Let Rose rest for as long as he wants
Basketball Betting Lines
02/15/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The compressed NBA schedule is much like those KFC Famous Bowls: Mix everything together in a condensed space and see how it tastes.
But what if you're a buttermilk biscuit fan? Will it whet your appetite when it's layered with pieces of crispy chicken, mashed potatoes or sweet corn?
One's favorite bite in the concoction is comparable to an NBA superstar and his significance to his team. Every sports fan with a pulse understands Derrick Rose is the soup du jour of the Chicago Bulls and the reigning MVP is a prime example of how the new 66-game schedule is beginning to take its toll on some of the league's finest players (Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Garnett, Chauncey Billups and Al Horford included).
Rose has one of the quickest first steps off the dribble, but right now the centerpiece to the hoopsters in the Second City is at a crawl because back spasms have kept one of the NBA's most dynamic athletes taking up a chair in street clothes the last three games. An MRI on the former No. 1 overall pick's back revealed no structural damage and surprisingly the same can be said for Chicago's chemistry without its go-to guy on the floor.
Quite frankly, the Bulls' success without Rose this season may be just an aberration. The Bulls are 2-1 in the past three games without him and 6-2 overall with Rose on the sidelines either because of a nagging left toe sprain or his back issue. Rose, however, said there's no pain in the toe as of late, but that could change when he steps onto the hardwood again. Known for his toughness and high threshold for pain, Rose said he will take his time before opting to return.
"Right now, I shouldn't have any problems in the long run," Rose said. "This back thing should be behind me in a couple of days. I should be back out there in a couple of days. I'll take my time and be smart and make sure I'm stretching."
Rose hasn't hired a specialist to help him privately at his home and is very thankful for the Bulls' concerned training staff. He's been stretching more than usual to alleviate tightness and did see a chiropractor to get some tips on the healing process and find a solution to the problem. The 6-foot-3, 190- pound Memphis product was told by the team's management to take his time in regards to his health and head coach Tom Thibodeau noted that it's not just Rose's decision to resume playing.
"There are a lot of people weighing in on it. We have a great medical staff, a great training staff. Their input is critical," Thibodeau said. "His input is critical. We're certainly not going to do anything to jeopardize him being hurt."
Thibodeau's assessment couldn't be more accurate, but Chicago is actually playing well right now and owns the best record in the Eastern Conference at 24-7, including a spicy 10-1 record at the United Center.
It could be a few days or possibly weeks (ouch!) before Rose resumes play, and missing the All-Star Game on Feb. 26 in Orlando could be an actuality depending on how the healing process continues.
As for now, the Bulls are rolling along with C.J. Watson running the point. Watson may bring a watery taste to center stage and is averaging 13 points in his last three starts. His season average is 10.4 points per game.
It would be nice for Bulls guard Richard Hamilton to get healthy from a right thigh injury which has sidelined him for nine straight games. He recently dealt with a death in his family and is back with the team.
In another move to suppress the loss of Rose, Chicago signed journeyman Mike James to a 10-day contract. While there's arguably no man who could replace Rose on the floor in Chicago besides maybe Magic Johnson or John Stockton -- two retired superstar guards -- James is just another body at Thibodeau's disposal. James shared his sentiments on what Rose means to this team.
"Great guy, humble, one of the best basketball players in the game," James said of Rose. "Hopefully, he can get his body back to 100 percent. Well, you'll never be 100 percent, but at least 99.9. He's definitely needed by this team and he brings a whole new dimension to the game when he's on the court."
For the Bulls' sake, they hope Rose can take the floor soon with a clean bill of health. For now, however, Chicago's backcourt will remain bland at best.
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Numerous College Basketball teams take final big step to March Madness betting
So, what turned on the lock spigot? Well, after what felt like weeks of teams treading water and slipping back into the bubble muck, a bunch of them finally decided to say "to heck with parity" and won games that should put them into the Big Dance.
Disagree with some of these? Then here's the challenge. Take all of the "should be ins" and make a legit case that each should be ahead of the team that's a lock. Then find 10 more teams that also should be placed in the bracket ahead of that lock team. Not so easy, is it?
