NBA Season Win Totals

The 2014-15 NBA regular season came to a thrilling end on Wednesday night. While there were numerous games with playoff and seeding implication, there were also games that were very important to gamblers betting on NBA season win totals as the Clippers and Raptors totals were all in play. The Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks easily clinched the top seeds in their respective conferences and the two teams also happened to significantly exceed their projected season win total shown below.

*All lines based on the 10/10 Bovada line. 

Team	Bovada	Actual	Diff.	O / U
Atlanta Hawks	41.5	60	18.5	O
Milwaukee Bucks	24	41	17	O
Golden State Warriors	51.5	67	15.5	O
Boston Celtics	26.5	40	13.5	O
Utah Jazz	24.5	38	13.5	O
Houston Rockets	49.5	56	6.5	O
Memphis Grizzlies	49	55	6	O
Indiana Pacers	33	38	5	O
New Orleans Pelicans	43	45	2	O
Portland Trail Blazers	49	51	2	O
Philadelphia 76ers	16.5	18	1.5	O
Los Angeles Clippers	55.5	56	0.5	O
Toronto Raptors	48.5	49	0.5	O
Sacramento Kings	29.5	29	-0.5	U
Dallas Mavericks	50	49	-1	U
San Antonio Spurs	57	55	-2	U
Orlando Magic	27.5	25	-2.5	U
Detroit Pistons	35.5	32	-3.5	U
Brooklyn Nets	41.5	38	-3.5	U
Washington Wizards	49.5	46	-3.5	U
Chicago Bulls	54.5	50	-4.5	U
Cleveland Cavaliers	58.5	53	-5.5	U
Phoenix Suns	44.5	39	-5.5	U
Miami Heat	44	37	-7	U
Minnesota T-Wolves	26.5	16	-10.5	U
Denver Nuggets	41.5	30	-11.5	U
Los Angeles Lakers	32.5	21	-11.5	U
Charlotte Hornets	45	33	-12	U
Oklahoma City Thunder	57.5	45	-12.5	U
New York Knicks	41	17	-24	U

The Overs: 

13 NBA teams hit the “over” and beat the line set by Vegas. While the Hawks crushed their total by 18.5 games, it was the Milwaukee Bucks who had the easiest time with their season win total. After winning just 15 games a year ago, the Bucks were only projected to win 24 games. They eclipsed that mark on January 31 with a win against Portland to go 25-22. The Celtics beat their total by 13.5 games mainly due to the superb coaching of Brad Stevens and even the Sixers toppled their 16.5 win projection with 18. Both the Clippers and Raptors were fairly highly touted in the pre-season, but it took until the last game of the season for both of these teams to pass their win total of 55.5 and 48.5 games, respectively. The Clippers won their last seven games all of which they needed to hit the over.

The Unders: 

A whopping 17 teams went “under” the Vegas line which is actually less than the prior season when 18 teams went under led by the Bucks who finished 13.5 games under their projected total. This year’s big winner or should I say loser is to no one’s surprise the New York Knicks. With Melo returning, the Knicks had their win total set at 41 games. They only won 17 on the season and finished just 24 games off the line. Other big losers included the Thunder who were bitten by the injury bug all year and the Hornets who never meshed with Lance Stephenson after a playoff run last year. The Nuggets went under the total by 10.5 games last year and this year wasn’t much different going under by 11.5. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavs were projected as the top regular season team in the NBA with 58.5 wins, but they fell short winning 53.

Nike Hoop Summit Recap

Jamal Murray
photo by Ken Waz / USA Basketball

The Nike Hoop Summit wrapped up Saturday afternoon with a thrilling 103-101 World victory. In a back and forth affair, the World team was able to hold on despite a last second opportunity from Allonzo Trier. Jamal Murray, a Hoop Summit veteran led the way with a game high 30 points and LSU bound Ben Simmons set a Hoop Summit record with nine assists. After a full week of practices there were several players from both the international and U.S. teams that established themselves in the eyes of NBA draft personnel.

Top Tier:

The No. 1 player in the class of 2015 will come down to Ben Simmons and Skal Labissiere. Both players are SEC bound and should challenge for the top draft pick in 2016.

