The NBA is back which can only mean one thing… gambling! Remember, Adam Silver was the first commissioner to recommend that sports gambling be legalized. He even wrote a New York Times Op-Ed piece back in 2014 to help make the case. Six years later, I still can’t use the Draftkings or Fan Duel app in the state of Oregon, (more on that later) but I can get a buddy of mine to place bets in one of the states where it’s legal. We owe it to Adam Silver to make as many NBA futures bets as possible. So without further adieu, here are the five best investments you can make with your hard earned money before the NBA season kicks off tomorrow.
Most Improved Player: Michael Porter Jr. +1400
There are only a handful of guys who can win this award and none of them are as talented at getting buckets as Porter Jr. Jerami Grant was allowed to sign a big deal in Detroit specifically because the organization wants to develop Porter Jr. and believes he can be the offensive threat the team needs to get over the top. We saw flashes of it in the bubble. His first step is ridiculous. His jumper is fire. He’s got all the tools to average 25 ppg. Of course he won’t because the offense still runs through Joker but he will be relied upon to score a great deal more this year. Will his back hold up? Will he develop a bit of a selfish mentality that he deserves the ball in his hands as much as Jamal Murray and Jokic do? If he does, this should be easy. The other top contenders include Christian Wood +1250, DeAndre Ayton +1400, Shai Gilgeous +1250, Zion $2000 and Talen Horton-Tucker +2500. Of this group, Wood and Shai Gilgeous scare me the most because they’ll both put up big numbers for bad teams. Take Porter Jr. and hedge a bit with Wood.
Points Per Game: James Harden Under 33.5 (-110)
The beard is not happy in Houston. Think about how you would perform if you were unhappy at your job. For example, if you worked at a fast food Drive-Thru window, you might pick your nose and put your finger in the middle of the bun just for the fun of it. That’s what James Harden is doing. He’s picking his nose and putting his finger in the middle of the bun. Eventually, he’ll be traded because it’s a stars league and stars get what stars want. When he is traded, it’ll likely be to a team that has more offensive weapons and runs some semblance of an offense where other people actually get to touch the ball. Harden averaged 34.3 ppg last year but he’ll be hard pressed to repeat that performance, or come close to it, if he starts out the year as a disgruntled employee.
Points Per Game: Trae Young Under 28.5 (-110)
At last count, there are 28 players on the Atlanta Hawks roster and 27 of them are capable of averaging 15 ppg. Last year Young averaged 29.6 ppg playing for a team that went 20-47. This year they added veterans Bogdanovic, Gallinari and Rondo. And the young guys – Hunter, Huerter and Reddish – are a year older. That has to mean less shots for Young and a big payday for you if you take just one of your bi-weekly checks and put it on the under.
To Reach Playoffs: Phoenix Suns (Yes, -134)
The Suns were the best team in the bubble and they added Chris Paul. How can they not make the playoffs? Let’s run through the scenarios where they don’t make the playoffs.
- Paul gets hurt and only plays half the season.
- Deandre Ayton gets caught using more PEDs and returns to the University of Arizona for another season because he can get more money from Sean Miller anyway.
- Dario Saric decides to become a priest because he just seems a little creepy like that.
Oklahoma City won’t make the playoffs this year so how apropos will it be when a Chris Paul led Suns squad takes that spot?
Most Triple Doubles: Luca Doncic (-118)
Here were last year’s totals:
Luca 17
Lebron 13
Jokic 13
Westbrook 8
Simmons 6
Why would anyone beat Luca this year? Lebron will want to be well rested for the playoffs. Jokic ate a lot of cake during COVID. Westbrook isn’t Westbrook anymore. And Simmons doesn’t want it as bad as Luca wants it. This is easy money.
