Dwight Howard wins third consecutive Defensive Player of the Year

The Orlando Magic are in serious trouble right now as they are in danger of getting bounced for the playoffs entirely by the Atlanta Hawks. Despite the bad news and the fact that they are no longer favored in NBA picks throughout these playoffs, the perennial All-Star center Dwight Howard did get some good news before the NBA playoffs began by winning his third consecutive Defensive Player of the Year.

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Even though Dwight Howard is still one shy of both Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace for the most all-time (4), the up-and-coming center has had arguably the best season of his career in the NBA and actually was considered for the NBA MVP award which will most likely go to Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose.

With Howard and the Magic almost certainly on their way out of the playoffs, the All-Star center might considered another location when he becomes a free agent.

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Posted by Wunderdog’s trusty sidekick ” Wundercat “

Kevin Love is a Stud & win Most Improved Player in NBA

Usually the NBA’s Most Improved Player of the Year award is given to a player in the league that used to be a dominant force, fell off the map and then remerged as one of the league’s best once again. Occasionally though, the award goes to players that have made such a drastic improvement from one season to the next that they were the talk of the NBA.

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This season the NBA’s Most Improved Player of the Year has been awarded to the Minnesota Timberwolves’ monster on the glass in forward/center Kevin Love. Even though many people thought that Love wouldn’t turn out to be a superstar in this league and just another sad story in Minnesota, the former UCLA star has done the complete opposite and now is arguably the best rebounder in the NBA.

Even though the Minnesota Timberwolves are almost always favored to lose in NBA picks, this team does have a promising future ahead with some players that could easily turn into perennial All-Stars down the road.

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One thing that you want to think about when handicapping baseball is how to appropriately use statistics before making your baseball picks. Everyone knows that stats are out there and more stats come about each year. So which ones do you use and how should you use them?

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First,  know that MLB betting and MLB picks is about having a firm grasp of value. In order to find that value, it is often necessary to have a strong statistical foundation on which you’ll work. In baseball betting, you can use advanced pitcher statistics that give you a better idea of what a pitcher is working with. This is opposed to using ERA, which is a rough measure and really isn’t all that great for handicapping purposes.

Likewise, you can use the internet to find past trends and give yourself a huge advantage. There are significant trends out there for different pitchers, different teams, and the like. You can figure out exactly how well a guy has pitched against a certain team or in a certain situation. Use statistical splits to give yourself an MLB handicapping edge.

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New Orleans Hornets @ Los Angeles Lakers Tues. April 26, 2011 10:30 p.m. EST

Game 5 New Orleans Hornets vs Los Angeles Lakers NBA Picks

There is no question that the two-time defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers are the most talented and experienced team in the NBA playoffs, but they definitely aren’t playing like it as a very mediocre New Orleans Hornets squad led by perennial All-Star Chris Paul have given them all they can handle in the first four games.

Now that the series is tied up at 2-2, the Lakers will have all the pressure on them throughout the rest of the series. Whether or not Kobe Bryant and company can get back to form and be favored in NBA picks remains to be seen, but if any team in the league can get back to their dominant ways it is the Lakers.

Game 5 in Los Angeles will be crucial as the Lakers will need to make a statement by dominating the Hornets from the word go.

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Indiana Pacers @ Chicago Bulls Tues. April 26, 2011 8 p.m. EST

In Game 4, the Indiana Pacers were finally able to get the best of the one number seeded Chicago Bulls and extend this series to a fifth game, but now they will have to go into the Windy City and beat the Bulls on their home floor. Not only is this extremely tough to do, but they may have lucked out as Derrick Rose is in a walking boot after spraining his ankle.

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Even though the Chicago Bulls will almost certainly be favored in NBA picks to come out on top in Game 5 and advance to the second round to face the Orlando Magic or the Atlanta Hawks, the Indiana Pacers have shown they can be a force to be reckoned with and might be able to extend this series even further.

Whether or not that will happen remains to be seen, but I am betting that Game 5 will be another battle from start to finish.

Posted By Wunderdog’s Trusty sidekick ” Wundercat ”