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Yesterday I discussed waiting on picking the Heat or Spurs. The Spurs are currently slight favorites thanks to home court advantage. But a shift of odds for the better or worse is likely to occur during the series.

Where the advantage lies currently is deciding on an MVP candidate. The odds on favorites are Lebron James at nearly +150 and Tim Duncan at a little more than 2 to 1.

Before Tony Parker’s injury I likely would have favored him to win. Currently he is still at a little more than 3 to 1.

Money surely is going to flow on those three. Lebron has carried the Heat all season and Tim Duncan has been the Spurs leader forever. Yet my money is going to go on Dwayne Wade at a whopping 10-1.

All year Wade has taking a back seat and been preserved for the NBA Finals. Basically the Heat have been able to coast the regular season and Eastern Conference playoffs by default. Facing the San Antonio Spurs though things will be dramatically different.

Coach Poppovich will attack the Heat’s strengths. Obviously their number one strength is LeBron James. For the Heat to have a chance in this series it will take an old school Dwayne Wade to do so.

I believe the Heat realize that and so does James. Throughout James career he has never been the type of player to hog the spotlight. He’ll gladly had the reigns to Dwayne Wade if it means winning a third championship.

All he cares about our rings, unlike most superstars that have played any professional sport.

For Wade to be at 10-1 is a slap in the face to the type of player he has been. Wade also knows that LeBron James has the option to opt out after this post season. To keep LeBron from even having that thought, I believe Wade will turn his game up to the top level he has done occasionally this season.

Veterans of Wade’s caliber know when to turn the jets on. Sure Wade is 32 but people have acted like he is an after thought to the Heat’s success. I can’t remember a player of his caliber being wrote off so quickly as Dwayne Wade.

The cast of Lebron on the team has jaded people’s perceptions of Wade. The Spurs have the LeBron caliber defenders to limit James’s success. Leonard and Boris Diaw have shown they can do that. But who is their answer for Wade?

The answer is they do not have one. Last year in the NBA Finals the Heat fell down two games to one to the Spurs. In those three games Wade’s averages were just 14 points a game with 1 rebound and three assists.

The series turned and the Heat then won three out of four games. In those four games Wade’s averages jumped tremendously. He averaged a near 24 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks.

James already has two NBA finals MVP’s to go along with his two NBA titles as a Miami Heat member. This Heat team is different than in year’s past and is going to require a leap in Wade’s play to get the job done.

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Weeks ago I wrote an article on capitalizing on the Spurs at future odds of 3-1 and 5-1. Those odds were in the Dallas series. There was only a day that the odds were at 5-1, when they were down 2-1 in the series to the Mavericks.

It’s easy to jump on series odds when it’s down to the final two teams. Action is likely sky rocketing on both the Heat at +105 and Spurs at -125. The fact of the matter is that neither price has great line value right now.

Oddmakers are at your mercy right now. They have the series priced exactly how it should be. The home team Spurs are the odds on slight favorite, but they’re not writing off the possibility of a three peat by the Heat.

The best approach if you did not pick the Heat or Spurs weeks ago, is to wait out two to three games.

This series is projected to go seven games by just about every media outlet. The Spurs want to end a dynasty that’s been around since the late 90’s, and the Heat want to get a coveted three peat.

This will not be a quick series.

As in any type of financial market, the proper time to make money is when the odds become a better buy. If any of these teams gets down one game by losing home court advantage, injuries, or a 2-0 deficit, value is going to shift.

This would be the opportunity to pounce on a future buy.

Hold your reservations on placing your money on the counter. Yes there has been a big gap of NBA rest days from conference championships to the start of the Finals. But action will begin Thursday.

If you’re really looking at getting a solid wager on a future bet in the series, put a play on the series MVP.

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Rumors are swirling about the Philadelphia 76ers possibly cashing in on Michael Carter-Williams rookie season by trading him. It sounds ludicrous but what else would you expect after the other moves made by the 76ers this season?

