NBA Championship Odds 2021: Blake Griffin Going to Nets, Anthony Davis Injury Update
Recent news and rumors have hit the NBA Championship odds for 2021. As the Los Angeles Lakers were once again considered the team to beat, they have fallen due to the Anthony Davis injury. Add in the recent news that Blake Griffin is going to the Brooklyn Nets, and a new strong contender has emerged in the LeBron Lakers era.
Blake Griffin headed to Brooklyn Nets
The Detroit Pistons are clearly a team in rebuild mode, and that is now especially apparent. Over NBA All-Star Weekend, Blake Griffin rumors began to heat up, and eventually, the reports arrived. Griffin, a six-time All-Star, has agreed to join the Brooklyn Nets, according to his agent, ESPN reported.
Griffin let the Pistons know of his intentions to leave the team, and they agreed to a $56.5 million buyout for the remainder of his contract. The Nets are using one of their veteran-minimum-contract slots to add Griffin to an already star-studded lineup.
He has a reunion with former Los Angeles Clippers teammate DeAndre Jordan. He’ll also join the Big Three of Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and Kevin Durant. That said, Griffin is nowhere near the player he was years ago on the Clippers, as he hasn’t been the same since his injury.
Griffin is a five-time All-NBA player who has averaged 21.4 points, 8.7 boards, and 4.4 assists per game with a nearly-50 percent field goal rate. In the past season, he’s participated in 20 games, averaging 12.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists.
While those numbers don’t jump off a page, he’ll add size and star experience to a Nets team that could be scary. Once KD returns, other teams will be on full notice, knowing that this lineup has a lot of talent.
Kevin Durant was a team captain for the 2021 All-Star Game, but didn’t participate due to injury concern. Even with KD still out, the Nets are currently the favorites to win the title at +125 odds on BetUS NBA futures.
Anthony Davis injury update
While the Nets are getting stronger, many people are wondering about how the Los Angeles Lakers will fare without Anthony Davis. Back on February 18, Davis suffered one of the scariest injuries around with a calf/Achilles injury.
At the moment, it was revealed as a right calf strain and “aggravation of right Achilles tendonitis” per RotoWire. The Lakers star was expected to miss four weeks at that point, as the team would take a “cautious approach” for Davis’ recovery.
With Davis hurt several weeks ago, the Lakers (24-13) are currently sitting at third overall in the Western Conference standings. In their favor, the No. 1 Utah Jazz have lost nine games, so it’s not a huge difference. The Phoenix Suns are currently second in the standings with a 24-11 record.
However, Anthony Davis’ absence puts more pressure on LeBron to carry this team. That’s not to say he’s not up to the task, but in a tough West, many teams look stronger at the moment.
The Lakers’ NBA championship odds are currently at +325, which is still second-best amongst all teams.
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