Vegas Says Hawks Aren't Likely to Be Contenders in 2015

[AHF]

2014-2015 NBA FUTURES (Courtesy LVH SuperBook) Team Odds Heat 5-2 Thunder 9-2 Spurs 9-2 Clippers 10-1 Pacers 12-1 Bulls 12-1 Warriors 20-1 Rockets 20-1 Trail Blazers 30-1 Wizards 30-1 Nets 40-1 Grizzlies 40-1 Mavericks 40-1 Nuggets 50-1 Raptors 50-1 Knicks 50-1 Timberwolves 50-1 Pelicans 50-1 Lakers 60-1 Celtics 60-1 Cavaliers 60-1 Suns 60-1 Hornets 60-1 Hawks 60-1 Jazz 100-1 Kings 100-1 Pistons 100-1 Magic 100-1 76ers 200-1 Bucks 300-1

[Admin]

#eventhehawks

And they keep putting the Spurs down but they keep getting right back up. Keep on sucking the Heat's teets too, they looked just amazing in the finals this year bwahahahaha

[AHF]

I don't know that the Spurs getting the second best odds is really putting them down. They haven't strung together two titles during Duncan's career. I don't see any reason not to remain high on the Heat either. 4 consecutive finals appearances and the current state of the East would leave me feeling pretty good about a 5th consecutive appearance for them next year.

I am not sure how we are down below teams like the T-Wolves and Knicks.

[Admin]

I don't know that the Spurs getting the second best odds is really putting them down. They haven't strung together two titles during Duncan's career. I don't see any reason not to remain high on the Heat either. 4 consecutive finals appearances and the current state of the East would leave me feeling pretty good about a 5th consecutive appearance for them next year.

I am not sure how we are down below teams like the T-Wolves and Knicks.

The Spurs should have beaten Miami in consecutive years and they just throttled them this year. Giving the Heat better odds is a slap in the face no matter how it's spun.

[cam1218]

We should be in that nets, grizzlies and mavericks range in my opinion.

It's not just us though, some teams are way too high and some are way too low. I guess people that don't follow the NBA closely are likely to bet on a team like Boston, Chicago and LA because of their name.

Either way, it's Vegas..only thing we have now until the meaningless power rankings come out.

[Guest]

I would like to see this updated after the draft and free agency ends.

[AHF]

The Spurs should have beaten Miami in consecutive years and they just throttled them this year. Giving the Heat better odds is a slap in the face no matter how it's spun.

I read it more as a sign that Miami is almost sure to be in the finals while SA still has to get past the rest of the Western Conference. Of the top 4 teams in odds, 3 are in the Western conference: SAS, OKC, LAC. Of the teams with 20-1 odds or better, 6 of the 9 are in the West. The Spurs deserve to be discounted even if you think they would win a matchup against Miami just because of the lower odds of them making the finals. Even in the first round, SA was down 2-1 and won the series in 7 games while Miami was putting their feet up and kicking back in a 4-0 laugher over Charlotte.

I would like to see this updated after the draft and free agency ends.

No question about that. Vegas keeps updating pretty constantly so that shouldn't be a problem. A lot will change between now and then.

[Admin]

I read it more as a sign that Miami is almost sure to be in the finals while SA still has to get past the rest of the Western Conference. Of the top 4 teams in odds, 3 are in the Western conference: SAS, OKC, LAC. Of the teams with 20-1 odds or better, 6 of the 9 are in the West. The Spurs deserve to be discounted even if you think they would win a matchup against Miami just because of the lower odds of them making the finals. Even in the first round, SA was down 2-1 and won the series in 7 games while Miami was putting their feet up and kicking back in a 4-0 laugher over Charlotte.

No question about that. Vegas keeps updating pretty constantly so that shouldn't be a problem. A lot will change between now and then.

I read it as more of a they think OKC have as good of a shot than San Antonio even though the Spurs owned them and everyone else this year. That's a slap in the face. To me the Spurs have owned the west the past 2 years and until someone gets past them, they deserve the best odds.

[AHF]

I would have higher odds for the Spurs than the Thunder but I can understand if Vegas thinks the Westbrook/Ibaka injuries the last two years can't be projected into next year any more than injury risk for Duncan, Leonard, Parker, etc. If teams returned as last year, I would have Miami and SA at the top and then everyone else with worse odds behind them.

[Admin]

I would have higher odds for the Spurs than the Thunder but I can understand if Vegas thinks the Westbrook/Ibaka injuries the last two years can't be projected into next year any more than injury risk for Duncan, Leonard, Parker, etc. If teams returned as last year, I would have Miami and SA at the top and then everyone else with worse odds behind them.

