With the Golden State Warriors taking the crown of NBA champions for the 2021-22 season, analysts can now make their predictions for the 2022-23 season in earnest.
On Friday’s edition of First Take, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith decided to call his shot for the 2023 NBA champion early. He decided that he’s got the Warriors winning it all again next year.
“I got the Warriors repeating! They are winning the NBA championship AGAIN next year!” Smith said.
Smith explained that Curry is in such great shape and showing no signs of declining. He believes that if the Warriors continue develop their other stars, they’ll be nigh unstoppable.
The sports books certainly seem to share in Stephen A. Smith’s optimism. Early betting on the 2023 NBA championship winner have the Warriors as the favorite at +460.
The next best odds go to the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics, who currently have +650 odds. Only a couple of other teams have odds that are better than 10/1.
After the season the Warriors just had though, it’s understandable why everyone is so high on them. They crushed just about everyone under foot on their way to the NBA Finals. Once there, Steph Curry reminded everyone why he’s one of the best players of this generation, averaging 31 points a game.
Even a slight improvement over last year could see the Warriors as a 55 to 60 win team next year.
Will Stephen A. Smith’s prediction come true?