First and foremost, the San Antonio Spurs made the most news with the NBA betting odds at the 2023 NBA Draft. Cause by drafting Metropolitans 92 sensation Victor Wembanyama. Once upon a time, the Spurs were the NBA’s dynasty and model franchise. But several losing seasons have made them a forgotten team. Now San Antonio is back in the spotlight as a team of the future. Of course, the future will not likely be big in 2023-24. But the Spurs could be a much more valuable team on the NBA board.
2023-24 NBA Championship Futures Odds at SBG
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Denver Nuggets | +450 |
| Boston Celtics | +550 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | +650 |
| Phoenix Suns | +850 |
| Golden State Warriors | +1200 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | +1200 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | +1300 |
| Miami Heat | +1600 |
| LA Clippers | +170 |
| Dallas Mavericks | +1800 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | +2200 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | +2500 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | +3500 |
| All other teams | +5000 or higher |
Spurs Get the Top Player
Victor Wembanyama averaged 21.9 points on 47/29/83 shooting, 10.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 3.1 blocks in 32.3 minutes. Also, he’s posted season highs of 33 points, 18 rebounds, six assists, six blocks, three steals, and four three-pointers.
Since 2019, he played professionally. Starting with Nanterre 92 before moving on to ASVEL two years later, where he won the Pro A title. As a French national team member, he won two silver medals at the youth level. Also, he set the FIBA offshore betting record for blocks per game in a single tournament at the 2021 FIBA Under-19 World Cup.
Specifically, Wembanyama’s height and skillset make him one of the highest-ceiling prospects that NBA scouts have ever seen. Despite being over seven feet tall, he can handle and shoot the ball like a playmaking wing. But he has skills in the post as well. Those skills allow him to shoot over smaller defenders simply. He’s a willing passer, able to punish double-teams.
Additionally, Wembanyama’s length will make him extremely disruptive as a defender and rebounder. His quickness will allow him to defend some on the perimeter, where he can block jumpers.
Hornets Ready to Roll with Tide’s Bandon Miller
Second pick went to the Charlotte Hornets. Brandon Miller played his lone college season at Alabama. Subsequently, he led the Crimson Tide to the No. 1 overall seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. In 37 appearances for Alabama, Miller put up 18.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game. In comparison, he was shooting 38.4 percent from three on 7.5 attempts per game.
Additionally, Miller registered 14 games with at least 20 points and four games with at least 30. His campaign was headlined by a season-high 41 points in a win over South Carolina on Feb. 22. Correlate that Miller was named the SEC Player of the Year, SEC Freshman of the Year, SEC Tournament MVP, and a consensus All-American.
Overall, if not for Victor Wembanyama, Miller would have been in the NBA future odds conversation for the No. 1 overall pick. He is an elite scorer who’s equally comfortable attacking the rim while launching threes. It is true that Miller has excellent size at 6-foot-9. And he brings a wingspan approaching seven feet.
While he’ll need to add weight eventually, Miller is already a crafty scorer. He uses his length and athleticism to get to the hoop and finish over and around defenders. Although scoring is his calling card, Miller is a willing passer with high-level vision traits as a ballhandler and in the pick-and-roll.