I've gone over the spoilers and I wanted to talk about the UW Aggro archetype in Kaldheim.
Now I'm a big advocate against 1 power fliers for 1. I've posted many times about how, under most circumstances, they are complete and utter garbage. Healers Hawk was the exception, not the rule, in my eyes.
It wasn't long before I started my Set Review for this set and while I initially dismissed Battlefield Raptor, I looked at the whole set and realized that there is a real deck here. I love archetypes in limited based around commons, which we haven't really seen in a standard set since Rise of the Eldrazi (Lookin at you, Aura Gnarlid). I want to break down what I think the deck does, wants, and looks like.

What UW Aggro Does

Attacks for evasive damage in the air as early as turn 2 but consistently on turn 3, hitting hard enough to end games quickly.
Has insane value per mana spent with three 1-CMC commons that combine to make a competitive archetype based on synergistic commons (Giving my RCB name for the three commons - Raptor/Cleric/Bind).
Stacks keywords with P/T bonuses for extra effect.
Punishes the expected industry-standard curve in Kaldheim of "Foretell on 2, go" similar to how cards like Highland Game could often push 4-6 damage in Khans of Tarkir draft format of standard no 2-drop into morph curve.
Plays a lot of Birds, easily the best tribe in Magic. Don't even mention squirrels. My birds eat your squirrels.

What UW Aggro Wants

The aggro components:

Board Pressure
Interaction
Reach (UW has fliers/bounce spells for reach)

Let's go over the cards that do this:

Board Pressure

Glossary for the Very New:
Surge: A mechanic that enabled when you cast 2 spells in a turn. I will be using this word to refer to the similar abilities on cards like Codespell Cleric and Clarion Spirit.
Referenced cards are all non-rare for purposes of consistency in obtaining them.

Flying Beaters (Hybrid Board Pressure/Reach) (Best Worst)
- Battlefield Raptor - Our 1 mana 1/2 boy with the double keywords Flying and First Strike. The fastest option, the best at enabling surge, and the one with double stacking keywords all in one body. This card is basically superhero #2 in this deck, and the deck would not be the same if it was worse. Pick many.
- Shepard of the Cosmos - Shepard is the type of card that low-curve aggro decks would typically avoid, but being able to play a Phantom Monster that recurs almost every permanent in your deck is actually worth taking some precious time out doing nothing to foretell, and I don't say that lightly. The fact that you can play this in a 15-16 land deck is really outstanding. Very reminiscent of Subjugator Angel, but probably better since it never gets truly stuck in hand.
- Augury Raven - Phantom Monster with no investment, or a 3/3 flier coming down on turn 3. While it looks awkward to foretell this and then cast it on 3 for 2 mana, this deck uses the extra 1 mana very well, doing things such as following up with Codespell Cleric or Valor of the Worthy, or many of the other 1-drops in the deck, which make the foretell smooth as butter in some spots.
- Pilfering Hawk - We really just care about the cheap flying body in this deck, but the ability does give some nice upside to snow covered land picks in case we need to dig for reach or interaction.
- Rune of Flight - Status Walk, no downside, can attach on equipment for basically no risk against heavy removal decks. Great synergy with other commons such as Axgard Boggart, Story Seeker and Codespell Cleric to turn them into double keyword threats with synergistic keywords (Flying + Lifelink and Flying + Vigilance/Untap are classics), which basically ensures it always sees play. (Other worse options for added copies of this effect: Raven Wings / Runed Crown (w/ Rune of Flight))
- Stalwart Valkyrie - The best way to ensure being able to play these cheat numbers early (see: Bone Picker) is a bunch of shitty cheap creatures, which we have in abundance. It still comes down turn 3 at the minimum generally, so it's the slowest option besides Shepard without compensating for the impact that Shepard has. Trading/Eating removal early has its advantages, unlike the disadvantages you would expect normally from aggro, with cards like this and Valor of the Worthy/Beskir Shieldmate/Shepard of the Cosmos.
- Starnheim Courser - Wind Drake that makes your auras and equipment (generally) cheaper. This upside is not irrelevant with common options that slot into the deck rather easily, like Bound in Gold and Mists of Littjara.
- Vega, the Watcher - I personally think the cost reduction on Salwart is more valuable and easier to cast than Vega. The card draw is situationally useful, this deck does have some foretell in it which helps power up some cards.
- Mistwalker - Hovering outside the range of comfort for me is Mistwalker. It has decent keyword scaling and has a mana sink, which is useful for a deck that is so low curve like this one. However, it falls on a high-impact slot in the curve, and 1 power I don't think is gonna cut it. If you can use the changeling mechanic well or if you need another option, this does serve decently well, but I imagine it sees the boot in the best versions of this deck.

Aura/Equipment/Creature effects to enable our fliers and other keywords (Best Worst)
- Codespell Cleric - I know for a fact this deck wouldn't be as good as I think it is without this card being so pushed, or if it was uncommon. If you're looking for the Aura Gnarlid (pushed common that enables an archetype), this would be it. With a low enough curve, this is a 1 mana 2/2 vigilance, or a 1 mana 1/1 vigilance that gives a +1/+1 counter to a flier, which is even better than a 1 mana 2/2 vigilance. At common. Imagine that. Look, this card even uses its vigilance keyword to massive effect when combined with Rune of Flight to dual role this into being a game winner as well as a value enabler. The sign to go into this deck is how late you see this card. It isn't even terribly bad in some normal decks either (though it is much worse), due to flying synergy, which means you can take them with minimal risk and huge reward. I love this card being printed, though. They could've killed how competitive this deck was by just making it say "another target creature" at the end but they didn't. Thank you, Wizards, for giving us a cool archetype enabler.
- Spectral Steel - I can't think of a much scarier start than Turn 1 Battlefield Raptor into turn 2 this. The fact that this is the highroll play of choice on turn 2 combined with the utility you get from its ability if you do get value wrecked makes it 2nd on this list and one to be feared.
- Battershield Warrior - A repeatable (once per turn) Charge effect on a 3/3 attacker is a great option and hard to beat. It's pretty vulnerable on the cost-stats department so it carries some risk, but the reward is huge.
- Valkyrie's Sword - Unlike most decks, we're playing this card for the shittier half of the equipment. Jam it on a flier and go to town. The nice part is, if we're flooding out, this serves as both win condition, reach, and a flying beater all at once. It's doable, moreso with Starnheim Courser.
- Valor of the Worthy - Surge enabler, a cheap pump effect that provides value if you lose the creature after it connects. Carries the risk that it always does, but your entire deck comes with a certain degree of risk (alleviated again by Stalwart Valkyrie/Shepard of the Cosmos/etc.). Nothing stellar, but +1/+1 on a flier that allows you to get another flier if you lose the threat is generally worth your while, especially if you're short on pump effects. The Corolla compared version of Codespell Cleric's Ferarri. Unlike the pure quantity of fliers, however, all of these cards are often worth your time to consider and mostly play.

Situational/Utility Effects for Board Pressure (Best Worst)
- Clarion Spirit - Makes fliers on each second spell, which is insane, and is a 2/2 for 2 which can often get attacks in considering the usual pattern of foretell on turn 2 from opponents. Just a great value threat, and can often triggered the turn he's played if he's played on turn 3 with a followup such as Codespell Cleric, Raptor, Valor, or the like.
- Usher of the Fallen - Obviously a 1 mana 2/1 that makes 1/1 tokens if you have mana to spare is a no-brainer in a deck with surge and evasive attacks.
- Axgard Boggart (Hybrid Reach/Board Pressure) - On turn 5, this guy is swinging as a 4/4 vigilance. Another phenomenal Rune of Flight/Raven Wings target for the synergy of untap + flying as well as self enabling counters. The thing is, it doesn't even need flying to start beating face and acting as reach as it grows each turn without leaving you open to attacks. Great synergy with combat tricks, obviously, due to the threat of his inevitability.
- Story Seeker - Hard to go wrong with a 2/2 lifelink for 2 in a deck that pumps, and one that can give it flying with Rune of Flight can really turn this card into a bomb sometimes.
- Funeral Longboat - A decent way to use Codespell Cleric after ETB or 1/1 bodies from cards like Usher of the Fallen/Clarion Spirit/Valor of the Worthy/Beskir Shiledmate. Recurrable with Shepard of the Cosmos later
- Rune of Sustenance - A great sideboard option for all the loonies who are as aggro as us. Can't go too wrong with flying + lifelink in general but I'd generally keep it out game 1 unless you have Runed Crown in deck.
- Avalanche Caller (5+ Snow lands turns into a real deal) - Probably too hard to enable, but powerful enough that we need to consider it, especially given how open our deck should usually be.

Interaction

Let's be clear - we're fast and dirty. Our interaction reflects as much. Let's go (Best Worst)

Bind the Monster - I mean, this is as close to 1-mana removal as we're going to get. Especially considering we'd probably rather have this than Swords to Plowshares in our aggro deck. And it's common, bless the gods. Complete the broken trifecta of 1-cmc commons, RaptoCleric/Bind. Yada yada surge enabler who cares I have common unconditional permatap for 1 mana that can recur with Spectral Steel or Shepard of the Cosmos. Let's be clear on the interaction. If this card is a 99/100, the rest are 90 and below. It drops off hard after this, so take all of them you're lucky enough to see for this deck. We even have innate lifegain to suppliment this life loss if needed in Rune of Sustenance/Story Seeker.
Icebind Pillar (5+ Snow lands) (DONT TAKE THIS HIGHLY) - Same deal as Avalanche Caller, buyer beware as it can be completely useless usually. Speculative late pick that can turn into a fantastic piece of interaction if it gets there.
Depart the Realm - I mean, Disperse is always good in aggro. Added bonus on creatures that were cheated out on Foretold costs.
Binebarrow Intruder - Bodies that interact for cheap are always nice in these decks, we can use the body for equipment or crew after the effect and it enables surge.
Wings of the Cosmos - Sudden Spinnerets but instead of giving reach to a creature, it can push damage. Cheap surge enabler and enables surprise blocks to swing races.
Divine Gambit - Almost every white deck would rather have Divine Gambit over basically everything here, but our deck is the one deck that doesn't care about killing expensive bombs as much because our game plan is to murder them before these cards come down. That said, Plan B is a successful company for a reason.
Annul/Disdainful Stroke - Very strong sideboard choices.
Goldmaw Champion (Hybrid Board Pressure/Interaction) - The too-fair version of Territorial Hammerskull, so I don't imagine I'll be playing it very often unless I'm desperate. Wizards will release the version that only requires 1 mana someday and I'll be happy at the middle ground.
Mists of Littjara/Iron Verdict (situationally much better) - How good these are depends on how evasive your creatures are. In general, I don't think you can expect all your damage to be evasive, so odds are your opponent won't be attacking much if not to hold back a ground creature or threaten trades.
Niko Defies Destiny (often better) - Baseline this card doesn't do much that we're looking for, but there are enough spells and creatures that have foretell that this can reach decent levels of power. I don't like how slow it is compared to our deck, though, but it helps that it returns 2 mana back.
Saw It Coming - Very useful against decks that have a card we can't really beat. Like a wrath. Otherwise, too slow.

What UW Looks Like (Drafted Decks)

Things to note:

Curve tops at 3 in all decks if you consider alternate costs. Insane
Using DraftSim's average picks atm shows that this deck is insanely undiscovered. People are sleeping on this hard.

That's it! Thanks for reading! Look forward to comments/questions/critiques coming up.

Kaldheim UW Hyperaggro

What UW Aggro Does

Attacks for evasive damage in the air as early as turn 2 but consistently on turn 3, hitting hard enough to end games quickly.
Has insane value per mana spent with three 1-CMC commons that combine to make a competitive archetype based on synergistic commons (Raptor/Cleric/Bind).
Stacks keywords with P/T bonuses for extra effect.
Punishes the expected industry-standard curve in Kaldheim of "Foretell on 2, go" similar to how cards like Highland Game could often push 4-6 damage in Khans of Tarkir draft format of standard no 2-drop into morph curve.
Plays a lot of Birds, easily the best tribe in Magic. Don't even mention squirrels. My birds eat your squirrels.

What UW Aggro Wants

The aggro components:

Board Pressure
Interaction
Reach (UW has fliers/bounce spells for reach)

Let's go over the cards that do this:

Board Pressure

Flying Beaters (Hybrid Board Pressure/Reach) (Best Worst)
- Battlefield Raptor - Our 1 mana 1/2 boy with the double keywords Flying and First Strike. The fastest option, the best at enabling surge, and the one with double stacking keywords all in one body. This card is basically superhero #2 in this deck, and the deck would not be the same if it was worse. Pick many.
- Shepard of the Cosmos - Shepard is the type of card that low-curve aggro decks would typically avoid, but being able to play a Phantom Monster that recurs almost every permanent in your deck is actually worth taking some precious time out doing nothing to foretell, and I don't say that lightly. The fact that you can play this in a 15-16 land deck is really outstanding. Very reminiscent of Subjugator Angel, but probably better since it never gets truly stuck in hand.
- Augury Raven - Phantom Monster with no investment, or a 3/3 flier coming down on turn 3. While it looks awkward to foretell this and then cast it on 3 for 2 mana, this deck uses the extra 1 mana very well, doing things such as following up with Codespell Cleric or Valor of the Worthy, or many of the other 1-drops in the deck, which make the foretell smooth as butter in some spots.
- Pilfering Hawk - We really just care about the cheap flying body in this deck, but the ability does give some nice upside to snow covered land picks in case we need to dig for reach or interaction.
- Rune of Flight - Status Walk, no downside, can attach on equipment for basically no risk against heavy removal decks. Great synergy with other commons such as Axgard Boggart, Story Seeker and Codespell Cleric to turn them into double keyword threats with synergistic keywords (Flying + Lifelink and Flying + Vigilance/Untap are classics), which basically ensures it always sees play. (Other worse options for added copies of this effect: Raven Wings / Runed Crown (w/ Rune of Flight))
- Stalwart Valkyrie - The best way to ensure being able to play these cheat numbers early (see: Bone Picker) is a bunch of shitty cheap creatures, which we have in abundance. It still comes down turn 3 at the minimum generally, so it's the slowest option besides Shepard without compensating for the impact that Shepard has. Trading/Eating removal early has its advantages, unlike the disadvantages you would expect normally from aggro, with cards like this and Valor of the Worthy/Beskir Shieldmate/Shepard of the Cosmos.
- Starnheim Courser - Wind Drake that makes your auras and equipment (generally) cheaper. This upside is not irrelevant with common options that slot into the deck rather easily, like Bound in Gold and Mists of Littjara.
- Vega, the Watcher - I personally think the cost reduction on Starnheim is more valuable and easier to cast than Vega. The card draw is situationally useful, this deck does have some foretell in it which helps power up some cards.
- Mistwalker - Hovering outside the range of comfort for me is Mistwalker. It has decent keyword scaling and has a mana sink, which is useful for a deck that is so low curve like this one. However, it falls on a high-impact slot in the curve, and 1 power I don't think is gonna cut it. If you can use the changeling mechanic well or if you need another option, this does serve decently well, but I imagine it sees the boot in the best versions of this deck.

