The future is now: Catch the NBA greats of tomorrow without leaving town.
Friday, July 10, 2015 | 11:27 a.m.
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We've reset the Play of the Day with fresh bankrolls and turned it into a yearly competition. Our three sports writers have restarted with $10,000 bankrolls to continue using on odds from the South Point.
Los Angeles Lakers minus-1 vs. Minnesota Timberwolves: $330 to win $300
With the start of the NBA Summer League at the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion over the next week and a half, there’s a new potential bankroll drainer. It can’t be any worse than baseball, where I’m on a double-digit losing streak, so I’ll fire away on opening night.
The NBA has promoted this game as its main attraction on the first night with the top two picks in the NBA Draft playing against each other. While the odds are stacked in favor of Minnesota No. 1 pick Karl-Anthony Towns having a better career than Los Angeles No. 2 pick D’Angelo Russell in the long run, that doesn’t apply at the summer league.
Play is guard-dominated with little defense, making a playmaker like Russell more valuable than a bruiser like Towns. The Lakers’ advantages don’t end there, though.
They’ve got the better overall roster, with Jordan Clarkson quite possibly the best player competing in the Summer League. An All NBA Rookie last year, Clarkson surprised many by deciding to compete in Las Vegas for a second straight year.
Two second-year frontcourt Lakers, Julius Randle and Tarik Black, will make Towns work anyway. This looks like a good spot for the Lakers.
Current Standings (as of July 1): Brewer (3-1, $11,000), Bern (1-0, $10,400), Keefer (0-3, $9,090)
Lifetime Records: 2014-15 champion Bern (86-74-1), Keefer (83-89-2), Brewer (74-90-2)
Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.
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