NBA Season Preview: Pacific Division Win Total Predictions
The Pacific Division is expected to be one of the more competitive divisions in the NBA as the Phoenix Suns are tied with the Denver Nuggets atop the Western Conference odds. However, the likes of Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors and LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are still lurking.
Will it be enough? Here are our win total predictions for the division.
- Golden State Warriors
I’m not there with the Golden State Warriors yet because I’m not convinced they got any better this offseason. Yes, they brought in Chris Paul, but the guy is 38 years old and has regressed over the past few seasons. There is a reason why the Phoenix Suns were planning on getting rid of him, regardless of whether they landed Bradley Beal. Steph Curry is still one of the best players on the planet, but again, these surrounding pieces aren’t great. Klay Thompson looked horrible for a large part of last season, Draymond Green can only do so much with his skill set, and the young talent they’ve acquired in recent seasons has not panned out. After winning only 44 games last season, I don’t know how I back the Warriors winning four more games when nothing about them screams improvement.
Pick: Under 47.5 Wins
- LA Clippers
I don’t want any part of picking the LA Clippers season unless I have a crystal ball to let me know how many games Paul George and Kawhi Leonard will miss. At full health, this team could win 55 games, but we cannot expect these guys to be healthy for an 82-game calendar. Not to mention, every contender around them has improved this offseason while the Clippers are sitting back, hoping to get James Harden for pennies on the dollar. I don’t see it with the Clippers, so I’d lean the under, but I won’t be making a wager given all the uncertainty.
Pick: Under 45.5 Wins
- Los Angeles Lakers
In what could conceivably be the last season we see LeBron James donning the purple and gold, I genuinely believe we’ll see the best that the Los Angeles Lakers have to offer. After a rocky past few regular seasons, the Lakers turned it on at the end of the regular season and ended up in the Western Conference Finals. This offseason, they added a bunch of depth and role players around LeBron and Anthony Davis to keep afloat in the Western Conference arms race, and I think it will pay off as they will ride the momentum they built last spring into this season. Fifty wins aren’t out of the question for this club.
Pick: Over 46.5 Wins
- Phoenix Suns
I have no doubts about the Phoenix Suns pushing full steam ahead beginning opening night. In my eyes, I believe this is the best team in basketball, not because of the big three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal, which speaks for itself. Still, no one is talking about their depth. Grayson Allen, Eric Gordon, Jusuf Nurkic, Yuta Watanabe, Drew Eubanks, Keita Bates-Diop, Jordan Goodwin, and Josh Okogie give the Suns reliable options down the bench, providing stability and longevity for a team that could approach 60 wins and take home the Larry O’Brien.
Pick: Over 52.5 Wins
- Sacramento Kings
Why is everyone just writing off the Sacramento Kings? They were the third seed in the West last season by winning 48 games and gave the Golden State Warriors everything they could handle in the postseason. De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis will continue to grow with a deep team that complements each other’s skill sets. This team will want to build off of their 48-win season last year, and I have no reason to expect a massive step back, so at 44.5, I have no choice but to take the over.
Pick: Over 44.5 Wins
All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
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