Olympic Stars from NBA & WNBA enter Multiverse

 The Olympic Games in Paris have captivated the world. When I watch the basketball games,I marvel at the sight of Lebron James and Kevin Durant playing together. I enjoy seeing the dominance of A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart on the court at the same time. So as the games wind down and my longing for more increases,I decided to channel my imagination  to a the world of Marvel and DC Comics.

While I can't get more games,I can always look forward to Batman and Captain Marvel. So if I had to cast the role of Batman from these Olympic Games, would I take Durant or James? If I wanted to pitch the role of Captain Marvel,should I go with A'ja or Stewie? Each player has characteristics of the super heroes they would be playing. Batman's speed and agility fit Durant and Lebron. Captain Marvel stamina & durability bode well for Wilson and Stewart. They led the Womens Team in minutes played,points and rebounds.

Here is a clip of Wilson and Stewart in the win over Germany.

So let's continue the conversation as the Olympic Games conclude. The WNBA,Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty will definitely have an opinion on the stars from their league. 

This clip teases the casting for the role of Captain Marvel.

This clip previews casting for the NBA version of Batman.

Share this post with your friends that enjoy the NBA,WNBA and the Olympics. Tell me who you would cast in either role?

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NBA Free Agency Frenzy in Philly

 The first day of NBA Free Agency is 24 hours old and the Philadelphia 76ers are winners for one day! The Sixers acquired Paul George,Andre Drummond,Eric Gordon and resign Kelly Oubre.George was definitely the best free agent available,after Lebron James. He is a perennial All Star and an upgrade over the likable but underachieving Tobias Harris. George's playoff scoring average is approximately 19 points a game. Harris playoff average over his career is 16,3. Harris did not score in the Sixers final playoff game in 2024.

The excitement of signing George had his name trending on Twitter/X. The odds for the Sixers to win the NBA Title improved as well. There were 7 teams ahead of the Sixers on BetMGM prior to the signing. The Sixers have vaulted those teams and are now near the top,trailing the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets.The Sixers odds are +800.

The addition of Drummond solidifys the backup center position.When the Sixers subtittute Joel Embiid for a rest,load management or injury,they will be cohensive on defense and with rebounding.Gordon id s proven 3 point shooter and will spread the floor. He averages 37.1 for his career. The resiging of Oubre allows Head Coach Nick Nurse the flexibility to start him or make him the 6th man off the bench.

While decisions will be made regarding some of the free agents that the Sixers have on the roster,this team is an improvement over the 2023-24 team. That team was 31-8 with Embiid. Tyrese Maxey will get a max deal after the margibal free agents are addressed.The Sixers win on Day One!

Here is my video reaction to the Paul Goerge acquisition.

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NBA and NHL Drafts along with the top Free Agents

 The NBA Draft took place on Wednesday and Thursday. While all 30 teams had an opportunity to improve their team by selecting someone based on need or best player available,there was no franchise changing player in the entire draft based on a prior body of work.Most of the conversation was centered around where Bronny James would go and at what spot. The Los Angeles Lakers pick Bronny in the 2nd round with the 55th pick. The comments about the pselection range to nepotism to prospect.The nepotism comments are no different than one's associated with Jack Buck,Jeremy Schapp or Wade Phillips. All of these men had famous fathers whose positions afforded them opportunities in fields where the parent was well respected.Lebron James is no exception. He just voiced his desire publicly on multiple ocassions. He is npw psrt of history for being part of the first father-son duo to play in the NBA at th. same time and for the same faranchise.

• Acording to CBS Sports,these are 7 teams that earned  high grades for the NBA Draft 2024.
• Atlanta Hawks
• Los Angeles Lakers
• San Antnio Spur
• Philadelphia 76ers
• Oklahoma City Thunder
• Memphis Grizzlies
• Portland TrailBlazers

The  NBA Free Ag period is about to start with several prominent players available. DeMar DeRozan,D'Angelo Russell,Isaiah Hartenstein,James Harden,Klay Thompson and Miles Bridges are in that group. The players whose names are being floated in trade talks are Jimmy Butler,Paul George, and Brandon Ingram. The New York Knicks made everyone take notice bywith the acquisition of Mikal Bridges and the resigning of OG Anunoby.