Aura/Equipment/Creature effects to enable our fliers and other keywords (Best Worst)
- Codespell Cleric - I know for a fact this deck wouldn't be as good as I think it is without this card being so pushed, or if it was uncommon. If you're looking for the Aura Gnarlid (pushed common that enables an archetype), this would be it. With a low enough curve, this is a 1 mana 2/2 vigilance, or a 1 mana 1/1 vigilance that gives a +1/+1 counter to a flier, which is even better than a 1 mana 2/2 vigilance. At common. Imagine that. Look, this card even uses its vigilance keyword to massive effect when combined with Rune of Flight to dual role this into being a game winner as well as a value enabler. The sign to go into this deck is how late you see this card. It isn't even bad in normal decks either, due to flying synergy, which means you can take them with minimal risk and huge reward. I love this card being printed, though. They could've killed how competitive this deck was by just making it say "another target creature" at the end but they didn't. Thank you, Wizards, for giving us a cool archetype enabler.
- Spectral Steel - I can't think of a much scarier start than Turn 1 Battlefield Raptor into turn 2 this. The fact that this is the highroll play of choice on turn 2 combined with the utility you get from its ability if you do get value wrecked makes it 2nd on this list and one to be feared.
- Battershield Warrior - A repeatable (once per turn) Charge effect on a 3/3 attacker is a great option and hard to beat. It's pretty vulnerable on the cost-stats department so it carries some risk, but the reward is huge.
- Valkyrie's Sword - Unlike most decks, we're playing this card for the shittier half of the equipment. Jam it on a flier and go to town. The nice part is, if we're flooding out, this serves as both win condition, reach, and a flying beater all at once. It's doable, moreso with Starnheim Courser.
- Valor of the Worthy - Surge enabler, a cheap pump effect that provides value if you lose the creature after it connects. Carries the risk that it always does, but your entire deck comes with a certain degree of risk (alleviated again by Stalwart Valkyrie/Shepard of the Cosmos/etc.). Nothing stellar, but +1/+1 on a flier that allows you to get another flier if you lose the threat is generally worth your while, especially if you're short on pump effects. The Corolla compared version of Codespell Cleric's Ferarri. Unlike the pure quantity of fliers, however, all of these cards are often worth your time to consider and mostly play.

Situational/Utility Effects for Board Pressure (Best Worst)
- Clarion Spirit - Makes fliers on each second spell, which is insane, and is a 2/2 for 2 which can often get attacks in considering the usual pattern of foretell on turn 2 from opponents. Just a great value threat, and is often triggered the turn he's played on turn 3 with a followup such as Codespell Cleric, Raptor, Valor, or the like.
- Usher of the Fallen - Obviously a 1 mana 2/1 that makes 1/1 tokens if you have mana to spare is a no-brainer in a deck with surge and evasive attacks.
- Axgard Boggart (Hybrid Reach/Board Pressure) - On turn 5, this guy is swinging as a 4/4 vigilance. Another phenomenal Rune of Flight/Raven Wings target for the synergy of untap + flying as well as self enabling counters. The thing is, it doesn't even need flying to start beating face and acting as reach as it grows each turn without leaving you open to attacks. Great synergy with combat tricks, obviously, due to the threat of his inevitability.
- Story Seeker - Hard to go wrong with a 2/2 lifelink for 2 in a deck that pumps, and one that can give it flying with Rune of Flight can really turn this card into a bomb sometimes.
- Funeral Longboat - A decent way to use Codespell Cleric after ETB or 1/1 bodies from cards like Usher of the Fallen/Clarion Spirit/Valor of the Worthy/Beskir Shiledmate. Recurrable with Shepard of the Cosmos later
- Rune of Sustenance - A great sideboard option for all the loonies who are as aggro as us. Can't go too wrong with flying + lifelink in general but I'd generally keep it out game 1 unless you have Runed Crown in deck.
- Avalanche Caller (5+ Snow lands turns into a real deal) - Probably too hard to enable, but powerful enough that we need to consider it, especially given how open our deck should usually be.

Interaction

Let's be clear - we're fast and dirty. Our interaction reflects as much. Let's go (Best Worst)

Bind the Monster - I mean, this is as close to 1-mana removal as we're going to get. Especially considering we'd probably rather have this than Swords to Plowshares in our aggro deck. And it's common, bless the gods. Complete the broken trifecta of 1-cmc commons, RaptoCleric/Bind. Yada yada surge enabler who cares I have common unconditional permatap for 1 mana that can recur with Spectral Steel or Shepard of the Cosmos. Let's be clear on the interaction. If this card is a 99/100, the rest are 90 and below. It drops off hard after this, so take all of them you're lucky enough to see for this deck. We even have innate lifegain to suppliment this life loss if needed in Rune of Sustenance/Story Seeker.
Icebind Pillar (5+ Snow lands) (DONT TAKE THIS HIGHLY) - Same deal as Avalanche Caller, buyer beware as it can be completely useless usually. Speculative late pick that can turn into a fantastic piece of interaction if it gets there.
Depart the Realm - I mean, Disperse is always good in aggro. Added bonus on creatures that were cheated out on Foretold costs.
Binebarrow Intruder - Bodies that interact for cheap are always nice in these decks, we can use the body for equipment or crew after the effect and it enables surge.
Wings of the Cosmos - Sudden Spinnerets but instead of giving reach to a creature, it can push damage. Cheap surge enabler and enables surprise blocks to swing races.
Divine Gambit - Almost every white deck would rather have Divine Gambit over basically everything here, but our deck is the one deck that doesn't care about killing expensive bombs as much because our game plan is to murder them before these cards come down. That said, Plan B is a successful company for a reason.
Annul/Disdainful Stroke - Very strong sideboard choices.
Goldmaw Champion (Hybrid Board Pressure/Interaction) - The too-fair version of Territorial Hammerskull, so I don't imagine I'll be playing it very often unless I'm desperate. Wizards will release the version that only requires 1 mana someday and I'll be happy at the middle ground.
Mists of Littjara/Iron Verdict (situationally much better) - How good these are depends on how evasive your creatures are. In general, I don't think you can expect all your damage to be evasive, so odds are your opponent won't be attacking much if not to hold back a ground creature or threaten trades.
Niko Defies Destiny (often better) - Baseline this card doesn't do much that we're looking for, but there are enough spells and creatures that have foretell that this can reach decent levels of power. I don't like how slow it is compared to our deck, though, but it helps that it returns 2 mana back.
Saw It Coming - Very useful against decks that have a card we can't really beat. Like a wrath. Otherwise, too slow.

What UW Looks Like (Drafted Decks)

Things to note:

Curve tops at 3 in all decks if you consider alternate costs. Insane
Using DraftSim's average picks atm shows that this deck is insanely undiscovered. People are sleeping on this hard.

That's it! Thanks for reading! Look forward to comments/questions/critiques coming up.

r/nba thinks Vegas is overrating Warriors/Hawks, underrating Lakers/Rockets in latest Win Totals projections

2020-21 NBA Week in Review: Week 1 (Dec. 23 – Dec. 26)

TEAM	nba Average	Vegas O/U	Difference
los-angeles-lakers	52	47.5	4.5
houston-rockets	38.2	35.5	2.7
milwaukee-bucks	53.5	51	2.5
denver-nuggets	46.8	44.5	2.3
memphis-grizzlies	33.2	31.5	1.7
boston-celtics	47.2	45.5	1.7
dallas-mavericks	44.0	42.5	1.5
los-angeles-clippers	47.7	46.5	1.2
washington-wizards	33.7	32.5	1.2
oklahoma-city-thunder	24.7	23.5	1.2
philadelphia-76ers	45.4	44.5	0.9
toronto-raptors	43.3	42.5	0.8
utah-jazz	41.9	41.5	0.4
indiana-pacers	39.5	39.5	0.0
miami-heat	44.5	44.5	0.0
portland-trail-blazers	40.3	40.5	-0.3
san-antonio-spurs	29.1	29.5	-0.4
orlando-magic	31.4	32	-0.6
charlotte-hornets	24.8	25.5	-0.7
sacramento-kings	27.3	28.5	-1.2
phoenix-suns	37.9	39.5	-1.6
cleveland-cavaliers	19.8	21.5	-1.7
minnesota-timberwolves	26.6	28.5	-1.9
chicago-bulls	27.5	29.5	-2.0
brooklyn-nets	43.5	45.5	-2.0
new-york-knicks	19.7	22.5	-2.8
detroit-pistons	20.6	23.5	-2.9
new-orleans-pelicans	32.4	35.5	-3.1
atlanta-hawks	31.8	35.5	-3.7
golden-state-warriors	32.6	38.5	-5.9

Team

Note: Every team this week played 2 games except the Thunder and Rockets
Undefeated Teams this Week (games played)

Western Conference: Clippers (2), Kings (2), Timberwolves (2), Spurs (2), Thunder (1)
Eastern Conference: Magic (2), Pacers (2), Sixers (2), Cavaliers (2), Nets (2), Hawks (2)

Winless Teams this Week (games played)

Western Conference: Warriors (2), Nuggets (2), Mavericks (2), Grizzlies (2), Rockets (1)
Eastern Conference: Raptors (2), Hornets (2), Pistons (2), Wizards (2), Knicks (2), Bulls (2)

“Softest” Schedules (subjective)

Atlanta Hawks
- Wednesday home against the Bulls
- Saturday home against the Grizzlies
Cleveland Cavaliers
- Wednesday away against the Hornets
- Saturday home against the Pistons
Indiana Pacers
- Wednesday away against the Knicks
- Saturday home against the Bulls

“Toughest” Schedules (subjective)

Boston Celtics
- Wednesday away against the Bucks
- Friday home against the Nets
LA Clippers
- Tuesday “home” against the Lakers
- Friday home against the Nuggets
LA Lakers
- Tuesday “away” away against the Clippers
- Friday away against the Mavericks

Biggest Moneyline Upsets (per Bovada odds)

[+350] Dec. 26: Timberwolves upset the Jazz on the road (116-111)
[+260] Dec. 23: Kings upset the Nuggets on the road in OT (124-122)
[+175] Dec. 23: Magic upset the Heat at home (113-107)

Player

Most PPG during week (min. 2 GP)

Trae Young (36.5 PPG – 2 GP)
Ja Morant (36.0 PPG – 2 GP)
Bradley Beal (35.0 PPG – 2 GP)

Most PPG during week – Rookies (min. 2 GP)

James Wiseman (18.5 PPG – 2 GP)
Anthony Edwards (16.5 PPG – 2 GP)
Patrick Williams (12.5 PPG – 2 GP)

Best Single Game Gamescores

Dec. 26: James Harden (42.7)
Dec. 23: Ja Morant (40.7)
Dec. 26: CJ McCollum (36.5)

Best Single Game Gamescores – Rookies

Dec. 26: Anthony Edwards (14.2)
Dec. 25: James Wiseman (14.0)
Dec. 22: James Wiseman (13.5)

Most Points Scored Single Game 1. Dec. 23: Ja Morant (44 points) 2. Dec. 26: James Harden (44 points) 3. Dec. 26: CJ McCollum (44 points)
Most Points Scored Single Game – Rookies 1. Dec. 22: James Wiseman (19 points) 2. Dec. 25: James Wiseman (18 points) 3. Dec. 26: Anthony Edwards (18 points)
Most Rebounds: Rudy Gobert (2x) & Nikola Vucevic (17 rebounds)
Most Rebounds – Rookie: James Wiseman (8 rebounds)
Most Assists: James Harden (17 assists)
Most Assists – Rookie: Cole Anthony (6 assists)
Most 3PM: Terry Rozier (10 three-pointers)
Most 3PM – Rookie: Obi Toppin & James Wiseman (3 three-pointers)
Most Steals: Jimmy Butler (7 steals)
Most Steals – Rookie: 7 Tied with 2 steals
Most Blocks: Myles Turner (8 blocks)
Most Blocks – Rookie: James Wiseman (3 blocks)

Vegas Snapshot (via Bovada, unless otherwise noted)

Best Odds to Win West	Start of Week (Dec. 20)	End of Week (Dec. 27)
1. Lakers	+100	+130
2. Clippers	+375	+270
3. Nuggets	+1000	+1200

Best Odds to Win East	Start of Week (Dec. 20)	End of Week (Dec. 27)
1. Bucks	+250	+240
2. Nets	+250	+250
3. Celtics	+550	+550

Best Odds to Win Finals	Start of Week (Dec. 20)	End of Week (Dec. 27)
1. Lakers	+190	+250
2. Nets	+550	+525
3. Bucks	+600	+575

Best Odds to Win MVP (via PointsBet)	Start of Week (Dec. 20)	End of Week (Dec. 27)
1. Doncic	+380	+400
2. Antetokounmpo	+500	+400
3. Curry	+800	+1200
3. Davis	+800	+900

Best Odds to Win ROY (via PointsBet)	Start of Week (Dec. 20)	End of Week (Dec. 27)
1. Ball	+350	+700
2. Edwards	+450	+450
3. Toppin	+550	+800

2021 Owed First Round Pick Watch

Mavericks’ 2021 pick to the Knicks (via the Porzingis trade)
- No protections, will convey this year, currently projected to be pick #9
Pistons’ 2021 pick to the Rockets (via the Bey trade)
- Protected 1-16, not on track to convey this year, currently projected to be pick #1
Wolves’ 2021 pick to the Warriors (via the Russell trade)
- Protected 1-3, on track to convey this year, currently projected to be pick #23
Heat’s 2021 pick to the Thunder (via the Dragic/Bridges/Harris/George trades … MIA to PHO to PHI to LAC to OKC)
- Unprotected, will convey this year, currently projected to be pick #18
Rockets’ 2021 pick to the Thunder (via the Westbrook trade) to be swapped with the worse of the Thunder pick and Heat pick (Thunder’s right to exercise this option)
- Protected 1-4, on track to convey this year, currently projected to be pick 20#and swapped with the Heat pick #18
Blazers’ 2021 pick to the Rockets (via the Covington trade)
- Protected 1-14, not on track to convey this year, currently projected to be pick #13
Clippers’ 2021 pick to the Knicks (via the Morris trade) to be swapped with the Knicks (Knicks’ right to exercise this option)
- Protected 1-4, track to convey this year, currently projected to be pick #30 and not swapped with the Knicks pick, currently projected to be pick #2
Lakers’ 2021 pick to the Pelicans (via the Davis trade)
Reverse protected 8-30, not on track to convey this year, currently projected to be pick #19
Jazz’ 2021 pick to the Grizzlies (via the Conley trade)
- Protected 1-7 and reverse protected 15-30, not on track to convey this year, currently projected to be pick #15
Warriors’ 2021 pick to the Thunder (via the Oubre trade)
- Protected 1-20, not on track to convey, currently projected to be pick #6

NBA DFS 2-8-21 Match-Up Tool Plays

Who are the Safest over-under bets in Vegas?

