Last spring, only one team legitimately pushed the Warriors in the postseason, as the Rockets took a 3-2 lead on Golden State before losing the last two games of the series without star point guard Chris Paul. However, as Drew Shiller of NBC Sports Bay Area relays, Klay Thompson suggested on Media Day last week that it might be the Celtics, rather than the Rockets, who are the biggest threat to knock off the defending champions in 2018/19.
“I like the team out East in Boston,” Thompson told ESPN. “They’ve got a very nice young team. One through five — they’ve got a team that kind of mirrors ours, as far as their length, guys who can shoot and play defense, and an unselfish way about things. So I think that they are going to be a team to reckon with.”
Outside of the Warriors, who are viewed as the strong favorites to win their third consecutive title, the Celtics and Rockets have the best championship odds for the coming season, according to various bookmakers. Sports betting site Bovada.lv, for instance, has Boston at 5-to-1 to win the title, with Houston coming it at 8.5-to-1.
After those clubs, the Lakers (10-to-1), Raptors (14-to-1), and Sixers (16-to-1) are given the strongest title odds. The Lakers are an interesting wild card, given the presence of LeBron James, who hasn’t missed an NBA Finals since 2010. The two Atlantic clubs, meanwhile, are considered the biggest threats to Boston in the East. Toronto’s chances figure to hinge on Kawhi Leonard‘s performance and health, while Philadelphia will be counting on Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons to continue improving — a Markelle Fultz breakout season would be an X-factor for the Sixers.
Based on Bovada’s lines, only one other team should even be in the conversation for the 2019 NBA championship — the site lists the Thunder at 30-to-1 to win the title, while no other clubs have better than 75-to-1 odds.
What do you think? Do you, like Thompson (and Bovada), view the Celtics as the biggest threat to stop the Warriors’ streak of championships? Do the Rockets once again have the best chance to pull off the upset? Or is there another team worth watching?
Vote below in our poll, then jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!
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Celtics all day their starting lineup is insane when healthy (which they all are now) and name another team with the amount of depth they have with guys like Terry, Smart, Morris, Baynes, Theis off the bench
How about Van Fleet, Wright, Miles, Powell, Siakin and Monroe jacob?
Not a Raps fan, but the C’s aren’t going to have a cake walk through the East. Say it’s a toss up between the two teams, and both pose the biggest threat to the Warriors.
I picked Houston, but “no other team” should have been an option. Warriors are going to breeze right through this year easily than they have any other year. They didn’t lose any starter, chemistry, and they added cousins.
Celtics and Raptors are deep, but for the playoffs being top heavy is way better than being deep.
Under “Other Team” you should leave a space for the name of that “other team” that we are choosing …
That’s what comments sections are for…
The warriors biggest threat will be the same as it is every year, themselves.
The Warriors biggest threat is health.
No mention of utah or new orleans defensive wall teams eh
Something to get’em fired up!
So it’s gotten to the point where only 7 teams have better than 75-1 odds in regards to winning the championship (and one of those is 30-1). That can’t be good for the league.
I think the Celtics will run away with the east, but based on last year (Harden, CP3, Capela, Tucker, and Gordon), I think Houston will still be the Warriors biggest threat. I hope everybody is healthy this time (Steph Curry, Iggy, and Durant too).
The Bulls kicked ass for years and everyone loved it, I don’t think it’s bad for the league for the warriors to be dominant. Love them or hate them we all care more about their wins or loses than pretty much any other team out there.
Utah was the first team that came to mind for me as the “other”. Great defensive team that just needs a bit more bench depth.
i really think the lakers are the second best team in the west