2023 NBA Title Odds: Golden State Warriors The Best, Orlando Magic The Worst?
ORLANDO - With the 2022 NBA season officially closed and the Golden State Warriors winning their fourth title in eight years, focus now shifts to next season and the way-too-early odds for who will hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy this time next year.
According to BetOnline.ag, the Golden State Warriors hold the best odds to win next year's championship at 11/2, while the Orlando Magic hold slightly worse odds at 1000/1.
Along with the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder, the Magic hold the league's worst odds.
This shouldn't come as much of a surprise considering that the Magic held the league's second-worst record last season at 22-60. Only the Rockets posted a worse record at 20-62.
However, there is reason to be optimistic for the Magic. The team holds the No. 1 overall pick in next Thursday's NBA Draft and is expected to choose either Auburn's Jabari Smith, Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren or Duke's Paolo Banchero.
The Magic also had several injuries plague the team last season but is expected to see the return of Jonathan Isaac after two seasons on the sidelines and Markelle Fultz, who played sparingly towards the end of last season.
Last year's rookies Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs are expected to make another massive stride in their development next season.
The odds may not be in favor of winning it all in 2023, but the direction the team is going trends up rather than down and it should only be a matter of time before the Magic find itself back among the ranks of the respected teams around the league.
