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Poll: Miami Heat’s 2017/18 Win Total

September 17th, 2017 at 8:40pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat entered the offseason with aspirations of re-adding some of the star power they’ve lost since the days of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. However, despite getting a meeting with Gordon Hayward, Miami failed to land its top target, and pivoted to Plan B: Re-signing its own players and adding a second-tier free agent in Kelly Olynyk.

Outside of the addition of Olynyk and a couple minor losses – Luke Babbitt and Willie Reed found new homes – the Heat’s roster looks very similar to last year’s version. With all the core pieces involved in last season’s 30-11 second-half run returning, and Olynyk and Justise Winslow set to join them, it’s reasonable to be enthusiastic about Miami’s chances of making some noise in the Eastern Conference.

Still, this also looks a lot like the team that had a 11-30 record in the first half of the 2016/17 campaign, which shouldn’t be overlooked. Goran Dragic, Hassan Whiteside, and Dion Waiters make up a solid core group of scorers for the Heat, but none of those players – or anyone else on the Miami roster – has made a single All-Star appearance, limiting the club’s upside.

Oddsmakers projecting the Heat’s 2017/18 win total lean slightly more toward the second-half version of the club than the first-half version. Offshore betting site Bovada has Miami’s over/under at 43.5 wins.

What do you think? Can the Heat build on last year’s scorching final stretch and reach 44+ wins in 2017/18, or was their offseason too quiet to expect a major step forward? Vote below and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts.

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Poll: Los Angeles Clippers’ 2017/18 Win Total

September 16th, 2017 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The summer of 2017 represented the end of an era for the Clippers, who sent nine-time All-Star Chris Paul to Houston in a blockbuster trade that helped replenish their depth, but cost them a superstar. While the Clips did well to extract several pieces of value for Paul, who could have joined the Rockets as a free agent, the club will face a challenge as it enters the coming season without its longtime starting point guard.

With Paul, J.J. Redick, and Raymond Felton all gone, the Clippers’ new-look backcourt will be fortified by Patrick Beverley and Lou Williams – two players acquired in the CP3 trade – and international import Milos Teodosic, who will get his first taste of NBA action after years of starring in Euroleague play.

Meanwhile, the frontcourt no longer features Luc Mbah a Moute, Marreese Speights, Paul Pierce, or Brandon Bass, but Danilo Gallinari was a big acquisition for the Clippers, Willie Reed should provide solid minutes off the bench, and the trade with the Rockets also provided a couple interesting young forwards in Sam Dekker and Montrezl Harrell. Of course, Blake Griffin – locked up to a new long-term contract – and DeAndre Jordan are still the mainstays up front.

The Clippers look deeper and more balanced than they have in recent years, but losing Paul will hurt. The club has played a certain style with CP3 leading the way for years, so it will be interesting to see what adjustments Doc Rivers makes with his new group. It also remains to be seen how Gallinari will acclimate to his new team — he looks like a natural stretch four, but he’ll likely end up spending more time at the three if he plays frequently alongside Griffin and Jordan.

The Clippers have won between 51 and 57 games in each of the last five seasons, but oddsmakers aren’t as enthusiastic about the new-look roster, with offshore betting site Bovada putting the team’s over/under for 2017/18 at 43.5 wins.

What do you think? Will the post-Paul era result in some struggles for the Clippers in a tough Western Conference? Or does the team still have enough talent to win 44 or more games this year? Vote below in our poll and then jump into the comment section to weigh in with your thoughts!

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Poll: Denver Nuggets’ 2017/18 Win Total

September 15th, 2017 at 11:45am CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets missed the postseason in 2016/17, but you could make a convincing case that they were the most talented team to land in the lottery. Only the Heat had a better record than Denver among non-playoff teams, but the difference was only one game, and the Nuggets played in the stronger conference.

That conference has gotten even more daunting within the last few months. Not only have teams above the Nuggets in the standings, such as the Rockets and Thunder, added star talent, but some of the West’s other lottery teams, like the Timberwolves and Pelicans, have made major moves and hope to enter the postseason picture themselves.

