NBA Futures: Favorites to Win Title in Each Division
NBA Futures: Favorites to Win Title in Each Division
November 26, 2021
We are not even a quarter of the way through the
2021 NBA season but there are already signs as to which teams are
legitimate contenders and those that are merely pretenders. Below we
will go through each division and make our selection as to which team
will likely be in contention for an NBA World Championship when June
rolls around.
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
With the notable exception of the Pacific, this
group of East Coast teams represents the most competitive division in
the league. The Brooklyn Nets are at the top of the heap as of this
writing with a 14-5 record. Remarkably, they have done so without the
sublime skills of the third piece of their three-headed monster, Kyrie
Irving. James Harden and Kevin Durant have picked up the slack, and
then some, as Kyrie refuses to follow the New York City Covid mandates
and, therefore, cannot play home games at the Barclays Center. The team
has told Kyrie he’s either all-in or all-out. Expect a trade in the
near future if Kyrie won’t come around…and he won’t.
The Pick: Brooklyn Nets
Central Division
The Chicago Bulls are shocking everyone this season
and are holding court high above the Central Division with a 12-7
record. The job that head coach, Billy Donovan, has done with this
group that didn’t even make the playoffs last year is nothing short of
astounding.
The preseason NBA championship odds at all of the best online
sportsbooks had the Bulls at +6600 to win the title but they have
exceeded all expectations in the early going. Many of the top betting
forums have free sports service plays available but few handicappers could have predicted how successful this Bulls team would be to start the season.
However, we must be realistic and although the Bulls look like they are
on their way to a postseason berth, we don’t expect them to hang onto
the top spot in the division nor compete for a championship. That
Central Division distinction belongs to the reigning NBA champs, the
Milwaukee Bucks.
The Pick: Milwaukee Bucks
Southeast Division
A case can be made for every team in this division
except the woeful Orlando Magic. As of this writing, the Miami Heat are
in the penthouse with the upstart Washington Wizards and Charlotte
Hornets in their rearview mirror. And while the Heat were the preseason
favorites to win the Southeast, we should also consider the Atlanta
Hawks and the veteran talent they have on that team.
Trae Young is a bona fide superstar for the Hawks but the supporting
cast is not deep enough to get it done. When the smoke clears in this
division, the only team capable of making a charge for the title is the
Miami Heat with perennial All-Star Jimmy Butler leading a talented
group consisting of Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, and Kyle Lowry. They are
the cream of the crop in the Southeast and our choice as the best in
class.
The Pick: Miami Heat
Western Conference
Northwest Division
The Utah Jazz were the oddsmakers' choice to win the
Northwest followed by the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trailblazers. The
T-Wolves and Thunder were an afterthought and continue to be so after
their early-season struggles that are expected to continue throughout
the season. And Utah is proving the oddsmakers right as they rule at
the top with a 12-6 mark after 18 games. Portland is barely above .500
while the Nuggets are staggering along with a 9-9 record.
It's very early but the Jazz are a very competent team and one that
doesn’t have many of the sensational highs compounded by the
disconcerting lows of other teams. The triumvirate of Donovan Mitchell,
Rudy Gobert, and Bojan Bogdanovic has propelled this team to lofty
heights. But it is the veteran depth on this team that allows them to
wear down opponents and emerge victorious. While we like the Nuggets
and the sharpshooters they possess we will cast our lot with the Jazz
to win the division and compete for a title.
The Pick: Utah Jazz
Pacific Division
There is little doubt we will see four of the five
teams in this division appear in the postseason but the Golden State
Warriors are undoubtedly back after their dynasty took a few years off
to recoup after a series of devastating injuries. Steph Curry is livin’
large and in charge as his Warriors are decimating the competition
as evidenced by their 16-2 record. And while the Suns, Clippers, and
Lakers are all legitimate title threats, there is no team in the league
that can compete against the Warriors when they are clicking on all
cylinders. The Warriors have returned to take what is theirs.
The Pick: Golden State Warriors
Southwest Division
This division crown is theirs for the Mavericks’
taking if they want it. And with the exceptional skills of Luka Doncic
quarterbacking this team, it is difficult to envision any other leading
the Southwest Division pack. Memphis is the only team that could
remotely challenge for the division title but that seems unlikely
unless the injury bug bites hard on the Mavs.
No, this is not much of a race and Dallas will try to get through the
season as injury-free as possible and jockey their way up the Western
Conference standings. When the smoke clears in the regular season, the
Mavericks will be in the postseason but anything more than a
first-round series win would be the cherry on top of the ice cream.
