Significant star Injuries have shaped the NBA Playoffs this year. The Los Angeles Lakers were favorites to win the title and repeat, but Anthony Davis went down with an injury, and the Lakers couldn’t overcome that. Apparently, that was just the beginning of major injuries during the postseason.
Philadelphia 76ers forward Joel Embiid is playing through a meniscus tear in his right knee. The Brooklyn Nets are dealing with injuries to two of their Big 3 with James Harden and Kyrie Irving missing games and neither are 100 percent right now. Jazz All-Star guard Mike Conley Jr. hasn’t played at all in the second round. Now, there’s news of Chris Paul being in NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols and Kawhi Leonard being out indefinitely with a knee sprain.
That’s five of the seven teams remaining having to deal with uncertain statuses for All-Star level players and it’s kept the betting markets fluid.
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Jazz-Clippers
Entering the series, the Los Angeles Clippers were favored to advance at -140. After winning two straight in LA and evening the series 2-2, the Clippers appeared to have some life. However, Leonard’s injury has dropped the Clippers to +225 to advance. He is expected to miss Game 5 and his availability beyond that is unknown. The Jazz are -275, even with Conley’s status uncertain.
76ers-Hawks
Embiid got hurt in Game 4 of the first-round series against the Washington Wizards but only missed one game, which Philly won to finish off the series. He is playing through the knee injury against the Atlanta Hawks and has managed to deliver some dominant performances, including a 40-point 13-rebound showing in Game 2. However, he was 4-for-20 from the field in a Game 4 loss, leading many to raise questions about how much the knee is bothering him.
With that series 2-2 and Embiid still playing, the 76ers are still expected to advance. Philly is -300 to win the series with the Hawks at +240. The 76ers were -180 before the series, but seeing Embiid capable of dominating games though injury has shifted the market to Philly, even after a pair of losses.
Nets-Bucks
Irving missed Game 5 and Harden was far from his usual self, shooting 1-for-10 from the field and finishing with five points, six rebounds and eight assists. For a while, it looked like the injuries were going to be too much for the Nets to overcome, but then Kevin Durant put in a legendary performance to rally his team.
Either Durant will need to do something like that again, or Harden will have to shake off the rust, but if the Nets can win that game, they may not need to be fully healthy to advance. Winning the title is another story, but the longer they survive, the healthier, in theory, Harden and Irving can be.
With a 3-2 series lead, Brooklyn is -275 to advance and is back as the favorite to win the NBA title.
NBA champion futures
The Nets began the postseason as the favorite and are in that spot now. Even with their injuries, the Nets have shifted from +275 to 2-1. Durant’s Game 5 performance and Harden’s return have improved the Nets’ stock, even if they are still far from full strength.
The Clippers have been among the favorites but have not been consistent this postseason. Leonard’s injury is seeing their futures odds continue to get longer. Their odds have more than doubled. As a result, moving from 5-1 to 11-1. The Jazz have moved from 4-1 to 3-1, seeing their odds improve due to Leonard’s injury.
The Suns have been impressive this postseason and have a break before the conference finals, but Paul’s potential absence totally changes that team. However, the earliest the Jazz-Clippers series could end would be Friday, with a possible Game 7 on Sunday. Paul and the Suns have at least a few days to figure out his status, and even with the uncertainty around being in COVID protocols, Paul could be 100 percent sooner than some of the other key players who have missed time.
The way these NBA Playoffs are playing out, betting on futures is betting on the health, or lack of, on key players across the board.
(Photo of Chris Paul: Dustin Bradford / Getty Images; The Athletic may receive an affiliate commission if you open an account with BetMGM through links contained in the above article.)
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