After the Boston Celtics acquired Kristaps Porzingis and the Golden State Warriors picked up Chris Paul, is either team worth buying into their 2023 NBA title odds? The Warriors and Celtics are both perennial NBA contenders, and they appeared to get better on paper after adding to their rosters. Boston fell short of making a historic comeback in the Eastern Conference Finals after erasing a 3-0 deficit before dropping Game 7 at home to the Miami Heat. On the other hand, Stephen Curry and the Warriors couldn’t get by LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Semi-Finals.
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Warriors Priced at +1200 to Win NBA Championship
Golden State saw their odds to win the NBA Championship rise from +1300 to +1200 after dealing for veteran guard Chris Paul. Paul was moved to the Washington Wizards in the Bradley Beal trade to the Pheonix Suns, but his stay didn’t last long in DC. Paul still has a lot to offer on the basketball court, but the narrative surrounding him remains that he can’t win the big game or the big series. The pieces around him in Golden State needed some shuffling, but the core players remain, assuming Draymond Green ultimately re-ups with the club in free agency.
There’s no doubt the talent level on this basketball team is high, but it’s fair to wonder if they’re past the point of contending. The Warriors’ odds suggest they should still be in the conversation, but there are other teams with more realistic shots to win it all. With what we’ve seen this team accomplish already, counting them out would almost be silly. Still, flaws have started to open in Klay Thompson and Steph Curry’s games, meaning it’s hard to look heavily into their futures odds. As a result, we’re comfortable selling the Warriors to win the NBA title at +1200.
Celtics Priced at +450 to Win NBA Championship
The defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics sit at the top of the odds board to win the 2023-24 NBA Championship. After dealing for Porzingis, the Celtics saw their odds rise from +550 to +475. They now sit at +450 to win it all. This trade gives Boston another strong defensive piece and one that adds an element they were missing in their frontcourt. Porzingis is quietly coming off a campaign where he played in 65 games and averaged a career-high 23.2 points per game, 8.4 rebounds, and a 62.7% true shooting percentage. Porzingis’s points per game and true shooting percentage were the best of his career, and even if those aren’t the numbers he puts up with the Celtics, his impact will undoubtedly be felt. Assuming the band also stays together with the Celtics, this looks to be the exact type of addition they needed to put this group over the top. Even though they’re listed as co-favorites to win the NBA title, there’s still value in backing them at +450.
All odds courtesy of the BetMGM Sportsbook.
