The Denver Nuggets are the cream of the crop within the NBA after winning their first championship in franchise history.
Denver might be trying to repeat in 2024 but one team within the West could challenge its reign — the Pelicans.
I’m picking Recent Orleans to win the West and go to the 2024 NBA Finals.
Listed at 16/1 at BetMGM, the Pelicans are tied for the eighth-best odds to win the Western Conference with a 5.9 percent implied probability.
Teams with far greater questions remain ahead of them similar to the Memphis Grizzlies (14/1), Los Angeles Lakers (+650), Los Angeles Clippers (11/1) and Dallas Mavericks (11/1).
2024 NBA Finals predictions
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The Nuggets remain the favorites to return to the NBA Finals at +260.
Shop around, though, since the Nuggets can be found as high as 19/1 available in the market.
The Pelicans have been subject to bad injury luck over the past couple of seasons with NBA All-Stars stars Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram combining to miss 98 games last season.
Although those concerns still exist, if those two can stay healthy, the Pelicans could also be in the motive force’s seat within the conference.
At this stage, we all know Williamson has a lengthy injury history but there have been encouraging signs that he and the Pellies were able to take a leap.
Williamson appeared to be in great shape and slimmer than in previous years while averaging 26 ppg on 60.8 percent shooting.
Recent Orleans was also atop the Western Conference standings at 17-11 before he pulled his hamstring and missed the remainder of the season.
A giant factor for why the Pelicans could contend immediately is their lineup versatility.
They’re not only a two-man team.
They will play big with Williamson and Jonas Valancuinius within the front court or go small-ball and have Williamson play center.
The NBA playoffs are all about matchups and adjustments and with this roster, coach Willie Green has loads of flexibility to counter numerous opposing teams’ game plans.
Supporting characters similar to combo guard CJ McCollum (20.9 ppg), defensive specialist Herb Jones (1.6 steals per game) and 3-point sniper Trey Murphy (40.9 percent) also can each contribute offensively to take the pressure off Williamson and Ingram.
It’s the Wild West at once within the NBA.
Each team within the Western Conference (including the Nuggets) has flaws that might be exploited.
There’s no true juggernaut just like the vintage Warriors waiting for the Pelicans within the playoffs.
The one reason we’re seeing Western Conference odds this high for the Pelicans is resulting from Zion’s health.
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If he manages to get his injuries so as, Recent Orleans might be a scary opponent for any team to attempt to knock off.
One other encouraging factor is the Pelicans have made the play-in tournament without Zion in each of the last two seasons.
In 2022, they even pushed the Suns to seven games before bowing out in the primary round. The talent on this roster is undeniable.
In case you plan to bet the Pelicans to win the West, this implies we’d like Williamson to really play 65 or more games.
If this involves fruition, we may not only be talking about Recent Orleans to make the NBA Finals but the previous No.1-overall pick being a serious contender to win MVP as well.
2024 NBA Finals pick
Recent Orleans Pelicans (+1600, BetMGM)