Here are the early over-unders from Vegas.
Keep in mind that these are for a 72 win schedule (ie. 36 wins would be a .500 record, 43 wins would be the equivalent of a 50 win pace). Also note, not all teams have had their over-unders released (with the Nets, Rockets and Warriors being noteworthy omissions).
From the below estimates, which do you think are the safest over bets, or the safest under bets?
Bucks 51
Lakers 47
Clippers 46.5
Celtics 46.5
Nuggets 44.5
Heat 44.5
Mavericks 43
Raptors 43
76ers 43
Jazz 41
Pacers 40
Trail Blazers 38.5
Suns 37.5
Pelicans 35.5
Grizzlies 32.5
Hawks 31.5
Magic 31.5
Thunder 29.5
Spurs 29.5
Wizards 29
Bulls 29
Kings 28.5
Timberwolves 27.5
Hornets 24
Knicks 24
Pistons 22
Cavaliers 22
Good Over Bets
Hawks (31.5 wins) - This is the equivalent of a 35-36 win season in a normal year. The Hawks would need a 32-40 record to beat this estimate. This seems really low for arguably the team that improved the most in the offseason. If the Hawks get Bogi (still pending as I write this), they will be 2-deep at every position, and would have a starting lineup of Young-Bogi-Gallo-Collins-Capela with lots of talent on the bench. Expecting the Hawks to be at least close to a .500 record in the East seems super reasonable to me, which easily gets them over this estimate.
Suns (37.5 wins) - This would be a barely over .500 season. A 38-34 season would top this estimate. Assuming health for CP, the Suns should be well above this mark. With CP, the addition of Jae Crowder, and expected internal improvement from their young guys, I expect the Suns to win at least 40 games.
Hornets (24 wins) - Charlotte's record last year would have put them on a 25.5 win 72 game pace, which would beat this estimate. That was for a young team, who should have some internal improvement, and also added Hayward and Lamelo. Expecting them to do better than 24-48 seems like a pretty fair bet.
Raptors (43 wins) - At this point, you just have to take the over on the Raptors. They have beaten Vegas estimates 7 years in a row. The Raptors won 53 games last year, on a 72 game schedule, and are pretty much the same team this year. They have a bunch of young guys on the roster who should be expected to improve (ie. OG and FVV are in their second years as starters, Siakam in his second year as a #1 option, etc). Also, important to remember that the Raptors were one of those most chronically injured teams in the league last year. Their "next man up" mentality is legendary. They lost Gasol and Ibaka, but those guys also both missed substantial time last year with injuries (as well as being played off the court against Boston), without the Raptors missing a beat (13-4 without Ibaka, and 18-10 without Gasol). Expecting them to drop a full 10 wins from last year seems like an awful lot to expect by subbing out those guys for Aron Baynes and Chris Boucher.
Milwaukee (51 wins) - This estimate is 5 wins below where the Bucks were last year, for a team that upgraded Bledsoe into Jrue. Yes, the Bogi thing was embarrassing, but just looking at what the Bucks actually did, I don't see any way to justify that they got worse. Very strong bet on the over.
Good Under Bets
Pelicans (35.5) - Basically, the question is whether the Pelicans are a .500 team. In the East, maybe. But, the West is absolutely stacked this year, and the Pels will have a West-heavy schedule. They would need to improve by 6 wins over last year, after downgrading Jrue to Bledsoe, to beat this projection. In general, this team will struggle with spacing on offence. Outside of JJ Reddick (who may or may not finish the season with the team), they are stacked with poor shooters like Bledsoe, Steven Adams, Lonzo, etc, who are expected to play big roles for the team. That is not exactly a formula for Zion to have the best chance to succeed, and who knows how aggressive they are with Zion's minutes, after what we saw in the season and bubble. Overall, this seems like a strong under bet.
Celtics (46.5) - The Celtics were a 48 win team, on a 72 game schedule last year, so the question is whether they can duplicate or improve on that. While Hayward has issues with injuries, he did still play 52 games for the team last year, and was excellent when he did, with a 17.5/6.7/4.1 stat line on 59.5% TS, and 5.7 win shares. While I don't think the Celtics will drop off much, expecting them to drop at least 2 games from last year's pace, after losing Hayward, seems pretty reasonable.
Thunder (29.5) - Who even still plays for this team? The Thunder have gone full rebuild, and picked a project big man (Pokusevski) in the draft. This team pretty clearly wants to be bad this year, and yet these predictions have them even with the Spurs, and above the Wolves and Kings in the West. I am pretty sure that the Thunder will be the worst team in the West next season. Moreover, I'm pretty sure they want to be the worst team in the West next season, going into a stacked 2021 draft.
Magic (31.5) - On a 73 game schedule, the Magic were a 33 win team last year. Jonathan Isaac didn't have a particularly healthy year for them last year, only playing 34 games, but this year he will be playing zero. After a couple of years hanging around the 8th seed, they now have a couple of teams below them that have improved. The Hawks made a ton of additions, the Hornets added Hayward, the Wizards get Wall back and Avdija should be a day 1 starter, while the Bulls have a competent coach. If the Magic have a slow start, they are a prime candidate to trade out major pieces at the trade deadline. With a strong 2021 draft class, and the prospect of Isaac returning next year, taking a year off from chasing the 8-seed might be the best thing to raise Orlando's ceiling, and I'm sure they are aware of this, too.
What do you guys think of my picks? And, who are your best over-under picks from the above Vegas odds?

[Vegas Insider] Early NBA W/L odds expect Mavs to be 4th in West with o/u of 42.5, behind LAL/LAC/DEN and ahead of POR/UTA/PHX/GSW

Spoiler Alert: the results of the 2020-21 NBA Season

Some fans (like myself) loathe reading "spoilers" for their favorite TV shows or movies. Others actively seek them out.
One of the best parts of being a sports fan is that it's impossible to look ahead and know the outcome of the season. However, I happened to stumble upon a Sports Almanac and will divulge the results for you now. Of course, if you're prefer not to know what happens this year, skip this post and be surprised instead.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Milwaukee Bucks : 50-22
With the news of Giannis Antetokounmpo's extensions serving as an early Christmas present, the Bucks roll into the year with good vibes and another dominant regular season run. Their new supporting takes some time to gel which leads to some more close games, but in turn that causes Giannis Antetokounmpo to play more minutes and put up better raw stats than ever (averaging 30 PPG for the first time in his career). Despite that, he's not a runaway MVP winner. Some voter fatigue and playoff backlash causes a split vote, with 5 different players receiving first-place voters. When the smoke clears and the dust settles, Giannis wins a close vote to snag his third consecutive MVP trophy.
(2) Brooklyn Nets : 47-25
The Brooklyn Nets click together early, fueled by a healthy-looking Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. They race out to a 30-11 start to the regular season before taking their foot off the gas to help sustain their health. While that decision may help them in the long run, it costs Kevin Durant his early-season MVP buzz (similar to Kawhi Leonard's season in Toronto.) Still, the Nets enter the postseason with good vibes all around, which earns coach Steve Nash several laudatory media reports and nearly enables him to win Coach of the Year (he finishes second.)
(3) Philadelphia 76ers : 46-26
Speaking of great press, new exec Daryl Morey receives plenty of glowing reviews himself after his tweaks to the roster work wonders. Thanks to the spacing of Seth Curry, Shake Milton, and surprise rookie Isaiah Joe, slashepasser Ben Simmons takes a leap up in efficiency, scoring a career-high 23 points a game and earning 2nd team All-NBA honors. Inside the locker room, it feels like there's a notable shift towards the roster being more of his team than Joel Embiid's. Of course, the club knows they'll need both of them to dominant to make a Finals push.
(4) Toronto Raptors : 45-27
Reigning Coach of the Year Nick Nurse doesn't get half as much recognition as he should for another strong year at the helm, helping the club to easily beat their Vegas oveunder of 41.5 wins. Still, there are cracks under the surface. Now at age 34/35, Kyle Lowry looks like he's lost a step and struggles to match his 36 minutes per game from the prior year. Although nothing is official yet, it looks like the team may have to say goodbye to Lowry at the end of the season as he enters free agency.
(5) Miami Heat : 44-28
The Miami heat don't ride their momentum from the Finals trip into a top seed, partly due to some leaky defense on the perimeter. Frustrated, Pat Riley decides to make a power move and trade for Victor Oladipo. The fit doesn't click right away as the team retains a similar record, but the Heat still feel confident that they can turn up the volume when the playoffs roll around.
(6) Boston Celtics : 43-29
After losing Gordon Hayward, the Boston Celtics' ascent up the Eastern Conference stagnates. For the first time, the media appears to turn on this likable coach and club, wondering if the team needs to make a dramatic trade to shake up the roster. Ultimately, they decide to hold on to Jaylen Brown and the core and take their chances in the playoffs with the current lineup.
(7) Indiana Pacers : 38-34
The Indiana Pacers attempt to shift their playing style under new coach Nate Bjorkgren, but some up and down play leads them to make a move and (as mentioned) trade Victor Oladipo prior to his free agency. Afterwards, they play more minutes with PG Aaron Holiday and PG/SG Malcolm Brogdon in the same lineup, a look that leads to a faster paced offense more befitting of Bjorkgren's ultimate goal for the team. That said, the decision about the future of the Myles TurneDomatas Sabonis pairing looms in the background.
(8) Atlanta Hawks : 35-37
All the moves the Atlanta Hawks made during the offseason pay off -- more or less -- as Danilo Gallinari and Bogdan Bogdanovic give Trae Young some much needed help. A year after finishing 26th in total offense, the team leaps up into the top half of the league. Still, struggles on defense keep the team below .500 on the year and lead to a dogfight all year long for that 8th seed.
(9) Washington Wizards : 34-38
New PG Russell Westbrook earns rave reviews from his teammates and from the press early on, as the club jumps out to a 12-8 record and a presumptive playoff spot thanks to a renewed effort and attitude. Ultimately, their poor defense (ranked 30th last season) and their young frontcourt lead to a few too many losses along the way and prevent them from clinching a playoff spot outright. Coach Scott Brooks is let go after the season in favor of Denver assistant Wes Unseld Jr.
(10) Charlotte Hornets : 30-42
The Charlotte Hornets' maligned signing of Gordon Hayward doesn't look too bad (in year 1) as Hayward returns to near All-Star levels with averages of 18-6-5. Still, the youth on the roster cripples any chance of a true playoff finish. At the same time, the future looks brighter than before. LaMelo Ball wins a polarizing Rookie of the Year campaign with good raw stats (15-5-7) on bad efficiency, while R2 pick Vernon Carey flirts with All-Rookie team for a solid 11-7 first year as a scoring big off the bench.
(11) Chicago Bulls : 28-44
One year after winning Coach of the Year for mixing the perfect cocktail in Oklahoma City, Billy Donovan doesn't find the same type of immediate success with the young pieces here in Chicago. Rookie Patrick Williams looks promising, but second year guard Coby White shows more inconsistency than expected in his sophomore campaign.
(12) Orlando Magic : 28-44
Despite the losses of Jonathan Isaac (injury) and D.J. Augustin (free agency), coach Steve Clifford keeps his team in the playoff mix for the first few months of the season. But once the team stumbles during a 1-5 stretch, the front office decides to wave the white flag and trade Aaron Gordon. For them, the purposes are twofold: to give more opportunity to rookie PF Chuma Okeke, and to eye a higher draft pick in a strong class. With that rebuild in mind, the team decides to empower rookie PG Cole Anthony over the last few month, indicating that free agent Markelle Fultz may not be in their future plans after all.
(13) Detroit Pistons : 25-47
Returning from injury, Blake Griffin flashes the All-NBA caliber talent that he displayed two years ago when he led the team to a 41-41 record. However, Griffin continues to miss time here and there, effectively ending the team's chances of being a true playoff contender. The limited spacing also reveals itself, as the team struggles mightily to score in the games Griffin misses (finishing 8-19 without him.)
(14) New York Knicks : 24-48
Hard-charging coach Tom Thibodeau pushes the Knicks too much for them to garner the top spot in the NBA Draft, but they still manage to finish in the bottom 5. For all the early Rookie of the Year buzz for Obi Toppin, he fails to win the award due to Thibodeau overplaying Julius Randle and Toppin's own bad stats on defense.
(15) Cleveland Cavaliers : 21-51
The undersized perimeter leads to an awful defense that leaves the Cavaliers among the worst in the league yet again. The team attempts to trade Kevin Love to a contender, but an injury complicates that timeline and leads to an offseason exit for the big man instead.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Los Angeles Clippers : 48-24
After their embarrassing flameout against Denver, the L.A. Clippers come back with a chip on their shoulder and an eagerness to change the narrative about them. Their regular season play remains similar (top 5 in offense and defense), but comes with more effort and chemistry as a unit. By the time the season ends, they've gotten right back to the level of the Lakers in terms of title odds (+270).
(2) Los Angeles Lakers : 47-25
Unlike their cross-town rival (or rather, same-stadium rival), the L.A. Lakers don't feel the need to drive hard in the regular season after winning the title. LeBron James drastically reduces his workload in the regular season, going from 34.6 minutes a night down to 33.5. In the process, the Lakers lose their grip on the # 1 seed and LeBron James' loses his argument for another MVP. But as the playoffs approach, they don't seem to mind at all; they're still the betting favorite to win the title in Vegas.
(3) Utah Jazz : 44-28
After a full year in the system, PG Mike Conley's struggles are behind him and he helps the team threaten for the # 1 seed. Returning big man Derrick Favors helps the depth and helps the defense return to the top 8 (after falling to 13th last year), and wing Royce O'Neale finally gets some credit for that as well, finishing on the All-Defense team.
(4) Denver Nuggets : 43-29
While the Utah Jazz thrive because of their defense, Denver disappoints because of a declining one. Michael Porter Jr. looks like a future All-Star with averages of 16.7 points per game, but his struggles on the other end (in contrast to Jerami Grant) lead the Nuggets to finish in the bottom half of the league on D and prevent them from the presumptive step up that many expect.
(5) Dallas Mavericks : 41-31
Luka Doncic and company look as good as ever, but their returns demand on expectations. Luka Doncic puts up MVP-caliber stats, but doesn't actually win it (losing to Giannis.) The historically good offense takes a dip as the team realizes how much they miss Seth Curry. In his place, Josh Richardson underwhelms for his second straight team.
(6) New Orleans Pelicans : 38-34
After getting a lot of flak and a lot of flab, Zion Williams looks rejuvenated early on and the hype about him returns quickly. New coach Stan Van Gundy settles on rotations faster than Alvin Gentry did, and trusts his former player J.J. Redick more than Gentry did as well. Redick and Steven Adams' veteran leadership helps the youngsters play hard and fast every night, leading to a playoff spot despite inconsistent shooting as a team. Van Gundy wins Coach of the Year for the unexpected playoff trip and high seed.
(7) Portland Trail Blazers : 37-35
Despite a lot of good will and public support (including a projected # 2 seed from ESPN's Bobby Marks), Portland looks like the same ol' Blazers again with strong offense and poor defense. The feel-good Carmelo Anthony storyline ends poorly. Coach Terry Stotts shelves Anthony towards the second half of the season (due to poor defensive numbers), leading Anthony to bristle and ultimately work out a buy-out with the team.
(8) Phoenix Suns : 37-35
The Phoenix Suns officially turn the corner and become a winning team. Still, there's a stark contrast between their play with Chris Paul and without Chris Paul. And unfortunately for them, Paul's not as healthy as he had been the year before for OKC. He ends up missing 24 games, during which the Suns go 10-14.
(9) Houston Rockets : 36-36
The Houston Rockets play hardball and push the Philadelphia 76ers for a James Harden-Ben Simmons trade, but Daryl Morey and the Rockets stonewall them (feeling no time crunch, given that their stars are both young and on long-term deals.) Fortunately for the Rockets, James Harden sucks it up, starts the year in a Rocket uniform, and immediately looks like an MVP contender again with his incredible workload and efficiency. Alas, his new backcourt mate John Wall doesn't look quite at the same level in his first year back. Wall's struggles hurt the team's ceiling, and ultimately cast a dark cloud over their future (with Wall owed over $40M in each of the next 3 years.) The Harden trade may have been avoided for now, but still looks likely in the offseason.
(10) Golden State Warriors : 34-38
Returning star Steph Curry flashes the talent that made him a two-time MVP for stretches, but minor injuries keep derailing the momentum he has for an MVP push and for a playoff push for the team. Draymond Green doesn't snap back to prime form as many Warriors fans had hoped, leaving some doubt about his future with the club. Fortunately, rookie C James Wiseman steadily improves and looks like a future stud. Unfortunately, it won't be good enough to help the team for this season.
(11) Sacramento Kings: 32-40
The bad buzz about the Sacramento Kings turns around as a healthy De'Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley III jumpstart an improvement from the year before. In fact, Bagley flirts with 20-10 averages, finishing just shy with 18.8 points per game. As a combo guard off the bench, Tyrese Haliburton is one of the most effective rookies in the class. Savvy analysts like Kevin Pelton push for him to win Rookie of the Year, but his limited minutes and counting stats leave him snubbed for the trophy.
(12) San Antonio Spurs : 31-41
The San Antonio Spurs get out to a strong 14-12 start thanks to an improved defense (and a lack of Bryn Forbes), leading many to campaign for Gregg Popovich as a potential Coach of the Year. Eventually the team lags behind in the crowded Western Conference and turns the reins over to the youngsters. DeMar DeRozan gets reduced time down the stretch as the team gets an extended look at Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell as the potential wings of the future.
(13) Minnesota Timberwolves : 29-43
Karl-Anthony Towns continues his blistering pace from three, but doubt lingers about the roster construction beyond that as the next best players (D'Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards, and Malik Beasley) all look like scoring guards. Among them, Beasley appears to be the odd man out, leading to a trade to Orlando in a package that yields back Aaron Gordon. Gordon helps the team's defense, but not in time to make a playoff push for this particular year.
(14) Memphis Grizzlies : 27-45
After a disappointing start to the season, the Grizzlies see no rush to bring back Jaren Jackson Jr. for heavy minutes. Instead, they try to find the right supporting players for the long haul. To that end, PF Brandon Clarke confirms his strong rookie season was no fluke, setting himself up for starters' minutes next season (with the idea being that they'll shift Jaren Jackson to the center position full time as well.)
(15) Oklahoma City Thunder : 18-54
Sam Presti and new coach Mark Daigneault work in tandem to help secure a top lottery pick for the club. Thanks to newly expanded rosters, the Thunder team looks even more anonymous than the Hinkie Sixers by the end, playing the equivalent of G-Leaguers for the last few weeks of the season. While OKC lands the top slot going into the lottery, they end up with the # 3 pick and miss out on the chance to draft local product Cade Cunningham. Still, it may be a blessing in disguise, as other top prospects SG Jalen Green and C Evan Mobley project to be good complements to foundational piece Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS

