The Sixth Man: Lin proving the skeptics wrong

Basketball Betting Lines

02/13/2012 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - If an unproven scriptwriter took Jeremy Lin's story to Hollywood a month ago, he would have probably been thrown out on his ear.

"Too unrealistic, kid," a jaded Tinseltown exec likely would have told the young scribe.

After all, a skinny Asian-American kid from Harvard outdueling Kobe Bryant in Madison Square Garden? The Looney Tunes beating the Monstars in "Space Jam" was more realistic.

But there was Lin last Friday dismantling Kobe and the mighty Lakers, using his smarts, savvy and craftiness to find seam after seam in a defense manned by a couple of lengthy 7-footers in Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol.

The former Reno Bighorn and Erie Bayhawk dropped in a career-high 38 points and dished out seven assists in a 92-85 Knicks win over L.A., one that snapped New York's nine-game skid to the Lakers.

In fact, Lin has done something in less than a week that a five-time NBA All- Star couldn't do in a year -- he made the Knicks his team.

Neither Carmelo Anthony nor Amare Stoudemire have resembled anything but overpriced square pegs being pounded into a round hole night after night by a coach, Mike D'Antoni, who longs for the days of Steve Nash running his seven- seconds-or-less offense.

When Rick Pitino was stinking it up in Boston a number of years ago, he once snapped at reporters after a frustrating loss, saying, "Larry Bird isn't walking through that door. Kevin McHale isn't walking through that door." The implication was clear -- no one was coming to save Pitino or his Celtics, they would have to do it themselves.

In a similar vein, Nash wasn't coming to save D'Antoni and Toney Douglas, Iman Shumpert and Baron Davis proved incapable. The status quo had the Knicks floundering at 8-15 and perhaps the most disappointing team in all of basketball.

Only desperation gave Lin his chance and in seven days this unlikely protagonist took an overpaid, under-performing roster and turned them into a possible championship contender.

"It's a completely different team," Knicks center Tyson Chandler said when talking about Lin's impact. "You can't look at this team the same. He's not a fluke."

LeBron never came to save the day in Gotham, but an econ major who could have served as an extra in "The Social Network" did.

Scouts who missed the boat on Lin are already trying to poke holes in his game. Most detractors point that a lockout-truncated season short on practice time has rendered coaches unable to implement ways to stop Lin.

Once they figure out his jumper isn't reminiscent of Dell Curry's, or that his lateral movement isn't exactly Tony Allen-esqe, things will start to change.

Lin isn't Pete Maravich, so the numbers are going to settle down at some point, especially when the Knicks' resident ball-stopper is back in the lineup. That said, understand anyone who can put together four straight games of 20-plus points, six-plus assists and 50 percent shooting at the NBA level has talent.

"I don't know what to tell you," D'Antoni gushed. "I have never seen this. What he's doing is amazing."

Talent, however, doesn't guarantee an opportunity and Lin's long winding road to success is more than a bit of an indictment on the NBA's system for judging its players.

I wish I could say I saw it coming.

But, an Asian-American kid out of Harvard who can play with Kobe Bryant?

Get out of my office.

Idolonfoz Basketball Betting News

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MySportsbook.com: NBA Championship Odds

With the playoffs about two months away, the top two teams in the Western Conference are the clear cut leaders to win the NBA Championship. The Dallas Mavericks have the best record in the NBA (44-9) and have been absolutely scorching since the second week of the season.  What makes the Mavs’ record more impressive is the fact that they dropped their first four games of the season.  Currently they have won 17 out of their last 18 and are MySportsbook.com’s favorite (2-1) to win it all.  Right behind the Mavs are the Pacific leading Phoenix Suns (39-13).  Last season, the Suns lost in the Conference Finals to non-other then the Mavericks four games to two.  Of course the Suns were without center Amare Stoudemire who has is averaging 19.9 PPG and 9.5 RPG since coming back from his knee injury.  Unlike the Mavs, the Suns have struggled a bit lately having lost their last three and four out of their last seven.  Of course the main reason for their three straight loses is due to the absence of two time MVP Steve Nash, who is out with a shoulder injury.  Heads-up, the Mavs have beaten the Suns in both of their meetings this season.

In the Eastern Conference, the Pistons (32-19) are the favorites to win it all at 6-1. The addition of Chris Webber seems to have been a good move for the Pistons.  Since coming over from the 76ers, Webber has averaged 13.1 PPG and 7.3 RPG and the Pistons are 11-4.  Even though the defending champion Heat are currently on the playoff making cusp, they are the Eastern Conference team that is getting the most action to win it all (9-1).  The fact that Shaquille O’Neal is back in the starting lineup after missing 39 games probably has something to do with this.  No doubt, Shaq makes a difference when in the lineup as their winning six out of their last seven would indicate.

Just because it is the All-Star break doesn’t mean that you can’t bet on NBA hoops this weekend.  Be sure to log onto MySportsbook.com to bet on who you think will cut down the nets this July. Also, be sure to check out all of the lines and props for All-Star weekend.  With the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry, there are plenty of ways to cash in on the NBA this weekend.

MySportsbook.com’s NBA Championship odds:

Atlanta Hawks 1000-1

Boston Celtics 5000-1

Charlotte Bobcats 5000-1

Chicago Bulls 20-1

Cleveland Cavaliers 20-1

Dallas Mavericks 2-1

Denver Nuggets 25-1

Detroit Pistons 6-1

Golden State Warriors 250-1

Houston Rockets 12-1

Indiana Pacers 60-1

Los Angeles Clippers 45-1

Memphis Grizzlies 5000-1

Miami Heat 9-1

Milwaukee Bucks 1000-1

Minnesota T-Wolves 200-1

New Jersey Nets 50-1

New Orleans Hornets 150-1

New York Knicks 150-1

Orlando Magic 75-1

Philadelphia 76ers 1000-1

Phoenix Suns 5-2

Portland TrailBlazers 1000-1

Sacramento Kings 250-1

San Antonio Spurs 9-1

Seattle Sonics 5000-1

Toronto Raptors 35-1

Utah Jazz 20-1

Washington Wizards 25-1

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MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.

Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.

According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).

Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.

''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
    
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.

Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.

''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''

Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
   
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.

”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
   
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.

For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.