Over the past few weeks, Ben Simmons has hit all parts of the country with the McDonald’s All-American game in Chicago, the Dick’s National Championship in New York, and now the Hoop Summit event in Portland. When Simmons arrived he measured out at 6’10” which was taller than previously expected. In the Friday practice leading up to the game, Simmons turned up the volume and provided a glimpse of how he was going to play in the game on Saturday. In the actual game, Simmons played 30 minutes and finished with 13 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists on 5-10 shooting. Even before entering college, Simmons already has size, strength, and speed to help him excel at the NBA level. The point forward is a strong ball-handler with either hand and always has his head up looking up to find open teammates. His top play came when he pushed the ball down the court out-racing the smaller U.S. defenders finishing with a two-hand dunk. Right now, the main weakness in his game is his outside shooting. Simmons went 0-1 in the game that was played with the international arc, but was comfortable launching shots from this range. He has good rotation on his shot and is already much improved from last year. The Australian native impacts all areas of the game and plays with an unselfish attitude.

While Simmons touched all areas of the scorebook, Skal Labissiere came off the bench and put his own stamp on the game with 21 points, six rebounds, and six blocks on 9-15 shooting in 27 minutes. Throughout the week, Labissiere was the talk of Hoop Summit with NBA GM’s salivating over the chance to draft him in just over a year. After a quiet first half where he scored just four points, Skal dominated the paint in the second half scoring 17 points with a variety of tip-in’s, dunks, and hook shots. The 7 foot Haitian has a smooth game and soft touch that will allow him to become an effective power forward at Kentucky and the next level. He started the game off with a 19 foot jump shot and will eventually excel in the pick and pop world of the NBA. He will need to continue to work on face-up moves out of the post and quick fade-away’s from the right or left block. Despite a tumultuous high school career that was spent changing schools and AAU programs, Skal has poise beyond his years and a game that is pleasing to the eye.

Stock Riser:

He almost didn’t even play in this game, but thanks to Henry Ellenson’s injury, Brandon Ingram was added to the U.S. roster. After erupting at the McDonald’s All-American game, Ingram continued his stellar play and actually led all players on the U.S. with 26 minutes played. He measured out earlier in the week with a 7’3” wing span which so far has offset his relatively thin frame on the defensive end. After a strong week of practice, Ingram started the game showcasing his almost automatic mid-range baseline jump-shot. After six first half points, Ingram got the start in the second half as the U.S. team looked to go smaller to increase the pace of the game. He finished the game with 12 points on 5-6 shooting and contributed three rebounds and a blocked shot. Ingram played the majority of the fourth quarter over Jaylen Brown, but despite being open for several open jumpers the ball never came his way with various ball dominating teammates controlling the action.

International Quick Hitters:

George de Paula (Brazil) – The No. 29 prospect in the DraftExpress rankings had an extremely quiet game despite getting the start at the point guard spot. The 6’6” de Paula is a powerful guard that excels at getting to the basket. Unfortunately in 13 minutes of action, de Paula only took two three pointers. He made his first one early on in the game, but fell extremely short on his other. De Paula also committed three turnovers and didn’t play to his strengths.

Jamal Murray (Canada) – Where will the 6’5” Murray end up next year? Wherever he does, whether it’s in college, Canada, or another destination, Murray will be lighting it up. Last year, Murray scored 10 points in the Hoop Summit game and this year he topped that off with a whopping 30. The best shooter in the game was not fazed by the deeper three point arc and went 3-7 from deep. He scored from all three levels throughout the course of the game and finished 12-23 with five assists. There has been a lot of talk about Murray ending up at Oregon and a backcourt of Murray and Tyler Dorsey would be one of the most explosive in the NCAA.

Cheick Diallo (Mali) – Another high energy performance for Diallo who finished with 12 points and six rebounds after a prior MVP performance at McDonald’s. Diallo chased the ball after misses scoring down low and blocking three shots. College coaches such as Bill Self and Fred Hoiberg are chasing Diallo for next year.

