Should the Cleveland Cavaliers start to be worried? They have now been blasted in back-to-back games, losing by 28 to the Minnesota Timberwolves and then falling to the 34 to the Toronto Raptors. The concern is that Isaiah Thomas is back in the lineup. He was supposed to give this team a boost and help them become a championship contender. As it turns out, they have just two wins in their last eight games and have no answers at the defensive end. Is this just a temporary slide or are there greater problems for the Cavs to address?
1. Golden State Warriors
NBA Title Odds: -250
The Warriors (33-9) won in Houston and on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers, and also in Denver, but they lost at home to the Clippers as well. They’ll kick off a five-game road trip by heading to Milwaukee, Toronto, Cleveland and Chicago this week. The big news is another ankle injury for Curry and while the Warriors don’t think that it is serious, it is enough for Golden State fans to maybe worry a little bit. That being said, the Warriors still have Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, and they just need to make sure that Curry is healthy for a long run in the playoffs.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
NBA Title Odds: +350
The Cavaliers (26-15) won in Orlando but then were smoked in Minnesota and Toronto in back-to-back games. Next up is a visit to Indiana before returning home to host Golden State. That’ll be a big test for this struggling team. Thomas has averaged 15.0 points and 3.3 assists in three games since returning from his hip injury, although he was ejected in the loss to Minnesota due to a flagrant foul on Andrew Wiggins. Still, having Thomas back will take some of the pressure off LeBron James, who has to cut back his minutes if the Cavaliers want to make a deep run in the postseason.
3. Houston Rockets
NBA Title Odds: +850
The Rockets (29-11) lost at home to Golden State and in Detroit, but they won in Chicago and at home over Portland. They’ll visit Phoenix and the Clippers this week. The Rockets are still without Harden, who has a hamstring problem and will hopefully be back in a week or so. Meanwhile, Chris Paul has averaged 22.6 points and 11.0 assists in the five games since Harden has been injured, and that is why they got Paul.
4. Boston Celtics
NBA Title Odds: +1500
The Celtics (33-10) won at home over Minnesota and in Brooklyn before they prepared for a trip to London, England, where they’ll be the “road” team against Philadelphia, then return home to host New Orleans. Al Horford will return from a knee injury to play the 76ers, or so he says, and you could make an argument that Horford has been Boston’s MVP this season over Kyrie Irving with his defense and his passing. The Celtics have won six in a row going into their game against Philadelphia.
5. San Antonio Spurs
NBA Title Odds: +1500
The Spurs 28-14) won at home over Phoenix and in Sacramento, but they lost in Portland. They’ll visit the Los Angeles Lakers, Atlanta and Brooklyn and there is also a home game against Denver as well. Kawhi Leonard is back on the sidelines with a shoulder injury, and this might be something that the Spurs have to deal with for the rest of the season. However, LaMarcus Aldridge is shouldering the offensive load, averaging 28.5 points along with 11.5 rebounds in his last five games.
6. Oklahoma City Thunder
NBA Title Odds: +2000
The Thunder (22-20) won on the road against the Clippers, but they also lost in Phoenix and Minnesota, and at home to Portland. The three losses came by an average of 13.7 points, and when the Thunder are on, they can compete with anyone in the league. They just can’t seem to find any consistency to their game and trade rumors could start up before the deadline on February 8th.
7. Toronto Raptors
NBA Title Odds: +4000
The Raptors (28-11) won in Milwaukee and in Brooklyn in overtime, but they fell at home to Miami. They’ll host Cleveland and Golden State this week, along with Detroit, and the Raptors will visit Philadelphia. DeMar DeRozan has been on fire, averaging 33.4 pointswith 6.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds over his last five games, and he might have to keep it up as Kyle Lowry has a back injury.
8. Washington Wizards
NBA Title Odds: +4000
The Wizards (23-18) won in Memphis, and then lost at home to Milwaukee and Utah. They’ll stay home this week to host Orlando, Brooklyn and Milwaukee again, and then head to Charlotte. John Wall is boosting his numbers as he has averaged 24.4 points, 10.8 assists and 2.0 steals over his last five games along with 1.6 blocks. He is gaining a reputation as the best shot-blocking guard in the NBA, especially on the weak side or coming from behind. However, the Wizards as a team have to play better defense in the halfcourt.
9. Milwaukee Bucks
NBA Title Odds: +8500
The Bucks (22-18) lost at home to Toronto and in Indiana, but they also won in Washington and at home over Orlando. They’ll host Golden State this week, followed by road trips to Miami and Washington, and then it is back home to host the Heat. With their length and athleticism all over the floor, the Bucks should really be better than 23rd in defensive efficiency and they’re not good enough offensively to get away with that. The Bucks are like the Eastern Conference’s version of Minnesota: they won’t go far unless they improve defensively (you could throw Washington in this category as well).
10. Minnesota Timberwolves
NBA Title Odds: +10000
The Timberwolves (27-16) lost in Boston, but they won at home over New Orleans, Cleveland and Oklahoma City. They’ll host New York and Portland this week before heading to Orlando. The Timberwolves are actually playing their best defense of the season by far, holding their last seven opponents under the 100-point mark. They’re going to score, but their defense makes them dangerous. However, it is a small sample size and the Timberwolves still have to prove that this is sustainable.
The 2017-18 NBA is well underway. It’s been a wild offseason already, but keep an eye on the betting lines as they move around at Diamond Sportsbook! Get the latest NBA betting lines right here.
