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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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Poll: Houston Rockets’ 2017/18 Win Total

September 4th, 2017 at 6:42pm CST by Luke Adams

The highlight of the Rockets’ offseason occurred before the new league year and free agent period even began. Chris Paul had been on track all year to be one of the top free agents available this summer, but when he committed to opting into the final year of his current contract, he pushed his free agency back by a year and gave the Rockets the opportunity to trade for him before July 1.

Houston sacrificed a ton of depth in the Paul trade, which saw players like Lou Williams, Patrick Beverley, Sam Dekker, and Montrezl Harrell head to the Clippers, and there may be some growing pains for the Rockets as Paul and James Harden figure out how best to share the ball.

Still, there’s plenty of reason for optimism in Houston — in addition to adding an All-Star point guard, the Rockets also re-signed Nene and brought aboard of pair of strong perimeter defenders in free agency, signing P.J. Tucker and Luc Mbah a Moute.

The Rockets had a 55-27 record in 2016/17, and oddsmakers expect the team to finish right in that neighborhood again. Offshore betting site Bovada has placed Houston’s over/under for the 2017/18 season at 55.5 wins.

What do you think? Will the addition of CP3 give the Rockets the boost they need to improve upon last year’s record? Or will the loss of some role players and the adjustment period for the new-look roster result in a slight decline during the coming regular season? Vote below and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!

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Poll: Boston Celtics’ 2017/18 Win Total

September 1st, 2017 at 2:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Even before the Celtics finally completed their acquisition of Kyrie Irving late on Wednesday night, it had been an eventful offseason for Danny Ainge and the C’s, who traded the first overall pick in June and then signed one of the summer’s top free agents in July. A year after finishing atop the Eastern Conference standings with a 53-29 record, Boston appears to have an even more talented roster, but the club will be lacking continuity after a busy summer.

Irving, Gordon Hayward, and Jayson Tatum are the big-name acquisitions in Boston, but there are changes up and down the roster, with only four returning players (Al Horford, Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, and Terry Rozier). Head coach Brad Stevens will have his work cut out for him as he looks to incorporate 11 new players into the mix to start the 2017/18 season.

In addition to Irving, Hayward, and Tatum, the Celtics’ notable additions include Marcus Morris, Aron Baynes, and a slew of rookies, including Guerschon Yabusele, Semi Ojeleye, and Abdel Nader. While that’s a solid group, Boston’s departing players shouldn’t be overlooked. The club lost two of its best defenders in Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder, and sacrificed some size and rebounding by parting with Kelly Olynyk, Amir Johnson, and Tyler Zeller. Gerald Green and Jonas Jerebko are gone too.

Despite all the turnover on the roster, offshore betting site Bovada.lv is bullish on the Celtics’ chances to once again claim the No. 1 seed in the East in 2017/18. Bovada has placed Boston’s over/under at 55.5 wins, the top projection in the Eastern Conference.

What do you think? Can the Celtics win 56 games or more, or will the team experience some growing pains as all the new players adjust to Stevens’ system and to one another? Vote below in our poll, then jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!

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Poll: Over/Under On Warriors’ 2017/18 Win Total

August 30th, 2017 at 2:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Heading into the 2016/17 season, Las Vegas sportsbooks set the over/under for the Warriors’ win total at 66.5. Even for a team coming off a record-breaking 73-9 campaign, that looked like an incredibly high bar to clear. But the Warriors did clear it, posting a 67-15 regular season record before going 16-1 in the postseason.

A year later, expectations in Vegas are even higher for the Warriors. As Ben Fawkes of ESPN.com details, the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook unveiled its over/under figures for all 30 NBA teams, and Golden State leads the way at an incredible 67.5 wins.

It’s a staggering number, and one that would become nearly impossible to achieve if one or two of the Warriors’ key players goes down with an injury. Still, given what we’ve seen from the team over the last two years, it makes sense — particularly since the general consensus is that Golden State had one of the most successful summers of any NBA team.

The Warriors didn’t lose any core players from last year’s championship roster, with Ian Clark, Matt Barnes, and James Michael McAdoo the only notable departures. To fill the openings on the roster, the Dubs went out and landed Nick Young and Omri Casspi, who may end up being upgrades.

What do you think? Can this year’s version of the Warriors beat their over-under odds again and win 68 or more games? Or would you bet the under on 67.5? Vote below in our poll and jump into the comment section to share your two cents.

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Poll: Who Will Be 2017/18 Rookie Of The Year?

August 25th, 2017 at 10:19am CST by Luke Adams

As he does every summer, NBA.com’s John Schuhmann spoke to a number of incoming NBA players this offseason, asking them to assess their fellow rookies. Schuhmann had nearly 40 first-year players predict which rookie will have the best overall career and which player was the biggest draft steal, among other topics.

Of course, one key question Schuhmann asked was about the favorite to win the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award for the 2017/18 season, and those voting results were interesting. As we detailed on Tuesday, ninth overall pick Dennis Smith Jr. of the Mavericks was the top pick among his fellow rookies, receiving 25.7% of the vote. Lonzo Ball (Lakers) was second at 20%, with No. 1 overall selection Markelle Fultz (Sixers) coming in third at 17.1%.

Kyle Kuzma (Lakers), Donovan Mitchell (Jazz), and Ben Simmons (Sixers) were among the other players who received support from multiple rookies. Dwayne Bacon (Hornets), Tony Bradley (Jazz), De’Aaron Fox (Kings), Josh Jackson (Suns), Malik Monk (Hornets), Jayson Tatum (Celtics), and Sindarius Thornwell (Clippers) also each received one vote apiece.

While Ball and Fultz placing among the top three choices was predictable, there are plenty of surprises in that group, including a handful of late first-round picks or second-round selections getting votes. Additionally, top-five picks like Fox, Jackson, and Tatum received just one vote each. That doesn’t mean that those players aren’t expected to have successful careers (Tatum tied for the most votes for best career), but their fellow rookies don’t necessarily expect them to have a significant impact immediately.

Over at betting website Bovada, their odds for Rookie of the Year are somewhat in step with the players’ predictions. Ball is viewed as a slight frontrunner over Smith, With Simmons and Tatum tied for third, followed by Fultz, Fox, Monk, Jackson, and players like Jonathan Isaac, Justin Jackson, and Lauri Markkanen, who didn’t receive votes in Schuhmann’s rookie poll.

While oddsmakers sometimes misfire, they should perhaps be more trusted than Schuhmann’s respondents, who haven’t correctly predicted the Rookie of the Year since Kevin Durant won the award back in 2007/08.

What do you think? Who do you expect to see take home the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award next spring? Place your vote below and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts — especially if your choice isn’t one of the options in our poll.

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