PLAY-IN GAMES
The Charlotte Hornets earn some buzz (get it??) and some predictions that they'll knock off the Indiana Pacers, but the Pacers handle their business and win 1-0. Meanwhile, the 8th-9th series between Atlanta and Washington is a dogfight. Russell Westbrook helps the Wizards win Game 1 with a 23-9-11 line, but he goes an ugly 7-23 in the second game as the Hawks win out.
ROUND ONE
(1) Milwaukee vs. (8) Atlanta
Atlanta's momentum is short-lived, as Giannis Antetounkoumpo and company crush them like bugs, 4-1.
(2) Brooklyn vs. (7) Indiana
Indiana fights harder than expected and manages to tie the series 2-2, but Kyrie Irving has a massive game 5 (43 points) and helps lead to a 4-2 win.
(3) Philadelphia vs. (6) Boston
Forget tough series -- this is an all-out war. Doc Rivers battles against his old team, and has an ace up his sleeve in the mammoth Joel Embiid whose size causes fits for the Celtics. With better shooting around him this time, it's enough to knock off the Celts, 4-3.
(4) Toronto vs. (5) Miami
Another great R1 series goes to the wire in Game 7. The Raptors' length bothers Jimmy Butler inside, but Miami's shooters provide enough of a pop to pull it out, 4-3.
ROUND TWO
(1) Milwaukee vs. (5) Miami
Milwaukee needs to exercise their demons from last year, facing the time that knocked them off. This time around, Giannis is fully healthy and paired with a big-time playoff competitor in Jrue Holiday, who helps provide the difference as the Bucks win 4-2. At this point, many analysts feel like this will be "Giannis' year."
(2) Brooklyn vs. (3) Philadelphia
In another high-profile clash, coaches Steve Nash and Doc Rivers receive a lot of spotlight for their star-studded teams. Unfortunately, Rivers has no answer in the bank for Kevin Durant, who averages 34.8 points en route to a 4-2 victory.
ROUND THREE
(1) Milwaukee vs. (2) Brooklyn
All year long, it looks like Milwaukee may have shaken off their playoff troubles and finally achieved their destiny. However, after a 2-1 lead, the tide starts to turn. Jarrett Allen and Kevin Durant's length helps limit Giannis to a mediocre series, allowing the Nets to rattle off 3 straight wins and make the Finals.

WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS

PLAY-IN GAMES
A play-in series between former teammates James Harden and Chris Paul favors CP3 and his supporting cast, as the Suns officially cement their playoff spot. While Steph Curry and the Warriors haven't had a strong year, they manage to steal game 1 from Portland thanks to 6 threes from Curry. However, Damian Lillard and the Blazers crank it up a notch and squeak by in Game 2 to advance.
(1) L.A. Clippers vs. (8) Phoenix
Chris Paul gives his former team fits, but ultimately the Clippers pull out a slugfest, 4-2.
(2) L.A. Lakers vs. (7) Portland
A rematch of last year's R1 series goes in a similar direction, as the Lakers crush the Blazers 4-1. Anthony Davis averages 31-15, causing many to cite him as a top 3 player overall and future MVP.
(3) Utah vs. (6) New Orleans
The surging New Orleans Pelicans are a trendy pick for an upset, but the Utah Jazz continue to play the role of sleeper well, utilizing their defense and Donovan Mitchell's scoring (29.3 per game) to a comfortable 4-2 victory.
(4) Denver vs. (5) Dallas
Luka Doncic goes bananas against a soft Denver defense, logging 37-14-8 in Game 1 and 42 points in Game 3. However, Denver manages to get the job done in a 4-3 series. After the series, talk swirls about whether the Mavericks may need a third star to take the next jump. Mark Cuban spends the offseason on rosetta stone learning Greek.
ROUND TWO
(1) L.A. Clippers vs. (4) Denver
Another rematch from last year, but one that doesn't lead to a repeat outcome. The Clippers are extremely motivated to put the Nuggets away when they have the chance, turning a 3-1 lead into a 4-1 victory this time.
(2) L.A. Lakers vs. (3) Utah
The plucky Utah Jazz give the favored Lakers everything they can handle and even take a 2-1 lead in the series. However, some big performances from LeBron James (and some questionable officiating) help the Lakers rally back to win three in a row and secure the ballyhooed showdown against the Clippers.
ROUND THREE
(1) L.A. Clippers vs. (2) L.A. Lakers
A must-see TV rematch between Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James comes down to the "Others," as new Clippers' SG Luke Kennard plays much better than Lakers' shooters KCP and Kyle Kuzma. When the dust settles, the Clippers pull it out 4-2. After the series, the Lakers cite a lingering wrist injury to Anthony Davis as a potential reason why they didn't look 100%.
NBA FINALS
(2) Brooklyn Nets vs. (1) L.A. Clippers
The NBA world misses out on a KD-LeBron series (or a Kyrie-LeBron series, depending on your perspective), but we still get an awesome matchup with other superstars like Durant and Kawhi Leonard. Leonard and Paul George bother KD to some degree, but the Nets' backcourt of Kyrie Irving and Joe Harris keeps their offense moving nonetheless. Irving has a few signature games (37 in Game 2, 31-9 in Game 5) compared to a quieter Paul George (15.8 PPG in the series) and helps the BROOKLYN NETS win the NBA CHAMPIONSHIP in a 4-2 win. KD wins a close vote for Finals MVP, but Irving and coach Steve Nash get a lot of credit as well.

Offseason Blueprint: the Charlotte Hornets don't need to blow it up, because the foundation is mostly rubble already

