The sport of basketball has seen a lot of action as of lately with LeBron and Caitlyn Clark breaking records that no one thought would be touched, march madness under way, and NBA teams catching their stride. However, one of the most exciting parts of the sport will be this year’s NBA playoffs. Let me break down who my top five picks to win it all this year are.
- Denver Nuggets
Currently sitting at +420 odds, I firmly believe the Nuggets have the best chance to win. This team is throughly diverse with the offense running through Nikola Jokic, but they have weapons on all fronts. Jamal Murray’s comeback from injury the past two years has been an impressive one, and one that helped propel the Nuggets to their first NBA Championship ever. Murray and Michael Porter Jr. can both shoot the three shooting 41.9% and 39.8% respectfully. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is averaging over a steal a game helping the Nuggets defensively. This team has excellent depth with Aaron Gordon averaging exactly 14 points a game and Reggie Jackson coming off the bench and still averaging double digits. This Nuggets team is a fun one to watch and has a serious chance to go back to back.
- Boston Celtics
Currently the #1 team in the NBA, the Celtics have impressed many with a 48-12 record. They currently have the best odds to win the NBA Championship with +210 odds. I knew the Celtics would be good, but Joe Mazzulla has really taken that next step, but can he take that next step when it comes to the playoffs. The Celtics made moves in the offseason to take that leap acquiring Porzingus and Holiday to go along with Brown, Tatum, and White. This team has arguably the best starting five in the NBA. The East will run through Boston, but do the Celtics have what it takes to win their first championship since 2008?
- Los Angeles Clippers
One of my favorite teams to keep track of, the Clippers have some all time greats on their roster, and if this was the 2016-17 season, they would run right through the NBA playoffs. Kawhi Leonard is the focal point on this team offensively and defensively, but I loved the addition of Russel Westbrook last February. He’s offered a good veteran presence within the Clippers organization, and Coach Tyronn Lue has utilized him well. Assuming Paul George and James Harden stay healthy, this team has the pieces to go on a championship run. The Western Conference will be a gauntlet, but I think the Clippers have a good chance to bring home a championship to their new arena next season. Their current odds to win are at +500.
- Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks (currently at +3200 odds) were red hot since the trade deadline entering March with a 5-2 record, but are currently 0-2 in March. The trade deadline was generous to the Mavs as they acquiring needed pieces to their team like PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford. They’ve meshed a lot better with the Mavs than Grant Williams did. As we talked about in the Super Bowl Special episode of Splat Sports and Splat Picks, rumors floated around that Grant Williams was a locker room issue especially with Kyrie and Luka, and the Mavs were wanting to trade him away. Luka is one of the most talented players in the league currently and deserves to be a serious contender in the MVP conversation, and we’ve seen what Kyrie is capable of doing, but can they survive the Western Conference and win a championship for the first time since Dirk’s days?
- Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks are an interesting team when it comes to the NBA this year. They are currently on their second coach this season and made a blockbuster trade this offseason yet people are still not convinced. The Bucks struggled defensively after moving on from one of their defensive cornerstones Jrue Holiday. They addressed this by acquiring Patrick Beverley before the trade deadline (one of my favorite defensive players), but the biggest question surrounds the Bucks’ coaching. Why did the Bucks fire Adrian Griffin who had done so well? Why did they hire Doc Rivers who wasn’t successful with the Sixers or Clippers? Speculations have circulated about Griffin, but Doc Rivers has revitalized this team with a 6-0 record since the All Star break. We know Giannis has what it takes to win a NBA Championship, but can this Jrue Holiday-less, Doc Rivers led team really win it all? The Bucks current odds to win are at +700.
Honorable Mention
OKC Thunder
The Thunder are a young and prosperous team with young stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, and many more. This team has beaten good teams like the Suns, Clippers, and Nuggets, but I still feel like they are young and need a little more experience. It will be fun to see how Chet does in his first playoffs and see how far they go as a team, but I highly doubt they win it all this year. I’m most definitely going to have my eye on them for the upcoming future and expect at least one championship from this young team. Their current odds to win it all are at +2000.
*All odds are as of the morning of March 5th and are provided by FanDuel*
*All stats/records are as of the morning of March 5th and are provided by ESPN, Real App, and StatMuse*
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You are heavily sleeping on the NBA's most recent dynasty. They are finally getting healthy and all of their pieces seem to be gelling together. Draymond's suspension has made him back into the great leader we've always known and the emergence of Johnathan Kuminga has been a shot in the arm for the Dubs. Look for them to make an upset in the first round of they playoffs.
I think you are sleeping on the Chicago Bulls. Demar Derozen and Alex Caruso are made to win Championships. Bulls are winning it all this year