Let’s overreact. We have seen all 30 NBA teams played at this point and several of them have lived the hype. Some others are having causes for concern. We had our first melee. By the way, if you had asked before the season if Rajon Rondo was going to be involved in the first fight of the season, I would have said yes. But I also would have told you it would be against one of his teammates. Let’s review what the NBA brought us during the first week of competition.
NBA Week 1 – The Surprises
Toronto Raptors
Toronto is by far the biggest surprise of the season. I know they were the number one seed in the East last season, and it shouldn’t come as a surprise how well they played in the first week, but I’m genuinely impressed. The Raptors showed against the Celtics they are well coached. There is a sense of little fear now that Khawi Leonard leads the way. They needed a champion type of leader to break through, and they seem to have it now. The season is young, but I see a lot of value in the +1500 odds at Sportsbetting.ag to win the NBA championship. I think they might have the antidote to stop Boston.
Milwaukee Bucks
The value of Giannis Antetokounmpo to win the MVP will only get louder with each week that’s gone by. His playing style is evolving, and he’s learning how to dominate on a nightly basis. Mike Budenholzer is a great coach, and he now has the team to prove it. Budenholzer comes from the Greg Popovich tree, and that gives the Bucks an emphasis on the team’s game. That means the best of the Greek Freak is still to come. Milwaukee at +6600 is a long shot, but the team has plenty of room for improvement with the new coach.
Trae Young
Atlanta is a bad team. Like really bad. But Trae Young is their future. Their lineup is weak which means the rookie will have a green light to shot a lot. He just put 35 points and 11 assists on the Cavs the other night. He’s only the 11th rookie in the NBA history with 35 points and 10+ assists. There’s a lot of value out there to bet Rookie of The Year. He’s on a team that will allow him to shot. A lot.
NBA Week 1 – The disappointments
Los Angeles Lakers
It will take the Lakers plenty of time to get where they want to be, but still, when you have the best players in the world, the expectations are higher. Lebron James jumped from a bad situation in Cleveland to a worse one in Los Angeles. The future might be brighter for King James, but so far his team is a mess defensively. The Lakers have had more suspensions in the first week of the season than wins. Their +1400 odds to win the NBA championship at Sportsbetting.ag look like a joke.
Houston Rockets
I hate telling I told you so… but everybody warned the Rockets about the offseason moves to add Carmelo Anthony. He’s washed. He’s a selfish player, and I didn’t need three games in Houston to know this. There is a massive sample of an entire career. Adding Melo supposed to help the Rockets reach the Warriors level and they currently look farther away from it. I’m thinking coach Mike D’Antoni will quickly realize the less Melo is in the rotation, the better. He’s a liability on defense and ball hugger on offense. If you haven’t noticed, I’m not a Carmelo Anthony fan. If you bet Houston to win the NBA championship, you can feel great about yourself right now.
About the Author
Alonzo Solano
Sports Analyst and Content Writer
Alonzo is a Sports Betting Analyst and casino games enthusiast who has covered Football extensively at SBS, but don’t be surprised if you read him on other sports. He's the host of the NFL Latino TV podcast.
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