All eyes on Colangelo, Bargnani

Basketball Betting Lines

07/15/2010 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With a hot summer in full swing, it's no surprise that Bryan Colangelo has been busy working up a sweat.

After sending Chris Bosh to the Miami Heat in a sign-and-trade deal that netted the Toronto Raptors two first round draft picks and a trade exception, Colangelo elected against rebuilding with the hopes of remaining competitive this upcoming season.

The 2010 season is expected to be challenging for a Raptors team that has failed to make the postseason two years running and will be without the services of Bosh, its franchise-leading scorer and five-time all-star, for the first time in seven years.

However, Colangelo is still focused on the now, as his competitive nature thrives on getting back to the playoffs, rather than rebuilding.

The trade exception is worth an approximate $14.5 million and could prove to be the most important asset the Raptors possess moving forward. The Raptors president and GM continued to reshape his roster following Bosh's departure to South Beach, and even managed to find a suitor in the Phoenix Suns for the disgruntled Hedo Turkoglu; a trade that was originally supposed to be part of a three-way deal involving the Charlotte Bobcats.

In return, the Raptors received combo-guard Leandro Barbosa and power forward Dwayne Jones from Phoenix. Colangelo has familiarity with Barbosa dating back to his days as general manager of Phoenix, as he acquired the seven-year veteran in a 2003 draft day deal with the San Antonio Spurs.

Barbosa averaged 9.5 points per games with the Suns last season but missed 37 games due to a nagging wrist injury that required surgery in January. Since winning the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2007, Barbosa's numbers have slipped but he does add some much-needed quickness to Toronto, as well as another player who can slash and handle the ball. The biggest gain in this deal for the Raptors, however, is being able to wipe their hands clean of Turkoglu's long-term and albatross-like contract.

Turkoglu had a disappointing year with the Raptors after signing a five-year, $53 million deal with the club last summer, averaging 11.3 points per game for his lowest total since the 2003-2004 season. He then voiced his displeasure about Toronto to a Turkish media outlet earlier in the offseason, vowing that he no longer wished to be a member of the organization. The 31-year-old forward would later retract the statements, but the damage left Colangelo with no choice but to test the market for the 10-year veteran.

Colangelo will need to stay active, as he is now temporarily 'stuck' with Jose Calderon and Reggie Evans, after a deal for Tyson Chandler fell apart, and has the trade exception from the Heat he can use in a future deal.

Until the Raptors shore up their frontcourt, which was clearly a point of interest for Colangelo by targeting Diaw and Chandler, the club will be working in a young mix of forwards to the rotation, including Ed Davis, the Raptors 2010 first-round draft pick. Linas Kleiza could also become a rotation player for the Raptors after the team signed him to an offer sheet last week following a stint in Greece.

The Denver Nuggets, who retain Kleiza's rights, aren't expected to match the offer after using their mid-level exception to acquire Al Harrington, clearing the way for the Raptors to land the 24-year-old European. Kleiza spent the first four years of his career with the Nuggets, averaging a career-best 11.1 points-per game in the 2007-2008 season.

The success of Colangelo's offseason makeover will largely hinge on the ability of Andrea Bargnani to continue developing. The path is now set for Bargnani to become the next franchise player of this Raptors squad, and it's his upside that makes him such an intriguing option.

Colangelo certainly sees it, as he inked the Italian to a 5-year, $50 million contract last summer. He's the most gifted offensive player on the team, and can score from the inside and out.

Much of the criticism directed at Bargnani ensued following his disappointing sophomore season, which carried over to the first half of his third year in the league. Since then, Bargnani has proved to be a formidable sidekick to former Raptor Bosh on the offensive end, as the two were able to extend defenses with their exceptionally strong shooting.

Bargnani averaged career-highs with 17.4 points-per-game, 6.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks, also leading the team in three-pointers made with 121.

The firing of Sam Mitchell and hiring of Jay Triano in 2008 has had positive impact on Bargnani's production. Mitchell was quick to remove Bargnani for defensive lapses and bury him on the bench for long stretches during his time as head coach in Toronto, but Triano elected to go another route with the young big man, allowing him on many nights to fight through defensive blunders, while rewarding him for his strong play offensively.

Patience proved to be positive for the Raptors in certain respects, as the 24- year-old turned into a solid one-on-one defender in the post last season, where his career-best mark of 1.4 blocks per game was good for 11th best among Eastern Conference players.

The Raptors have a young nucleus centered around Bargnani and the improvements are not only going to have to come from offseason acquisitions but also from within, where DeMar DeRozan will be one of those players Triano looks upon to elevate his game.

Bargnani is Colangelo's chosen one, the clear cut 'guy' on this team, who may have a solid enough supporting cast to flourish in this new found role. The fans may be reluctant passing the 'franchise' tag to Bargnani but as he enters his fifth season and first without Bosh, the timing couldn't be better.

Who knows, maybe Colangelo is on to something and the Raptors will actually produce a franchise player that can help the team win something in the future.

The time is now for Bargnani to prove he's not a bust after being drafted No.1 overall in 2006.

Whether he is ready or not, the success of this club is now resting on his shoulders.

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MySportsbook.com : Fortune Favors Favorites in March Madness betting?

