and Rasho Nesterovic aren’t physical enough to slow him down.
Of course no bet comes without peril and this one is no exception. We have to consider that the Pacers handled the Celtics at home earlier in the year and Indiana is always a pretty tough place to play. With that being said, I still think Orlando will not only cover the spread, but win this one outright.
Remember, sign up at BetUS and make your own picks!
NBA Power Rankings - Week 4
November 17, 2008
The Lakers and Celtics remain atop our power rankings, but 2 of last week’s top 5 have lost 3 straight (Hawks, Jazz)! Are we a jinx? It’s too early to say, but it will be interesting to see how this week’s top 5 fares. Meanwhile, the Wizards and Mavs seem intent on ruining their season while the Spurs are trying to stay afloat amid their injury situation.
1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. Boston Celtics
3. Cleveland Cavaliers
4. Phoenix Suns
5. Orlando Magic
6. Detroit Pistons
7. New Orleans Hornets
8. Utah Jazz
9. Houston Rockets
10. Denver Nuggets
11. Atlanta Hawks
12. Philadelphia 76ers
13. Portland Trailblazers
14. Miami Heat
15. Toronto Raptors
16. San Antonio Spurs
17. New York Knicks
18. Sacramento Kings
19. Dallas Mavericks
20. Golden State Warriors
21. New Jersey Nets
22. Chicago Bulls
23. Indiana Pacers
24. Milwaukee Bucks
25. Washington Wizards
26. Charlotte Bobcats
27. Memphis Grizzlies
28. Los Angeles Clippers
29. Oklahoma City Thunder
30. Minnesota Timberwolves
What do you think of this week’s rankings?
Win NBA 2K9 in our Fantasy Basketball Contest!
November 16, 2008
HoopsAvenue is proud to announce we’ll be giving away NBA 2K9 to 1 lucky skilled winner in our first fantasy basketball contest of the season!
It does not matter if you’re in first, last, somewhere in between, or not even registered right now because everyone can win. Whoever scores the most points in HoopsAvenue Fantasy Basketball from November 30th to December 6th wins. Pay attention to the “This Week” overall leaderboard during that timeframe for a running tally of the contest. When we update the December 6th results at Noon EST on December 7th, whoever is in first place for the week is the winner!
Click here to join HoopsAvenue Fantasy Basketball
We’ll be happy to send you either the XBox 360, PS3, or PC version of the game. Here’s what you’re playing for:
Remember: You could be in first, last, somewhere in between, or NOT HAVE EVEN JOINED HOOPSAVENUE yet, and you can still win as long as you score the most points in our fantasy basketball game from November 30th to December 6th.
We highly recommend you join ASAP if you haven’t already to get familiar with the game. I’m willing to bet that nobody who joins a day or 2 before the contest will have enough time to really figure out how to win.
Also, remember your roster must be set by Noon EST each day so don’t miss a day! Your first roster needs to be set by Noon EST on November 30th. If you miss a day, technically you could still win, but, let’s face it, probably not gonna happen. It’s going to be very competitive, but everyone’s got a shot!
Good luck!
Click here to join HoopsAvenue Fantasy Basketball
Pick of the Week: Thunder (+8) at Knicks
November 14, 2008
It’s Friday and that means a lot of us are poring over the odds looking for that winning bet for the weekend. HoopsAvenue is going to make a pick each Friday and we’ll keep track how we do. You can get in on the action either in the comments section or, even better, play for real at BetUS, our recommended betting site.
Alright, so this Friday we are picking the Thunder as 8-point underdogs at the New York Knicks. Don’t expect the Thunder to win, but they should cover the spread. Here’s our reasoning:
- The Knicks hadn’t beaten anyone by more than 8 until they blew out the Grizzlies by 29 on Wednesday (can you say fluke?)
- The Knicks aren’t that good and teams that aren’t that good don’t usually win all the games they are supposed to (like at home against the Thunder).
- The Thunder are hungry. They’re playing at a 10-win pace right now and we don’t expect they will be that bad so this is a game that mentally you want to pull out even though its on the road.
