As the new NBA season begins, fans and analysts are picking their favorites to win the NBA title this year. The Milwaukee Bucks emerged as champions last season, as Giannis Antetokounmpo added to his already-impressive resume.
The Bucks did have a few advantages, as the favorites like the Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, and LA Clippers had major injuries to their star players, which prevented them from reaching the NBA Finals. But with a full offseason and major additions to rosters, they will have to contend with a different field this year.
With regard to the Bucks, they haven’t tinkered too much with their roster but did lose a key piece in PJ Tucker. Despite this, their trio of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday is expected to do big things next year.
On top of that, teams like the Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Utah Jazz, and LA Clippers are expected to be in the championship mix. But former NBA star Charles Barkley believes that the Lakers, Nets, and Bucks will be the favorites for the title next year.
Charles Barkley said that the Nets, Lakers, and Bucks are the 3 best teams in the NBA. And while he didn’t rank which team is better than the other, he did say that he expects all three teams to be in the mix for the title.
“The Lakers are going to be good. And the Brooklyn Nets are going to be good. But the Milwaukee Bucks are the champs. So to me, those are the top three teams in the NBA, in no particular order.”
Barkley clearly has high hopes for these three teams, especially the Lakers. Chuck has mentioned in the past how much of a fan he is of Russell Westbrook, even saying that Michael Jordan never played as hard as Westbrook does.
Despite the Bucks being the defending champs, they are not considered the favorites to win the title. The oddsmakers have the Brooklyn Nets as the favorites, with the Los Angeles Lakers behind them.
The Los Angeles Lakers finally have a big three, with the addition of Russell Westbrook into the roster. On top of that, they have a packed veteran squad who have shown that they can contribute at a high level even in this advanced stage of their careers.
As for the Nets, they didn’t have to alter their roster much. They’ve surrounded their incredible trio of James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant with pieces that can help supplement their game and take the scoring burden off of them.