The NHL Draft takes place tonight in Las Vegas. This is the first televised event drom the Sphere. It will be shown on ESPN and the NHL Network. Check out the video for more.

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NBA Conference Finals

NBA Conference Finals are here. The review of the semi finals has us at 75 %. Philly losing to Boston was the only selection that fell short. Warriors won in 5 as predicted and Lebron dominated the Raptors. Again! We did not think sweep however. We did think that about Rockets but they took care of business in 5.

Cavs and Celtics- Take the Cavs over the Celtics in 6. Lebron will not let his team give away games the way the Sixers did. Kevin Love and Kyle Korver are playing well at the right time. The Celtics youth will show up this round with Tatum and Rozier.

They need Kyrie!

Rockets and Warriors- Warriors in seven. A great series with defense of Golden State deciding it. Rockets must shoot exceptional to hang with Warriors. Warriors will defend and challenge 3 point shooters. Durant will dominate his match up with Harden. Paul will play well against Curry.

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NBA Playoffs - Round 2

Here is a recap of the hits and misses of the 1st round predictions.
Hits were Jazz over Thunder. Sixers over Heat and Cavs over Pacers.
The amount of games the Sixers and Cavs took was slightly off but they won.

Misses were the broom alerts for the Spurs and Timberwolves. Each won a game on
their home court. The over in each game of Pelicans and Blazers hit 50%. Prediction
was set at 100%.

In the 2nd Round, Philly will beat the Celtics in 6. Philly will run on Boston. Something
the Bucks were not able to do. They play defense and will not let Boston score inside.

Cavs over Raptors. Lebron will continue to dominate and lead the Cavs over the Raptors in
6. Toronto comes up short again.

Warriors and Rockets will win their series over the Pelicans and Jazz in 4 and 5 respectively.
A broom alert is set for Pelicans. Durant and Harden meet in the conference finals.

                                         #GTLivechat will be daily thru the playoffs.
                                         #SportsBetting and Entertaining Predictions

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NBA Playoffs 2018

We will give our take on some of the 1st round games.

Sixers and Heat. Sixers in 6. Even without Embiid. Better defensively and superior bench. Miami may resort to fouling Simmons and slowing the game down to use Whiteside more.

Best 4/5 series. Cavs and Pacers. Lebron and Lance meet again. Same result in 5 games. Cavs win.

Broom Alert - Rockets over Timberwolves. Warriors over Spurs. One of these will end in 4.

Best Offensive Series - Portland and Pelicans. Take the over in every game.

Upset likely to happen. The series where a lower seed defeats a higher one. Jazz over Thunder.

                                         #GTLivechat will be daily thru the playoffs.
                                         #SportsBetting and Entertaining Predictions

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NBA All Star Weekend

The NBA All Star Weekend is coming up. Adam Silver has made a significant change to the game by having players from the Eastern and Western Conferences interminable. The captains of the teams are Lebron James and Steph Curry. They selected the players that were voted in similar to how one would pick a team at your local rec center. This will allow players that have never played together as well as some that were former teammates to be on the same squad. 

It will not create the defense intensity that the game currently lacks. One way to bring defense back to the game is to have each player touch the ball during an offensive possession. This would not take place if you acquire the ball by way of a turnover that results in a fast brake.

We would add one more dimension to balance the game offensively. Add a 4 point shot based on distance. That would make no lead insurmountable.

Saric,Simmons and Embiid

We would not change any other aspect of the weekend. The skills competition, The Rising Stars game and the 3 point contest are still fan favorites. Let the fans in the arena vote on keypads for the dunk contest. Make the experience fantastic and interactive.

                                            Which one of these players will win MVP?

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NBA Finals: Warriors & Cavs -Chapter Three

Everyone wanted this to happen. It was more of a foregone conclusion that the Warriors and Cavs would meet for the championship.  Once Kevin Durant signed with Golden State, it became finals or bust for them. He has improved their team with his rebounding and defense. This is a player that is always in the top ten in scoring but we recognize his overall impact on a team that has the best backcourt in the league.

