Jazz’s 2020 NBA Championship Odds Stay the Same Despite Acquiring Mike Conley
By Robert Duff in NBA Basketball
Updated: March 25, 2020 at 1:44 pm EDTPublished:
- The Utah Jazz acquired point guard Mike Conley from the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday
- The move caused no change in the odds of the Jazz winning the 2019-20 NBA title
- Sportbooks still list Utah at +4000 to win the championship
The Utah Jazz must wonder what they must do to impress somebody. Wednesday, the Jazz acquired franchise point-guard from the Memphis Grizzlies.
It was a major move but it didn’t move the sportsbooks one bit in their impressions of Utah as legitimate 2020 NBA title contenders.
Sportsbooks still list the Jazz at +4000 in their NBA Championship odds. They were at the same price prior to acquiring Conley.
2020 NBA Championship Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles Lakers | +250 |
| Toronto Raptors | +600 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | +650 |
| Golden State Warriors | +900 |
| Houston Rockets | +900 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | +1000 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | +1000 |
| Brooklyn Nets | +1500 |
| Boston Celtics | +1800 |
| Denver Nuggets | +2000 |
| Utah Jazz | +4000 |
*Odds taken 06/19/19. Click on the link in the table above to see odds for all 30 NBA teams.
The Jazz haven’t played for the title since losing successive NBA Finals to the Chicago Bulls in 1997 and 1998. Utah has never won an NBA Championship.
The Wide Open West
The Golden State Warriors are a crippled ex-champ. Their dynasty was stopped dead in its tracks by the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Finals.
Kevin Durant won’t play at all next year. Klay Thompson won’t play until late into the 2019-20 campaign.
Memphis has traded guard Mike Conley to the Utah Jazz for Grayson Allen, Kyle Korver and Jae Crowder, the 23rd pick in Thursday's Draft and a future first-round pick, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 19, 2019
The rest of the West smells blood. For the first time in years, the NBA’s Western Conference looks to be a wide-open race.
The Los Angeles Lakers made their bold change, adding Anthony Davis. Now the Jazz have initiated their noteworthy move. Will it prove to be a winning tune?
Jazz Aren’t All That
Conley paired with Donovan Mitchell will provide Utah with a backcourt tandem to rival any in the conference. A 2013 NBA All-Defensive Second Team choice, Conley fits the defense-first mold of the Jazz. He’ll also provide a boost to the offense that is so often sadly lacking for Utah in the postseason.
Donovan Mitchell's rapid maturity into a primary NBA player gave the Jazz added urgency to acquire a veteran ready to win now, league sources tell The Athletic. With Rudy Gobert entering his prime, the Jazz knew they needed to make a significant addition to supplement the two
— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) June 19, 2019
Up front, it’s a different story. Rudy Gobert is Utah’s only consistent scoring presence in the frontcourt.
There’s a reason why Utah has won 149 regular-season and just two playoff games beyond the first round over the past three seasons. Even with Conley, the Jazz still don’t have enough depth or playmaking ability to go all the way.
More Sneakers to Drop
The picture in the NBA’s Western Conference remains murky. You know the Lakers aren’t done. The free-agent frenzy doesn’t start for another 11 days.
Raptors star and NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard continues to be linked to the Los Angeles Clippers, a team that gave the Warriors all they could handle in the opening round of the playoffs. If the Clippers land Leonard, that will cause a seismic shift in the West.
Even if there are no upgrades, one of Mitchell or Conley or Gobert will be on the floor at all times. Advantage of having three all-star talents https://t.co/NzJjzIFeHB
— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) June 19, 2019
Sure, it looks enticing to jump on the Jazz at +4000. Truth be told, Utah wouldn’t even rate today as the best team in the much weaker Eastern Conference.
In the West, the Jazz were a five seed last season. Adding Conley makes them better, It just doesn’t make them championship worthy.
Sports Writer
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