All across the NBA landscape, there's only one thing on people's mind: What are the Charlotte Hornets going to do this offseason??
Kidding, of course. However, the boycott/strike left us with no games today, and perhaps the chance to sneak in the second edition of the OFFSEASON BLUEPRINT series.
Here's a rundown and list of recommendations for the team this offseason.
step one: don't let your (semi) success get to your head
Coming into this season, expectations for the Charlotte Hornets were lower than a limbo bar. Kemba Walker had exited for greener pastures, and the team became a punchline when they ponied up $19M a year for Terry Rozier to replace him. Vegas set their oveunder at 23.5 wins, the lowest in the entire league.
Based on those expectations, coach James Borrego and the team massively overachieved early on in the year. They jumped out of the gates at 13-17, fueled by hot shooting from breakout Devonte' Graham. Eventually, Graham cooled off and the team did as well. Still, they'd end the year at a semi-respectable 23-42, nearly beating that preseason "over" despite a 65-game schedule.
If you're an optimist, you could say that this team isn't too far away from the playoffs. After all, Orlando grabbed the # 8 seed with a 33-40 record. Perhaps if the Hornets made a few tweaks here and there, they could get up to that 35-win range next year and contend for the 8th seed themselves.
Alas, I am no optimist. At least, not when it comes to these Charlotte Hornets. The team got off to a solid start, but all other metrics indicate a team that is B-A-D. Their point differential of -6.7 indicates a team that's even worse than their 23-42 record. In fact, that -6.7 is the 4th worst in the league. Their offense came in at 29th overall (out of 30). Even feel-good stories like Devonte' Graham didn't last forever. His shooting slowed down to the point where he finished the year with a below-average 53.7% true shooting percentage.
By any reasonable assessment, this team is a loooonggg way away from making the playoffs, and even further away from contending in a R1 series. Going into this offseason, the front office and ownership needs to realize that, and adjust their strategy accordingly.
step two: ignore your stars, and shoot for the moon instead
Let's ignore the astronomical problems with that statement and consider the subtext instead.
Perhaps more than any team in the NBA, the Charlotte Hornets need a marquee player. That goes for this roster, but also this franchise's player in history. Charlotte first got an expansion team in 1988 (as the "Hornets") and then again in 2004 (as the "Bobcats" to start.) If we include ALL of that history, dating back 30 seasons, the players with the most total win shares for the franchise are 1) Kemba Walker, 2) Gerald Wallace, and 3) Muggsy Bogues. Those are all good players, but not the type of superstar that'd inspire you to build a statue outside the stadium.
Fortunately, the basketball gods finally smiled upon them and landed them the # 3 pick this year. It's going to be a weak draft, but this will still be the team's best chance to land a superstar since they selected Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (over Bradley Beal) at # 2 back in 2012. Given this opportunity, and given their needs, the Hornets need to aim high here. Shoot for the moon. And in the process, they have to ignore their current roster completely. Top scorers Devonte' Graham and Terry Rozier are OK, but they're not the caliber of player that should force you to adjust your big board at all. The mandate should be simple: best. available. player. Guard, forward, center, it shouldn't matter. We need Michael Jordan to hit a home run here, although we know it's not his specialty.
I don't anticipate that Georgia SG Anthony Edwards will be available, but if he is, then the team should be excited to nab him. Edwards didn't shoot well as a freshman (40% from the field, 29% from three), but he's got the tools to be a potential All-Star. He's long (6'9" wingspan), strong, and hard to guard when he's attacking. I also like the idea of MJ mentoring Edwards and pushing him to get the most out of his talent. If he taps into his potential, we're talking about a Donovan Mitchell-esque player here.
A more polarizing selection that I'd still endorse would be Memphis C James Wiseman. I can understand the criticism against him. He can be passive at times. Perhaps he'll never be an elite scorer or even an All-Star. Still, I like Wiseman for a few reasons. He's 7'1" with a 7'5" wingspan, which should help make him an anchor on defense. He's also a smart kid (based on media interviews). Coach James Borrego came from the Spurs organization, which built around bigs like David Robinson and Tim Duncan originally. Perhaps he'd be more inclined to invest in a big man than other young coaches would. And while I cautioned against factoring in "fit," Wiseman and P.J. Washington would make for great complementary building blocks at the 4 and 5.
Personally, I'm mixed on the 3rd spot (which is where they land, unfortunately.) Draft Express lists PG LaMelo Ball as their # 1 prospect, while The Ringer has French PG Killian Hayes at the top of their board. Both have good size for the position, good passing instincts, and good experience overseas. I don't love the shooting of either one myself and worry about some possible inefficiency, but the Hornets would judge for themselves and select one if they're totally on board. Having two scoring guards like Graham and Rozier shouldn't factor into the equation.
Other names they should consider include PF/C Onyeka Okongwu (USC) and SF/PF Deni Avdija (Israel). I like a few other prospects in the class, but none of them would merit top 3 status. If I ran Charlotte, I wouldn't try to get cute about trade-ups or trade-downs either. The lottery was generous to you, so let's not look a gift horse in the mouth.
step three: don't be a waste of space
The Charlotte Hornets already have $79M committed in salary for next season, which sounds like "a lot" until you consider it's the third least in the NBA (behind Atlanta and Detroit.) Most teams are already booked up, with twenty different teams already having $100M on the docket.
With a little wiggle room (say $20M or so), the Hornets could potentially be players in free agency. This is not a strong free agency class, and the top names (like Anthony Davis and Brandon Ingram) probably won't come calling.
Still, there are a few young veterans that may be worth pursuing. Sacramento SF Bogdan Bogdanovic is coming off a season where he averaged 18-4-4 per 36 minutes, and may have even more in the tank if he became more of a featured option. At 28 years old, he's probably in his prime already, but his skill set should age fairly well and he should maintain his value over the next 2-3 years. I also like Spurs' C Jakob Poeltl, a 24-year-old big man who's shown well in his limited playing time. He could potentially become a long-term starter on the right team. Sacramento C Harry Giles could also be a good flier.
Outside of a few select picks, the Hornets shouldn't force the issue and throw their money around willy-nilly (like they may have with Terry Rozier.) Someone needs to block DeMar DeRozan's number on Michael Jordan's phone.
That said, they can still use that cap space effectively. If we presume the Hornets aren't making the playoffs anyway, they may as well take a "toxic asset" off another team's hands, a la Sean Marks' Brooklyn Nets. Options could include Gorgui Dieng ($17M), James Johnson ($16M), Thaddeus Young ($13M + $14M), or Al-Farouq Aminu ($9M + $10M). If a team is willing to throw you a bone in terms of draft picks to take them off your hands, you may as well put the cap space to good use.
step four: hold your breath, and prepare to drown
Clearly, we haven't painted a rosy picture here. The team is unlikely to add top talent through free agency or trade, and even that top 3 lottery pick won't be a great player out of the gate. All in all, this is a bottom 10 team that will likely stay in the bottom 10 next year no matter how hard they try and fight it.
So if you're already sinking... why not drown completely? Yes, friends, we're talking about a full blown tank.
If the Hornets see the writing on the wall early next year, they need to commit fully and aggressively to a tank in 2020-21. I wouldn't normally recommend that tactic in today's day and age given the new flattened lottery odds, but this may be a "perfect storm" of events. The top 3 is ripe for the picking. Golden State won't be 15-50 next year. Minnesota (19-45) and Atlanta (20-47) should be better as well. The biggest threats would be Detroit (20-46) and the N.Y. Knicks (21-45), but both have older coaches that may not be keen on throwing a year of their coaching lives out the window.
Tanking makes logical sense for Charlotte, but they need some buy-in from the organization first. We'd have to convince Michael Jordan and the ownership group that it's in the team's long-term interest. They seem committed to "compete," but squeaking out a bunch of 30-win seasons over the next few years may be a great way to lose the entire franchise to relocation. Taking a short-term fall could land a star, and lead to a brighter future down the road.
We'd also need the ownership to give the greenlight to the front office and coaching staff as well. James Borrego will be entering Year 3 with the team, and will be nervous about his job security. Mitch Kupchak will be as well in the front office. For them to embrace a tank, they'd need some assurance that they're in this for the long haul. Personally, I like Borrego as a coach, so I'd try my best to commit to him and this long-term plan.
If the team can get on the same page and follow through, then there may be gold at the end of the rainbow. Next year's class appears (at the moment, anyway) to be a strong group, highlighted by playmaking wing Cade Cunningham (heading to Oklahoma State) and scoring guard Jalen Green (heading to the G-League.) PF Evan Mobley (USC), SF Jalen Johnson (Duke), and SF Ziaire Williaims (Stanford) also have the potential to join the # 1 pick conversation in time. And while those flattened odds make it difficult to ensure the # 1 pick, grabbing the # 1 spot means that you can only drop as low as # 5. That 5th pick next year may be even better than the # 3 this season.
other offseason blueprints
ATL, BKN, BOS, CHI, CLE, DAL, DEN, DET, HOU, IND, GS, LAC, LAL, MEM, MIA, MIL, MIN, NO, NYK, OKC, ORL, PHI, PHX, POR, SA, SAC, TOR, UTA, WAS

[OC] Other "Coach of the Year" ballots may have more legitimacy or accuracy, but this is the only one that ranks the candidates from # 1 all the way to # 30

The NBA league office announced that all awards will be officially based on play PRIOR to the bubble. With that, the cases are locked, the campaigns are closed, and the voting will begin.
Rather than give a traditional "Coach of the Year" ballot that ranks from 1-3, I thought it may be an interesting (and indulgent) exercise to go all the way from 1-30.
Some caveats:
--- We're ranking coaches based on their performance THIS SEASON only. Obviously, Billy Donovan isn't as good of a coach as Gregg Popovich. However, if you were only ranking their "Coach of the Year" candidacy for this particular season, Donovan has a better campaign argument.
--- Since I don't watch every game for every team, I'm going to have to resort to a bigger picture analysis. If you're a diehard fan of your team who watches every game, you'd have a lot better insight into a coach's game management and situational adjustments. Let us know how you feel about that -- is your coach underrated? Overrated?
--- Personally, I'm going to rank coaches that started the year (as opposed to interim replacements.) That’s important to mention off the bat, because it applies right away —