We see LeBron playing the best all round game of his tremendous career. He is shooting well from the outside and making the 3 consistently. He and KD will cancel each other out. They will rotate people on James to limit his production.

Irving and Curry are the x factors. Whoever wins this match up will win this series. Most people think that the Warriors win in 6. I see the inside game being too much for the Warriors. Green gets the edge in his match-up with Kevin Love. Rebounding edge is with Cleveland.

Here are some VEGAS numbers.
Warriors favored by 7 in Game 1.
Warriors are -260 to win the series. Cavs are +220.
The over/under for game 1 is 225.

We are going with the Cavs in 6. KD is great but he will come up short again in the bright lights.

We will post the highlight of each game thru out the series. Stop back and see which play we select from Game One.

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NBA Playoffs: 2nd Round Matchups

Boston vs. Wizards: Celtics will have a difficult time with Wall and Beal. Wizards can get points quickly. Boston will have to shoot well from outside to stay in this series. Wizards win this one in 6.

Cavs vs. Raptors: Lebron is too much for Toronto. Lowry has a way of not showing up for playoffs on the road. Cavs win in 5.

Warriors vs. Clippers/Jazz winner:  Warriors win in 4. It does that not matter who they play. When you combine rest and the best team, you get the broom. Durant and Curry will dominate this series.

Spurs and Rockets: This is the most intriguing match up. A case can be made for both teams. Leonard can handle Harden. Spurs in 7.

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NBA Playoffs Preview: Eastern Conference

Let's look at the Eastern Conference of the NBA Playoffs. While the teams are not as good as their western counterparts, there are 4 series that a case can be made for either team.

Cavaliers open against the Pacers. Lebron James always rises his game to another level when the spotlight gets bigger. Paul George will play well but will go down in 6. Cavs defense will improve during this first round.

Celtics vs. Bulls. Thomas against Butler. While Thomas is a top 15 player in the league, Butler has Wade with him. Rondo comes back to haunt his former team. Bulls in 6 in an upset.

Raptors and Bucks. Toronto is stronger and deeper. This series is entertaining but Raptors win in 5.

Wizards and Hawks. John Wall has improved his game and will lead his team into the next round. Hawks are a surprise because they are not as good as last year. It's the Wizards in 6.

                                        Here is the Western Conference Preview.

                                                  
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NBA Fav Five:Week Six

This post will appear every Monday. We will change the lineup this week with the addition of Rudy Gay from the Kings. He will come to the five in place of  Otto Porter.  The other starters will remain intact. Russell Westbrook, Lebron James, James Harden and Karl Anthony -Towns are the still part of our fav five. This is a group that consistently gives production every night. Who is your fav five?

Rudy Gay

Westbrook is averaging a triple double as of this post. This was reported in a article from ESPN.

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NBA Fav Five:Week Five

This feature will post every Monday during the season. We have found the perfect team. All of the players from last week performed at the levels anticipated. Lebron James, Russell Westbrook and James Harden were the key performers. Karl Anthony-Towns and Otto Porter did as expected. We will start the same team this week. This week,we will look for additional ways to evaluate players and share our findings next Monday. So compare your five to our and we will see you next week.


Here is a look at how three members of our team looked when they were drafted into the NBA.

King James

Russell Westbrook

Karl Anthony Towns

Four members of our fav five have appeared in GQ. Can you name the one that has not been in that publication?

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NBA Fav Five:Week Four

This feature will post every Monday during the season. Lebron James was a great addition to the team . He had a triple double and just missed in two other games. Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul

posted great numbers as well. But while this was happening, James Harden is doing MVP type work with the Houston Rockets. Since we are always looking to upgrade the team and both of these payers are in the elite price range, Paul is out and Harden is in.

James Harden

Note: Don't develop an emotional attachment to a player. We like Chris Paul's game more than Harden's. The decision should always be based on productivity.