Thon Maker (Canada) – It was a rough Friday for Maker in the scrimmage and a rough game as well. In 14 minutes, Maker scored just two points on free throws and didn’t make a field goal throughout. On the brightside he did add 10 rebounds, five of which were offensive. Right now, Maker’s plans are in flux, but if this game proved anything it’s that he needs time in the weight room and on his offensive skills as he struggled with his shot and on drives to the basket.

Nedim Buza (Bosnia) – The Bosnian sharp-shooter knocked in both of his three point attempts and finished with six points in 13 minutes. Buza was lights out on Friday and if he gets his feet set the outside jumper is probably going in. Buza lacks the necessary foot speed to create his shot and this showed throughout the game.

Frederico Mussini (Italy) – The diminutive Italian guard scored nine points including three clutch free throws at the end. He went 2-5 from the three point line and added in three assists. Mussini is debating about whether to play in college next year, but he could turn into a more than adequate leader for a lucky college team.

Zhou Qi (China) – Qi scored two points and only got one shot attempt, but the intriguing 7’2” center from China showed his assets which include the ability to run the floor and his deficits which include his lack of strength and presence down low on the offensive end. Qi did record two blocks in limited minutes.

Tai Wynyard (New Zealand) – The future Kentucky Wildcat scored his first and only basket on a fundamental post move early on, but wasn’t much of a threat in the other 10 minutes of action. Wynyard could struggle to see the floor when he does land in Lexington given his below the rim style.

Stefan Peno (Serbia) – Peno hit a three in the second half, but usually struggled with the length and athleticism of the opposing players limiting his effectiveness.

U.S. Quick Hitters:

Jaylen Brown – It wasn’t the finest performance for the top rated small forward. Brown struggled with his shot going 2-9 from the floor and was planted on the bench in the deciding minutes. Brown got to the line for six attempts but also committed two turnovers.

Chase Jeter – Jeter got the start and was active around the basket, but finished just 1-5 from the floor. He played 17 minutes and added five rebounds but wasn’t able to utilize his right handed hook shot.

Ivan Rabb – After a strong week of practice, it was a disappointing game for Rabb who played just eight minutes. Rabb went 1-2 from the floor, but he also missed both of his free throws. Earlier in the week, Rabb was hitting jump hooks with both hands but the Oakland native spent the fourth quarter on the bench with Brown.

Malik Newman – Newman went 4-8 from the field and finished with 10 points which was an improvement from his McDonald’s performance, but not the type of game I’m sure he was looking for. Newman scored five points in a row at one stanza which included a three and nice floater. Newman is a streaky scorer and all one has to do is watch his body during a jump shot to determine if it’s going in or not.

Isaiah Briscoe – Nine points and nine assists for Briscoe off the bench, but he also had a costly turnover and missed free throws. Overall, it was an impressive week for the muscular Briscoe and he got to the basket during the course of the game.

Stephen Zimmerman – Zimmerman played up to his potential throughout the game scoring eight points on 4-6 shooting. He put the ball on the floor and finished at the rim and also converted a soft, high arcing deep jump shot. Zimm struggled a bit during the U.S. practices but he shined in his 17 minutes of game action.

Luke Kennard – In a surprising performance, Luke Kennard led the U.S. in scoring with 22 points and shot attempts with 18. Kennard hit 2-5 from three and was all over the court throughout the game scoring at the rim and with pull-up jump shots. He started to hunt for his shot a little bit too much at the end, but was also the most aggressive player on the U.S. team.

Caleb Swanigan – Swanigan received limited minutes and struggled with the length of the World team. The future Michigan State big man went 1-4, but added three rebounds.

Allonzo Trier – Trier provided one of the key highlights with an impressive two hand dunk in the first quarter and was tasked with the last shot for the U.S. team. Trier missed the last shot badly, but that shouldn’t sour the fact that his scoring abilities were on display all week along with his deep range. 

Nike Hoop Summit: Friday Rewind

The Nike Hoop Summit practices concluded on Friday as both the World and U.S. team made their final preparations for their match-up on Saturday afternoon. The U.S. team had both a morning and evening practice while the World team had a single practice in the afternoon.

