As we start the new year, the pace steps up in the NBA and the title contenders begin to make their presence known and we could see some different names involved in 2022.
It’s been 23 years since the Chicago Bulls last won the NBA Championship, but the current Bulls squad could be ready to come out of the shadows and bring that long wait to an end.
Donovan Turning Chicago into Contenders
Chicago have failed to make the play-offs in the last four seasons and have finished outside the top 10 in the East in each of those campaigns.
Coach Billy Donovan though has turned things around and after increasing their win ratio to .431 last season, the Bulls are currently sat second in the East with a 22-10 record.
The shadow of Michael Jordan looming over the franchise looks to be finally clearing and Donovan has put together a team that can make the post-season and, more importantly, be competitive at the crunch stage of the campaign.
This is a roster that doesn’t have star names but they complemented each other well and a couple of players have stepped up to the plate. Both DeMar DeRozen and Zach LaVine are in the top 10 of points scorers this season, with both averaging over 26 points per game.
The Bulls, who have twice beaten the Lakers and Nets this season, are now 13/1 to win the Eastern Conference and 30/1 to be crowned NBA Champions in 2022.
Warriors and Suns Looking Strong in the West
Golden State and Phoenix sit in the top two in the Western Conference and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they were still there at the end of the regular season.
The two teams met on Christmas Day and it was the Warriors who had the edge, in a 107-116 win with Steph Curry firing 33 points in Phoenix.
The Warriors have the best home record in the league, with Steve Kerr’s men 16-3 at the Chase Center and some favourable home fixtures to come over the next few weeks.
After reaching the finals last season, the Suns have shown that wasn’t a flash in the pan and in Devin Booker they have one of the players of the season to date.
The two-time NBA All Star is averaging 23.7 per game and his form sees Phoenix available at 33/10 to win the Western Conference.
GSW Look to Take the Heat Out of Miami
It’s fourth in the East against first in the West on Tuesday, as Miami Heat host Golden State Warriors in California.
The Heat have been in fine form over the festive period and have lost just four of their opening 16 matches at home this term, but their displays on the road have not been as impressive.
Curry scored 25 points in an Over-Time win over the Heat last season and the NBA’s highest-paid player could prove the difference again.
Another key game to look out for this week comes on Thursday, as two teams with genuine play-off hopes collide in Colorado.
Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz are both in the top six in the West and meet for the first time since October, when the Jazz recorded a 122-110 success on their home court.
Judy Gobert fired 23 points and claimed 16 rebounds in the last meeting and the Frenchman has been a key figure again for Utah. Gobert is 11/4 to be named Defensive Player of the Year, while the Jazz are 17/4 to win the Western Conference.
*All odds correct at time of writing.