TJ Warren fell short of the 30 to 35 scoring level and is off the team. So is Nikola Vucevic. He exceeded the number once , fell short slightly and failed miserable in three contrasting performances. The additions at forward and center respectively are Otto Porter and Karl Anthony-Towns. Porter comes out a good price. KAT will give 20 points in scoring with 7 rebounds and 3 assists. We expect 32 points from him. We are right at the edge of the salary cap of 45,000 with this team. If they perform as expected they are worth the investment.

Otto Porter

Karl-Anthony Towns

Starting next week, we will extend the cap to 50,000 to allow more flexibility in selecting a team. We will always stay under the designated number.

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NBA Fav Five: Week Three

This feature will post every Monday during the season. The good news is that Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul continue to put up great numbers. They flirt with triple doubles every night and score at least 24 points a game. Needless to say they are staying on the team.

Mason Plumlee did not hit the thirty to thirty-five total of points,rebounds, assists,blocks and steals in two games so he comes off. Anthony Davis did awesome in one game and average in the other. He cost too much money to get production 50% of the time. Kevin Love did good in each game but not outstanding. We shopped the league and found replacements for the 3 aforementioned players.

Lebron James

We will add Lebron James. No explanation needed. TJ Warren of the Phoenix Suns will join the team at forward. He plays at least 35 minutes a games and was puts up between 15 to 20 shots a contest. He may not outperform Love but is cheaper. He enable us to get Lebron.

Nikola Vucevic

Nikola Vucevic of the Orlando Magic is the center this week. Nikola is consistent and should get the range we anticipate. We look for a double-double of 14 and 10 with at least 2 assists and 1 block. Those numbers would compute to approximately 30 points per game.

We take at least one player is priced lower than the elite ones to make the team fit into a salary cap. Elite players will cost between $9,000 and $12,500. Our cap is approximately $40,000 to $45,000.

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NBA and GTLivechat

The season starts on Tuesday. Are you ready?  This should be one of the best if not the most anticipated in history. Can the Warriors improve on 73-9?  Can Lebron and the Cavs repeat?
Is Russell Westbrook the leading candidate for MVP?

Can Derrick Rose and Carmelo Anthony make the Knicks relevant again? Who does not make
the playoffs from the group of 2015-16 teams that made it?
Who is the odds on favorite to win the scoring title? Will the Sixers win more than 26 games?
Who has the better season? The Spurs or the Clippers?
The must see on TV games are Warriors against anybody. Redemption games include D Wade and the Bulls against the Heat and Dwight Howard against the Rockets.


GTLivechat will return for all of the above and more. NBA Style will highlight the fashion of the players and the fans. This will be a part of the halftime feature.

We will chat prior to the primetime matchups on Wednesday and Thursday on ESPN and TNT.
When the NFL season ends we will add the Friday games from ESPN and NBA TV.
For all of you that like Daily Fantasy Basketball, we will pick a fav 5 of the week. To keep it exciting, we will change at least 3 of the players every week. This will happen thru the blog and website every Monday.
Since we are expanding what we are doing, we will involve more NBA fans from Twitter to share their opinions. We going to another level. Join us!

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NBA Top Free Agents not named Kevin Durant

The wish list is open. Lebron James just won the championship in Cleveland so he won't leave again.
So besides the King and Kevin, who are the top free agents in 2016?

 Al Horford

I like Al Horford currently with the Atlanta Hawks. He is an unrestricted free agent. He is a solid front court player that can defend and score. Horford averaged 15 points and 7.3 rebounds. His downside is that he is 30 years old. Teams will hope that he is not about to decline in production.

 Hassan Whiteside

Hassan Whiteside is a great piece from the Miami Heat. He is coming off his best season and is a double double machine. He can impact the game defensively with shot blocking and rim protection.
Whiteside averaged 14 points and 11 rebounds. He is 27 years old. He is not that skilled offensively.

Nicholas Batum deserves consideration from the Charlotte Hornet. He is a swingman that averaged
14 points, 6 rebounds and 5.8 assists. Impressive numbers and only 27 years of age. Batum's stats have improved every year over the course of his career.
This is my top three.

You will notice they don't include Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard, Rajon Rando or Mike Conley. The 1st two have peaked and would want top money. Rando stint in Dallas stills lingers with me. Conley is coming off a torn Achilles. I also did not mention DeMar DeRozan because he has expressed a strong desire to stay with the Raptors.