Carter-Williams was not only the lone bright spot to the 76ers season but for the 2013 rookie class as well. The talent from the draft was one of the worst first year combined seasons in quite awhile.

The possibility of the 76ers trading Carter-Williams is circled around the possiblity of drafting Dante Exum. My question is why would they consider drafting him? Carter-Williams displayed that he was a gem of a pick as the 11th selection last year. Instead of trying to replace him why not build around him?

Williams only has more room for growth. A questionable jump shot should improve with consistent offseason work. Williams biggest area for improvement is adding muscle and weight to his slender frame. An area he has improved on since his days at Syracuse, but still has a lot of room for growth.

Scouts do not even have a lot of footage of Dante Exum. Saying this type of trade would be a gamble is a huge understatement.

Yes the 76ers would likely get key talent in return for Williams, but at what price? Veterans that want to coast in Philadelphia, or transition young athletes that are considered worthy of a trade? Philadelphia is well under the salary cap but making this type of move would bolster it considerably. You already have Williams under contract at a bargain price. While this season you have two first round picks and five in the second round.

Again I do not see the reason to even entertain this idea. Keep Williams through his rookie contract and wait for his natural progression. He is certainly on his way to being one of the top point guards in the NBA. By the time his rookie contract concludes, he will be at a prime age while other top point guards are well into their 30’s.

I think all the trades the 76ers have done over the past year, have them a bit trigger happy in Carter-Williams case.

Hold that thought Philadelphia. Go back to considering who you’re going to draft with two of the top ten picks.

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Just a few days ago the San Antonio Spurs were the odds on favorite to win the NBA championship. After a dominating series against the Trailblazers they continued to make things look easy in the first two games of their series against Oklahoma City.

Their team looked deeper than ever. The second unit could come in and expand the lead with ease. The tables have turned thanks to one healing player. Serge Ibaka.

This swing in the series not only reshapes the possibilities of a Finals representative, it gives a whole new spin on the NBA futures odds. Jay Kornegay and his team at the LVH Hilton will be putting out a dramatic shift in championship odds.

This happens from time to time in the NBA, but Miami will surely be the odds on favorite once again.

To hand them the title seems like a virtual reality, but I’m not sold on this Heat team. They’ve been able to uplift themselves as a true contender because of the weakened East. There wasn’t a strong team at all in their way this season.

That will change versus the Spurs or Thunder. Two teams the Heat have defeated in prior finals, but those were also stronger Heat teams.

As brittle as the Heat are, one minor injury or a stretch of poor games by one of their big three could do them in. If Chris Bosh plays as poorly as he has the Heat may find themselves in a big series hole like the first go around against Dallas.

Swaying the daily pendulum of the new hot team days are numbered. Now is your chance to mark your team and see what happens over the course of the next two and a half weeks.

My money would still remain on the Spurs.

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My recollections of collegiate basketball with a clear view of talent probably goes back to the mid 90’s. It’s not a long track record of athletics but enough to evaluate talent from the booms and busts seen over the years.

The NBA is in an obvious transition of evaluating talent. The one and done rule in college basketball has left the NBA community of scouts and gm’s an excuse to miss on first round picks. Evaluating talent is predicated on what a player’s future can be, instead of what they’ve done. Often times a senior in the NBA draft is not considered worthy of a high first round pick.

Busts are bound to happen but teams need to draw the line if they’re in search for a point guard. Shabazz Napier should not be a bottom tier grade or late first round pick.

Maturity has to be a key grade for NBA scouts. Napier has handled his own in one of the toughest college basketball conferences in the last four years (Big East than AAC for his senior year). In all phases of his game he has improved from a freshman to senior. Exactly what Kemba Walker did as a UConn Huskie, Napier was able to do.

Yet, before the tournament and the Huskies run, Napier probably wasn’t even considered as a second round pick. The senior tab was labeled on him.

In all due honesty I can’t see how Marcus Smart or Tyler Ennis are rated higher than Napier. Measurables alone probably could justify their higher ratings. But skillset on the court, Napier has the clear advantage. He never folded in games the way Ennis and Smart did. The only team that truly did befuddle Napier was Louisville.

