Duncan – Spurs Haven’t Achieved Anything Yet

With four NBA championship winners medals in his collection, Tim Duncan knows what it takes to go all the way with this San Antonio Spurs team, and the 36-year old has a great chance of adding a fifth title to his haul.

The veteran has played a major role in the Spurs’ stunning 18-game winning streak, averaging 17.7 points and nine rebounds in the play-offs alone. Another victory would take the team level with the LA Lakers’ record of 19 straight victories, from their 2001 season.

Despite storming their way into the Western Conference finals against the Oklahoma Thunder, courtesy of a 4-0 series win against the LA Clippers, Duncan has made it clear that the Spurs have yet to achieve anything.

They will need to keep winning if they are to add a fifth NBA title to their previous successes, in 1999, 2003, 2005, and 2007.

While admitting there was a similar feeling to this team as to the other Spurs sides that Duncan has tasted success with, the powerful forward has called on his teammates to maintain their current level of performance, going into their Western Conference finals against Oklahoma.

“It feels a lot like some of the other championship teams. In saying that, we haven’t done anything yet”, Duncan said. “We’ve won two rounds. We haven’t done anything, so you can’t qualify, or classify, our team as anything other than that we’ve gotten this far.”

The signs are certainly positive for the Spurs, going into their final. They are the only team to average over 100 points per game in the play-offs, with the whole team playing major roles in the scoring and not leaving it to Duncan and Tony Parker.

Fans who like to bet on basketball can learn a thing or two from the NBA betting tips on the Bet365 website.

Stern slams greedy agents

NBA commissioner David Stern believes players’ agents are to blame for the failure to come to an agreement to end the lockout.

Some NBA players are believed to be discussing the possibility of disbanding their union as discussions to agree a new labour deal continue to falter, but Stern thinks that is a poor tactic. Those placing an NBA bet will hope things get sorted soon.

He is concerned that the players are not getting the proper information about the contents of the latest proposal from the NBA because their agents are worried it will cost them money.

“By some combination of mendacity and greed, the agents who are looking out for themselves rather than their clients are trying to scuttle the deal,” said Stern.

“They’re engaged in what appears to be an orchestrated Twitter campaign and a series of interviews that are designed to deny the economic realities of the proposal.”

Player representatives will meet on Monday to decide if they should put the latest proposal from the NBA to a vote. Union leaders gave the offer a lukewarm reaction last week leading to concerns that the entire season may have to be cancelled.

The revised proposal does not meet all the players’ wishes although the NBA have made some compromises. The offer increases the “mini” mid-level exception for teams over the luxury tax to $3million annually for three years, allows taxpayers to take part in sign-and-trades for the first two years, and adds another mid-level for teams under the salary cap.

Owners also want a 50-50 split of basketball-related income but, if the players reject the latest offer, then the next proposal will be for a 53-47 split in favour of the owners.

Should the players accept the deal, a 72-game season would start on 15th December.

New deadline set to end lockout

The NBA players have been given until Wednesday to decide whether to accept the latest offer on basketball-related income. After an eight-hour negotiating session in New York over the weekend, NBA Commissioner David Stern said federal mediator George Cohen had proposed six compromise proposals. The league had accepted five of them, placing pressure on the union to accept a deal.

The league have offered a 49-51 per cent split of basketball-related income, based on the league’s revenue but, if that is not accepted, Stern says the offer would drop to 47 per cent of income for players with a “flex” cap, which the union has described as a hard salary cap in disguise. People who bet on basketball will hope things are sorted soon.

“We hope that this juxtaposition will cause the union to assess its position and accept the deal,” Stern said. “I think it’s fair to say that the union rejected the mediators’ recommendations and our proposal. But hope springs eternal, and we would love to see the union accept the proposal that is now on the table.”

The first month of the regular season has already been cancelled and there will be no games played in November. Players have offered to reduce their share of income from 57 per cent under the terms of the old collective bargaining agreement to 52 per cent. The lockout began on 1st July but since then progress on achieving a new collective bargaining agreement has been very slow, with neither side willing to make major concessions.

It is believed that, if an agreement is reached, it will take another four weeks from that date until the season can get underway.

Struggling Pacers part with coach

Indiana Pacers have confirmed coach Jim O’Brien has been sacked as they seek to salvage their campaign (Indiana Pacers 150/1 to win the Eastern Conference with Stan James).

O’Brien had been in charge of the Pacers for four years but the decision was taken to axe him after a poor run of results, with the Pacers losing seven of their last eight games and lying 10th in the Eastern Conference.

“These decisions are never reached easily,” Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird told the team’s website.

“We’ve been looking at everything with our team, from the beginning of the season and now at the halfway mark, and I think at this time a change is necessary.”

Assistant Frank Vogel will take charge of the team on an interim basis as they seek a new coach, although if Vogel impresses he could be handed the role permanently.

The Pacers host Toronto Raptors in their next NBA fixture, where Vogel will take charge of first team affairs for the first time (Match winner – Toronto Raptors 7/2, Indiana Pacers 1/5 with Stan James).