World Team:

Skal - Ken Nowaczyk/USA Basketball

NBA scouts and General Managers were out in full force to watch the World team Saturday afternoon. The long and talented team wasted no time in picking up the energy in the practice as they started with full-court shooting drills to get warmed up. It only took a few jump shots from Kentucky bound Skal Labissiere to see his immense potential and to understand why he might finish as the No. 1 ranked player in his class. Standing around 7 feet, Labissiere moves well and stays square to the basket on his jumpers. He gets good elevation and has a high release point allowing his shots to fall softly through the net. After getting warmed up, the World team went right to scrimmaging.

To start the game, the team was divided up with Jamal Murray, Stefan Peno, Ben Simmons, Thon Maker, and Zhou Qi on one team and Federico Mussini, George de Paula, Nedim Buza, Skal Labissiere, and Cheick Diallo on another. 2016 Kentucky bound forward Tai Wynyard came off the bench.

Team 1:

Right away, small forward Ben Simmons made his presence known. Without a true point guard on the team, Simmons handled the ball a fair amount and initiated the fast break after grabbing his own defensive rebounds. He knocked in a NBA three-pointer from the right corner to kick things off and then scored on two strong drives to the basket. He had a quickness advantage on Nedim Buza and used just one or two dribbles to get Buza off balance before accelerating down the left lane and finishing short runners with both his left and right hand. Throughout the game, Simmons was blazing in transition and also converted a nice finger roll after a drive down the middle of the lane.

Along with Simmons, Canadian shooting guard Jamal Murray showed off his deep range hitting multiple three’s proving that the deeper three point line did not make a difference. 7 foot forward Thon Maker struggled throughout the scrimmages before throwing down a rim rattling one hand dunk towards the end. Maker prefers to play outside the paint; however on Friday his shot was not falling and he struggled driving to the basket. While Maker has range on his shot, his misses were all over the side of the rim rather than falling short or long. 7’2” center Zhou Qi from China made a return appearance after missing numerous practices due to an ankle injury suffered on the first day of practice. Qi showed his ability to get up and down the floor well for a player his size and held his own on the defensive boards. Given his lack of upper body strength and 209 pound frame, Qi was not banging around down low on the offensive end. Qi prefers to hover around the foul line area looking for short jump shots which he can knock down given his shooting touch.

Team 2:

I came to see Skal. Both the media and NBA personnel have fallen in love with the power forward from Haiti and while it was a quite performance from the future star you could see why basketball minds are enamored with him. Skal waited until the last stanza to score a basket and did so with a right handed hook shot in the lane and he followed that up with a left-handed tip dunk in the middle of the lane where his whole forearm was above the rim. One area where he could have been more aggressive was when he caught the ball at the free throw line against a zone defense. He had several opportunities to turn and shoot from 10-12 feet but instead he passed on those open looks.

6’1”, 154 pound Federico Mussini and the 6’6” George de Paula ran the team’s offense with their contrasting styles. Mussini is short and quick and can knock in three’s from deep and get by his man off the dribble. Once past his defender, Mussini’s physical deficiencies come into play and he is often driving looking for an open teammate to kick the ball to. On the other hand, de Paula is strong and athletic and will try to use his almost 7 foot wing span to dunk on a defender’s head (which he tried). De Paula was aggressive in the scrimmages, but sometimes to the detriment of his teammates who often became upset with his lack of passing. In the first two scrimmages, de Paula took several forced jump shots and shooting is definitely not his forte. When he is driving and attacking he is a tough cover but not when shooting long and contested jump shots.

6’8” wing Nedim Buza put together a thrilling shooting display during the scrimmages knocking down deep three’s whenever his feet were set and he had some space. Buza has good lift on his outside shot and his attempts were always straight on-line with the basket. While he proved to be a knock down shooter, it was also clear that creating his own shot was not his forte. Lacking foot speed, Buza needed high picks to free him of a defender before launching a jumper.

Throughout the scrimmages the world team looked crisp. They worked on attacking the full-court press and zone defenses that the U.S. will most likely throw at them on Saturday. The U.S. will put pressure on the guards and look to speed the game up. Look for Ben Simmons to have a huge role in helping the World team combat the aggressiveness of the U.S.

