Kurtenbach
straight season, so I’m going way off the board for my MVP pick — it just feels like one of those years where the unexpected happens.
And seeing as how my bold prediction this season is that the Jazz — the crazy- deep, mountaindwelling Jazz — are going to grab the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs, I think Mitchell is a tantalizing long-shot bet at +7000. (The odds are shorter elsewhere, but it’s still a good bet.)
I question if Mitchell can carry his form from the NBA bubble into the regular season, but if he can, he’s going to put up close to 30 points per game this season on a team that’s going to surprise. I want to be holding a ticket in case that happens.
WARRIORS UNDER 39.5 WINS >> I explained this in a column earlier this month, but the gist is simple: There are many ways that the Warriors could be outstanding in this upcoming regular season, but I see more ways where they could be a massive disappointment.
And beyond anything else, there’s a simple question I have to ask you before you bet this total:
Are the Warriors insulated from the same problems that led to 15 wins last year?
Of course, they aren’t, and a single positive COVID test or ankle twist to Stephen Curry could have massive ramifications on
the team’s overall campaign.
I’d love to see them succeed, but this is a probability game and that’s a big number for a team with clear-cut deficiencies, much less a team that has so many questions we haven’t even been able to take stock of their deficiencies yet.
SUNS OVER 38 WINS >> I’m a big Monty Williams fan and I think that the acquisition of Chris Paul was a stroke of genius for the Suns. Phoenix solved two problems with one move.
They can now move Devin Booker off the ball, to where he can be most effective, and they also have a bona fide pick-and-roll point guard for surging center DeAndre Ayton.
Add in a surprisingly adequate bench and the underrated acquisition of Jae Crowder, and I think the Suns are going to shock people this year and go way over this number, if all things break right.
Ultimately, I can see the downsides, but I like the cushion. It is the holiday season, after all.