2010 NBA Championship Future Odds and Preview
It seems like we were just congratulating the Los Angeles Lakers on winning their 15th NBA Title in the history of their franchise, but it is time to start thinking about which teams will be in the thick of things for the upcoming 2009-2010 NBA season.
Here is a look at the top contenders from each conference along with their current odds to win the 2010 NBA Championship from Beted.com.
Eastern Conference
Cleveland Cavaliers + 275
The Cavaliers were everybody’s favorite to win it all last year, but once again came up short, losing to Orlando in the Conference Finals. This off season they added Shaquille O’Neal to the roster in hopes of taking some of the pressure off of league MVP, Lebron James. Whether Shaq has enough left to help Cleveland finally win a championship remains to be seen, but at the very least it will be fun to watch this team play next season.
Boston Celtics + 400
Last season, Orlando out dueled Boston in the Conference Semi-Finals as injuries finally caught up with Celtics down the stretch. They should be back to full strength by the start of this season with a renewed drive to add another NBA Title to their record 17 championships. The Celtics signed 4 time All Star C/F Rasheed Wallace in the off season to help get them back to the finals in 2010. If he can play up to his past ability, it may be just enough to get them there.
Orlando Magic + 675
It was a magical run in the playoffs that saw the number 3 seed in the East take out both the number two and one seeded teams on their way to the finals. Unfortunately, Orlando ran into the Lakers who ended their run, losing 4 games to 1. There is a ton of talent on this team, led by all everything, Dwight Howard and even though they lost Hedo Turkalo to free agency, they were able to sign Vince Carter to help fill the void.
Now that this team knows what it takes to get there, 2010 could be the year they put it all together and get it done.
Western Conference
Los Angeles Lakers + 175
With all the pieces still in place from last year’s team that won it all, the only thing that could keep the Lakers from repeating is motivation. They won the Western Conference by 11 games, and although looked sluggish at times, still plowed through all the teams they faced along the way to another title.There is little doubt they will be right back on top of the standings come spring, but you have to wonder whether there might be another team out there a little hungrier for a championship.
Denver Nuggets + 1300
The Nuggets could be described as “the best of the rest” in the conference as there is a huge drop off after the Lakers, but this team is still poised to be better next season. They hung tough against Los Angeles in the Conference Finals before losing in 6 games, so they know what it will take to get over the hump. With veteran players like Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony along with the addition of rookie Ty Lawson from North Carolina, this team has a legitimate chance to challenge the Lakers in the West.
Utah Jazz +1800
The Jazz had the misfortune of ending up the 8th seed in the West last year which meant a first round date with the Lakers. Although they lost the series 4-1, for the most part they kept every game close which gives them a sense of optimism for this season. They have a solid core of young players led by Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer that will need to continue to elevate their game in order to take the next step.
I see a changing of the guard in the NBA. Orlando was extremely impressive in last year’s playoffs, despite unraveling in the Finals, and Denver has all the pieces in place to win it all.
2010 NBA Championship Prediction
While it is still early and a lot can happen between now and then, I’m going with Denver over Orlando in 7 games.
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