U.S. Team:

The United States had two practices on Friday. The morning session consisted primarily of shooting drills and other team competitions while the evening practice featured another scrimmage against former college players. This time around the scrimmage consisted of three, 10 minute quarters.

This time around, small forward Jaylen Brown was ready to participate and took over the starting small forward spot from Brandon Ingram. The starters were Jalen Brunson, Malik Newman, Brown, Ivan Rabb, and Stephen Zimmerman. Unlike Thursday where the U.S. basically went five in and five out, substitutions were made in a more liberal manner.

Brown did not waste any time getting started making a driving lay-up, a corner jump shot from the right side of the court, and another lay-up in traffic. Throughout the course of the scrimmage Brown played primarily small forward, but also saw some time at the power forward spot where he was banging around down low with the taller and stronger opponents. In the last stanza, Brown made another driving lay-up and finished a short floater from the left side of the basket after drawing contact.

Shooting guard Malik Newman had an up and done scrimmage despite a variety of shot attempts. He was best in the open court attacking the basket and converted a few jumpers throughout but also miss-fired on several long two’s. It wasn’t an efficient performance for Newman, but it was quite the performance for Luke Kennard. One of the first players off the bench, Kennard scored a quick three baskets with a follow-up off a missed shot, a two dribble jumper from the right corner, and a cutting lay-up off of a nice feed from Briscoe. After his quick burst, Kennard sat out the rest of the scrimmage opting for some rest before the real game on Saturday.

The U.S. team also received some strong bench play with Isaiah Briscoe, Allonzo Trier, and Brandon Ingram all making plays. Briscoe continued his attacking style and even added a three in from the left wing. Trier had his soft, high arcing shot working throughout and Ingram was able to pick his spots with a few mid-range jumpers and a put back after a miss from five feet out. As for the U.S. big men, Ivan Rabb was the most active hitting short shots with both hands and relishing the contact with the former college players.

Match-Up:

The 2015 Nike Hoop Summit tips at 3pm EST on ESPN2. Last year the U.S. team won 84-73 behind the eventual trio that led Duke to the 2015 NCAA championship. Justise Winslow led the way with 16 points and Jahlil Okafor and Tyus Jones scored 14 and 13, respectively. This year, the U.S. guards will look to set the tempo and pressure the World team into turnovers. The World team has good height and length. Will Ben Simmons and Skal Labissiere lead the World team to a victory or will Malik Newman, Jaylen Brown, or Allonzo Trier step up for the U.S.?

Nike Hoop Summit: US Scrimmage

The Nike Hoop Summit is underway in Portland, OR this week and Thursday marked the third day of practice for the U.S. team. The early afternoon consisted of putting in plays and some light scrimmaging as the team saved up for the 6-8pm session. In this stanza, the U.S. team scrimmaged for four, 10 minute quarters against a variety of players from Portland University and other local schools in addition to future Oklahoma Sooner, Payton Pritchard (class of 2016). It also happened to be the only practice that NBA scouts could attend for the U.S. team and the gym was packed with over 100 scouts and General Managers. The U.S. team used its length and athleticism to combat its strength disadvantage and won the first three quarters comfortable before squeaking out a fourth quarter victory.

The starters included Jalen Brunson, Malik Newman, Brandon Ingram, Ivan Rabb, and Stephen Zimmerman. 

Guards:

Malik Newman – Newman got the start alongside Jalen Brunson and showcased his scoring ability throughout. Without being tasked to start the offense, Newman was free to attack the basket and look for mid-range jump shots within half-court offensive sets. He started the scrimmage off with a three from the left wing and added in a step-back jumper. In the second half Newman put up points in a hurry scoring off a pick and roll and using screens to find open 17 foot jump shots. The uncommitted guard was one of the top performers on the day and used his first quick step to constantly free himself from his defender.

