NBA Perfect Ten (Week of December 11th)
The Lakers took home the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament title. Is that enough to move them up the Top Ten rankings? Let’s dive into this week’s Perfect Ten.
Perfect Ten (Week of December 11th)
#10. Phoenix Suns (13-10) (+360/+700) - They finally have their Big Three together, now is the time for this team to take off. Strengths: This team has three players that can take over a game. Weaknesses: Will the Big Three be around and intact come playoff time? Last Week’s Rank: 6th
#9. LA Lakers (14-10) (+750/+1500) - The Lakers In-Season Tournament title does show what this team is capable of in the playoffs. It also showed how dominant Anthony Davis can be at times. Strengths: The Lakers proved last year, they just need to get into the playoffs with a healthy Lebron and Davis. Weaknesses: Can Davis stay motivated when it matters? Last Week’s Rank: 9th
#8. Dallas Mavs (15-8) (+1100/+2200) - Luka Doncic has once again come out of the gates cooking and the Mavs are feeding off of him. Strengths: Doncic has the skills to literally dictate the pace of a game and make decent players better than they are. Weaknesses: Can Doncic keep his conditioning up to par? He faded last season after a similar start. Last Week’s Rank: Unranked
#7. OKC Thunder (15-7) (+2000/+5000) - The Thunder are sticking to the plan and the results have been outstanding. Strengths: Few teams in the league have the assets this team does in order to land key players at the trade deadline. Weaknesses: They are very young and that will eventually become an issue. Last Week’s Rank: 7th
#6. Orlando Magic (16-7) (+5000/+15,000) - Lets not get ahead of ourselves, this team isn’t winning the title. But they sure are fun to watch. Strengths: Banchero is quietly developing into the face of this franchise. Weaknesses: Can they sustain their winning without a true floor general? Last Week’s Rank: 8th
#5. Philadelphia 76ers (15-7) (+550/+1200) - Joel Embiid is displaying MVP dominance once again, including a 50-point game against the Wizards. Strengths: With Oubre back, the Sixers' rotation looks solid once again. Weaknesses: Can Maxey maintain this level of play all season? Last Week’s Rank: 6th
#4. Denver Nuggets (16-9) (+220/+400) - Denver seems content not to go full throttle this early and waiting for the season’s second half. Strengths: The Nuggets can score with anyone and have as good a half-court offense as there is in the NBA. Weaknesses: Lack of defense on the perimeter certainly is a concern. Last Week’s Rank: 4th
#3. Milwaukee Bucks (16-7) (+185/+425) - The Bucks were surprised by Indy in the semifinals of the In-Season Tourney but, like Boston, their goals are much loftier. Strengths: The Bucks still have a combination of inside/outside basketball that few teams can match. Weaknesses: Indiana’s guards certainly exposed the Bucks’ need for backcourt defenders. Last Week’s Rank: 3rd
#2. Minnesota Timberwolves (17-5) (+1200/+2500) - Is it time to consider making a futures wager on this team? The odds are tempting. Strengths: Few teams can equally defend the paint and the perimeter like this team can. Weaknesses: Edwards’ hip pointer injury resulting in a missed game in a loss to New Orleans does emphasize this team’s lack of scoring depth. Last Week’s Rank: 2nd
#1. Boston Celtics (17-5) (+160/+370) - Not winning the In-Season Tournament is hardly a knock on this team. They only care about the playoff tournament this spring. Strengths: The Celtics continue to get more consistent play from their bench, critical come playoff time. Weaknesses: Tatum and Brown get caught up far too often in disputes with the refs. A more focused effort is needed. Last Week’s Rank: 1st
Top-Five MVP Candidates:
At the start of January, I will begin to rank the Top Five MVP candidates on a weekly basis including their up-to-date odds to win the award. Last year, the odds and rankings shifted several times on the way to Joel Embiid claiming his first MVP award. There will likely be several shifts as well this year and I will be there to update you every step of the way while offering compelling arguments as to why you should jump in with a future bet if the odds are right.
In-Season Tournament Predictions:
Season Record 4-2: We split our In-Season Tournament picks with the Lakers getting us into the win column while the Bucks disappointed against the Pacers.
Game of the Week: New York at Phoenix: Friday, December 15th, at 10 PM
The Knicks are playing solid basketball but they run into the Suns at the wrong time here. The Suns Big Three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal are all finally back on the court together and this Suns team looks capable of putting together a healthy win streak. They will win comfortably on Friday night.
In parenthesis, conference odds and finals odds. Player MVP props are also in parenthesis. All odds Courtesy of Draftkings.com.
By Mark Ruelle