Do the Denver Nuggets have the best odds to win the 2024 Finals?
With the Denver Nuggets being the defending NBA champions, it can paint a metaphorical target on their back. The Nuggets’ opposition would try harder to make sure that they do not succeed, which in turn will make Denver have to try harder than ever, especially considering the free agents the Nuggets lost.
With the dynamic duo of Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray still intact, there is no reason that the Nuggets cannot cement themselves as title contenders. The whole starting five is the same as it was last season, which should give them at least another year of title aspirations. As it stands now, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will be an unrestricted free agent next offseason, and could realistically leave the Nuggets if a team were to throw him a hefty contract.
This season, though, Denver has a strong chance to make it out of the Western Conference. Yes, the talent in the Western Conference is loaded, but the Denver Nuggets have experience. A lot of the teams going up against them outside of the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors really don’t have a lot of title experience, which could give them the edge at the end of the day.
Looking out in the Eastern Conference, the Denver Nuggets could face a multitude of teams if they were to make it to the NBA Finals. The favorite out in the east, the Boston Celtics, have really improved this offseason, and look like the team to beat. A starting five of Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, and Kristaps Porziņģis is a really strong team on paper and has a great bench as well.
When it comes to the preseason odds last year, the Denver Nuggets did not rank too high on the list. The Nuggets ranked 9th and were tied with the Lakers. Denver had the odds of +1800, which means if someone were to bet $100 for the Nuggets to win the NBA Finals, they would’ve won $1,800.
According to DraftKings, the Nuggets now have the best odds in the whole NBA to win the 2023-24 NBA championship, at +475 odds. Right below them are the Boston Celtics, and the Phoenix Suns are in third place.
As mentioned earlier, the Celtics look to be a powerhouse team. The Phoenix Suns are an intriguing team, though. Yes, their new acquisition of Bradley Beal in the offseason is intriguing, but the lack of bench depth could really hinder them. The team is super top-heavy and has a lot of isolation scorers. Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal are not really known as off-ball players and they really only work well with the ball in their hands.
With the Nuggets, they don’t really have any question marks on the team. Sure, the bench looks a bit iffy, but that definitely can be fixed throughout the season. Denver has a lot of trade assets that they could use to be able to trade mid-season for a veteran piece.
The Nuggets having the best odds in the league is really special. Considering that before last season, Denver had only made the ECF once in Jokić’s career, and it was unclear if the Nuggets would ever make the Finals. So many narratives surrounding Jokić and his lack of defense and that he was a “stat-padder” according to Kendrick Perkins.
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Even though the Denver Nuggets do have the best odds in the NBA to win it all, that doesn’t really mean a thing to them. Nothing is guaranteed in the NBA, and until the Larry O’Brien trophy is handed out, we will not know who the NBA champs this season will be.