Even fully healthy OKC had to pull off a miracle upset a few years back to beat a Spurs team that wasn't nearly as good as they are now. That's why I see no reason why they should be equal and with Kawhi's and Green's growth I see no reason why anyone should be placed above the Spurs. They're a complete team and should have their entire team back next year.

As @JayBirdHawk said let's see these odds again after the draft and free agency. But a few days after the finals and I'm 100% in the Spurs corner to repeat.

[AHF]

As @JayBirdHawk said let's see these odds again after the draft and free agency. But a few days after the finals and I'm 100% in the Spurs corner to repeat.

If you felt like that after their last 4 championships, you would have been wrong!

[Duff_Man]

Not sure how anyone could watch the Finals and call the Heat a favorite.

[Admin]

If you felt like that after their last 4 championships, you would have been wrong!

That's the past though and has no bearing on the future.

[AHF]

That's the past though and has no bearing on the future.

Actually I think it does have bearing on the future. It is difficult to repeat as NBA champions and the Spurs are unlikely to be as blissfully healthy next year as they were this year. It should be a tough road ahead of them, but I agree on them being the best team coming into next season. It is just a real easy decision to pick the field with a team like this, IMO.

[Admin]

If they had the same exact squad I'd say it has bearing but since they're a totally different team than the last time they won I don't see it having much, if any bearing on their chances. Now winning again will be very hard but it won't be because of their past failure to repeat.

[sturt]

I really like those odds. All the better for us. Maybe we should take up a Hawksquawk collection and place a group bet, not unlike groups go together to buy lottery tickets sometimes... right?

[AHF]

If they had the same exact squad I'd say it has bearing but since they're a totally different team than the last time they won I don't see it having much, if any bearing on their chances. Now winning again will be very hard but it won't be because of their past failure to repeat.

I agree it won't be because of their past failure to repeat. The lesson from the past failures to repeat, though, still applies: it is tough to be as healthy as during that championship year and the additional wear on players and natural tendency to relax after an extra long season with a trophy in hand don't usually promote repeat championships.

It isn't that the Spurs can't repeat -- it is that you shouldn't expect them to repeat as many of the same obstacles that were issues in the past may rear their heads again (Parker injuries; Manu not locked in; supporting cast not sustaining play; Duncan at higher injury risk than ever; etc.). I have no doubt that the wear on the Heat was one of the factors that saw Wade go from dominant early in the playoffs to a worn out husk by the Finals. It will be a factor both teams have to overcome next year and the Spurs won't have the revenge motivation that they did to keep their eyes on the prize this year. Their level of professionalism in the past is actually a good sign on the complacency issue - in the past they have kept their eye on the prize pretty well season-to-season and that bodes well for it happening again.

[Guest]

Actually I think it does have bearing on the future. It is difficult to repeat as NBA champions and the Spurs are unlikely to be as blissfully healthy next year as they were this year. It should be a tough road ahead of them, but I agree on them being the best team coming into next season. It is just a real easy decision to pick the field with a team like this, IMO.

Blissfully healthy? - Danny Green (68), Tiago Splitter (59), Kawhi Leonard (66) and Tony Parker (68) Manu (68) all missed time due to injury.

What have we learned this past season - it's their bench depth that allowed them to have the best regular season and keep their starters at around 30mpg - don't see that changing.

[AHF]

Blissfully healthy? - Danny Green (68), Tiago Splitter (59), Kawhi Leonard (66) and Tony Parker (68) Manu (68) all missed time due to injury.

What have we learned this past season - it's their bench depth that allowed them to have the best regular season and keep their starters at around 30mpg - don't see that changing.

This post-season every player was available every game and played at peak level for nearly that entire period of time. The total sum of missed time due to injuries in the post-season for the Spurs basically added up to one half of one game by Parker and the total impact on quality of play was basically one game by Parker. That is blissfully healthy for a team like the Spurs, IMO.

They could have a ton of guys miss 20 regular season games (many by design in the Spurs system) and it doesn't impact the team at all - just like all the games that Wade missed didn't impact Miami at all in the regular season but him burning out physically in the playoffs wrecked them in the finals.

[JTB]

I can't take this guy seriously...the heat got they ass beat so bad to point where I would say it doesn't really matter if their big 3 returns they aren't going to get too far with all those shitty role players and the 3 of them taking up all the cap space.

Spurs are the best team top to bottom and likely will remain that next season.