James admits “We can’t just show up”

Miami Heat suffered a 96-93 defeat at the hands of New Orleans Hornets on Friday night as the “Big Three” continue to struggle to make an impact (Miami Heat 13/8f to win the NBA Championship with Stan James).

It was always going to take time for the new look Heat side to gel, but few expected the Hornets to get anything out of the game, despite their impressive start to the season (New Orleans 66/1 to win the NBA Championship with Stan James).

LeBron James, who joined Heat from Cleveland prior to the start of the season, has now admitted his side must work harder if they are to meet the expectations placed upon them at the start of the campaign.

“One thing we have to continue to learn, that every time we step out on the basketball court no matter who we’re going against, we can’t just show up, you know, because we have this uniform on, because we have who we have on the court,” admitted James. “We have to play and it’s not about Xs and Os, it’s about the energy level.”

“We know we can still make a comeback because of the talent that we have but teams are always going to be excited to play us.  If we don’t match that effort early, then it’s always an uphill battle throughout the whole game and that’s what it was.”

Miami remain the 13/8 favourites with Stan James to win the Championship and with the talent at their disposal, they certainly will be amongst the contenders despite the defeat against New Orleans.

LeBron pleads for Heat patience

LeBron James‘s Miami Heat career did not get off to the start many had predicted last night as the Heat were beaten 88-80 by the Boston Celtics, but the two-time NBA MVP believes his side will improve as the season progresses (NBA Championship (including play-offs) Miami Heat 7/4f, Boston Celtics 13/2 with bet365).

Miami’s “Big Three” of James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh had been tipped to lead the Heat to NBA Championship success by many pundits in the build up to the new season but they came unstuck against title rivals Boston at The Garden Arena.

However, James is confident that as the season progresses, the new-look Heat line-up will improve as they learn how to work together as an effective unit.

“It’s a feel-out process,” James told the official NBA website after the loss. “Rome wasn’t built in one day, it’s going to take time. We understand that.”

Bosh and James both joined the Heat in the summer to complete the “Big Three”, with Wade already a member of the Miami side.  Like James, Wade believes it will take time for the team to gel and downplayed the significance of the loss to the defending Eastern Conference champions (Celtics 7/2 to win the Eastern Conference with bet365).

Wade added: “This is one of 82 (games), sorry if everyone thought we were going to go 82 and 0. It just ain’t happening.”

Chicago Bulls “are there” – Rose

Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose believes his side can compete with the best teams in the NBA ahead of the new season (Chicago 10/1 to win the NBA championship with Stan James).

The Bulls failed in their pursuit of LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade during the close season, with all three opting to join Miami Heat (2/1f to secure the NBA Championship with Stan James), but the 2009 Rookie of the Year feels his side can still battle for the NBA’s top prize.

The likes of the Heat, Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic will provide stiff competition in the fight for the Eastern Conference championship but Rose is confident the Bulls deserve to be ranked amongst the best in the NBA.

“We’re there,” explained the 22-year-old. “We have a whole new coaching staff, a couple of great players that came along to our team. I think that we can compete against some of the best teams in the NBA.”

The Bulls face a tricky trip to Oklahoma City Thunder on October 27 in their first competitive game of the season, before the Portland Trailblazers and New York Knicks visit Chicago.

Shaq seals Celtics deal

Veteran centre Shaquille O’Neal has joined Boston Celtics (12/1 with Stan James to win 2010-11 NBA Championship) on a two-year deal, after spending just one season with Cleveland Cavaliers.

The 38-year-old, a four-time NBA championship winner, was a free agent and has high hopes of winning another title with his new team.

The former LA Lakers and Orlando Magic star insisted: “I cannot wait to get to Boston to get started in pursuit of another championship.”

‘Shaq’ has been an NBA all-star on 15 occasions and will move to Boston (11/2 to win 2010/11 Eastern Conference) to fill a gap at centre, with Kendrick Perkins recovering from knee surgery.

O’Neal, who was born in New Jersey, will head back to the east coast and extend his NBA career, which started with the Magic back in 1992.

The 7ft 1in star says he is looking forward to teaming up with the Celtics big names, including Paul Pierce (25/1 to be 2010-11 NBA Regular Season MVP), Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.

Boston are the current Eastern Conference champions and will hope their new addition can help them land an 18th championship crown.

House returns home to Heat

Eddie House has sealed a return to Miami Heat, the club where he started his 10 year NBA career (Miami Heat 7/4f to secure the NBA Championship (including play-offs) with bet365.com).

House spent last season with the Boston Celtics (11/1 to win the NBA Championship (including play-offs) with bet365.com) and New York Knicks but has returned to Heat as a free agent.

The guard averages 7.6 points and 1.7 rebounds a game overall in his career, with nine different NBA sides, including the first three seasons in the league with Miami Heat.

The 32-year-old won the NBA Championships with the Celtics in 2008 and joins a Heat side who are expected to compete at the very top during the coming campaign.

LeBron James joined from the Cleveland Cavaliers  earlier in the off-season and the current NBA MVP could well be the man to bring the Championship title back to Miami, with the Heat last tasting success in 2006.