the complete COACH OF THE YEAR Ballot

(30) David Fizdale, N.Y. Knicks: 4-18 record
David Fizdale became a head coach with so much fanfare and media approval that his fall from grace has been more dramatic than Icarus. This year, he got fired 22 games into his second season on the job. Amazingly, this isn't the first time that's happened to him. Back in Memphis, he also got fired 19 games into his second season on the job.
We don't know exactly what goes on behind the scenes, but it can't be good. Do you know how bad things must be going to get fired 20 games into a season? That's like being halfway through sex with someone and saying: ya know, I think I need to leave... Something seriously FUNKY must have going on in there. Raging herpes. Oozing puss. Rotten vagina.
I don't want to call David Fizdale the rotten vagina of coaches, but his tenure with the Knicks did smell pretty funky. The team (right or wrong) signed a bunch of veterans with the intention to strive for the 8th seed, but they flopped. Ultimately, the real goal was giving their young prospects an environment to grow, but that didn't happen either. Dennis Smith and Kevin Knox are somehow getting worse and worse.
The Knicks did a full house cleaning, but it may be some time before the smell is out of the building.
(29) John Beilein, Cleveland: 14-40 record
If you think it's difficult to get fired 20 games into a season, imagine getting fired halfway through your first year on the job right after you've signed a lucrative FIVE-YEAR contract.
With John Beilein, we know more clearly what went wrong. In hindsight, it was a mistake to think that the 67-year-old Beilein could make the transition to the NBA after a lifetime in college. He simply didn't mesh with the "thugs/slugs" in the NBA, causing the Cavs to pull the plug before a full-out mutiny.
Given this disaster, how can we rank Beilein higher than Fizdale? We're splitting hairs, but there are a few more positives. Beilein's Cavs had a better record than Fizdale's Knicks despite lower expectations (based on oveunder.) Beilein also "resigned," meaning the decision to part was at least somewhat mutual. He realized the error of his ways, and handed things over to an experienced assistant in J.B. Bickerstaff. As embarrassing and costly as the Beilein era may have been, it's hard to see much long-term damage for the franchise.
(28) Scottie Brooks, Washington: 24-40 record
With John Wall injured, the Washington Wizards would have a hard time competing for the playoffs. Still, Scottie Brooks didn't help matters. The team ranked dead last in defensive rating by a good margin, indicating some serious issues with the system and the effort level. Even Bradley Beal looked disengaged on that end, ranking as one of the worst defenders in the league.
More than anything, Brooks' crime is a slow adjustment to that problem. Despite their defensive issues, he continued to start league LVP Isaiah Thomas for 37 games. Brooks seems like a likable guy, but his slow trigger has defined and tarnished his coaching career so far.
(27) Jim Boylen, Chicago: 22-43 record
Even his defenders would say Jim Boylen is about as cuddly as a cactus and charming as an eel. His players' support for him ranges behind tepid indifference and downright annoyance. Still, sometimes it takes a Grinch to get young players locked in on defense. To his credit, Boylen did improve the Bulls on that end. Their defensive rating leapt up from 25th to 14th this season.
But at the end of the day, the overall results simply aren't here. Despite offensive-minded youngsters like Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen (marginalized this year), the Bulls ranked 27th in offensive rating. Largely as a result, they were on pace to win 27.7 games, well short of their 33.5 oveunder. Being "likable" and being "successful" don't go hand in hand, but NBA coaches need to check 1 of those 2 boxes to survive. So far, Boylen has gone 0 for 2.
(26) Lloyd Pierce, Atlanta: 20-47 record
The Atlanta Hawks hired Lloyd Pierce on the basis of his defensive reputation, but we've seen little evidence of that on the court so far. In his first year on the job, the Hawks ranked 27th in defensive rating. After a full year of training and development in his system, they climbed all the way up to... 28th. Through it all, franchise player Trae Young looks completely lost, grading as a worse defender than our LVP Isaiah Thomas.
There's not much evidence that Pierce is a BAD coach, but there's not much evidence that he's going to be able to cure what ails them either. He'll probably get another season or two on the job from the patient franchise, but he needs to make some improvements eventually. Young is an albatross on defense, sure, but one little guard shouldn't be enough to sink you like this. (For evidence, consider Boston ranked 4th in defense during lil' Isaiah Thomas' near-MVP season.)
(25) Kenny Atkinson, Brooklyn: 28-34 record
Our third coach who got fired midseason actually ranks higher than others. On the court, it's hard to find much fault in Kenny Atkinson's performance. Despite having two max players on the shelf, he still had his Nets in the playoff race. They weren't any great shakes, but they were competitive.
However, we have to acknowledge that the job of an NBA coach goes beyond offensive and defensive ratings. It's also about managing a locker room, and managing egos. The Nets had built a good culture before this, but that culture presumably got rocked by the arrival of their new stars. It's up to Atkinson to bridge that gap, and instead it swallowed him whole.
(24) Ryan Saunders, Minnesota: 19-45 record
The Minnesota Timberwolves will fall well short of their preseason expectations (35.5 oveunder), and will continue to waste Karl-Anthony Towns' historically good offensive talent. It's still unclear if young pup Ryan Saunders should have been handed this job at such a young age; he hasn't proven that he deserves it yet.
If there's any consolation, it's that Saunders appears in lock step with executive Gersson Rosas in terms of preferred playing style. Rosas came over from Houston with a desire to create more of a Morey-Ball approach. Saunders is doing his part, cranking up the gas to keep the team 3rd in pace, 3rd in three-point attempts, 3rd in free-throw attempts. The results don't match up yet, but at least they're on the same page. For now. Time will tell whether a new ownership group will come in and rip up that playbook.
(23) Gregg Popovich, San Antonio: 27-36 record
I imagine this low ranking will be among the least popular picks on the board. After all, Gregg Popovich is a legend. Even at this age, he's still a top 10 coach overall.
That said, legends aren't bullet proof or immune from criticism. Popovich needs to take some blame for an underwhelming year in San Antonio. The unconventional mid-range offense actually works better than you'd expect (11th in rating), but the problems come on the other end. The Spurs have struggled mightily on D this year, ranking all the way down at 25th. The rotations have been an issue there, with too much Bryn Forbes and Marco Bellinelli and probably too little Jakob Poeltl.
It still may feel weird to rank Pop in the bottom half for his performance this year, but I'd ask you: if this team was coached by a random dude named "Joe Schmo," where would you put him?
(22) Brett Brown, Philadelphia: 39-26 record
This hasn't been a banner year for Gregg Popovich, and it hasn't been a banner year for his protege Brett Brown either. The Sixers made some head-scratching decisions this offseason. They grabbed the biggest pieces they could find, and jammed them together without much regard for "fit." Still, there's a lot of talent here. There's enough talent to justify their 54.5 preseason oveunder, and there's enough talent to compete with everyone in the East (outside of Milwaukee, perhaps.)
Instead, the Sixers stumbled along on a 49-win pace, on track for the 6th seed. If this was a normal year without the COVID-bubble, then that would be a much bigger problem. The team is starting to make some adjustments and add more shooters like Shake Milton into the lineup, but it may be too little, too late.
(21) Dwane Casey, Detroit: 20-46 record
It's hard to judge veteran Dwane Casey either way based on the returns this season so far. The Pistons will fall well short of preseason expectations (37.5 oveunder), but there are obvious reasons why. Star Blake Griffin got injured again, and pseudo-star Andre Drummond got traded away.
To Dwane Casey's credit, he's tried to make a meal with the leftovers in the cupboard. Derrick Rose continues to be a fan favorite (if not an analytical darling), and PF Christian Wood appears to be a breakout success. Overall, there's no real identity or grand plan in place here, but perhaps that will change if the lottery balls go their way.
(20) Terry Stotts, Portland: 29-37 record
Terry Stotts and Dwane Casey may have a few beers after the season and commiserate together about their challenges this year. Like Casey, Stotts has been overwhelmed by injuries -- to Jusuf Nurkic -- to Zach Collins -- to Rodney Hood -- to Trevor Ariza -- etc. All this from a team that didn't have much depth to start.
Stotts and the Blazers drew a stroke of good luck with this bubble format. They'll be in the 9th spot right now, and well within range to sneak into the playoffs. If it wasn't for that, Stotts may be drawing more fire. The team's defense has slipped to 27th overall, which is hard to excuse no matter what roster problems you have. Stotts is a good and respected coach in general, but there's a chance his message may have run stale here. If they bomb out in the bubble, I wouldn't be surprised if they look for a fresh voice like assistant Nate Tibbetts for next year.
(19) Luke Walton, Sacramento: 28-36 record
Luke Walton and the Kings got off to a disastrous start given their expectations. It's never a good sign when your fanbase grumbles, he's no Dave Joerger.
But after weathering the storm, there are some signs of hope on the horizon. A bold decision to bring Buddy Hield off the bench has worked out, with the team rattling off a 13-7 stretch before the shutdown. They had a slim chance to rally and make the playoffs if we played a full schedule, and they'll have some chance to do the same in the bubble. Overall, a disappointing start for Walton, but not a complete disaster.
(18) James Borrego, Charlotte: 23-42 record
It's very difficult to judge James Borrego, because it's difficult to judge exactly what was going on in the twisted minds of the Charlotte front office. On paper, Borrego did an admirable job to take a bad roster and lead them to a decent mark of 23 wins. In fact, their oveunder coming into this year was only 23.5 over a full 82 games (lowest in the NBA). P.J. Washington's had a nice rookie year, and PG Devonte' Graham has been better than expected (although he's cooled off.)
At the same time, is this what the Hornets wanted? A "not THAT bad" team? As a result, they'll end up in the 8th slot prior to the NBA Draft lottery, in that dreaded middle ground. In a sense, Borrego did too good of a job squeezing out a few extra wins. I'm inclined to give him props for that because the franchise must have given him a mandate to compete (why else sign Terry Rozier to a big contract?). As a franchise, the team gets poor grades, but as a coach, it's hard to fault him here.
(17) Alvin Gentry, New Orleans: 28-36 record
James Borrego hasn't had much talent to work with in Charlotte. Down in Nawlins, Alvin Gentry may have too much. Earlier in the season, he appeared overwhelmed by all the pieces on the roster and struggled to develop a consistent rotation for the team. If it wasn't for Brandon Ingram's breakout, the Pelicans could have been in too deep of a whole to dig their way out.
Of course, some stocky rookie waddled in, and looked pretty darn good. Zion Williamson gives this team an entirely new ceiling, and has been worked into the lineup in a smart, prudent fashion. For that, Gentry deserves credit. He also deserves credit for having a consistent philosophy. His team is going to run, run, run like Forrest Gump. They've finished in the top 3 in pace each season for the past three years. It hasn't worked like a charm overall, as Gentry will be on track to finish with a losing record for the 4th time in his 5 years, but perhaps they'll finally hit their stride in the bubble.
(16) Steve Clifford, Orlando: 30-35 record
By this point, what you see is what you get with coach Steve Clifford. We've come to expect a top 10 defense (# 9 this year), but a record around the .500 mark. In his defense, the offensive talent is limited, and Jon Isaac (arguably their best overall player) missed significant time. Still, for Clifford to jump in these yearly rankings, we need to see more of an offensive system in place.
(15) Steve Kerr, Golden State: 15-50 record
WTF? Why is the coach with the worst record in the league doing all the way up here?
Allow me to explain. Being a head coach is like being a jockey. You need to know when to trot, when to stay with the pack, and when to crack the whip and turn up the gas down the stretch. And, sadly, you need to know when your horse is lame and needs to be shot and put out of its misery.
Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors realized they had a wobbly, broken-down horse early on, and put the breaks on sooner than later. As a result, they'll be locked into the # 1 spot among their NBA lottery odds. In theory that doesn't matter much because the top three teams (GS, CLE, MIN) all have the same odds at # 1 overall. However, if they slide down, Golden State will remain ahead of the others; the worst pick they can get is # 5. That type of patience is rare and admirable for a veteran coach like Kerr; after years of being in "win now" mode, he's showing a long-term vision as well.
(14) Nate McMillan, Indiana: 39-26 record
The Indiana Pacers continued to chug along with another playoff appearance despite Victor Oladipo missing more time. Coach Nate McMillan (and assistant Dan Burke) deserve a lot of credit for their strength defensively; they finished in the top 10 in defense for the second season in a row. Their scheme works well, and covers for some limited players along the way.
If there's any criticism of McMillan, it'd be on the offensive end. The Pacers found a little something with Domatas Sabonis as a playmaker (5.0 assists per game), but it's still not enough to make the team formidable offensively. Their "MoreyBall" rating is the worst in the league -- they finished last in both free-throw attempts and three-point attempts. Some teams can overcome that playing style, but the Pacers haven't been one of them; their offensive rating is # 18 for the second straight year. Given that need, I'd be curious to see if the team could develop Doug McDermott into a Bojan Bogdanovic - type player for them -- he hit 44.5% of his threes, but got only 20.0 minutes a game.
(13) Monty Williams, Phoenix: 26-39 record
This ranking may seem too high for the coach of a 26-39 team, but we need to consider some context here. The Phoenix Suns had finished with an average record of 20-62 over the last two seasons, so this 33-win pace is a marked step up for them. They've also gotten into the top 20 in offensive and defensive rating. That may sound like mediocrity to you, but again it's a big jump up from the previous year (28th offensive, 29th defense.)
Better still, we're seeing some strong player development from this club. Deandre Ayton still looked strong post PED suspension, and Mikal Bridges played well in the second half of the year. After all the mess and goat stink in Phoenix, there are actual good vibes here, and Monty Williams deserves credit for that.
(12) Quin Snyder, Utah: 41-23 record
Quin Snyder is an awesome coach, only penalized here by his own lofty expectations. Coming into the season, a few pundits though the Jazz may have what it took to be the top seed in the West, but they're going to fall short of that and even fall short of their preseason oveunder (of 53.5 wins). Of course, it didn't help that Mike Conley forgot how to shoot for the few month or two of the season. Still, Snyder's bunch continues to be well coached on both ends, with ball movement on offense and discipline on defense. They'd have been an interesting playoff darkhorse if not for the bad corona-vibes and the unfortunate Bojan Bogdanovic injury.
(11) Mike Malone, Denver: 43-22 record
Denver's Mike Malone is in the same boat as Quin Snyder; he did a good job, but he's expected to do a good job. I'm going to rank him slightly higher because the Nuggets were slightly ahead, and were also set to slightly exceed their preseason win total (on track to win 54, 1 game better than their 53.0 estimate.)
Going forward, it'll be interesting to see if Malone can take his offense up a notch. They play at a very slow pace (29th) and don't shoot many threes (26th). To actually win the title, their shooters will need to step it up. If Gary Harris won't break out of his prolonged slump, then it's imperative that Michael Porter Jr. fulfills his potential and provides that third scoring punch.
(10) Doc Rivers, L.A. Clippers: 44-20 record
Stars and shooting aren't a problem for the Los Angeles Clippers. It's fair to say they're the most talented roster in the entire NBA. Given that, is their 44-20 record a disappointment? Eh. Maybe. But I'd counter that it doesn't really matter. Doc Rivers' primary mission this regular season was to make it to the playoffs healthy, and the team appears on track to do just that.
If there's any criticism here (of a team with a top 5 offense and defense) it's that their best players may not have gotten enough reps together. Do the new kids on the block Kawhi Leonard and Paul George fit with the old guard in Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell? What's the best starting lineup? Best closing lineup? There are still some unanswered questions here that need to be addressed in a hurry if they're going to fulfill their title aspirations in the bubble.
(9) Taylor Jenkins, Memphis: 32-33 record
Personally, I expected the Memphis Grizzlies to have the worst in the Western Conference, so it's downright shocking that they're in the 8th spot at the moment. The NBA may be trying to steal that playoff berth away from them, but that won't change the great job that rookie coach Taylor Jenkins has done this year.
Are the Grizzlies actually this good? Probably not. Their advanced stats are worse than their record, and Jaren Jackson Jr. hasn't taken the expected leap on defense yet. Still, wins are wins, and a coach shouldn't be penalized for collecting more than he should.
(8) Mike D'Antoni, Houston: 40-24 record
Based on the simple matter of wins versus preseason expectations (and an oveunder of 54.0), the Houston Rockets have been slightly underwhelming this year. Still, veteran Mike D'Antoni deserves a lot of credit for remaking the team on the fly. Changing from Chris Paul to Russell Westbrook may not be a huge difference in quality, but it's a huge difference in playing style. As a result, the Rockets leapt up from the 26th fastest pace last year all the way up to 4th this season. They'll looking like a proper D'Antoni and Morey team right now.
In fact, they've taken that bold experiment up another notch this year by ditching Clint Capela and emulating Rick Moranis. So far, so good. These Smallball Rockets still have some lingering question marks about their defense and their rebounding, but they're extremely dangerous right now nonetheless. It's hard to imagine too many older coaches understanding and embracing this like D'Antoni has.
(7) Brad Stevens, Boston: 43-21 record
Brad Stevens has always been a media darling, and he's justifying that reputation this year. The Celtics lost Kyrie Irving and Al Horford, but are still top 5 in offense and top 5 in defense. Life without Kyrie has gone swimmingly, opening up some air for young stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to breathe; they're both in the running for Most Improved Player.
As with Mike D'Antoni, Stevens also deserves credit for working with a limited hand at center. But rather than force the issue and overplay some stiffs, he's understood that the team just may be better off with 6'8" Daniel Theis manning the fort instead.
(6) Frank Vogel, L.A. Lakers: 49-14 record
It's never a good sign when you sign a new contract with a team, and are immediately placed among the favorites for "First Coach Fired" in Vegas. Frank Vogel walked that tightrope this season, with plenty of spectators expecting him to fail and fall to his demise.
Instead, Vogel has kept his head down, and kept his focus, and helped this Lakers team grab the # 1 seed out West. Obviously it's an easier task when you have LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but this isn't a loaded roster otherwise. Moreover, there are a lot of moving parts and new pieces to work in. The fact that Vogel has this largely-old team ranked # 3 in defensive rating is a true testament to his success this year.
(5) Mike Budenholzer, Milwaukee: 53-12 record
Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo is on track to win his second consecutive MVP award. While we tend to think the media likes new "narratives," but we've seen repeat winners before. Since 2000, Tim Duncan repeated as MVP, Steve Nash repeated as MVP, LeBron James repeated as MVP (on two separate occasions), and Steph Curry repeated as MVP as well.
Coaches don't get the same luxury. In fact, since the award was created in 1962, the Coach of the Year winner has NEVER repeated the following season. You win once, you get to the back of the line. That tendency has really hurt Mike Budenholzer's candidacy this year. On paper, he should absolutely be in the running. The Bucks are once again # 1 in defense, # 1 in overall rating, # 1 in W-L record. They're on a better pace than last year's team, despite losing Malcolm Brogdon over the summer. If Giannis can repeat for the same feat twice, why shouldn't Budenholzer be allowed to do the same?
(4) Rick Carlisle, Dallas: 40-27 record
Everyone expected the Milwaukee Bucks to be dominant, but no one expected the Dallas Mavericks to be this good, this early. They've jumped the line and arrived in the playoffs earlier than schedule. They're only 1 win away from beating their preseason oveunder of 40.5 despite all the missed games.
Like Mike Budenholzer, Rick Carlisle has benefited in that endeavor from a transcendent player in Luka Doncic. At the same time, this Mavs' machine has been rolling with and without Doncic. They rank # 1 in offensive efficiency this year, and depending on whether you want to factor in pace and league trends or not, they may have one of the best offenses we've ever seen from a statistical standpoint. It's quite an achievement from a coach who cut his stripes as a defensive specialist, and indicates the type of attitude that coaches need to adapt and evolve over time.
(3) Erik Spoelstra, Miami: 41-24 record
The Miami Heat pulled a free agency coup by signing Jimmy Butler away from Philadelphia. Still, it's not like people expected that to vault them to the top of the East. Butler was a good player, but a difficult one to manage. He blended into the crowd as well as a skinhead at a Bar Mitzvah. Overall, adding Butler only boosted the team's preseason oveunder win total to a modest 43.5.
Turns out, Butler fit in better with the Heat than anyone expected, on and off the court. Butler hasn't shot well from the field, but his attacking and playmaking helped open up the offense (6th in the league) and propelled the team to a 51.7-win pace. He's fit in like a glove in terms of their tough-dude culture as well.
Erik Spoelstra should get huge props for developing that culture and that system. But more than anything, he deserves credit for their player development system. Sure, Jimmy Butler is a star, and Bam Adebayo had star talent. At the same time, no one had ever heard of players like Kendrick Nunn and Duncan Robinson at this time last year. These are complete randos who will make a combined $3M this season -- just half of Cristiano Felicio's salary. Having a coach who can grow talent like that in his backyard is a huge advantage for any franchise.
(2) Billy Donovan, Oklahoma City: 41-24 record
After Oklahoma City blew it up this summer by trading Russell Westbrook and Paul George, coach Billy Donovan felt like a dead man walking. Instead, Donovan and those fireproof zombie hordes in OKC sieged to a 41-24 record. How good is that? Hell, it's an even better winning percentage than the team had last year with Westbrook and George (in a career year.)
Given all this surprising success, Donovan would be a fair winner of this award. He's managed to take in a bunch of new bodies and form a cohesive team. He's even had success playing three point guards together (CP3, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Dennis Schroder.)
If you want to nitpick his candidacy, you could point out that the hodgepodge roster has a lot of talent scattered throughout. Chris Paul had become underrated, and Danilo Gallinari has always been underrated as well. The team's low preseason oveunder total (32.5) was largely based on the uncertainty about further trades. Everyone knew that this team had the talent to be competitive if they stayed together. Still, no one expected them to be this good.
(1) Nick Nurse, Toronto: 46-18 record
Last season, Nick Nurse finally got his first chance as an NBA head coach. He ended up having as good of a rookie year as anyone since Henry Rowengartner. Nurse coached circles around some of the best in the business en route to a championship season.
Amazingly, he may have been even more impressive this year. Without Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green, the Toronto Raptors held steady and didn't miss much of a beat. In fact, they're on pace to win 58.9 games, over a dozen more than their preseason oveunder of 46.5.
Technically, Nurse still has limited experience as an NBA head coach, but he's already proven to be one of the masters. If we were to judge based on the results of this (semi-)season only, he'd be my personal "Coach of the Year."