Denver made a signficant move of its own when free agency opened, landing All-Star big man Paul Millsap, who is expected to make an excellent frontcourt partner for breakout star Nikola Jokic. With young guards Gary Harris and Jamal Murray showing signs of developing into core pieces as well, the Nuggets have a strong foundation and look poised to get over the hump and make the playoffs in the West this season.

Still, Denver’s roster isn’t without its weaknesses. The point guard position remains unsettled, with neither Jameer Nelson nor Emmanuel Mudiay looking like a solid starter at this point. Longtime Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari is also gone, and it still feels like the club needs to make one more trade for its roster to really take shape.

Oddsmakers are optimistic about the Nuggets’ chances of taking a major step forward in 2017/18 though. After finishing last season with a 40-42 record, Denver is currently projected to have an over/under of 45.5 wins for the coming year, per offshore betting site Bovada.

What do you think? Can the Nuggets finish with 46 wins or more, or is the Western Conference simply too tough for a non-playoff team like Denver to make that kind of leap in 2017/18? Vote below in our poll and then jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!

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Poll: Milwaukee Bucks’ 2017/18 Win Total

September 14th, 2017 at 9:14am CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks were one of the NBA’s best teams down the stretch in 2016/17. Having fallen to 22-30 in early February, Milwaukee reeled off a 22-10 run to finish the season, earning a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and then giving the Raptors all they could handle in the first round.

With Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s star on the rise and many of the Bucks’ other core players – such as Khris Middleton, Malcolm Brogdon, Thon Maker, and Jabari Parker – still young enough to expect improvements, the team is a popular pick to make some noise in the East in 2017/18.

Still, the Bucks’ cap situation prevented the club from making roster upgrades over the summer. Milwaukee didn’t lose many key pieces — off-the-bench scorer Michael Beasley headed elsewhere, and veteran glue guy Jason Terry remains unsigned, but virtually everyone else is back. The Bucks also didn’t add any players likely to make an impact in 2017/18 though. The team’s only real additions were draftees D.J. Wilson and Sterling Brown.

The Bucks have enough young talent that it’s reasonable to expect the team to take a step forward even without any changes to the roster, and oddsmakers are counting on that. After finishing with a 42-40 record last season, the Bucks have an over/under of 47.5 wins for 2017/18, per offshore betting site Bovada.

What do you think? Can the Bucks improve by at least six wins this season, even with Parker not expected to return until sometime in 2018? Or should we temper our expectations for the young squad a little? Vote below in our poll and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!

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Poll: Washington Wizards’ 2017/18 Win Total

September 12th, 2017 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2016/17 season was a bounce-back year for the Wizards, who had finished with a 41-41 record and missed the playoffs a year earlier. Not only did the Wizards claim a top-four seed and win a playoff series this past spring, but the team also won 49 games, the most regular season victories by the franchise since the late-1970s, early in the Washington Bullets days.

While the Wizards certainly intend to take another step forward – perhaps breaking the 50-win barrier and making a deeper playoff run – their salary cap situation prevented them from making major upgrades this summer. Matching a maximum salary offer sheet on Otto Porter used up any cap room the club might have had and pushed team salary across the luxury tax line, limiting further acquisitions.

The Wizards did make some changes around the edges of their roster, signing Jodie Meeks to replace departed sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic, and trading for Tim Frazier to replace Trey Burke and Brandon Jennings as the team’s backup point guard. Washington also added a little more size by signing Mike Scott.

Still, those aren’t significant roster moves, so in order to continue improving, the Wizards will likely have to count on their core players to get even better. John Wall is still just 27 years old and Bradley Beal and Porter are 24, so there could be room for further development, but all three players had career years in 2016/17, with Beal finally avoiding injury problems and Porter posting one of the league’s most efficient shooting lines (.516/.434/.832). Expecting even more out of them next season would be asking a lot.

With the Wizards’ roster remaining fairly stable, it’s no surprise that oddsmakers forecast a similar regular season result for the club in 2017/18. The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook has placed the over/under for Wizards wins at 47.5, following last season’s 49-33 mark.

