This is a rare post. We’re still a wrestling site! Joey here to give you some of my NBA thoughts before the season starts.
Story time: I originally wrote this to shop around to basketball websites as an example of my work in hopes of getting a writing spot for the season. In some exciting news, I have been offered an opportunity at a website ideal to my writing desires and will be giving more information soon.
However, this piece did not meet the format for which I will be writing at on that site and I still wanted to share it with the world. A light bulb brightened in the back of my mind and I remembered that I have my own site where I can post whatever I want! So here is my analysis and predictions of SportsBook Over/Under props for overall regular season win totals of each team on the East.
Tell me what you agree with me on and more likely which ones made you hate my guts over at my Twitter: @JoeySplashwater.
Cleveland Cavaliers: 58.5 wins
How apropros is it that we start off with the biggest basketball story in recent memory – LeBron James returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers? King James decided to take his talents out of South Beach and return home with fellow all star Kevin Love. Add in a maturing Kyrie Irving and a great supporting cast of sharpshooters on the perimeter. The only question when it comes to Cleveland is the lack of proven defenders aside from LeBron but that problem doesn’t effect them until the postseason. The Cavs are definitely going to win 60+ games and in the 2nd or 3rd year once they start to develop the peak chemistry, this team could be the biggest threat to break the Chicago Bulls record for best regular season record.
OVER
Chicago Bulls: 55.5 wins
One of the most surprising things to me is how high the expectations for the Chicago Bulls are. Don’t get me wrong. This can easily be the OVER as the Bulls always overachieve in the regular season behind Tom Thibodeau’s coaching style of playing hard every night, not to mention the hopeful return of a healthy Derrick Rose and newly signed Pau Gasol. However, it’s very possible Rose will never be as good as he once was or that he may not be able to last the full season. Even if he does, I’m not sure how well Gasol will fit in the Bulls system or how much better Jimmy Butler can be. I forecast Chicago as a high 40 to low 50 win team and the 2 seed.
UNDER
Toronto Raptors: 49.5 wins
Managing to retain Kyle Lowry after most thought he was leaving Toronto is huge for the Raptors as he’s the heart of that team and you have to assume they are the class of the Atlantic division. While I am on board with that train of thought, I don’t think they will win 50 games. Last season, it felt like a perfect storm where most of their players hit their ceilings. Exactly how much better can Kyle Lowry or DeMar DeRozan be exactly? I suppose Jonas Valanciunas and Terrence Ross have room to improve but I see a mid 40 win season in store for Toronto.
UNDER