Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Sports World |
| Posted: 04 Oct 2011 08:17 AM PDT The positions and roles that are taken by the players in basketball are not specified in the laws of or rules of the game whatsoever and have just evolved as the game has evolved. During the early years the positions were less defined than today, but since the 1980s the positions on the court and the different abilities needed to play them have become more defined. The point guard is usually the speediest player on the team and he needs organising ability as he is in charge of getting the offence in order and by controlling the ball and making sure it gets to the right player at the right time, basically he's the on-field general and could be compared the quarterback in American Football. At the NBA level, most point guards are 6 feet to 6 feet 4 inches tall. Those looking at the basketball betting odds should remember this. The backcourt is completed by the number "2" or shooting guard he is generally the team's best shooter and is typically a top-class long from long range. Besides being able to shoot the ball, shooting guards tend to have good ball-handling skills and the ability to drive the ball to the net, often creating their own shots off the dribble. They also have the ability to be able to interchange with the point guard and direct traffic on occasions. The frontcourt is where the forwards and center play; the forwards are split into a small forward and a power forward. The small forward position is considered to be perhaps the most versatile of the main five basketball positions, due to the nature of its role, which is sometimes similar to that of a power forward, and other times more resembles the role of a shooting guard. The power forward plays a lot of the time on offence with his back to the basket and on defence he will play under the basket in a zone defence or marking the opposing power forward in a man-to-man defence. People following the following the basketball betting odds need to bear this in mind. The final position of the five men on the court at any one time is the center and is also known as the pivot and this position is usually the preserve of the tallest man on the team. Centers contribute to the team by using their physique and skill to score close to the basket, as well as gathering rebounds, contesting shots and setting screens on plays. The positions described are the ones that are taken up in a standard formation but some teams will make those flexible and use a three guard defence replacing the center with a third guard.  |
| Posted: 04 Oct 2011 08:09 AM PDT Of all the professional basketball leagues in the world the National Basketball Association or NBA as it is known sits at the top of the pyramid in terms of popularity, salaries, talent, and level of competition. The NBA is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues. The NBA comprises 30 teams, 29 of which are based in the USA and 1 in Canada, as with all the major North American sports the teams are split into two Conferences in this case they are called Eastern and Western and each one of those Conferences contains three divisions. In the Western conference they are called Northwest, Pacific and Southwest while the Eastern Conference is divided into the Atlantic, Central and Southeast divisions. All the divisions are equally balanced in that they contain five teams in each. People who bet on basketball should remember this. Training camps and pre-season take place in September and October and this gives the team's time to get the players fit and evaluate new players that will be on their roster. The regular season starts in the last week in October and teams play a season of 82 games – 41 at home and 41 away or on the road. A team faces opponents in its own division four times a year (16 games). Each team plays six of the teams from the other two divisions in its conference four times (24 games), and the remaining four teams three times (12 games). Finally, each team plays all the teams in the other conference twice apiece (30 games). This asymmetrical structure means the strength of schedule will vary between teams (but not as significantly as the NFL or MLB). By playing all the other teams in the league the NBA is the same as the National Hockey League which is the only other league of the big four in North America where this happens. Fans of live basketball betting should bear this in mind. In February around the mid-point of the season the NBA takes a short break for the All-Star game. Fans can vote throughout the United States, Canada, and on the Internet, and the top vote-getters at each position in each conference are given a starting spot on their conference's All-Star team. Coaches vote to choose the remaining 14 All-Stars. Then, Eastern conference players face the Western conference players in the All-Star game. The season ends in April when the top eight sides in each Conference qualify for the play-offs, their rankings within each Conference then determining who and where they play during the post-season. The final playoff round, a best-of-seven series between the victors of both conferences, is known as the NBA Finals, and is held annually in June. The victor in the NBA Finals wins the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. Each player and major contributor—including coaches and the general manager—on the winning team receive a championship ring. The current NBA Champions are the Dallas Mavericks who triumphed 4-2 in the latest NBA Finals.  |
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