- Kevin Durant says he will “most definitely” play after missing Wednesday’s game with a sore left ankle. We’re rolling the dice and predicting the young Durant will be perfectly fine and rested for this one.
Go ahead, take the Thunder or take the Knicks. It’s up to you and just so you don’t get mad at us, remember that any of our picks are not guarantees, but merely our opinions.
So, who you taking this weekend? And, remember to place those bets over at BetUS (finally a betting site that is easy on the eyes).
NBA Power Rankings - Week 3
November 10, 2008
The season is still extremely young, but it’s never too early to take a look at the power rankings. HoopsAvenue will be releasing our rankings every week from now until the end of the season. It’s no surprise the Lakers and Celtics are off to great starts and atop our list, but the Hawks are the big surprise at #4. Knicks fans may be disappointed we didn’t give their team more love, but it’s going to take more than a 4-2 start for us to believe in that franchise. Heres’ the entire list…
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Boston Celtics
- Utah Jazz
- Atlanta Hawks
- New Orleans Hornets
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Phoenix Suns
- Orlando Magic
- Detroit Pistons
- Houston Rockets
- Toronto Raptors
- Miami Heat
- Dallas Mavericks
- San Antonio Spurs
- Denver Nuggets
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Indiana Pacers
- Portland Trailblazers
- Chicago Bulls
- Golden State Warriors
- Sacramento Kings
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Washington Wizards
- New Jersey Nets
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Charlotte Bobcats
- New York Knicks
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Minnesota Timberwolves
The 4 Biggest Early Season Surprises
November 9, 2008
We haven’t even gotten through the first two weeks yet and some things have happened that have taken even the most attentive NBA fans by surprise. Of course not everything has been a surprise. The Celtics and Lakers are in first place as expected, Dwight Howard and Lebron James continue to dominate, and Inside the NBA is as entertaining as ever, but this list takes a look at 5 things we didn’t see coming.
4. The Spurs are 1-4.
The Spurs are known for their slow starts, but this is ridiculous. Tim Duncan and Tony Parker are both putting up good numbers, but the Spurs can’t seem to guard anybody. They’ve only held 2 of their opponents under 100, at 98 and 99 points. That’s not the defense this team is known for. Now with Parker joining Ginobili on the injured list, things are not looking good in the city of the Alamo.
3. Tony Parker dropped 55 on the Timberwolves.
The T-Wolves aren’t exactly the best competition in the world, but since when did Tony Parker become MJ dropping the double nickel? For the last 3 years this guy has averaged just under 19 points per game, like clockwork. 18.9, 18.6, 18.8. He even opened the season with 32 and his season low was 22 in his first four games. Unfortunately, Parker is out the next 4 weeks with an ankle sprain. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of pace he can keep up when he returns.
2. The Atlanta Hawks are undefeated.
Don’t look now, but the Hawks are undefeated at 5-0. It was only last year this team finally moved past joke status to become and up-and-coming team, and now they are tops in the East?!? Ok, so it is only 5 games and they aren’t going to be the #1 seed in all likelihood, but they are among select company with the Lakers being the only other undefeated team (as of tipoff Sunday night). The Hawks have won at New Orleans and Orlando, too, so it’s not like they are beating up on chumps. Don’t be surprised if this team is hosting an opening round playoff series.
1. Allen Iverson traded to Detroit for Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess, and Cheick Samb.
Ok, if you predicted this, you must be Nostradamus because there’s no way I could imagine Chauncey Billups not wearing a Pistons jersey in early November. Iverson being traded? Eh, stranger things have happened, but if you told me he was traded I would assume he had a hissy fit first and refused to play. That was not the case. This was simply a straight-up blockbuster trade the Pistons and Nuggets both felt would improve their team in one way or another, on the court and/or in the balance sheet. It doesn’t surprise me the Pistons made a move as they needed to do try something new if they want to dethrone the Celts, but trading Billups was shocking. He’s a clutch performer and has even earned the nickname “Big Shot”. You usually don’t want to give up your team leader and go-to guy, but sometimes you have to to get a guy like Iverson. Kudos to the Pistons and Nuggets for shocking us with a big deal that makes sense on both sides early in the season rather than making us wait until the trade deadline like most teams do.
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