2021 NBA Power Rankings: Nets Still Lead The Way

The NBA season is underway, and there are already some very interesting storylines. The biggest storyline continues to revolve around Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers, as he was thrown out of practice by Doc Rivers earlier this week. It seems inevitable that Philadelphia will trade him at some point, but Simmons seems to be doing his best to submarine the Sixers’ leverage. Philly was the top team in the Eastern Conference during the regular season last year, and this is hurting the team’s chances of running down Brooklyn or Milwaukee.

Odds to Win the 2021-22 NBA Championship (10/22/2021)

Brooklyn Nets +250

Los Angeles Lakers +385

Milwaukee Bucks +750

Golden State Warriors +900

Utah Jazz +1400

Phoenix Suns +1600

Philadelphia 76ers +1800

Denver Nuggets +2000

Los Angeles Clippers +2000

Miami Heat +2500

Dallas Mavericks +2800

All Other Teams +4000 or More

Although Kyrie Irving is not with the team and might not play this season, the Brooklyn Nets are still the favorites to win the NBA title. Kevin Durant and James Harden are two of the best players in the league, and that makes the Nets the team to beat although Irving’s status is up in the air. Brooklyn has a ton of depth in the frontcourt with Blake Griffin, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Paul Millsap all looking for a ring, and Joe Harris has emerged as a solid scoring threat opposite Harden at guard.

The Los Angeles Lakers lost their season opener to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night. That continued a trend where LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and now Russell Westbrook have all lost their first games with the team. The Lakers are the favorites in the Western Conference, but there are some real concerns about this team as there is little youth or depth. This is the oldest team in the NBA, and injuries could play a big part throughout the year.

The defending NBA champions are looking to repeat, but the oddsmakers don’t like their chances. Giannis Antetokuonmpo is the most dominant player in the NBA, and Khris Middleton is a perennial All-Star, but Jrue Holiday and Donte DiVincenzo are both injured. Bobby Portis is going to miss some time too, testing Milwaukee’s depth early in the season.

Golden State might be ready to contend for NBA titles again. The Warriors have dealt with major injuries to Steph Curry and Klay Thompson since the last time they won the championship, but Curry is still playing at a high level, and Thompson is expected to return in the coming weeks. The X-Factor for this team will be James Wiseman, as the young big man could fill a major need for the Warriors in the frontcourt upon his return.

Will this be the year the Utah Jazz turn regular season success into playoff success? That has been elusive for this team, as Rudy Gobert has not been impressive in the postseason. His style of play isn’t conducive to playoff wins, and that’s something that will loom over the team until they can win an important playoff series.

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