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Jazz’s 2020 NBA Championship Odds Stay the Same Despite Acquiring Mike Conley

Robert Duff

by Robert Duff in NBA Basketball

Updated Mar 25, 2020 · 1:44 PM PDT

Mike Conley dribbles basketball
Acquiring point guard Mike Conley from the Memphis Grizzlies made no change in the Utah Jazz's odds of winnning the 2019-20 NBA championship. They are still listed at +4000. Photo by Verse Photography (flickr) [CC License].
  • 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.

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.

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.

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.

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