{"id":884835,"date":"2026-10-16T22:24:20","date_gmt":"2026-10-16T22:24:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/884835\/"},"modified":"2026-10-16T22:24:20","modified_gmt":"2026-10-16T22:24:20","slug":"nba-western-conference-win-totals-lakers-undervalued-warriors-in-for-a-long-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/884835\/","title":{"rendered":"NBA Western Conference win totals: Lakers undervalued, Warriors in for a long year"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In the 2007-08 <a href=\"https:\/\/cbssports.com\/nba\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">NBA<\/a> season, all eight Western Conference teams won at least 50 games. That will not be the case again this season. There is a pretty big falloff after the top six West teams (<a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/teams\/SA\/san-antonio-spurs\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Spurs<\/a>, <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/teams\/OKC\/oklahoma-city-thunder\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Thunder<\/a>, <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/teams\/DEN\/denver-nuggets\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Nuggets<\/a>, <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/teams\/MIN\/minnesota-timberwolves\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Timberwolves<\/a>, <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/teams\/HOU\/houston-rockets\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Rockets<\/a> and the <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/teams\/LAL\/los-angeles-lakers\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Lakers<\/a>), with the middle class teams looking like the <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/teams\/POR\/portland-trail-blazers\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Trail Blazers<\/a> and <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/teams\/UTA\/utah-jazz\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jazz<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>From there, the lower-tier teams are going to face added struggles of a more competitive nightly schedule, thanks to lottery reform removing the incentive to lose for a third of the league. Factor in how tough the East is (everyone has to play those teams twice), and wins are hard to come by for everyone. It makes picking the over\/under win totals an especially difficult exercise, as it is every year.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Still, we&#8217;ll give it our best with the information we have available to us. Earlier this week, we put out our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/news\/nba-eastern-conference-over-under-win-total-predictions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Eastern Conference over-under predictions<\/a>. Now let&#8217;s get to the West.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/news\/nba-eastern-conference-over-under-win-total-predictions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><\/p>\n<p>NBA over\/under predictions for every Eastern Conference team: Knicks, 76ers overvalued? Raptors ready to rise?<\/p>\n<p>\n                    Brad Botkin                <\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" alt=\"NBA over\/under predictions for every Eastern Conference team: Knicks, 76ers overvalued? Raptors ready to rise?\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/brunson-brown-getty.png\" loading=\"lazy\" height=\"152\" width=\"270\"\/><\/p>\n<p>    <\/a><\/p>\n<p>                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/teams\/DAL\/dallas-mavericks\/\" aria-label=\"home team page\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"TeamLogo-image\" alt=\"team logo\" src=\"https:\/\/sports.cbsimg.net\/fly\/images\/team-logos\/338.svg\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"80\" height=\"80\"\/><br \/>\n                                                <\/a><\/p>\n<p>    Dallas Mavericks2025-26 record: 26-562026-27 win total: 34.5Prediction:\u00a0Under<\/p>\n<p>This is a stay-away line because the <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/teams\/DAL\/dallas-mavericks\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mavericks<\/a>&#8216; season could go so many different ways. They could trade <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/1779901\/kyrie-irving\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kyrie Irving<\/a> and bottom out, relatively speaking, or they could keep Irving, P.J. Washington and <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/2892001\/daniel-gafford\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Daniel Gafford<\/a>, get <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/28951880\/dereck-lively-ii\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dereck Lively II<\/a> back in a timely manner, and with <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/29556534\/cooper-flagg\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Cooper Flagg<\/a> profiling as a potential All-NBA player and a bunch of wings and size all over the floor, win north of 40 games pretty easily.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Deep down, I just don&#8217;t think Irving makes sense on the team&#8217;s timeline and they&#8217;ll ultimately find a way to trade him. And if he goes, why not Washington, Gafford and\/or <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/2893502\/naji-marshall\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Naji Marshall<\/a>? I&#8217;ll go under, but it&#8217;ll be close.