You won't find a heavier division favorite than the Warriors. Nor should you. Not only are they bringing back the entire core of a 67-win, title-toting team, but they have added to it.
In addition to re-signing Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, JaVale McGee, Zaza Pachulia and David West, they added two sharpshooters on the wings in Omri Casspi (at the minimum) and Nick Young (at the taxpayer's mid-level exception).
To answer your question, yes, this is absolutely ridiculous.
Don't be surprised if the Warriors end up winning more than 67 games this time around. They won't be chasing their own record of 73 wins, but they could certainly flirt with 70-plus victories organically. The Western Conference is a bloodbath, with teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets having beefed up their roster in hopes of catching the defending champs. But when looking at the star power and depth permeating this Warriors squad, it's tough to imagine any team in the league, let alone the Pacific Division, finishing within seven wins of them.
Give the Clippers credit. They lost Chris Paul, a top-10 player, to the Rockets and still remain the second-best team in the Pacific Division. That's admirable, even if some of their moves were not. (Yup, we're talking about the decision to give Danilo Gallinari three years and $60-plus million while giving up a first-round pick in the process.)
Still, the honor of runner-up in the Pacific doesn't actually mean much at all. Maybe the Clippers clear 45 victories. It won't matter. They are not catching the Warriors, and truth told, the odds here aren't lucrative enough for you to invest in the idea of a pipe-dream scenario.
If you want roll with victory-total overs and unders, go right ahead. Otherwise, in the event you're someone who likes to play the longer-than-long shots, you're better off placing small-scale wagers on the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns or Sacramento Kings.
So, like, these odds aren't egregious. The Lakers have a very real opportunity to be the third best team in the Pacific. They might even be a lot better than people expect.
The offense is being run by a rookie, in Lonzo Ball, but he's a pass-first floor general with vision that belies his post-teenage status. Brandon Ingram flashed signs of a breakout toward the end of his rookie season, while the additions of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Brook Lopez give the Purple and Gold somewhat established contributors at both ends. If Julius Randle tightens his defense, Jordan Clarkson plays like it's 2015-16 and Luol Deng does the same, the Lakers could find themselves in 30-plus win territory.
Which, yippee?
Throwing a small-sum bone on these odds wouldn't be a terrible idea, given the high return. But 30-something victories won't do anything in a division with the Warriors. Plus, if we're being honest, either the Kings or Suns could end up being better by season's end.
It's a little surprising to see the Kings' odds plummet this far. It would make sense if they didn't sign George Hill over the summer, but they did. Bake in his veteran leadership with the addition of rookie De'Aaron Fox, the development of Skal Labissiere and the quasi-breakout from Buddy Hield after he was acquired from the Pelicans, and you have the long-shot recipe for a playoff team.
No, the Kings aren't making the playoffs. They'll bench everyone who's exceeding expectations if that becomes the case. And that, in turn, explains these odds. If the Kings aren't bad organically, they'll buoy their current rebuild by contriving some awfulness from scratch.
Substantial predictive measures are being implemented here. The Suns' situation demands it. Even ESPN.com's win projections are taking into account an event that hasn't happened yet but is deemed inevitable: Eric Bledsoe's departure.
The point guard is very obviously the Suns' best player. He played at a near-All-Star level last season, an effort that was lost amid the West's gaggle of all-world floor generals and Phoenix's decision to shut him down amid a tank job. Put him in the East, and he's probably a top-five backcourt player in the conference. To this end, most believe he'll be sent packing before next season or by the trade deadline at the latest. The Suns have committed to rebuilding—to being bad. If they don't move him, he'll probably be shut down again by midseason.
This is important to consider. The Suns weren't good last year, but with a full season of Bledsoe, Devin Booker and Josh Jackson on the court, they could sniff more wins than predicted. Still, it's best to avoid their odds altogether, since they remain on teardown watch.
Category : Betting Picks
Tag : Golden State Warriors , los angeles clippers , Los Angeles Lakers , phoenix suns , sacramento kings
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