Man, oh man! Basketball this past week was a rollercoaster of emotions.
Live betting fans were treated to an exciting playoff race in both the Eastern and Western Conferences. However, it was marred by some scary injuries that ruined the intensity and festivity of the whole affair.
Besides that, the 2018 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class was finally announced. The names of the new inductees generally delighted the online gambling community, but one selection raised the eyebrows of some sports betting pundits.
Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, Ray Allen…and Grant Hill?
Thirteen basketball legends were named to the HOF class of 2018. Legendary point guards Steve Nash and Jason Kidd headline the group, along with Ray Allen—arguably the greatest shooter of all time.
Nash didn’t win a championship in his 19-year pro career. However, he’s a two-time MVP—one of just 12 players to win the award multiple times—and an eight-time NBA All-Star. In his prime, he was the ultimate offensive threat, gaining prominence with the Phoenix Suns and their “Seven Seconds or Less” offence.
Kidd, on the other hand, is one of the best passers in league history. He’s second all-time in assists and steals and third with the most triple-doubles. He won a title with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011.
Allen is also a no-brainer on the list. He is the NBA’s all-time leader in career 3-pointers made, both in the regular season and the playoffs. The 42-year-old also won two championships, with the Boston Celtics in 2008 and with the Miami Heat in 2013.
For some, though, the most surprising selection was Grant Hill who is considered one of the biggest “What ifs” in the NBA. He shared the 1995 Rookie of the Year award with Kidd and was a force to be reckoned with in his first six seasons. Nonetheless, ankle injuries slowed him down and hindered what was once a promising career. He was even touted to be better than Michael Jordan!
Despite never living up to his potential, Hill still deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. His college career alone gives him enough merit for the recognition. A two-time All-American, Hill led Duke to two national championships as he etched his name on the Blue Devils’ basketball lore forever.
Injuries, injuries, injuries!
While the HOF announcement is worthy of celebration, it’s hard for some teams to join in the fun after the recent injuries to their players.
The Philadelphia 76ers recently lost Joel Embiid to a left orbital fracture that required surgery. It’s still unknown how long he will be sidelined, but history suggests the All-Star big could miss two to four weeks—which means he could be out for a large chunk of the playoff first round.
Golden State weren’t able to escape the injury bug as well. Steph Curry and Andre Iguodala are still out, and it got worst for them when second-year swingman Patrick McCaw suffered a scary fall in their match with the Sacramento Kings.
McCaw fell hard on his back after he appeared to be undercut by Vince Carter while trying to dunk. The 22-year-old writhed in pain and was taken away on a stretcher before being brought to the nearest hospital. There were reports that he initially can’t feel his legs.
Preliminary tests on McCaws’ back showed no structural damage, but the Dubs are still set to re-evaluate him this week.
Whiteside on Miami’s bad side?
With the Miami Heat fighting for a postseason spot in the Eastern Conference, one would expect that their players would be happy, right? After all, they have already put one foot in the playoffs.
Not Hassan Whiteside though as the Heat big man expressed his frustration for being benched in the final 21 minutes of their overtime loss to the Brooklyn Nets.
The 28-year-old questioned why the team is playing “small ball” despite having “one of the best centres in the league.” He even sent a subtle warning to the franchise, saying that he might be better off with another team.
In Miami’s defence, having Whiteside match up with smaller and faster players is a poison pill. Nonetheless, they didn’t let their defensive anchor get away easily, fining him for an undisclosed fee for what they called “comments detrimental to the team.” Ouch!
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