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NBA Basketball Friday: Denver at Washington
Washington is off to a 0-3 start (as of this writing) and it doesn’t look to be getting easier. There are already talks of the team trading away some of their start talent, including Gilbert Arenas, if they are not able to turn it around, fast. With the exception of the blowout to Boston, they have been competitive in every game. In the opening game of the season they lost in overtime, and this past Saturday they took a lead into the fourth quarter against the Magic before being outscored 30-15 in the final frame and losing 94-82. It’s sort of strange that they off to this bad start, because Arenas is off to another hot start, and Brandon Haywood has shown aggressiveness that lacked in his first few years in the league, averaging 13 rebounds a game. The Wizards are not performing well on defense, a trend they have dealt with for the last few seasons.
Denverv (2-1) is among an entire slew of teams in the west that could make a championship run. Ever since Allen Iverson arrived in Denver he says he feels like a new man, and is playing like one. Early on this season, along side superstar Carmelo Anthony, he is averaging 24 points per game and an unselfish ten assists per game as well. Marcus Camby is also off to a fabulous start, averaging an amazing 19 rebounds per game. It’s unlikely that he will be able to maintain that pace, but Camby has always been a very good rebounder, and a good start like this helps a ton.
I think Washington will still make a playoff run, but I don’t think they’ll start it here. Denver has too many weapons for “Agent Zero,” and the gang.
NBA Friday: Cleveland at Sacramento
The Cleveland Cavilers have just as brutal of a schedule you can have to start a season. They started with a game against powerhouse Dallas, at home, and then faced New York at home, going 1-1. They have since hit the road, losing to Phoenix. They face Golden State and Utah in consecutive days, and then face Sacramento, all on the road. As of this writing the Cavs have only won one game, but many believe that this tough schedule will prepare them for the rest of the season, and another run at the playoffs. James, of course, is leading the team in scoring. Center Zydrunas Ilgauskas is off to a good start as well, averaging 15 points and 14 rebounds a contest. Ilgauskas has always been a solid player, but continuous injuries have sometimes made him unreliable.
The Sacramento Kings are having what some people would call a “rebounding” year. They are off to a bad start, going zero for three, so far. In the talent laden western division they can’t afford to get off to a bad start and expect to make any type of run that involves a playoff position.
The Kings have some young talent, but not enough to be a serious contender. With that, I think they may have enough here to take care of a team that will most likely be tired, having started the majority of the season on the road. I’ll take the Kings in a mini-upset by just a few points that could go either way.
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