The NBA season is now fully underway. With most teams hitting the 20-game mark, there have been quite a few surprises thus far. With the Clippers leading the West and the Raptors leading the East, this season has been very unpredictable.
Wagering markets have been keeping their eyes on sports betting sites for the latest odds and predictions this season.
Eastern Conference
The biggest story that came out of the Eastern Conference is the poor performance of Boston Celtics. Sitting 10-10, 7th seed in the East, the Celtics have disappointed all Boston fans. With the loaded line-up of Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward, and Al Horford, the team just can’t click. Head Coach Brad Stevens has already tried having Hayward come off the bench. Is there too much talent on the team? Do the Celtics need to make a trade? It is still too early to tell, but don’t be surprised if GM Danny Ainge makes a few roster moves.
A team playing surprisingly well in the East is the Detroit Pistons. Leading the charge for the Pistons squad are Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin. The Pistons are currently 10-7, putting them 4th in the East.
Another news from the East is about Washington Wizards. After starting the season 7-12, reports broke that the team is now eyeing all-star guards John Wall and Bradley Beal. No deals have been made yet, but this is a clear indicator that a complete rebuild is on the horizon in Washington.
The former Eastern Conference Champion, the Cleveland Cavaliers, is currently last in the East. Sitting at 4-14, changes clearly need to be made in Cleveland. With rookie Collin Sexton having a great start to his NBA career, averaging 14.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game, is it time to accept the rebuilding stage? J.R. Smith has already made it clear that he wants out of the Cavs organization, but should they also move former All-Star Kevin Love? Something needs to change.
Western Conference
With only 4 games separating the 1st place team and the 14th place team, the Western Conference is loaded with talented teams.
Currently sitting in first place with a 13-6 record is Los Angeles Clippers. Third in the NBA for points per game, with 117 points, the Clippers have been an offensive powerhouse. Standing out for the Clippers is the 26-year-old forward Tobias Harris. Averaging 21.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game, Harris has led the charge for the Clippers. With the Golden State Warriors and the Denver Nuggets close behind, will the Clipper be able to hold on to the first-place finish?
Another team that has started off the season surprisingly well is the Memphis Grizzlies. Currently 4th in the West, with a 12-7 record, the Grizzlies look to continue to win and make the playoffs. The trio of Mike Conley, Marc Gasol, and rookie Jaren Jackson Jr. have been leading the Grizzlies, averaging 20.3, 18.1, and 13.1 points per game, respectively. The Grizzlies are currently 1st in the NBA for opponents points per game, with 100.9. They are a defensive beast. Can they keep it up and maintain the 4th seed?
No quarter report would be complete without LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. Currently sitting in the 7th seed, with an 11-8 record, they look to improve their seed for the playoffs. After a slow start, the young Laker squad is finally coming together under the leadership of LeBron James. Kyle Kuzma and Brandon Ingram have been playing great ball so far, and JaVale McGee is having one of the best seasons of his career. An upsetting surprise to some Laker fans is the poor performance of second-year player Lonzo Ball. Averaging 8.3 points, 4.6 assists, and 5.6 rebounds per game, it’s clear that there is room to grow.
Currently 4-15, the Phoenix Suns are dead last in the Western Conference. Led by 22-year-old Devin Booker, the Suns just can’t seem to win anything. In the 2018 NBA Draft, the Suns took big man Deandre Ayton with the first overall pick. This surprised quite a few NBA fans, as a lot of people had thought Luka Doncic to be the consensus number 1 overall pick. Ayton has had a good start to his career so far, averaging 16.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. Despite his great start, the Suns just can’t get it together and win games.
What Next?
There is still a lot of time left in the 2018-19 NBA Season. With that said, anything is possible, and no team is out of playoff contention yet. Will the teams playing better than expected be able to keep up their performance? Will the teams not hitting initial expectations be able to get out of a slump? Only time will tell.
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