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Too Many NBA GM's Score Low Grades In FA ClassBasketball Betting Lines07/09/2010 - New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - I'm wondering how many general managers did their homework in preparation for the greatest free agent class in NBA history, considering how many ludicrous contracts were given out. Apparently the inmates are running the asylum with the kind of money a number of mediocre-to-average players are taking to the bank with their new deals. Let's grade the significant signings up to this point. MIAMI HEAT: Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, Chris Bosh (financials TBA) A ten-year old could have figured out it was the right move to sign these three, but you have to give Pat Riley credit for making it happen. Grade: A CHICAGO BULLS: Carlos Boozer, 5 years, $75 million This is an upgrade at the power forward position for Chicago, but with Taj Gibson having such a good rookie year, I don't know if I would've spent this much money on Boozer. Grade: B ATLANTA HAWKS: Joe Johnson 6 years, $124 million Maybe Atlanta thought it was signing Magic Johnson. Speaking of magic, it's amazing how Joe Johnson's disappearing act in the playoffs led to a max contract. John Salmons would have been a very viable alternative for the Hawks. Grade: F GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: David Lee, 6 years, $80 million Golden State gave up a talented young player in Anthony Randolph in the sign- and-trade to get Lee, who puts up good numbers but doesn't really impact games. Grade: C MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES: Rudy Gay, 5 years, $81.6 million Memphis finished 40-42 and failed to make the playoffs with Gay last season, so why pay him superstar-type money? I know the Grizzlies would have faced a public relations nightmare to let Gay walk so soon after trading Pau Gasol, but you eventually pay the price for vastly overcompensating a player. Grade: D MILWAUKEE BUCKS: John Salmons, 5 years, $39 million This is clearly the steal of the free agent market so far. Salmons averaged 19.9 ppg in his 30-game stint with Milwaukee, putting up better numbers than the likes of Paul Pierce and Rudy Gay. This is called getting a bang for your buck, or should I say Bucks. Grade: A BOSTON CELTICS: Paul Pierce, 4 years, $61 million; Ray Allen, 2 years, $20 million; Jermaine O'Neal, 2-years, $11.5 million Boston might regret giving four years to Pierce, who is 33, and two years to Allen, who will turn 35 later this month. Grade: B- DALLAS MAVERICKS: Dirk Nowitzki, 4 years, $80 million; Brendan Haywood, 6 years, $55 million The Nowitzki signing was a no-brainer, but giving a 30-year old role player like Haywood a six-year deal for that kind of money makes no sense. Grade: C NEW YORK KNICKS: Amar'e Stoudemire, 5 years, $100 million Donnie Walsh was banking on the signing of Stoudemire leading to another big free agent coming to the Big Apple, but the Knicks came up empty. This is too much of an investment for someone who's not a top-10 player. Grade: C MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: Darko Milicic, 4 years, $20 million This signing proves why America is the land of opportunity. Where else could one of the biggest busts in the history of the NBA draft earn such a big pay day? Grade: I (Ignorant and Incomprehensible) LOS ANGELES LAKERS: Steve Blake, 4 years, $16 million As important as Derek Fisher was in last season's playoff run to the championship, Kobe Bryant had to guard the likes of Russell Westbrook and Rajon Rondo. The problem with the Blake signing is he's a worse defender than Fisher, and doesn't have his big-game resume. Grade: F ORLANDO MAGIC: Chris Duhon, 4 years, $15 million Orlando adds yet another player who doesn't make other players better, along with shooting 39% for his career. Grade: D QUICK DRIBBLES Lance Stephenson looks like he'll be one of the big steals of the draft. The former Cincinnati guard, who was selected with the eighth pick in the second round and number 40 overall by the Pacers, has really stood out in the NBA's Orlando Summer League. He's got size, athleticism, and good basketball skills along with an excellent feel for the game and tremendous on-court confidence. The Nets also look like they got a really good player late in the first round in Damion James. He might even be more NBA-ready than teammate Derrick Favors, who was picked third overall.
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New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Yankees are reportedly close to acquiring pitcher Cliff Lee from the Seattle Mariners. According to the New York Post, the Yankees would send prized catching prospect Jesus Montero to Se
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Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The word "frenzy" is often used to describe the NHL's free agency period, but sitting here today on July 9th, the word "flop" might be more appropriate in describing the excitement level amongst hockey fans.
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FOOTBALL BETTING LINESNFL Football Sports BettingTwo playoff teams from 2007 take center stage on the NFL Network Sunday night in a Week 2 NFL betting match-up when the (0-1) New England Patriots betting head south to Florida for a contest with the (1-0) Tampa Bay Buccaneers. New England HC Bill Belichick couldn’t care less about the way his team plays in the preseason. With a chance to tie last week’s game with the Baltimore Ravens betting, He elected to go for the two-point conversion and outright victory. The conversion failed, and the Pats ended up falling to the Ravens by a 16-15 final count. New England rolled off twelve unanswered points to give it a chance at securing the victory, but it never threatened to cover the 3.5-point spread. NFL bettors saw this one coming, as they bet the Ravens down from +6 to +3.5 as the week progressed. QB Tom Brady didn’t take part in the Patriots first preseason clash, but could see action this weekend. His three replacements all put up embarrassing numbers. They went a combined 17 for 33, and threw three interceptions and no touchdowns. The New England defense was encouraging, as they held the Ravens to 2/12 third down conversions and surrendered just ten first downs. That ‘D’ should be bolstered with the addition of former Bucs and Denver Broncos betting safety John Lynch, who could make his Patriots debut on Sunday against his former mates. HC Jon Gruden had to be impressed with the way his Bucs played on both sides of the ball in their dominating 17-6 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Week 1’s NFL pre-season betting action. Bucs bettors were quite happy with the effort, as they made a mockery of the fact that they were underdogs in the game. The logjam at the quarterback position didn’t get any easier to separate for Gruden, as all four of his QBs had positive experiences in the first exhibition of 2008. The four combined to complete 28 of their 40 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown, and that was without starting QB Jeff Garcia in the lineup. RB Michael Bennett had 19 carries and four receptions, totaling 90 yards and a touchdown. Expect to see more of Bennett, Kenneth Darby, and Earnest Graham, as they all compete for playing time with Warrick Dunn in the backfield this season. Defensively, the Bucs recorded four sacks and held the Fins offense in check all day. First round draft pick Aqib Talib was impressive in the secondary, recording a tackle and two pass defenses in his debut. Don’t be surprised to see Talib in the starting lineup opposite Ronde Barber for the Bucs in ’08. The betting trends suggest that NFL bettors should be backing the Bucs in this intra-conference exhibition. These two teams hooked up last year in Tampa Bay, with the Bucs winning that game 13-10. The Buccaneers have only lost one preseason game at home dating back to the beginning of the ’05 preseason. The Patriots have had a mixed bag of results in their recent exhibitions. They have gone 2-2 ATS and SU each of the last three years. New England currently sits as modest 1-point favorites in this preseason showdown with the ‘total’ now sitting at 34.5. You can find these lines and all of the NFL betting lines , so be sure to login and get your wagers down before kickoff! Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines . |
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