If you want more evidence that these locks should be good to go, check out what our research department dug up. Since the NCAA Tournament went to 64 teams in 1985, only six teams from a "big six" conference have had a record of 10-6 or better in conference play and not been selected: Colorado (2004) and Nebraska (1999) from the Big 12, Boston College and Seton Hall (both 2003) from the Big East, Indiana (2005) from the Big Ten and UCLA, which somehow went 12-6 in the Pac-10 in 1988 and still missed out. (Note: Five teams went 11-7 and didn't get in, the latest being last season's Stanford team, which had a brutal nonconference run.)
Yes, 10 conference wins doesn't always mean what it used to because of unbalanced schedules, but this season, it should be plenty good in all but the extreme cases (see: Iowa).
In a way, this is a welcome development, because this is a bubble watch, not a lock watch. We can finally be done with teams like Maryland and Virginia Tech and start really bearing down on at-large battles such as Syracuse-West Virginia and Appalachian State-Georgia Tech.
Interestingly, all the shifting of teams into lock status appears to be more administrative than impactful. The number of remaining available at-larges didn't change one iota. The only difference is that teams on the bubble now have a clearer idea of which team(s) they are competing with for those precious bids.
| The Bubble Breakdown | |||
| CONFERENCE | LOCKS | SHOULD BE INS | AT-LARGES TAKEN (assuming no auto bid outlier) |
| ACC Betting Odds | 6 | 0 | 5 |
| Big East Betting Odds | 5 | 0 | 4 |
| Big Ten Betting Odds | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Big 12 Betting Odds | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Pac-10 Betting Odds | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| SEC Betting Odds | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| MVC Betting Odds | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| MWC Betting Odds | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| TOTAL | 28 | 5 | 25 |
As always, I've tried to be as inclusive as possible while only including teams that would have a reasonable chance of at least being discussed if this were Selection Sunday. If your team's not on here, there's probably a good reason (or three) -- start with the RPI and SOS numbers and work your way down.
(Please remember, per selection committee criteria, that records displayed are Division I only. Next update: Feb. 28)
If you have a legitimate grievance, or just like talking bubble, send an e-mail. Polite ones with fact-based arguments have a much better chance of receiving a response. I apologize in advance if I can't get back to all of you.
Atlantic Coast Conference
Work left to do: Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech
The ACC moves to six locks as BC, Va Tech and Virginia all got their 10th ACC wins, which should be more than enough this season, and Maryland rallied past North Carolina to get the final piece the Terps needed. After that? It could end there unless FSU, Ga Tech or Clemson picks things up in a hurry.
Work left to do:
Clemson [19-9 (5-9), RPI: 41, SOS: 42] The Tigers are closer to locking up the collapse of the year award (in a good battle with OK State) than they are to grabbing an at-large. Clemson's been very competitive, but there's no really positive way you can spin nine losses in 11 games. They now cannot get to .500 in ACC play and still must head to Virginia Tech in the season finale (after hosting Miami). Unless the Tigers win both and/or do some serious work in the ACC tourney, they very well could be left out. There are no great nonconference wins, but ODU, App State, Miss. State, South Carolina and Georgia are all respectable W's.
Florida State [18-11 (6-9), RPI: 48, SOS: 14] The Noles got thrashed at Maryland to run their losing streak to five, but then pounded NC State at home to set the table for what likely is an elimination game at Miami. You can at least make a case for the Seminoles at 7-9 in ACC play (and some work in the ACC tourney), but 6-10 is not going to cut it. Wins at Duke and over Florida will resonate, but the computer numbers remain questionable. Beyond Florida, FSU thrashed bubble buddy Providence, but there's not a ton beyond those two games that will help. They didn't show well in big-time opportunities against Pitt and Wisconsin (before the Florida win).
Georgia Tech [18-10 (6-8), RPI: 51, SOS: 46] The Jackets beat Wake on Wednesday but couldn't get it done at UVa on Saturday, which could be a crucial loss with UNC and BC (both at home) remaining and 8-8 almost a certain need for at-large consideration. A nonconference win over Memphis helps, but the RPI and SOS are not at-large quality right now; if you combine those with a sub-.500 ACC mark, that could spell NIT for GT.
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