In most cases the team that wins the NBA championship is considered to have the highest chance at winning it all next season until proven otherwise. That is, unless another team in the offseason acquires a few players that stack the cards in their favor so to speak. This offseason most teams only made a few minor moves excluding the Timberwolves and Knicks. And the reigning champs signed a few glue guys in DiVincenzo and JaMychal Green. So hypothetically speaking, they should have the best odds to win next year, right?

In the beginning of the offseason the Dubs were the majority favorites after dismantling the Celtics’ defense and taking home the championship. But now according to Andrew DeWitt of the Athletic, The Celtics and Bucks are favored at +550 whereas the Warriors are tied for the second-best odds at +650 with the Clippers and Suns. Ben Stinar of Fastbreak reports that the Celtics are first at +550 and the Warriors are second at +600. Vegas Insider also displayed the most recent odds from every betting site and the Warriors are predicted to be somewhere between +600 or +700 which gives them the second or third best odds at taking home the title in 2023.

Again, James Foglio from Basketball Insiders showed the updated odds of the 2023 winners and the list looked almost identical to everyone else’s. Celtics first with +500, the Bucks at second with +600 and Warriors third with +700 odds. This comes after the news that Kevin Durant will be returning to the Nets next season so now Vegas knows that any other team’s chances will be lower with him not moving there. So then why don’t the Warriors have the best odds? The answer may be simpler than expected and can be summed up in one word; injuries.

Every championship run is filled with them no matter how much the team tries to load manage their stars, there is always something or some minor tweak that throws the team off. Tatum just recently stated in an interview that he was playing hurt for most of the playoffs, including the Finals.

And the Celtics were without their defensive anchor in the paint, Robert Williams and even when he came back, he was on a minutes restriction. The same argument could be made for the Bucks as they were without Khris Middleton for most if not all the playoffs. Did the Warriors lose anyone to injury in the postseason or offseason? Well, many fans forgot that in the beginning of the playoffs Curry came off the bench because of his extended absence with an injury. But the Warriors eased him back into the lineup and they continued to dominate. No one is currently injured or recovering in the offseason though. While they did lose a few key players, they also made a few great moves in Free Agency as I said above.

Speaking of Free Agency, the reason the Celtics might be the favorite could also be due to them acquiring Malcom Brogdon, someone who consistently averaged 19 points and 5 rebounds for the past few years. He is a 6’5” point guard who can really give the Celtics what they need offensively at the guard spot. The question is though, how he will fit in with the team and will Marcus Smart take more of a backseat role to try and win a title.

Now looking at the Warriors next season, they have the most upside of top teams competing for the 23’ championship. First and most importantly, they have the core trio of Steph, Klay, and Dray. They have proven time and time again that they are winners, and no one can stop them when they are all healthy. Secondly, Andrew Wiggins quieted the haters and proved he can perform at the highest level on the brightest stage, and he will only continue to get better. The same can be said about Klay Thompson who, after 941 days of being unable to play the game that he loves, came back and contributed to a championship season. As well as Looney who basically slid into Klay’s role because prior to his two injuries, Thompson had only missed a few playoff games and Looney played in every game this season apart from when he was benched.

And lastly, they have a plethora of young talent either ready to go or waiting for their opportunity to shine. Jordan Poole was a major part of the championship, and many were quick to say that he was outperforming his peers against the Celtics. But now that Boston made one move, all of that hard work seems to have been swept under the rug by betting sites. Second or third isn’t a bad spot to be by any means but almost every year the Warriors become underrated somehow.

With no drastic moves this offseason from KD or Kyrie, it would be hard not to place the defending champions with the best odds to win. But according to many sites, they are not favored- just one more reason to play next season with a chip on their shoulder and once again prove everyone wrong.

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