Teams have already completed several games on the NBA schedule. That makes it a great time to dive into Pacific Division futures to see if any of the preseason predictions are off-track. Long story short, nope – seems that most of the preseason favorites in the NBA are still the ones to watch!
The Lakers and the Clippers are still the favorites to win the Pacific and move up the NBA Playoff ladder. The Sacramento Kings are still the team in the Pacific cellar.
The Lakers are at -150 with the Clippers at +130 with the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, and Kings all trailing behind.
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It can be argued that the Pacific is one of the hardest divisions in the NBA to move up. After all, a team further down the W/L column can still have an improved season – but would it be good enough to get past the two LA teams?
Probably not, unless a miracle happens in the playoffs.
Here’s how the Futures for the NBA Northwest Division breakdown according to BetOnline with total wins for each team.
Los Angeles Lakers -150
Los Angeles Clippers +130
Phoenix Suns +1600
Golden State Warriors +6500
Sacramento Kings +16000
Los Angeles Lakers Team Preview
The LA Lakers won their 17th NBA Championship Title last season in the bubble and made only select moves in the off-season to bolster their lineup. The core will include LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Dennis Schroder with a deeper bench to back them up. Montrezl Harrell and Kyle Kuzma are two players to point to. The goal of the Lakers off-season was to make moves that didn’t rock the boat too much but added to the teams scoring capabilities. It has worked, as of this writing, the Lakers have already won ten games so far. Long-term: The Lakers just need to keep doing what they are doing; score, back it up with defense, and let the bench come in and do their thing.
Over 47½ Wins -115
Under 47½ Wins -115
Los Angeles Clippers Team Preview
The Clippers are still considered one of the strongest teams in the NBA following a start of the season that has included a three-game losing streak to start 2021. That being said, they’ve bounced back with a string of wins keeping them towards the top of the standings. As predicted, the Clippers will have some power on offense but may suffer a bit when it comes to defense but they will still be hard to beat with a healthy Paul George knocking down an average of 25 points per game and Patrick Beverly draining three-pointers. Long-term: The Clippers need to get more players putting up points. No other Clipper is above 12 points a game besides George (25) and Kawhi Leonard at 23.
Over 46½ Wins -130
Under 46½ Wins +100
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Phoenix Suns Team Preview
Phoenix has jumped out to a good start thus far in the 2021 season. As of this writing, the Suns have six games in the win column and only two losses. If you are looking at “over” win totals, this may be a team to consider! Last season the Suns did better than expected with many fans hoping nobody got hurt. This season the bench is deeper on the offensive side. Defense, not so much. Long-term: “Live by the three die by the three” could ring true for Phoenix. In the win over the Raptors, the Suns drained 21 three- pointers. You would think that would lead to a huge blowout. Not the case – the Suns only won by 8 points, 123-115. My point? The Suns need defense!
Over 38½ Wins -145
Under 38½ Wins +115
Golden State Warriors Team Preview
The Golden State Warriors are rebuilding and may not make it past the 35 win mark this year. Right now they are playing .500 ball and are struggling on defense. Plus, they just are not as deep as they hoped to be following the short NBA off-season. The great news is that they are building a loaded team starting with Steph Curry bringing home an average of 29.6 points per game. Andrew Wiggins is second with 17.9. After that, the dropout is dramatic with no other Warrior with a scoring average in the teens. Long-term: The Warriors will improve over the season and should be a seasoned veteran team next year if the core group around Curry is strong. Look for the Warriors to go fast all season long to get as many scoring attempts at the basket as possible.
Under 37½ Wins -130
Over 37½ Wins +100
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Sacramento Kings Team Preview
The Sacramento Kings are just now breaking the .500 point in wins during this early part of the season. And that’s a nice surprise! The Kings were predicted to be in the Pacific cellar all year long due to rebuilding efforts. De’Aaron Fox leads the team in scoring at 18.4 points per game which is not what was expected of him – but he’s starting to warm up. The good news is that the Kings have three other players in the teens and two above ten points per game. That’s good team scoring! It’s just not enough. Long-term: The Kings have some injury issues and they need all the healthy players they can get – especially when it comes to starters. Fox has a hamstring bothering him and Richaun Holmes tweaked an ankle in the win over the Bulls. High scoring across the lineup has to continue.
Over 28½ Wins -130
Under 28½ Wins +100