What do you think? Can the Wizards hold steady (or continue to improve), despite the lack of roster upgrades? Or will they slip a little this season? Vote below in our poll and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts.

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Poll: Toronto Raptors’ 2017/18 Win Total

September 11th, 2017 at 10:05am CST by Luke Adams

When speculation centers on which team will win the Eastern Conference in 2017/18, the Cavaliers and Celtics generally dominate the conversation, with the Wizards earning a mention and the Bucks perhaps being labeled a dark horse. The Raptors, who finished last season tied with the Cavaliers at 51-31, and faced Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2016, are often overlooked.

There are multiple reasons why that happens. Raptors stars Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan have struggled to translate their regular season success to the postseason in recent years, and the club’s style of play is somewhat dated. Additionally, the Raptors will have to cope with some key departures this season.

Longtime power forward Patrick Patterson left in free agency, as did veteran swingman P.J. Tucker, who became a crucial part of the Raptors’ rotation down the stretch last season. With big new contracts for Lowry and Serge Ibaka threatening to push Toronto into tax territory, the club also had to shed salary by trading DeMarre Carroll and Cory Joseph. Carroll had been a disappointment during his two years in Toronto, but Joseph was one of the league’s more reliable backup point guards.

The Raptors still have a strong starting five, and the addition of C.J. Miles should provide a boost to the club’s outside shooting, but the team will have to rely on a handful of youngsters to step up and claim rotation roles in 2017/18. As such, it’s no surprise that – after averaging 52 wins per year for the last three seasons – the Raptors’ over/under for the coming season is a slightly more modest 48.5, per offshore betting site Bovada.

What do you think? Are the Raptors still talented enough to win 49 games or more for the fourth straight year, or will the impact of their offseason departures knock them below that mark? Vote below in our poll and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!

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Poll: Minnesota Timberwolves’ 2017/18 Win Total

September 8th, 2017 at 2:25pm CST by Luke Adams

When we asked Hoops Rumors readers about a month ago which NBA team had the best offseason, the Timberwolves were the runaway winner, beating out the Celtics and Warriors. That poll came before Boston’s acquisition of Kyrie Irving, so it’s possible that the voting would look a little different today, but the fact remains: Minnesota is viewed as a much-improved club.

The Timberwolves’ acquisition of Jimmy Butler was the key move of the summer, but it wasn’t the team’s only major splash. After landing Butler in a trade, the Wolves used their cap room to bring aboard veterans like Jeff Teague, Taj Gibson, and Jamal Crawford. Those players will join a young group that includes a pair of former No. 1 picks in Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns.

While the Wolves certainly improved their roster this offseason, the team isn’t stacked with outside shooting, and may be lacking a little depth. Minnesota is also coming off a 31-51 season a year ago, so even getting to .500 would require an extra 10 wins.

Nonetheless, oddsmakers and bettors are bullish on the Wolves’ chances to improve well beyond that .500 mark — offshore betting site Bovada has Minnesota’s over/under for 2017/18 at 48.5 wins. In other words, to reach the over, the Wolves would have to increase their win total by at least 18.

What do you think? Is that too significant a leap to expect in a single season, particularly with so many new faces on the roster? Or is there enough talent on this Timberwolves roster to reasonably expect the club to reach the 49-win mark? Vote below in our poll and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!

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Poll: Oklahoma City Thunder’s 2017/18 Win Total

September 7th, 2017 at 1:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder slipped in the Western Conference standings last season following the departure of Kevin Durant, but a super-human performance from Russell Westbrook ensured that the drop wasn’t as precipitous as many expected. Westbrook averaged over 15 PPG more than any of his teammates, and his 10.4 assists per game were more than the combined total of Oklahoma City’s next six top passers. Buoyed by Westbrook, the Thunder finished with a 47-35 record.