Allonzo Trier – The future Arizona Wildcat was the leading scorer for the U.S. with 20 points including an and one three to win a sluggish fourth quarter for the U.S. Trier hit several three’s from the wing and looked comfortable several feet behind the arc. Trier’s ability to get to the rim against more athletic defenders has been questioned but he displayed a good bounce off the dribble and was at ease finding his shot.

Briscoe drives against Pritchard - photo by Ken Waz

Isaiah Briscoe – The powerful combo guard was manning the point guard position when he was in the game. He used his upper body strength and in and out dribble to constantly get deep into the lane where he was able to use his wing span to convert lay-ups or dish out to open teammates. Briscoe was intense on defense and put the most pressure on Pritchard when he was handling the ball. In addition to his baskets close to the hoop, Briscoe converted a long two from the left corner in the second half.

Luke Kennard – Throughout the course of the game, Kennard was the best defensive rebounding guard. He got off the ground quickly and is a good two-footed jumper which he also displayed when going for two-handed jams on various fastbreak attempts. Kennard knocked in several three’s, but struggled when he had to put the ball on the floor. He has a good first burst, but is hampered after one dribble when going towards the basket.  

Jalen Brunson – It wasn't a great scoring day for Brunson although he found the basket several times in the second half. His outside shot was off, but ran the offense well and minimized turnovers. Brunson played stellar defense on Pritchard picking him off twice and showed good instincts in intercepting a few other passes.

Small Forwards:

Brandon Ingram – The rising senior prospect started for the U.S. and finished with 13 points. He got to the line in both halves by attacking the basket and converted 7-8 from the line. He miss-fired on his three point attempts but knocked in a 12 foot jump shot after a pick and roll with Brunson in the second. Ingram used his length to block several jump shots as well on the defensive end. He didn't play as well as he did at McDonald’s, but he still looked comfortable and confident in his surroundings. Over the next few months he will need to continue to work on his strength and explosiveness as the fouls he drew today could have easily turned into blocks or missed shots against more athletic players.

Jaylen Brown – After participating in drills to start the practice, Brown was held out of the scrimmage with a sore hip.

Big Men:

Ivan Rabb – Over the last year, Rabb has worked on his body to get stronger and healthier. After winning a California state championship, Rabb’s effort has been top tier over the past two weeks. He scored close to the rim in the first half with both hands. He also displayed his passing ability with several touch passes to open teammates and operated well at the top of the key. Rabb was forced into a few contested shots in the second half going against stronger defenders and he noted that continuing to get in the weight room was one of his priorities.

Stephen Zimmerman – Big Zimm had a strong run in the second quarter scoring nine points in a quick burst. He converted a touch pass from Rabb and finished close to the rim including an and-one. While he scored in a hurry in this quarter he was also challenged by the physical play and struggled to score with the ball in his hands. He also didn’t get a chance to showcase his 12-15 foot jump shot during the course of the game.

Chase Jeter – The future Duke tandem of Kennard and Jeter connected several times for baskets including one where Kennard took the ball up the court and after attacking the basket he dished out to Jeter for a swish from the foul line extended. Jeter used his go-to move (right hook) to score in the second quarter.

Caleb Swanigan – Swanigan scored three points in the first half and struggled to convert down low; however he used his upper body to keep the opposing post players out of the paint and also man handled a smaller defender down low in the fourth quarter. He stepped outside the paint twice miss-firing on both of his jumpers which he was knocking down in the McDonald’s practices. Swanigan has the power to bang with college players but will need to work on his explosiveness off of two feet.

The U.S. won the first quarter 27-14, the second quarter 34-21, and the third quarter 31-15. With both teams looking tired the fourth quarter it was an issue getting the ball in the hoop on both sides. Down 15-12, Allonzo Trier hit a three from the top of the key and got fouled with two seconds left providing the U.S. with a 16-15 win. While not on the U.S. team, Payton Pritchard relished the opportunity to go against the older U.S. players. When he walked in the gym, the scouts were buzzing about the performance he put on a year ago in the Hoop Summit scrimmage despite being just a sophomore. While he struggled from the floor, he displayed good ball-handlings skills and was constantly getting into the paint showing good body control and an ability to avoid getting his shot blocked by the U.S. big men.