Harrison Barnes hurt himself with his NBA Finals performance. He is a good player but he fits the Warriors. I question if he could be the star of a team if he is the centerpiece. If Barnes played close to regular season form, he would be worth the risk. He averaged 11 points and 5 rebounds. He is durable and played in all 82 games this past regular season. He is only 24.

 Top Free Agent: Kevin Durant

In case you missed it, @KeshisCuties and I discussed if Kevin Durant would fit with the Warriors.
This is in part due to Warriors not winning the title and Barnes lack of production in the close out games.  Follow us for more #HisandHers Talk this coming Friday at 8PM on Twitter.

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NBA Finals - The Rematch

This is the one everybody wanted to see. OKC wanted to see this too! Cavs vs Warriors.

 Steph against Lebron.

Love matched up with Green.


Both teams playing well. Both teams shooting a high percentage from outside 3 point line.
Vegas has the line set at +180 for series if you take the Cavs. You lay a price of -230 if you
like the Warriors.

Cavs are rested. Warriors are coming off a hard fought series against OKC. The Dubs would not even
be in the NBA Finals without Klay Thompson. I expect him to have a good series and dominate his match up with J.R. Smith or Shumpert. Irving will have something to prove and will score consistently against whoever plays him.

Curry and Lebron will cancel each other out with both having outstanding moments. Curry is more proficient in the clutch. Iguodala will match up with James and will start if the Cavs go up a game
on them.

Tristan Thompson will dominate Bogat in the middle. Andrew looked spent in game 7. Expect to see Eziel more.

Harrison Barnes is X factor. He is due for a breakout game. Channing Frye is X factor for Cavs. They may leave both of these guys open and they have ability to make opponents pay.

Both Benches are strong. Slight edge to Warriors.

Coaching edge goes to Kerr. Lue does have the pulse of his team. I am curious about his ability to adjust on the biggest stage of professional coaching career.

Fantasy Picks.
Lebron James is averaging 24.6 points,8.6 rebounds and 7 assists.
Kevin Love has 9 double double in the playoffs so far.
Draymond Green has 6 double double and 1 triple double in the playoffs.
Curry is averaging 26 points,almost 6.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists.
Thompson is dropping 26.2 with less production in rebounds and assists
Irving is averaging 24 points but give minimal numbers in the other categories.

Go with solid across the board and take Lebron over Curry.

Go with the champs in 7 and grab the Warriors. Don't let the price or the Lebron got help this time
sway you. Warriors dominated the Cavs in last meeting. The homecourt advantage is the difference.
I will add the video highlight of each game so you can get the top play of  #NBA Finals.

Game 1: Curry No look pass to Iguodala. Video.
Game 2: Warriors work the ball for an open 3. Video
Game 3: Lebron catches lob pass from Irving. video



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NBA Final Four

We are down to the last 4 teams in the NBA. We have the Cavaliers, Raptors, Warriors and OKC.
The anticipated matchup between this 4 would be between the Cavs and Golden State because they were in the Finals last year.

First things first. The Warriors are heavy favorite over OKC. They are a -500 to win the series.
The Thunder are a +400 to win. That means if you take OKC and bet 100 on them to win, you get 400 back. You also get your 100. Sounds good! But not likely to happen. Warriors have OKC number this year, winning each time they have played. Curry will give them something to talk about. This should be quick. Golden State in 5.

Cavaliers are favored against the Raptors because they are playing their best ball of the season right now. They have home court advantage and are well rested. Lebron, Love and Irving are all playing well. The entire team is shooting outstanding from 3 point range. Cavs are rested. Raptors did take the season series 2-1 from them. They will only win 1 in this series. Cavs in 5.

I saw a nice prop bet that had Curry and Thompson vs. Durant and Westbrook. Who would score the most?  Durant and Westbrook are a -150 to win a hundred. I like that bet because Durant and Curry will cancel each other out. Westbrook will win his match up of scoring over Klay.

                                                                     Enjoy the games!


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