The two-time defending NBA champion Miami Heat are once again the team to beat.
The LVH SuperBook in Las Vegas released season win totals for all 30 teams on Tuesday, and the Heat are listed at 60, three games better than the Los Angeles Clippers, whose total is set at 57.
Last year, the Heat opened at 60.5 along with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
After glancing at the full list (see below), three teams immediately stand out:
- Chicago Bulls (56.5). With a healthy Derrick Rose, the Bulls are considered to be the Heat’s closest competitor in the Eastern Conference. Last year, with Rose expected to miss part or all of the 2012-13 season, Chicago’s win total opened at just 47.5.
- Detroit Pistons (41). A 41-win season would be a .500 record, something the once-proud Pistons haven’t had since 2007-08, when they finished 59-23 in what proved to be the final year of their mini-dynasty (seven straight 50-win seasons). Detroit’s win total last year was 32.5, so the additions of players like Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings are expected to provide a definite boost.
- Los Angeles Lakers (33.5). One of the biggest year-to-year drop-offs you’ll ever see. The Lakers opened 59.5 last season after acquiring Dwight Howard and Steve Nash. Now, with Kobe Bryant’s injury situation up in the air—and with the team clearly looking ahead to the next offseason—2013-14 is shaping up to be a throwaway.
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2013-14 NBA season win totals (courtesy of LVH SuperBook)
Atlanta Hawks 40
Boston Celtics 27.5
Brooklyn Nets 52.5
Charlotte Bobcats 27.5
Chicago Bulls 56.5
Cleveland Cavaliers 40.5
Dallas Mavericks 44
Denver Nuggets 47
Detroit Pistons 41
Golden State Warriors 49.5
Houston Rockets 54.5
Indiana Pacers 53.5
Los Angeles Clippers 57
Los Angeles Lakers 33.5
Memphis Grizzlies 49
Miami Heat 60
Milwaukee Bucks 28.5
Minnesota Timberwolves 41
New Orleans Pelicans 40
New York Knicks 49.5
Oklahoma City Thunder 50.5
Orlando Magic 24.5
Philadelphia 76ers 16.5
Phoenix Suns 21.5
Portland Trailblazers 38.5
Sacramento Kings 31.5
San Antonio Spurs 55.5
Toronto Raptors 36.5
Utah Jazz 27.5
Washington Wizards 42