The top teams in the Western Conference
With the next NBA season looking to be a very interesting one, predicting the outcome can be a bit tricky. Even if take a look at the early odds offered a while back, things changed quite a bit with the Draft and with free agency picks taking place in a couple of days. However, there are certain teams that have the potential and will most likely turn it into a good run once the season starts. Get your bets in now at bwin.com/en/nba
Last year, the Los Angeles Lakers were looking to add Dwight Howard in order to turn the team into one of the top competitors in the Western Conference. This didn’t happen and the Lakers didn’t get much out of Howard and Steve Nash and had a pretty bad season before being dominated by the San Antonio Spurs. The basketball point spread bets placed them as big underdogs and a seventh seed in the playoff is not where the Lakers wanted to be. As a result, Howard joining the Houston Rockets this season is not automatically a win.
Oklahoma City Thunder
If some people thought that the Oklahoma City Thunder would do better without Russell Westbrook leading the team, they were proven wrong in the playoffs. The Thunder was just a shadow of its former regular-season self without their All-Star player on the court. The knee injury he suffered in the series against Houston left Oklahoma City in a very bad shape.
Kevin Durant is without a doubt a great player but even the second best player in the league can’t carry his team to the high spots in the Western Conference. The Thunder is also under a lot of pressure since their toughest opponents are looking to become even stronger and surpass them. The only thing they can rely on is a solid core between Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins, Reggie Jackson and Jeremy Lamb. Steven Adams, the rookie which was picked 12th in the Draft, is not expected to do much and is just a project for the team that can have good results. If Westbrook returns in good shape, the Thunder have their impact players and should finish on top of the Western Conference.
San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs had a good run last season, making it to the finals against the Miami Heat and forcing a seven-game series. In fact, the trophy slipped between their fingers on a couple of occasions and they will surely look to try again in the 2013-14 season. The Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Many Ginobili trio may be a bit seasoned but their experience on the court is irreplaceable and they are far from the end of their careers. Duncan in particular is what drives the Spurs to the top and if he can manage to find another boost of energy like he did last seaosn, he might just win his fifth title.
New talent from Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green was seen during the playoffs and they are no longer young prospects, but valuable additions to the team. As long as the stars are well rested, the San Antonio Spurs should have a top spot in the playoffs and the basketball moneyline bets will reflect that.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers have made some impressive moves this summer which make them a very strong opponent in the West. The highlight is certainly the addition of coach Doc Rivers, who was under contract for another three years with Boston. However, the Clippers managed to snatch him and now have one of the best coaches in the game as well as the lineup he needs to win. Adding J.J. Redick and Jared Dudley, moving Eric Bledsoe and Caron Butler, and replacing him with Darren Collison means that the Clippers are now a top team, at least on paper.
