The Golden State Warriors ended the Houston Rockets season just five short months ago on the hardwood inside Oracle Arena. The Dubs will host those very same Rockets tonight in Oakland for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off on TNT. As growing media darlings of the NBA the Warriors will play in three of TNT's first four broadcasts this season.
Apparently everyone wants a piece of the Dubs this year which comes at no surprise. Golden State will play in 16 nationally broadcasted games this season, not counting potential features on NBATV. But it is not just the media seeking for a bite of the Warriors glory. Rockets James Harden still thinks he should have won MVP last season and Ty Lawson thinks he can give Steph Curry problems in the postseason. Even Doc Rivers danced around the idea that the Warriors are lucky for not having to play the Clippers or Spurs in the playoffs last year. Thats it, the Warriors are lucky for not having to play teams that already lost.. Looks like all those tear soaked letters I wrote to Adam Silver claiming that the Warriors were merely unlucky for the last 40 years finally paid off.
It seems to all comes with the territory. Steph Curry is PLUS 600 to repeat as MVP. He would be the first to do so since LeBron James won back to back MVP's in 2012 and 2013. James Harden coincidently enough is right behind Curry at PLUS 700 to win the award, (although Harden probably thinks his odds should be higher). Below is the full list of potential MVP candidates from Bovada Sports. Klay Thompson at PLUS 5000 anyone? I didn't think so. The MVP is pretty tough to call at this point (obviously), but like many others I like Anthony Davis at PLUS 400. If you're looking for a long shot Russell Westbrook at PLUS 1200 is not too shabby, but who knows what to expect with a healthy Kevin Durant in the lineup.
Personally I think it will be a two man race for the scoring title in 2016 between Kevin Durant (PLUS 150) and James Harden (PLUS 225). But you might be asking, didn't you just pick the two favorites? Thats exactly what I did. I expect both players to play with an added chip on their shoulders this season. It will be interesting to see if Durant's scoring numbers dip after the Westbrook's MVP worthy season last year. As for Harden, he really wants to win MVP and is clearly still bitter over not winning the award in 2015. He is the definitive go to guy on his team (unlike Durant) and just seems like he is developing the mind set that he is one of, if not the best player in the NBA. Carmelo Anthony (PLUS 1500) could potentially stick his nose in this race as well. If your banking on Carmelo scoring points then you've most likely made a smart bet. But only time will tell.
Who: Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors
What: Preseason Action!!
When: 7:00 p.m. PST
Where: Oracle Arena, Oakland, CA.
How to watch:
- National: TNT
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Online CSN Live Extra, TNT Online
Radio: , KNBR 680
As of 9:00 AM PST I could not locate any lines for this game.
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