Bettor's Edge NBA Off-Season Brief – July 15
NBA betting: 76ers, Raptors make big moves during off-season
- Elton Brand leaves Tinseltown for the City of Brotherly Love
- Jermaine O'Neal, T.J. Ford switch teams
- Bucks could surprise people next year
The Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors are looking to challenge the top teams in the Eastern Conference like the world champion Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons, and they have stated their intentions with some huge acquisitions.If you bet on sports, you want to know if these moves are for real and if you should be making a bet in your sports book.
Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers convinced Elton Brand to leave the Los Angeles Clippers for a big-money contract, and he gives them a legitimate big man to go with their dangerous backcourt duo of Andre Miller and Andre Igoudala. Brand, a two-time All-Star, missed most of last season with an Achilles Heel injury, but he has a strong work ethic that allowed him to come back by the end of the season and he should be ready to go. With Brand in the lineup, the 76ers are now a top-four team in the East.
Toronto Raptors
By trading T.J. Ford to the Indiana Pacers for Jermaine O'Neal, it would look like these two are just trading players who are very valuable, but only when healthy, which is not often. But the Raptors actually got the best of that deal because they already have a replacement for Ford in Jose Calderon, who was well on his way to winning the starting point guard role anyway as the Raptors signed him to an extension.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers had the rug pulled from underneath them with the exit of Brand, who they were eager to team up with Baron Davis, who left Golden State. Davis gives the Clippers instant offense at the point-guard position, and he has grown into a team leader. However, with Brand gone and Corey Maggette trading places with Davis in Golden State, the question is: besides Chris Kaman, who will Davis pass to?
Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks as a playoff contender? Really? Well, we will believe it when we see it, but they have made some positive moves during this offseason. First, they acquired Richard Jefferson from New Jersey, giving them another legitimate 20-point scorer alongside Michael Redd. Then, they locked up Andrew Bogut to an extension, which gives them a solid big man. The Bucks could surprise some folks, but once again, we will believe it when we see it.
Craig Parsons is an avid sports fan, but his true love has always been basketball. Too short to realize his dream of playing in the NBA, he did the next best thing? Sports betting and covering basketball for a living. Thoughts or questions?