Often times Napier could will the Huskies himself with timely barrages of three pointers, and increased intensity defensively. Ennis just was not capable of making enough perimeter shots to carry Syracuse through offensive droughts. In fact, if Napier was on the Syracuse team of last year, they would have never went on the slide they did. The large factor in Syracuse’s slump was missed shots all across the board, when Boeheim enlisted Ennis to shoot more.

Marcus Smart likely had more talent around him then both Ennis and Napier at Oklahoma State. The problem with Oklahoma State’s struggles was teams realized how to defend Smart. You could say that Smart was more of a Russ Westbrook type of point guard. He tried to shoot the ball too much and did not involve his teammates properly.

If an NBA GM wants to have that type of talent as their first round pick, so be it. Winning is what a team should want, and Napier has shown that with two national titles in four years.

He also did the unthinkable as UConn faced sanctions and a postseason ban. The ability to transfer freely is another area of college basketball that is hindering the game. Teams are having more turn around than an NBA team, as players are now transferring due to playing time or new recruits coming in. The goal of being an upper classmen starter has gone out the window.

Napier stayed the course with UConn, in a move that should also brighten his draft stock. Many point guards in his position would have transferred to a top ten or fifteen team to improve his stock and chance for a national title.

I believe teams will move Napier up as the draft gets closer and Ennis down. Smart will likely still go top ten and higher than Napier but it doesn’t mean he will be the better prospect. Look for Napier to be a top fifteen pick and one of the surprise moves up the draft board.

It may seem surprising but this is from the same point guard that won a national title at 40-1 odds in 2011 and 100-1 in 2014.

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The attraction of Sportscenter highlights has a brain wash effect for NBA team’s fans and in turn to NBA general managers. Busts are bound to happen but the attraction of a high flyer never goes away. had the attention of every college and the NBA while in high school.

Why? Because he made it look easy and possesses uncanny athleticism. Putting him on the court with college athletes was not an easy transition like people would have thought. He struggled just like most freshman do, but also put together solid games that caught the eyes of the media. Riveting games like the one he had against West Virginia are all reasons to draft Wiggins. As a number one pick is the question.

We all were shocked when Cleveland selected Anthony Bennett a year ago as the number one pick. This time around there would not be any head scratching with Wiggins. Can he live up to the billing and deliver with all the top prospects Cleveland has? Maybe. Time to develop just won’t be a luxury for Wiggins. What we saw a year ago with Bennett will not be replicated in Cleveland. Bennett was often times sat on the bench and did not receive proper minutes of a number one pick. Instead he looked like a project of a second round pick.

Struggles will happen for Wiggins. When they do what will be his signature basketball skill set to rely on? Likely his athleticism. His latest one step vertical leap was showcased all over social media like an art display at an exhibit. It’s social media hoopla. No different than Nik Stauskas showcasing a video of him making numerous three’s in a row, or the numerous others on youtube.

During certain games in the Big 12 conference, Wiggins athleticism did not translate to on court success. His go-to move in college was to use his foot speed to get in the lane and attack the rim. His slight frame and the NBA’s more physical nature will likely take that ability away in the NBA. That and the fact that there will be true power forward’s and centers in the lane to prevent an easy attempt. The Big 12 just did not have too many lane protectors this past season.

People expecting Wiggins to run away with rookie of the year should truly evaluate his season at Kansas. He just is not ready to be the type of rookie that Michael Carter-Williams was last year. Heading to Cleveland may darken his early career than brighten it. Just a half-season ago Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters were in a public tantrum against each other. There likely were more players involved in the Cavaliers pointing fingers sessions.

All of Cleveland’s core and nucleus involves young players. They all want shots just like they did in college and what they’ve shown on the professional level.

The media is profiling how unique of an opportunity the Cavaliers have with getting the number one pick for the third time in four years. It’ll truly be unique when all the players end up on different teams because they couldn’t win with each other as a Cavalier.

They can’t even keep a coach. The fan base is growing anxious for a producer and may not get it.