For all the talk about the Miami Heat and the LA Lakers dominating the 2010-11 NBA online wager action last offseason you would have thought that these two teams had already played out the 82-game schedule and booked a place in the NBA Finals.
As it turns out, a month and change into the season, neither team would be in Finals this season based on their current records. While the Lakers have been impressive and Pao Gasol (22.8 ppg, 12.1 rpg, 4.1 apg) might well be the best player in the league so far this season this team has been overshadowed and outplayed by another Western Conference that just happens to have the best record in the NBA action.
Just when the online wagering was ready to write off the San Antonio Spurs as being too old and too slow the teams jumps out to the best start in franchise history at 12-2 and looks nearly unstoppable even with graybeards like Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan featured as key parts of the offense.
Fundamentally no one has ever doubted this team but heading into this season, after a lackluster finish to the 2009-10 seasons this team seemed firmly in decline with its aging roster and lack of big name acquisitions in the offseason.
But there has been two major differences this year that have helped elevate the play of this team.
First, Tony Parker is 100% healthy again and seems to be playing better than ever since his high profile divorce. He’s been racked by injuries the past few seasons, but is averaging 19.6 ppg and 7.9 apg this year and has the Spurs offense rolling. The grizzled Ginobili has been the chief beneficiary of Parker’s assisting and is averaging 20.4 ppg as a 33-year old vet.
The second big development has been the improved play of Richard Jefferson. Jefferson was a high profile acquisition a few years ago meant to give the team some athleticism and ability to score off the dribble. He had been a monumental online wagering failure until this year. So far this season he’s averaging 15.6 ppg (more than Duncan’s 13.8 ppg) and shooting an impressive 52.4% from the field.
With Parker pulling the strings Jefferson seems to have found his place in the rotation and if this team stays healthy it will be very difficult to make an online wager against this team in the playoffs.