Political polling site "538" gives Raptors the odds on the finals at 57% to 43% over the Warriors/

Are the Lakers really favourites to win the title next year, despite the lack of half a roster?

If GSW don't make the finals....who takes it.....West or East?

Why have Game 5 odds changed recently? Talk of Durant returning?

The most lopsided postseason "rivalries" in the NBA (fair warning: lots of Lakers and Celtics)

The NBA has seen a lot of significant matchups throughout history. This is part of a series I've been doing that encompasses the MLB, NFL, and NHL as well. However, this will probably be the longest as the NBA has seen plenty of lopsided postseason rivalries in history. This is thanks in large part to the lack of parity in several decades, mostly the Lakers and Celtics.
I realized too late that I included division tiebreaker matchups as playoff series. This may have affected a few, but it does give you more to read I guess.
Without further ado, here goes:
Lakers over Nuggets (6-0): one of the main reasons why Denver has had a bad reputation of being first-round puppy chow and being the second-oldest franchise to never make the NBA Finals can be blamed on the Lakers (the Spurs too, more on that later). Denver has only won 7 postseason meetings with LA's premier team. They had chances to make the NBA finals in 1985 and 2009 but were curb-stomped by the Lakers. Ouch.
Celtics over Bulls (5-0): ~~it is really unfortunate that MJ never had a chance to right the ship for the Bulls in this postseason matchup as they never met the Celtics in the postseason~~. The most stinging loss in the series for Chicago is probably their 2009 first round where they dropped 2 crucial OT games en route to a tough 7-game loss. Chicago was swept 3 out of 5 times in this matchup and most recently they blew a 2-0 lead to lose in 6 in the first round of 2017, though injuries played a major role in Chicago's collapse.
Celtics over Rockets (4-0): Houston has some pretty bad memories against Boston including getting two quick second-round exits in 1975 and 1980 (yes, they were in the same conference at one point) and getting denied 2 NBA titles in 1981 and 1986. Although outmatched, those NBA Finals still saw the Rockets put up a competitive fight only to lose to overall stronger teams. It was just too bad, but Houston did get its chance to shine in the 90s at least.
Celtics over Warriors (4-0): these playoff matchups took place in the 50s and 60s, and most of them were when the Warriors were still in Philadelphia. Boston was simply too strong of a team, although the Warriors came agonizingly close in the 1962 Eastern Division Finals only to lose on a Sam Jones game-winner with two seconds left in the decisive Game 7 (and the Celtics went on to win the Finals too, ouch). The Warriors did get a crack at Boston again in the 1964 Finals but they were quickly outgunned in 5 games.
Warriors over Rockets (4-0): one of the main reasons the Rockets haven't been able to advance very far under the leadership of James Harden can be blamed on the Warriors, as they've absolutely owned this playoff matchup. The worst came in the 2018 WCF when the Rockets blew a 3-2 series lead and missed 27 straight 3-pointers in the deciding Game 7 to lose what could've been a very winnable 101-92 decision in the end. Worse, the Dubs went on to win another NBA Finals that year.
Celtics over Royals (3-0): these playoff matchups are ancient as they took place in the very early days of the NBA (50s and 60s). Notably, these teams met in the Eastern Division Conference Finals two straight years from 1963-1964. The 1963 series was particularly exciting and saw the deciding game taken by Boston in an unreal 142-131 contest. Naturally, the Celtics won the title both years too.
Jazz over Clippers (3-0): the few years the Clippers made the playoffs in the 90s, the Jazz had their way with them in the first round. 1992 was especially rough as the Clippers almost came from 2-0 down only to drop the deciding Game 5 98-89 (Game 4 was notably played in Anaheim due to the riots). More recently, Lob City took another heartbreaking defeat in a 7-game First Round loss in 2017.
Suns over Warriors (3-0): the Warriors have historically been one of the runts of the Western Conference and usually played like one in the playoffs, and it showed against stronger teams like the Suns. Phoenix pulled off series wins over Golden State in the 1976 WCF, 1989 West semis, and 1994 first round. 1976 was especially painful as the Warriors blew a 3-2 lead, losing by 1 point in Game 6 and then dropping the decisive Game 7 at home, losing 94-86 and preventing a possible repeat title (Golden State won in 1975).
Heat over Nets (3-0): New Jersey and later Brooklyn just never stood a chance against those Miami teams led by D-Wade in 2005 and 2006 and later The Big 3 in 2014. Brooklyn only has two playoff wins against Miami in the 2006 East semis and the 2014 East semis. That 2014 series was notable in essentially driving a dagger in the superteam on crack that Brooklyn tried to pull off. The 2006 series win helped the Heat win the NBA title that year, and 2014 saw them back in the Finals.
Pistons over Pacers (3-0): as even as the regular-season matchup is (Indiana leads 101-97), Detroit has done far more winning in the postseason. Both their 1990 and 2004 NBA titles went through Indiana as did their march to the 2005 NBA Finals. 2004 was probably the hardest for Indiana as that was the ECF. Despite being the top seed, they were no match for Detroit's superb defense and were held to under 80 points for all but 1 game. Four of the six games in that matchup saw the winning team score less than 80 points, no team scored 90 points or more in that series, and the deciding Game 6 was an ugly 69-65 win. Worse for Indiana, they couldn't get Reggie Miller back to the Finals.
Warriors over Trail Blazers (3-0): these matchups all came in the late 2010s when Golden State was absolutely lighting up the league. Portland has been dominated in this matchup for a long time and has only one playoff win against the Warriors in these three matchups. As a Dub fan myself, I usually enjoy watching Damian Lillard play us since he's a hometown kid, but I feel bad that he's been smashed by his favorite team growing up.
Warriors over Pistons (3-0): these are some obscure matchups that took place primarily in the 70s where Golden State won over Detroit in the 1976 semis and the first round of 1977 (yes, Detroit and Golden State were in the same conference at one point). Most notably, however, the Warriors (then in Philly) got their second NBA title in 1956 over the Pistons (then in Fort Wayne), romping them in 5 close games.
Warriors over Hawks (3-0): these matchups all took place in the 60s, so they're very old. The most notable of the three is the 1964 and 1967 Conference Finals matchups. The Hawks came oh so close in 1964 only to drop the deciding Game 7 105-95. 1967 was also rough as home-court advantage finally failed St. Louis in a rough 112-107 loss in the deciding Game 6. At least the Warriors wound up losing both NBA Finals.
Knickerbockers over Cavaliers (3-0): you can blame the Patrick Ewing era for most of this, as his knicks romped over Cleveland in the 1995 and 1996 First Rounds. Yes, there was an era of Cleveland basketball before LeBron, but most of it was either terrible or highlighted by early playoff exits. New York was part of the reason why.
Cavaliers over Hawks (3-0): blame The King for this utter domination of a series. Not only has Atlanta lost every playoff matchup against Cleveland, they've been swept in all three of them. Atlanta finally made the ECF in 2015 as the 1-seed only to get completely blown out of the water by an honestly superior Cavs squad.
Cavaliers over Raptors (3-0): prior to Toronto winning it in 2019, they were puppy chow for LeBron and the Cavs from 2016-18. They actually put up a great fight in the 2016 ECF (their first Conference Finals in franchise history), evening the series at 2 after being down 2-0, but lost by 36 in Game 5 then 26 in the deciding Game 6. They got swept in 2017 and 2018, the latter of which came in spite of them being the 1-seed that year.
Cavaliers over Nets (3-0): the Nets simply weren't that strong of a team in the 90s and the Cavs made quick work of them in 1992 and 1993. The 1993 First Round matchup was pretty competitive but the Nets lost the decisive Game 5 99-89 in what would be Drazen Petrovic's final NBA game before his tragic death. More recently, LeBron rolled through New Jersey in the 2007 semis en route to his first NBA Finals appearance.
Lakers over Royals/Kings (10-1): no matter where the Royals/Kings franchise has been, they've always been easy pickings for the Lakers franchise. Their last playoff matchup, the 2002 WCF, was especially heartbreaking especially as some allegations that certain aspects of that series were rigged in favor of the Lakers came out (also, had Robert Horry's buzzer-beater when the Lakers were down 2 not happened, Sacramento wins the series). The Royals/Kings only postseason victory came in the 1951 Western Division Finals in 4 games en route to the franchise's only NBA title. So oddly enough, it's actually Sacramento that owns the longest active title drought.
Lakers over Warriors (6-1): don't let the 2010s fool you, the Warriors have been one of the NBA's inferior franchises for a very long time and were usually beaten into oblivion by their Southern California rivals. Throughout the 60s-90s, the Warriors could only claim the inaugural postseason meeting between the two: the 1967 Western Division Semifinals which San Francisco swept, a stepping stone to an NBA Finals appearance.
Bulls over Knickerbockers (6-1): this one was no contest, as MJ basically ate the Knicks for breakfast throughout his career. He's undefeated against them, as the Knicks would have to wait until his first retirement into baseball to finally get a postseason win over Chicago (on their sixth try...). That came in the 1994 East semis, and even then, it took seven games and a horrible foul call by Hue Hollins in Game 4 to give the Knicks free throws in the dying seconds to come back from 86-85 down, winning 87-86. MJ returned a few years later and once again destroyed the Knicks in the 1996 semis.
Celtics over Hawks (10-2): the Celtics owned the Hawks in the Finals when the latter was in St. Louis, then destroyed them in the first round and semis when the Hawks relocated to Atlanta. Although...the Hawks' only NBA title to date did come at the expense of Boston in 1958, a series St. Louis won in 6 games (also the last championship team to not feature an African American player, in fact, there was a whole controversy about why Bill Russell didn't play for the Hawks and it has in part to do with this). Atlanta later took the most recent playoff meeting between the two, a 6-game domination in the first round of 2016 that really wasn't that close.
Lakers over Nationals/76ers (5-1): all of these matchups were in the NBA Finals, and to put it lightly, let's just say LA has done a whole lotta more winning in this one. The Showtime Lakers got two of the wins while Kobe got another. Philadelphia's only win came courtesy of Dr. J and Moses Malone in the 1983 NBA Finals where Philadelphia gave Showtime a taste of its own medicine in an absolutely dominating sweep. It was also Philadelphia's last title and both Dr. J and Malone's only Finals win.
Knickerbockers over Bullets (5-1): the Knicks met the Bullets a whopping six straight years from 1969-1974, and led by the likes of Walt Frazier, the Knicks usually had a significant upper hand. Their 1970 and 1973 playoff series wins, in particular, helped propel the Knicks to their only 2 NBA championships to date. The only win by the Bullets in this matchup? The 1971 ECF (the Bullets were still in Baltimore at the time) which saw Baltimore win a close 93-91 matchup in New York in the deciding Game 7 after being down 2-0 and later 3-2 in the series (also, finally winning on the road).
Lakers over Trail Blazers (9-2): blame a lot of this on the Showtime Lakers and Kobe Bryant. Portland could've had deeper playoff runs certain years if they didn't keep on getting matched up with LA. 2000 probably still stings many Rip City fans, as Portland blew a late double-digit lead in the deciding Game 7 to once again drop the ball against the Lakers (oh yeah, they would go on to win the championship that year just to twist the knife some more). Portland's only two wins? The first came in the 1977 WCF in which Bill Walton obliterated Kareem en route to a sweep and the franchise's only NBA title to date. Portland could also claim a 4-game win in the 1992 First Round series en route to another NBA Finals appearance. Said series was famous for the decider having to be played in Vegas due to the infamous LA riots that year.
Lakers over Bulls (4-1): yes, there was a time these teams met regularly in the playoffs, and it was LA that came out on top throughout the 60s and 70s. However, this matchup is probably most famous for giving us the 1991 NBA Finals in which MJ and the Bulls put up a clinic against the Lakers in 5 games, giving the GOAT (yes, I'm saying that) his first of many NBA titles and all but ending the Showtime Lakers era.
Spurs over Grizzlies (4-1): this postseason matchup has not been fun for Memphis, who came in as the much weaker team all the time. Three of Memphis' four losses have been sweeps. Their only victory in this matchup was significant, however, as it was their first series win in franchise history and it's one of the few 8-vs-1 first-round upsets in NBA history. Zach Randolph had a monster series and the Grizzlies won all of their home games to move on.
Pistons over Bucks (4-1): Detroit romped over Milwaukee en route to their 1989 and 2004 NBA Finals victories. Additionally, Detroit won playoff matchups over the Bucks in 1976 and 2006. However, the Bucks were finally able to snatch a playoff series in this one, destroying the Pistons in a sweep in the 2019 First Round highlighted by The Greek Freak's 41 points in the deciding Game 4.
Cavaliers over Wizards (4-1): blame this one on LeBron. He took three straight playoff meetings over Washington from 2006-08 and was the reason why the Wizards were always first-round punching bags. The Cavs also got an additional 7-game series win over the Bullets (as they were then known) in the 1976 semis. Washington's only postseason series win in this matchup is a 1977 First Round matchup that Washington took in 3 games (notably, Game 2 was Nate Thurmond's final NBA game).
Celtics over Lakers (9-3): when you think of historical postseason domination, this is likely the series that comes to mind (at least it did for me). The Lakers were a punching bag for the Celtics in the Finals in the 50s and especially the 60s. They're the reason why Jerry West has just 1 NBA Finals win and Elgin Baylor never won a ring actually playing for the Lakers (LA did give him a ring for "honorary contributions", honestly a very kind gesture by the organization). The heartbreak continued in 1984, but Showtime finally won out in 1985 and 1987. More recently, the teams split the 2008 and 2010 Finals, with the Big 3 in Boston winning the former and Kobe getting his revenge in the latter.
Lakers over Pistons (9-3): whether in Fort Wayne or Detroit, LA has absolutely owned this matchup historically, although you can kind of blame the pre-70s matchups for that. Prior to 1989, all the Pistons organization could claim in this matchup was a 1955 Western Division Finals victory in 4 games en route to an NBA Finals appearance. Detroit then lost the 1988 Finals to the Showtime Lakers to go down 9-1 in this postseason matchup. But the Bad Boys got revenge in 1989, annihilating the Lakers in a sweep behind the likes of Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars. Later, the Pistons upset Kobe and the Lakers in a 2004 Finals, wrecking them with solid defense over 5 games to claim their 3rd and last title to date.
Nationals/76ers over Knickerbockers (9-3): after winning both the 1951 and 1952 EDF over the Nationals (the former in 5, the latter in 4, unfortunately, the Knicks would lose both NBA Finals in 7 games), the 76ers have done far more winning in this series. Having Wilt and later Dr. J will help you out a ton. The most recent playoff matchup, however, saw the Knicks upend the Sixers in a First Round sweep in 1989 punctuated by Gerald Wilkins hitting the game-winner in OT with 6 seconds left in the deciding Game 3 to win the game for New York 116-115.
SuperSonics/Thunder over Rockets (6-2): I was actually a bit surprised to see this one. Seattle was simply too much for Houston to handle even when the Rockets had the likes of Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. It took them their sixth try against Seattle to finally pull out a series win in 1997 West semis, and even then, it took 7 games and Seattle nearly came back from 3-1 down. When the Sonics relocated to OKC, Houston was thrashed in their 2013 First Round matchup but countered in 2017 as the Thunder without KD was no match. That series produced a hilarious moment in Andre Roberson getting fouled intentionally and even running away from Houston players to help his team not lose the game.
Spurs over Nuggets (5-2): the Nuggets have historically played awfully against San Antonio and it's shown in the postseason as well. Until last season, Denver could only claim a 3-2 first-round victory in the 1985 postseason (a series in which their offense scored 141 points in the opening game and was never held to under 111). More recently, the Nuggets won a hard-fought 7-game first-round series against the Spurs last postseason, pulling off a close 90-86 win in the decider to win their first postseason series in 10 years. They also notably won their first game in the Alamo City since 2012 in that matchup.
Celtics over Bucks (5-2): you can blame the 80s for Boston's generally superb performance over Milwaukee, as they took three out of the four playoff matchups in that decade. The only blemish was the 1983 semis in which Milwaukee famously swept the Celtics in Boston's first sweep since 1954 (read more about that sweep in the Celtics over Nationals/76ers section). More recently, Milwaukee crushed the living daylights out of Boston in the 2019 semis in 5 games in their deepest playoff run in years which unfortunately ended in the ECF.
Bulls over Cavaliers (5-2): long-time Cavs fans will likely get PTSD moments just hearing the name Michael Jordan, as he had some of his clutchest moments against the Cavs including The Shot and later The Shot II. Chicago also earned two sweeps in a row in 1992 and 1993. LeBron James helped right the ship just a little bit in the 2010 First Round (a dominant 5-game romp) and the 2015 semis (highlighted by a buzzer-beater by James in Game 4 and absolute destruction of the Bulls in the deciding Game 6, a 94-73 win), but there's still a little ways to go for Cleveland in this one.
Lakers over Spurs (8-4): the Showtime Lakers won the first four playoff matchups against San Antonio, but the Spurs started climbing back in the series with a 6-game win in the 1995 semifinals and a sweep in the 1999 semifinals over Kobe. The latter is notable for being a stepping stone to San Antonio's first NBA title. Kobe would have much more success against the Spurs in the 2000s, going 4-1 against them in that time with just the 2003 semis being the only blemish (a series that saw a Robert Horry shot almost win Game 5 and complete a comeback, San Antonio won a championship that year too). Most recently, San Antonio wrecked a disappointing and hobbled Lakers in the 2013 playoffs in a first-round sweep en route to the NBA Finals.
Lakers over Suns (8-4): the Lakers throughout the 70s and 80s were the far more dominant team and won the first 6 postseason matchups against Phoenix. The Suns, however, famously ended a string of 8 consecutive LA trips to the WCF by blasting the Lakers in 5 in the 1990 semifinals. Later, Phoenix survived a scare in the 1993 first round as the 8th-seeded Lakers went up 2-0 before Paul Westphal guaranteed the Suns would come back. They did in dramatic fashion as Dan Majerle tied Game 5 late and the Suns would go on to win in OT (Phoenix marched all the way to the Finals). Kobe Bryant, surprisingly, had just a 2-2 record against Phoenix as Steve Nash and Co were simply too much in the mid-2000s (Phoenix came back from 3-1 down in 2006 and destroyed LA in 5 in 2007), although his win in the 2010 series propelled the Lakers to their last NBA title to date.
Lakers over SuperSonics/Thunder (6-3): the Showtime Lakers and even the Lakers of the 90s had postseason field days against the Sonics, although it was actually Seattle that got the first two victories in this matchup: a 3-game victory in their 1978 First Round matchup that saw Seattle march all the way to the NBA Finals, and an exciting 5-game semifinals win en route to the franchise's only NBA title to date. Kobe Bryant owned a 2-1 postseason record over the franchise, winning in 1998 and 2011, but the franchise finally pulled off a series win against LA in 2012 as KD and Westbrook annihilated the Lakers in 5 games in the semifinals en route to an NBA Finals appearance.
76ers over Bucks (6-3): Milwaukee has taken more than its fair share of series losses to the Sixers, most recently a heartbreaking 7-game loss in the 2001 ECF. However, Milwaukee has still been competitive at times. A young Kareem led the Bucks to a dominant 5-game semis win in 1970 (which included a whopping 156-120 thrashing in Philly in Game 3). Later, the Bucks would win a tough 7-game semis matchup in 1986 with the go-ahead score in the deciding Game 7 actually coming from a Barkley goaltending (Milwaukee won 113-112). The last Milwaukee win came one year later in the 1987 First Round which Jack Sikma hit a fantastic game-winner in Game 3 and the Bucks romp to a 102-89 win in the deciding Game 5 in Dr. J's final game.
Hawks over Pistons (6-3): when the Hawks were in St. Louis, they absolutely dominated the Pistons in postseason play, losing just once in the 1956 East Finals as Fort Wayne became the first team to ever come back from a 2-0 deficit. Atlanta later took the 1986 First Round matchup, but Detroit countered with a dominant 5-game romp in the 1987 semis which saw Isiah Thomas hit the game-winner in Game 4 with 1 second left. The Pistons would later get a 5-game romp over Atlanta in the First Round of 1991, but Atlanta won the last two playoff series and that's where we stand.
Celtics over Nationals/Sixers (13-8): while not nearly as dominant as some of the other matchups on this list, it's still pretty much highlights just how dominant Boston was. The Nationals actually dominated the 50s of this matchup, sweeping the 1954 Eastern Division Semis in 2 games (after claiming a Round Robin victory earlier), taking the 1955 Conference Finals in 4 games en route to an NBA Finals win, and winning the 1956 semis in 3 games. However, it's been mostly Boston from here on out, though Philly famously stole the 1967 EDF in 5 (highlighted by Wilt's unofficial quadruple-double in Game 1 and Wilt's record-setting 41 rebound performance in Game 3) to disrupt Boston's dominant record of the 60s and score an NBA Finals berth. Philly also took a hard-fought 7-game 1977 semis matchup en route to the NBA Finals and dominant 5-game ECF in 1980 en route to another NBA Finals, and a nice 7-game series win in the 1982 ECF that saw the Sixers prevent another 3-1 comeback from Boston (they blew a 3-1 lead in the 1981 ECF) and famously got Celtics fans to cheer for them to beat LA in the deciding Game 7 (they didn't that year but would the following year, so the fans kinda got what they hoped for).

