Pre All Star Break Trends

Remember sitting in class with just a few days left until Spring Back? Back of the room, staring out the window and counting down the seconds until freedom. The teacher could be yelling in your ear or a fire could ignite in chemistry lab; but nothing on planet earth could divert your attention from the vacation ahead. School work was absolutely the last thing on your mind. The body was in attendance, but the focus was somewhere else.

NBA players no doubt possess a similar mindset heading into the All Star Break. While it is hard to imagine growing tired of being paid millions to play basketball for a living, the NBA season is very much a grind. It is extremely long and can be exhausting both mentally and physically. Even though we paint them as infallible, athletes are human and humans wear down. In as much, many NBA players and teams will lack energy and focus as the All Star Break approaches.

Coach Don Nelson of the Dallas Mavericks understands this All Star dynamic quite well. All too aware this can be a dangerous time for NBA teams, he recently warned his players with a few statements to the media. “There's a lot of low-energy right now with the teams going into the All-Star break. But you've got to fight against that. You can't let that happen, or you're going to pick up a loss or two."

A better analogy is how you may feel as an employee (or employer) right before the winter holidays. You are tired, sluggish and really just need a break from the daily routine. Anxious to spend time with family and step away from the work load, your performance and/or focus is not likely running at maximum potential. It is really no different for NBA players heading into the All Star Break.

The point here is simple: be extra cautious with your NBA wagers right now. Results at this time tend to fall away from the norm and be extremely unpredictable. Be very careful to only choose teams that have displayed focus up until this point. In our opinion, there are several good gauges by which to judge a team’s ability to focus.

Clubs that have performed well on extended road trips, clubs that have played well vs. inferior opponents, clubs that have not let down following big wins, etc. are precisely the ones you’re looking for. In other words, isolate teams that have taken care of business in tough situational spots and be wary of teams that have not