Heading into 2017/18, Westbrook will have a little more help, with the Thunder having sent Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis to Indiana in exchange for Paul George. The club also made one of the more impressive under-the-radar free agent signings of the summer, locking up Patrick Patterson on an inexpensive three-year deal. Oklahoma City capped a solid offseason by re-signing elite defender Andre Roberson and adding Raymond Felton to shore up the point guard position.

Given their impressive roster moves, the Thunder are viewed by oddsmakers as a good candidate to improve this season. Offshore betting site Bovada.lv has placed their over/under at 50.5 wins, which would represent an increase of at least four wins over last year’s total.

While that may seem like a lock with a dynamic two-way player by George now on the roster, there’s no guarantee that Westbrook will continue to provide heroics at the same pace he did a year ago — the reigning MVP single-handedly snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the final minutes of games several times, allowing the team to finish a few games ahead of its expected record.

What do you think? Will the Thunder finish over or under 50.5 wins in 2017/18? Vote below and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!

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Poll: Cleveland Cavaliers’ 2017/18 Win Total

September 6th, 2017 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

After falling to the Warriors in five games in the 2017 NBA Finals, the Cavaliers entered the offseason intent on making major upgrades to their roster. Early rumors focused on players like Paul George and Jimmy Butler, with Kevin Love mentioned frequently as potential trade bait. But Cleveland’s offseason appeared to go off the rails when the team decided that GM David Griffin wouldn’t be retained.

With Griffin and right-hand man Trent Redden no longer in the Cavs’ front office, the team saw George and Butler head elsewhere, and struggled to make impact additions of its own. Jose Calderon, Jeff Green, Cedi Osman, and eventually Derrick Rose came aboard, but none of those players was viewed as a potential difference-maker in a series against Golden State.

The Cavs finally made their big summer splash in late August, sending All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving to the Celtics in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and the Nets’ unprotected 2018 first-round pick.

On the surface, it sounds like a massive haul for Irving, but Zizic and the draft pick won’t help much in 2017/18, barring their inclusion in another trade. And it’s possible that Thomas’ impact this season could be minimal as well, if his recovery from a hip injury doesn’t progress as smoothly as hoped. It’s a risky move for the Cavs, and one that probably sets them up more for the seasons beyond 2017/18 than it does for the short term.

Offshore betting site Bovada.lv projects Cleveland’s win total for the coming season at an over/under of 53.5. That may not seem like a significant total for a team led by LeBron James, but the Cavs have only topped that mark once in the three years since LeBron’s return — typically, the club doesn’t push hard for that No. 1 seed in the East, preferring to save its energy for the postseason. If Thomas misses time, or if the new-look Cavs take some time to gel, finishing with 53 wins or less wouldn’t be surprising.

What do you think? Do the Cavs simply have too much talent to finish under 53.5 wins, or will the team once again sacrifice a sparkling regular season record in order to focus on the playoffs? Vote below and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!

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Poll: San Antonio Spurs’ 2017/18 Win Total

September 5th, 2017 at 12:55pm CST by Luke Adams

While many of the NBA’s top would-be threats to the Warriors made blockbuster deals this summer – including last week’s Cavs/Celtics swap and Houston’s Chris Paul acquisition – the Spurs had a quieter offseason.

There were rumblings as free agency approached that San Antonio would look to create cap room in order to make a run at Paul or another notable veteran, but the Spurs ultimately didn’t make major changes.

Pau Gasol, Patty Mills, and Manu Ginobili got new deals from the club, and the most significant outside acquisition was Rudy Gay, who continues to recover from a season-ending Achilles tear. Other new additions include Joffrey Lauvergne and Derrick White, who are unlikely to make a huge impact for the Spurs in 2017/18.

A lack of high-profile trades or signings – along with the departures of rotation players Jonathon Simmons and Dewayne Dedmon – have oddsmakers projecting a slight dip in the standings for the Spurs this season. Coming off a 61-21 record last season, the Spurs have an over/under of 54.5 wins for 2017/18, according to offshore betting site Bovada.

What do you think? Despite their underwhelming offseason, will the Spurs continue to exceed expectations, or should we expect to see San Antonio’s win total fall off a little this season? Vote in our poll and then jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts!

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