Can you taste it basketball fans? With the NBA season literally days away, the excitement has officially reached its peak. In what has been historically a locked and loaded conference over the last several years, the 2023-2024 season will once again prove to be nutty in the wild, wild, west. Ladies and gentlemen, let's get down to business! It is time to take a look at our NBA odds series where our 2023-2024 Western Conference winner prediction and pick will be revealed.
A year ago, it proved to be the Denver Nuggets that ran the table and could not be overcome. Straight up, it was a dominant run by Denver en route to their first-ever NBA Championship. All together, Denver lost only three games to Western Conference opponents and were a remarkable 16-4 in their 20 postseason games. Of course, the Nuggets will once again be the team with a target on their backs. Can anyone dethrone the defending champs and call themselves the best of the West?
Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: 2023-24 Western Conference Odds
Phoenix Suns: +270
Denver Nuggets: +270
Los Angeles Lakers: +750
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Suns Will Win the Western Conference
Not many teams had as active of an off-season as the Suns, and to say this team has an entirely new look is an understatement. Although “Super Teams” haven't provided as big of a punch as they did in years past, Phoenix is officially on board with the idea after acquiring Bradley Beal from the Wizards while also making a deal with the Trail Blazers for big man Jusuf Nurkic. Meanwhile, Phoenix waved goodbye to point guard Chris Paul and center Deandre Ayton in exchange for some fresh faces in that locker room. Did Phoenix do enough to catch up with Denver?
Only time will tell, but there is no denying the Suns and their top-end talent. The talented trio of Beal, Durant, and Booker is possibly the greatest three-man band since the Miami Heat was tormenting teams with James, Wade, and Bosh. Still, the question remains whether or not Phoenix has the necessary depth to compete for a championship in year one. The colossal moves by the front office were experimental, to say the least, and while this offense should score plenty of points night in and night out, do they have the proper personnel to defend? If they can play some defense even in the slightest, then this team should be extremely scary.
Why The Nuggets Will Win the Western Conference
Not only are the Nuggets returning their entire starting five from last year's championship squad, but they also will be another year removed from Jamal Murray's devastating knee injury and even Michael Porter Jr.'s recurrent back ailments. Remarkably enough, Murray flipped the switch come playoff time and brought his game to an entirely new level while averaging 26 points per game. It appears that Murray is back to being 100% from his torn ACL and could be well on his way to his first-ever All-Star performance.
In addition, it always helps to have the best player on the face of the earth on the roster. After a summer-long tour of racing his horses and spending time with family in Serbia, the two-time MVP in Nikola Jokic is back and possibly better than ever. Truly, Jokic is undeniably un-guardable and leaves defenses with no answers to how to defend him. Should they double him? Nah. Only a matter of time before he finds the open shooter on the perimeter. Play him straight up? He'll only use his strength to push you aside like a rag doll and hit you with his infamous Sombor Shuffle jump shot. Clearly, this is Jokic's world and we're all just living in it.
Why The Lakers Will Win the Western Conference
Yes, LeBron James is entering his 21st season and will soon be 39 years old, but when has it ever been wise to doubt the King himself? Not to mention, but after Los Angeles was mostly sluggish on their way to a 43-39 record, they looked like a completely different team following the trade deadline and found a way to their 23rd conference finals. Coincidence? I think not!
Despite being in a race with Father Time, the biggest reason why the Lakers will punch their ticket to the NBA Finals will be in large part due to their upgrades in the role players department with former Miami Heat guard Gabe Vincent. Oftentimes, the Lakers lacked the necessary firepower to hang with the big boys out west, but the signing of Vincent and his scoring prowess could be exactly what Los Angeles needs to be bonafide contenders.
However, the chances of the Lakers being Western Conference winners will be all for not if Anthony Davis can't stay healthy, especially during the postseason. For the most part, Davis steered away from any nagging setbacks in the playoffs, but his track record says otherwise. Apparently, Davis is now the franchise's number-one option with the aging James set to ride off into the sunset rather sooner than later, and the importance of AD's availability on the court will most likely make-or-break the Lakers this season.
Why The Warriors Will Win the Western Conference
Without a doubt, the once young and thriving Golden State Warriors are now getting older and have many fans and analysts questioning just how much their core has left in the tank. Nevertheless, the greatest shooter in the history of the game in Stephen Curry still has unlimited range from anywhere on the hardwood with the basketball in his hands, and it wouldn't be surprising if the 35-year-old point guard is in the running for MVP by the season's conclusion.
With as much star power that exists in the palm of Stephen Curry's shooting hand, are the rest of the Golden State Warriors good enough to compete for a conference title? This remains to be seen, but the older the Warriors get, the harder it will prove to stay healthy during the ups and downs of a lengthy 82-game season. Above all else, Stephen Curry needs to stay at a top-ten player in the league level, and as soon as that is no longer, the Warriors dynasty is over as we know it.
If the Warriors want to get back to their championship-winning ways, one guy that needs to perform at a higher level will be Andrew Wiggins. Alas, guys like Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are surely to fill up the box score every night, but Wiggins often disappears far too much when he is greatly needed to make some plays. After being limited to only 23 games leading up to the postseason, Wiggins needs to return to the player he was during the team's title run when he was hands down their second-best player for Golden State to have shot in '23-'24.
Final 2023-24 Western Conference Winner Prediction & Pick
There's no doubt about it! The Western Conference will be absolutely stacked this season! In spite of that, the Denver Nuggets are still the team to beat whether you like it or not.
Final 2023-24 Western Conference Winner Prediction & Pick: Denver Nuggets (+270)
Follow Us
Subscribe