The NBA is in full swing already and we’ve been treated to some fantastic action. Several teams have gotten off to hot starts, while others sure are struggling. With that said, things are only going to get more intriguing this winter and once the spring arrives. In this piece, we have NBA futures picks for 2021-22 season, of course including our thoughts on the NBA Finals. Who will win it all?
In some truly unsurprising news, Brooklyn remains the favorite to win the NBA Finals this year. The Nets feature one of the most stacked lineups in all of basketball. Everyone is always going to talk about James Harden, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin and others. With that said, things still remain completely up in the air when it comes to the status of point guard Kyrie Irving.
A former No. 1 overall pick, Irving is no stranger to winning the NBA Finals and he’s one of the best point guards in the country when he’s on the hardwood. However, he’s not vaccinated from the COVID-19 virus and he’s not practicing with the team or suiting up in games. This will have a major impact on the Nets moving forward the rest of the way. If Irving were to play, they’d be in a position to push for a title.
| NBA futures |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nets to win | +250 | +250 | +250 | +250 |
| Lakers to win | +500 | +500 | +500 | +500 |
| Bucks to win | +700 | +700 | +700 | +700 |
| Jazz to win | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
Irving staying true to his beliefs and not getting the shots, though, is something that Nets fans are not happy about. Many are calling him out for putting himself first ahead of the team. Despite all of the outside noise here, Brooklyn is still trying to push forward and get the job done while Irving is not on the hardwood. Coach Steve Nash is making it clear that the group will remain unified.
According to the Las Vegas sportsbooks, the Nets have the best NBA Vegas odds to win it all, as they’ve been placed at +250. Behind them, the Los Angeles Lakers are +500, while the Bucks are +700, the Jazz are +1000, the Warriors are +1100 and the Heat are +1200. From our chair, it really can be anyone’s race to win it all. Having said that, we think this is the year that Brooklyn is able to get the job done. The Nets are our pick.
In terms of individual glory, there’s a three-man race for MVP honors and this one is going to come down to the wire. The three guys who appear to be the favorites to win MVP are Giannis Antetokounmpo (+500), Steph Curry (+500) and Kevin Durant (+550). With all of these guys, there’s simply no denying they’re all incredible talents, with all three winning the NBA Finals at one point during their careers.
Starting off with Antetokounmpo, he won back-to-back MVPs in 2019 and 2020. This is truly an incredible feat and he’s hoping to get the job done again. He’s got plenty of confidence as well, as he powered the Bucks to an NBA Finals win last year of the Phoenix Suns. During that series win that brought home the Larry O’Brien Trophy, Giannis showcased why he’s one of the best players in the world.
Meanwhile for Curry, it’s been a rough couple of years for him without Klay Thompson in action. Thompson, one of the best shooters in NBA history, missed all of 2019-20 due to a torn ACL. Then last season, Thompson was out of action with a torn Achilles. Thompson is expected back later this season, which will be massive for Curry and the Warriors. It will only help Curry play even better. Curry has won MVP twice.
Then with Durant, who has won MVP as well, he’s the straw that stirs the drink for the Nets. His play is even more important this season with Irving missing in action. Durant is lethal from the floor, as he can bury shots from all over the hardwood. The rest of the season, Brooklyn will look to him to keep playing well and delivering for this team. We think he will, which is why we’re going with him as our pick. Agree? Place a wager with our NBA betting sites.
Another question countless NBA fans have out there is who will win Defensive Player of the Year this season? Similar to MVP, there appears to be a three-man hunt for this one, as Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis and Rudy Gobert hold the top odds. These players are known for getting the job done on both ends of the floor, which of course has been great to see.
Antetokounmpo is known for delivering some epic blocks. The exact same can be said for Davis and Gobert. All three big men are a force in the paint, making life incredibly difficult for opposing teams. We always see these guys put together awesome blocks and do a great job of coming down with rebounds. It’s part of what makes them all such special players in the NBA.
As things stand, Davis holds the No. 1 odds at +300, while Antetokounmpo is +350 and Gobert is +390. It’s really going to be a toss up as to who ends up winning NBA Defensive Player of the Year. At the end of the day, though, despite holding the No. 3 odds, we think it will be another special year for Gobert. We’re picking the Utah Jazz star to get the job done here.
