The Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas posted its annual season win totals on Tuesday, per ESPN.com’s David Purdum, and there weren’t many surprises.
The Golden State Warriors are expected to win more games (66.5) than any other team, because duh. The Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs (56.5) are right behind them, because obviously. The Los Angeles Clippers (53.5) and Boston Celtics (51.5) round out the 50-win factions, which makes sense. The new-and-not-really-all-that-improved New York Knicks have an over/under of 38.5, which also makes sense.
What we’re about to talk about doesn’t.
Per Purdum:
Sidenote to NBA win totals: More bets have placed on the Knicks to win NBA title than any other team @LVSuperBook. https://t.co/s44FdfeTPI
— David Payne Purdum (@DavidPurdum) September 20, 2016
Basically, more and more people hate having money.
Yours truly has said it before, and I’ll say it again: The. Knicks. Are. Not. Viable. Title. Contenders. They aren’t even pretenders. This idea that the additions of Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Courtney Lee and Brandon Jennings have somehow turned them into a powerhouse is off. They will still be lucky to make the playoffs.
Rose is chief among the reasons. There’s no guarantee that he’s healthy for the entire year, or that he’s even a marked upgrade over everything the Knicks had last year when he’s on the floor. And there’s certainly no guarantee that he won’t become a distraction.
The trial for the civil lawsuit against Rose that claims he and two friends sexually assaulted a former girlfriend of his starts on October 4, right at the beginning of the preseason. The ensuing coverage, even after a verdict or settlement, could be a distraction to the entire team, and it’s not yet clear if Rose would face any disciplinary action from the Knicks or NBA if the judge doesn’t rule in his favor—a problem if you truly believe he’s a big asset.
This is not the main concern for these allegations. Issues more profound and important than basketball are at stake during this trial. But, on the basketball front, this all factors in. And even if it didn’t, the Knicks still don’t have the talent—and they most certainly don’t have the depth—to be worthy of such rampant championship attention.