Just like Day 1 of the “Sweet 16”, Friday’s games are chock full of some of the nation’s elite.  Unlike Thursday’s games, there is a little bit more of a “Cinderella” feel as #7 seed UNLV and #6 seed Vanderbilt will attempt to move on to the Elite Eight.  With powerhouses Florida, UNC and Georgetown looking to continue their momentum against lesser known teams, it isn’t surprising that once again the “betting public” is backing most of the favorites.  As the early coin rolls in, 56% of Sportsbook.com bettors prefer Georgetown (-7.5) as they take on Vanderbilt; 84% of the early money is backing Oregon (-3) as they square off against UNLV; and a slight majority (52%) of the early cash is on Florida (-10.5) against Butler as the Gators continue their quest for another National Title. The only favorite the public don’t seem confident in is UNC, as 59% of the cash is backing the underdog Trojans (+8).

Midwest

#1 Florida vs. #5 Butler

The defending National Champs have been on a mission since last April.  Joakim Noah and Al Horford turned down millions of dollars for one reason, to REPEAT.  After a late season hiccup which saw them lose three out of four, the Gators have won six straight by an average of 20.3 points. More importantly, they covered in five of those six games.  Behind their stymie defense that yields only 56.9 PPG, Butler has been a very pleasant surprise this season.  As their 20-11 ATS record will indicate, “surprise teams” like Butler are often good bets for gamblers.  Playing in an average conference, Butler wasn’t and underdog too often but when they were, they covered (6-0 ATS).  Butler’s defense will have its hands full against a Gators offense which averages 80.1 PPG on an amazing 52.9% shooting from the field.  With Florida’s tournament experience over the last few years, it isn’t surprising that they are 5-1 ATS this season, 20-4 ATS over the last three seasons and 38-20 since 1997 in tournament action.

#3 Oregon vs. #7 UNLV

As a #7 seed, UNLV is the closest thing to a “Cinderella” we have this year.  If you bet on UNLV this season with any regularity, you most likely cashed in. Behind their guard oriented attack, the Rebels are an impressive 20-11 ATS this season.  As an underdog they covered in 8 out of their ten games which isn’t surprising since they are 52-30 ATS as a ‘dog since 1997. The Rebels have been a consistent cover during the month of March as well.  This March they are 6-0 ATS, 11-3 ATS over the last three seasons and 24-11 since 1997. Their impressive ATS trends don’t end there; versus teams with a winning record they are 15-6 ATS this season and 41-21 over the last three seasons.  Although Oregon hasn’t been as generous to gamblers as UNLV this season, they have been covering consistently as of late.  There is no question that they are playing their best ball of the season having won their last 8 straight up (SU) by an average of 14.5 points. Not surprising they covered in 7 of those games.  It is interesting to note how similar these teams are in regards to scoring and scoring defense. UNLV averages 75 PPG while giving up 66.5 PPG and Oregon scores 75.8 PPG while yielding 65.5 PPG.

East

#6 Vanderbilt vs. #2 Georgetown

“Hoya Paranoia” is officially back! After a decent start, Georgetown has rolled through the second half of the season.  Over their last 18 games, they are 17-1 SU.  They have definitely improved ATS as the season has progressed as well. After opening the season 1-4-1 ATS, the Hoyas have covered 78.3% of their games.  With their great interior play of Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert, the Hoyas as a team shoot 50.5% from the field.  Like the Georgetown teams from years ago, they also excel on defense.  Hoya opponents averaged only 56.8 PPG on 38.2% shooting from the field and an extremely low 30.4% from beyond the arc.  The last stat could be of some concern to Vanderbilt considering they shoot 37.7% from long-range.  Ranking second to last in the SEC in rebounding margin, Vanderbilt will have its work cut out for them against the Hoya trees. As far as covering is concerned, Vanderbilt has been almost a “sure thing” (7-1 ATS) versus good defensive teams that allow less than 64 PPG.

#1 UNC vs. # 5 USC

The Tar Heels are as talented and as deep as any team in the country.  Going ten deep and chock full of HS All-Americans, UNC averages 86.1 PPG and scored 100+ seven times.  Led by All-American forward, Tyler Hansbrough (18.6 PPG 7.9 RPG) UNC has a very balanced attack which can kill you on the inside as well as on the perimeter.  UNC only real concern is their youth as eight of their rotation players are either sophomores or freshmen.  UNC was a reliable cover this season going 20-13 ATS.  An intriguing covering trend for the Tar Heels in recent years has been how they fared after non-conference games.  This season they are 11-3 ATS after non-conference games and over the last three seasons they are 31-13 ATS.  USC is also a pretty deep team which is loaded with swingman types.  An match-up to keep an eye on will be freshman forward Taj Gibson (12.1 PPG, 8.6 RPG) as he squares off against the AA Hansbrough.  USC has been a covering machine this season achieving a 21-10 record ATS.  They have thrived in the underdog role, having covered 10 out of 12.  When playing a team with a winning record, the Trojans are an incredible 20-6 ATS. Keep in mind, USC dedicated their season to former star to Ryan Francis who passed away before the season so as they get closer to the ultimate goal, emotion could definitely be on their side.

With Friday -105 juice on Basketball betting, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on all of the “March Madness” action.  Don’t forget to monitor who the public is backing at this sportsbook “Betting Trends”.  By doing so, you have the best chance of predicting a possible line change, thus getting the best value for your wager.

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