From American Psycho

25/12/2011 (18:59)

Merry Christmas to everyone! And we have the
opening day in the NBA today with great games, as they scheduled in the program
to attract quickly the fans after the lockout quiet things down. Of course,
beware that teams do not even gave exhibition games to prepare for the season,
nor they have done serious training camps.
They have new players and exchanges
going on and of course they need time, while the players are not ready yet
essentially as personal preparation is very little this year and most of them
were on holiday six months and counting!
So beware, especially the defenses will not be
ready. You already have the Injury and
Absence Report. And from there we go as we have a full analysis to what we
see today:

New York Knicks – Boston Celtics
This is a great traditional rivalry. New York
this year is renewed and very powerful in 3-5 positions and if Pierce doesn’t
play (probably out) the Celtics will play with Garnett at 5, since they don’t have a serious big man.
So the Knicks
will put the ball inside their forwards with Stoudemire and Anthony and
Boston
will have a problem. However, they have superiority in the perimeter with the
duo of Rondo and Allen and as the
Knicks are missing Davis (injured).
Logically the home court advantage counts and we
take the odds of 1.50 falling. Falling also the under at 193 which is marginal.

Dallas Mavericks – Miami Heat
Both teams are not ready. Dallas kept Nowitzki but changed many players in the title team and their
perimeter has aged and lost the precious…shortly Barea! They lost yesterday the useful in defense Stevenson and of course Chandler.
Miami remains without a quality point
guard and a center, but with the three super players LeBron, Wade and Bosh, they want a rematch early on for last year’s
finals. Miami
has a lead and we take the 1.55 or so. The under is falling but we don’t
mess with it at 189 points.

Los Angeles Lakers – Chicago Bulls
Lakers don’t have a good atmosphere, as they did not get the transfer they wanted with
Paul or Howard and Kobe is doubtful. Anyway they have a
problem with Fisher aging at the point
and beyond that Bynum at the center
is suspended. Do not forget, they have a new coach because the coach of titles Jackson left
and Brown the new coach have been in
Cleveland,
and even with LeBron he did not get the
title.
Chicago is the same team as last year, has a good chance for the handicap, especially
if Kobe does not play. Falls the 1.60 and we take
Bulls (2). Probable is also the under at 1.85, falling as well.

Oklahoma City Thunder – Orlando
Magic
Oklahoma is the favorite, and impressed everyone
last year in the playoffs and is the most up and coming team in the NBA, but
has a problem this year also at the Center. Logically they will start well.
Orlando has been grumbling for Van Gundy on the bench and Howard wants to get traded.
He could not get the title while always getting close and there is now a heavy atmosphere,
especially after last year’s faillure early in the playoffs with Atlanta.
However the game is not for 1.20 and 1.25 and we
are not touching it. It’s more towards Orlando with +8, but we have no real knowledge of the
team and Oklahoma plays with enthusiasm at home.

Golden State Warriors – Los Angeles Clippers
Last year we would say that play the two …
lazy teams, as Golden State
traditionally does not play defense, but is a  team of offense and Warriors as their name implies, with a lot of surprises. This year they
changed everything, but again be careful as we don’t have knowledge of the team,
though logically it is still a mediocre team without goals.
Unlike the Clippers,
who have more talent, but essentially they have no substance. This year they start
with a thousand dreams! Even Kobe Bryant
acknowledges them … (after all they had two exhibition games with the
Lakers)!
With the new big asset of Paul along with Billups
(which is doubtful, however) in the perimeter and Griffin
make a team full of aspirations, and even for the finals in the West, but it’s
early.
Today, however, reasonably they win and we get the
1.50!

Our Picks:
Wins: we pick New York, Los Angeles
Clippers, Miami, Chicago (3-4).