REIGNING NBA champions the Golden State Warriors have scorched the league in the early going, their price slashed for the 2015/16 NBA title.
The Warriors have been wound into $4.25 second favourites with CrownBet.com.au, behind the Eastern conference leaders, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and they have been drawing comparisons to the great Chicago Bulls team of 1995/96, which went 72-10 and won the NBA title.
And sportsbet.com.au, ever the punting innovator, has bought in to the hype, releasing a market on whether or not the Dubs can break that magical mark.
The season still has more than five months to go, but the bookie has rated the Warriors a skinny $5 chance to break the wins record with 73 or more wins.
It’s a daunting task, but one that looks attainable on the horizon, after the Dubs, opened the season on an 11-game winning streak – those wins coming by an average of 16.3 points per game.
Reigning NBA most valuable player Stephen Curry has been serving up something special on his campaign, which has many saying he has surpassed Lebron James as the best player on the planet.
Curry’s ability to make three pointers from almost any where on the floor with defenders in his face has many calling him the best shooter of all time.
No man has made the shots he has at the clip he has with great consistency in NBA history. Guys like Reggie Miller and Ray Allen might have their claims, but Curry probably now stands just ahead of Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird as the NBA’s best shooter ever.
And the punters have taken notice, slamming the point guard into odds on favouritism to win back-to-back MVP’s from Oklahoma City monster Russell Westbrook, at $4.
Curry, on the back of season averages of 33.4 points, 5.6 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 2.5 steals, to go with nearly 52 per cent shooting and a ridiculous five threes a game on 45 per cent, is just $1.94 with sportsbet.com.au.
Warriors weapon and fellow splash brother Klay Thompson has copped criticism for his lacklustre play, but, in truth, he hasn’t been much less efficient than he was last season, it’s just that he has deferred to the man who is on fire.
Draymond Green has been playing his tough, do-it-all inside outside game and giant big man Festus Ezeli has overtaken Aussie Andrew Bogut as the preferred anchor in the middle for the Warriors.
Reigning Finals MVP Andre Iguodala is doing his thing, including hitting a buzzer beater that gave the Warriors a chance at overtime against Brooklyn on the weekend and Harrison Barnes has been quietly going about his business.
The Warriors are deep, know each other like family and are primed for a run at a second consecutive title.
But how would they go against that transcendental Bulls team of the 1990s?
Former star Ron Harper says not so well.
“Records are made to be broke, but we would’ve swept that team for sure!!!” Harper wrote on Twitter, creating a social media storm.
It’s hard to argue the Bulls would beat the Warriors, but the Curry factor and the rabid home support at Oracle Arena, probably gives the man from Oakland at least one game.
This Bulls team was a different kind of beast though.
Michael Jordan is the greatest player ever to step on the court, Scottie Pippen was the perfect second fiddle, the insane Dennis Rodman was perhaps the toughest defender and best rebounder of all time and pieces like Harper, Toni Kukoc and current Warriors coach Steve Kerr made the Bulls tick.
There’s no answer to the question, but we’d love to see the match-up anyway.
Rodman versus Green alone would be worth the price of admission, watching Harper, Pippen and Jordan try and stop Curry, seeing Jordan break down the Warriors defence.
It’s just delicious.
Anyway, there are other teams in the league and the Cleveland Lebrons… I mean Cavs, have been typically doing what a Lebron team does early in the season – coast to wins without much effort in the hope of buckling down toward the end of the season.
The Cavs are top of the east and that is without Kyrie Irving, who is expected to return early in the new year from the finals-ending knee injury that may have cost the Cavs last season.
It’s not hard to see why they are the $3.75 title favourite, but the Warriors are closing in.
The San Antonio Spurs are just going quietly about their business, developing the second best record in the west.
New man LaMarcus Aldridge has settled in just fine, without putting up the gaudy numbers he did in Portland. That was expected though as the Spurs ridiculously efficient equal opportunity offence continues to pur.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have been struck down again by the injury curse, this time a hamstring to Kevin Durant. And it’s been ugly of recent days, including a blow out loss to the Celtics.
Durant missed nearly all of last season with injury and the continued body damage he has been suffering is a worry – especially for punters who backed him to bounce back to the MVP form he has shown he is capable of.
As far as the rookies go, three towering giants and a feisty point guard are creating all the buzz.
Smooth as silk number one pick Karl-Anthony Towns has been a double-double machine for the Minnesota Timberwolves and he is the popular pick at $2.30, but the big fella in Philadelphia, Jahlil Okafor has been so pretty in the post he is leading all rookies in scoring. He is nipping at Towns’ heels at $2.60.
Denver Nuggets saviour in waiting Emmanuel Mudiay has been specced at $6.50 and could scoop the two big men because of his almost unlimited minutes and keys to the team. Mudiay had turnover trouble early, as with most point guards, but he has proven to be a fast learner and might end up being the best player in this draft class.
They booed him when he was drafted in New York, but the Knicks have uncovered a gem in 7-3 Euro Kristaps Porzingaz. Porzingaz has brought a toughness and hustle that has been severely lacking in New York and his aggression at the hoop has him leading the NBA in tip jams – and landing himself on the highlight reels after almost every game he plays in.
Many people felt there was a dearth in talent in this draft, but the draftees are proving otherwise in the early going.
2015 NBA title market
Cleveland Cavaliers ($3.75)
San Antonio Spurs ($5)
Oklahoma City Thunder ($8)
Los Angeles Clippers ($12)
Chicago Bulls ($15)
Houston Rockets ($17)
Atlanta Hawks ($26)
Miami Heat ($34)
Memphis Grizzlies ($41)
Toronto Raptors ($41)
Washington Wizards ($41)
Indiana Pacers ($67)
Milwaukee Bucks ($67)
New Orleans Pelicans ($67)
Boston Celtics ($81)
Dallas Mavericks ($81)
Phoenix Suns ($101)
Utah Jazz ($101)
Detroit Pistons ($126)
New York Knicks ($126)
Portland Trail Blazers ($126)
Minnesota Timberwolves ($151)
Charlotte Hornets ($201)
Denver Nuggets ($201)
Sacramento Kings ($201)
Brooklyn Nets ($251)
Los Angeles Lakers ($251)
Orlando Magic ($251)
Philadelphia 76ers ($1001)
*Odds provided by CrownBet.com.au
2015 NBA Most Valuable Player markets
Russell Westbrook ($6)
LeBron James ($6)
Kevin Durant ($8.50)
Blake Griffin ($10.50)
Anthony Davis ($11)
James Harden ($11)
Kawhi Leonard ($16.50)
Andre Drummond ($35)
Chris Paul ($35)
Paul George ($41)
John Wall ($51)
DeMarcus Cousins ($61)
* Odds provided by Sportsbet.com.au
2015 NBA Rookie of the Year markets
Karl-Anthony Towns ($2.30)
Jahlil Okafor ($2.60)
Kristaps Porzingis ($8)
D’Angelo Russell ($13)
Stanley Johnson ($18)
Justise Winslow ($23)
Mario Hezonja ($23)
Jerian Grant ($26)
* Odds provided by Sportsbet.com.au