Vegas odds discussion. The rockets and warriors vegas odds are insane!

r/nba thinks Thunder/Wizards are underrated, Cavs/Pelicans overrated in latest Win Totals projections

vegas odds warriors raptors video

Raptors vs. Bucks exact series odds Frank Gunn / The Canadian Press via AP Toronto Raptors’ Kawhi Leonard (2) and Kyle Lowry (7) react during the second half of Game 6 of the team’s NBA ... The Warriors started slow in that game, and eventually went on to lose 108-101. Andrew Wiggins and Eric Paschall top-scored with 19 points apiece. Raptors at Warriors Pick & Prediction. There is no denying that the Warriors have the best chance out of these two sides to finish in a playoff spot this season. Point Spread: Commonly called the line or spread, it is the number chosen by Las Vegas and overseas oddsmakers that they feel will get an equal number of people to wager on the underdog as on the ... NBA Finals 2019: Odds and predictions for Game 6 between the Toronto Raptors and Golden State Warriors. The Warriors are favoured to win Game 6 but most of our staff believe the Raptors will win once again at Oracle Arena, this time to secure their first title. The latest Golden State team stats, NBA Futures & Specials, including Vegas Odds the Warriors Winning the NBA Championship, Golden State NBA News & other info on the Golden State Warriors. So what are you waiting for Signup and Bet on the Golden State Warriors Today! Raptors vs Warriors 2020 NBA Game Preview & Betting Odds Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook oddsmaker Jeff Sherman announced the casino’s opening odds for Game 5 favored the Raptors by 3.5 points. The over/under is set at 212, the lowest of the series so ... The Golden State Warriors opened at -275 to win the Finals, per Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, while the Toronto Raptors were at +225. Since then, early money has gone in favor of the Warriors. As ... NBA Toronto Raptors team page provided by VegasInsider.com, ... · Vegas Odds · Global Odds · Future Odds · Latest News · Win Totals · Playoff Prop · MVP · Rookie · Coach ... @ Golden State Warriors -3 : 234 : Lost 105 - 106 Loss ... Toronto Raptors +250 — Jeff Sherman (@golfodds) May 26, 2019 Despite those long odds, the Warriors are only favored by a single point in Game 1 on the road. NBA Line Movements for Las Vegas Casino and Sportsbook Odds for Toronto Raptors at Golden State Warriors provided by VegasInsider.com, along with more basketball information for your sports gaming and betting needs.

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Warriors vs Raptors NBA Finals Game 2: Betting Odds ...

Follow our expert NBA picks and predictions on this 2019 NBA Finals Game 2 between the Golden State Warriors vs Toronto Raptors. For more NBA Picks, text “FS... Join the crew as we take a look into tonight's big game 2 of the NBA Finals. Warriors vs Raptors NBA picks and predictions from the experts. If you enjoyed t... However, Klay is back, no KD yet, so if The Raptors want it, they are going to have to fight for it. Speaking of fights, we will also cover UFC 238 and go over the MLB odds! Follow our expert NBA picks and predictions on this 2019 NBA Finals Game 3 between the Toronto Raptors vs Golden State Warriors. For more NBA Picks, text “FSN” to 90100. Game 3 Side, Total and ... This video is unavailable. Watch Queue Queue Follow our expert NBA picks and predictions on this 2019 NBA Finals Game 4 between the Toronto Raptors vs Golden State Warriors. For more NBA Picks, text “FS... Get NBA picks, predictions and odds for Wednesday, January 22, with Joe Raineri, and his panel of expert basketball handicappers from WagerTalk and Sportsmemo on the latest edition of the NBA Tip ...

Team	nba avg	Vegas O/U	Difference
oklahoma-city-thunder	38.4151	32.5	5.9151
washington-wizards	30.5094	26.5	4.0094
memphis-grizzlies	28.6415	26.5	2.1415
denver-nuggets	54.1887	52.5	1.6887
miami-heat	44.7736	43.5	1.2736
golden-state-warriors	49.6038	48.5	1.1038
portland-trail-blazers	47.5849	46.5	1.0849
toronto-raptors	47.566	46.5	1.066
los-angeles-clippers	54.3208	53.5	0.8208
houston-rockets	54.3019	53.5	0.8019
charlotte-hornets	24.2642	23.5	0.7642
dallas-mavericks	41.1698	40.5	0.6698
minnesota-timberwolves	36.0943	35.5	0.5943
detroit-pistons	37.8868	37.5	0.3868
philadelphia-76ers	54.5849	54.5	0.0849
milwaukee-bucks	57.0566	57.5	-0.4434
sacramento-kings	37.0566	37.5	-0.4434
los-angeles-lakers	50	50.5	-0.5
orlando-magic	40.8679	41.5	-0.6321
brooklyn-nets	42.7736	43.5	-0.7264
boston-celtics	47.717	48.5	-0.783
chicago-bulls	32.6604	33.5	-0.8396
utah-jazz	51.6604	53.5	-1.8396
san-antonio-spurs	43.6415	45.5	-1.8585
indiana-pacers	44.5283	46.5	-1.9717
phoenix-suns	26.8679	29.5	-2.6321
new-york-knicks	23.4717	26.5	-3.0283
atlanta-hawks	31.2264	34.5	-3.2736
new-orleans-pelicans	36.1509	39.5	-3.3491
cleveland-cavaliers	20.4151	24.5	-4.0849

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Top 8 Vegas odds for the '19-'20 title from best to worst: Lakers, Bucks, Raptors, Warriors, Rockets, (somewhat surprising) Clippers, Sixers, Celtics, Nets

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What UW Looks Like (Drafted Decks)

r/nba thinks Vegas is overrating Warriors/Hawks, underrating Lakers/Rockets in latest Win Totals projections

2020-21 NBA Week in Review: Week 1 (Dec. 23 – Dec. 26)

Team

Player

Vegas Snapshot (via Bovada, unless otherwise noted)

2021 Owed First Round Pick Watch

NBA DFS 2-8-21 Match-Up Tool Plays

Who are the Safest over-under bets in Vegas?

[Vegas Insider] Early NBA W/L odds expect Mavs to be 4th in West with o/u of 42.5, behind LAL/LAC/DEN and ahead of POR/UTA/PHX/GSW

Spoiler Alert: the results of the 2020-21 NBA Season

EASTERN CONFERENCE

WESTERN CONFERENCE

EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS

WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS

Offseason Blueprint: the Charlotte Hornets don't need to blow it up, because the foundation is mostly rubble already

[OC] Other "Coach of the Year" ballots may have more legitimacy or accuracy, but this is the only one that ranks the candidates from # 1 all the way to # 30

the complete COACH OF THE YEAR Ballot

Political polling site "538" gives Raptors the odds on the finals at 57% to 43% over the Warriors/

Are the Lakers really favourites to win the title next year, despite the lack of half a roster?

If GSW don't make the finals....who takes it.....West or East?

Why have Game 5 odds changed recently? Talk of Durant returning?

The most lopsided postseason "rivalries" in the NBA (fair warning: lots of Lakers and Celtics)

Vegas odds discussion. The rockets and warriors vegas odds are insane!

r/nba thinks Thunder/Wizards are underrated, Cavs/Pelicans overrated in latest Win Totals projections

vegas odds warriors raptors video

vegas odds warriors raptors top

Warriors vs Raptors NBA Finals Game 2: Betting Odds ...