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/teams\/DEN\/denver-nuggets\/\" aria-label=\"home team page\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"TeamLogo-image\" alt=\"team logo\" src=\"https:\/\/sports.cbsimg.net\/fly\/images\/team-logos\/339.svg\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"80\" height=\"80\"\/><br \/>\n                                                <\/a><\/p>\n<p>    Denver Nuggets2025-26 record: 54-282026-27 win total:\u00a049.5Prediction:\u00a0Over<\/p>\n<p>Another tight one. This largely comes down to <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/2135532\/aaron-gordons\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Aaron Gordon&#8217;s<\/a> availability. When he plays, they still kill people. When he&#8217;s out, much different story.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Given that Gordon is healthy right now and has looked good in preseason, I&#8217;ll give him the benefit of the doubt and err on the side of the Nuggets&#8217; pretty much unmatched continuity with its starting lineup. <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/2152772\/cameron-johnson\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Cameron Johnson<\/a> caught a lot of flak last year, but look at the numbers. He shot 43% from 3 and was lights out after a terrible start, and he&#8217;s going to be more comfortable in year two.\u00a0<a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/1685250\/demar-derozan\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">DeMar DeRozan<\/a> doesn&#8217;t seem like a great fit, but he could theoretically help keep the non-Nikola Joki\u0107 minutes above water.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Bottom line, there&#8217;s still a lot of talent here and one of the best starting fives in the game, and with that at his disposal, I just can&#8217;t see Joki\u0107 not winning 50 games.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/teams\/GS\/golden-state-warriors\/\" aria-label=\"home team page\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"TeamLogo-image\" alt=\"team logo\" src=\"https:\/\/sports.cbsimg.net\/fly\/images\/team-logos\/341.svg\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"80\" height=\"80\"\/><br \/>\n                                                <\/a><\/p>\n<p>                Golden State Warriors         2025-26 record: 37-452026-27 win total: 37.5Prediction:\u00a0Under<\/p>\n<p>This pains me to say as a Northern California native, but Golden State is going under this number. It&#8217;s always going to be tempting to talk yourself into the idealized version of a <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/1685204\/stephen-curry\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Stephen Curry<\/a> team. <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/29231622\/yaxel-lendeborg\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Yaxel Lendeborg<\/a> is going to be awesome! <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/3042510\/brandon-williams\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Brandon Williams<\/a> is going to be a bench spark plug! <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/28870519\/gui-santos\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Gui Santos<\/a> is slept on! <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/1231877\/al-horford\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Al Horford<\/a> can still play! So can <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/1992792\/draymond-green\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Draymond Green<\/a>! \u00a0All we gotta do is keep Curry healthy and stay relevant until <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/1646703\/jimmy-butler\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jimmy Butler<\/a> gets back and take off from there!        <\/p>\n<p>Sorry, folks. It ain&#8217;t happening. The far more realistic scenario is Curry, who only played in 43 games last year and is fighting an old-man knee that seems like it&#8217;s going to bug him off and on for the rest of his career, misses a lot of time again as the decision comes down to pushing a 38-year-old to his breaking point to maybe sneak into the play-in tourney or erring on the side of keeping his fresh for next year, when they have substantial cap space and are planning (as they always are!) to make a big addition.\u00a0        <\/p>\n<p>Who knows when or if <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/2108420\/kristaps-porzingis\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kristaps Porzingis<\/a> will even be able to play. Banking on Butler coming back after a torn ACL and a year off to just be, well, Jimmy Butler in February is a fairy tale. Too many things would have to go perfectly for this to even be a .500 team, and I mean\u00a0perfectly.\u00a0It&#8217;s just not likely. The West is too good, too deep, and the <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/teams\/GS\/golden-state-warriors\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Warriors<\/a>, frankly, are neither. Take the under.\u00a0        <\/p>\n<p>                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/teams\/HOU\/houston-rockets\/\" aria-label=\"home team page\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"TeamLogo-image\" alt=\"team logo\" src=\"https:\/\/sports.cbsimg.net\/fly\/images\/team-logos\/342.svg\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"80\" height=\"80\"\/><br \/>\n                                                <\/a><\/p>\n<p>     Houston Rockets 2025-26 record: 52-302026-27 win total:\u00a048.5Prediction:\u00a0Over<\/p>\n<p>I don&#8217;t understand this number. Yeah, the Rockets went in the tank at points last year and looked bad in the playoffs, but they won 52 games with no point guard and <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/2067654\/steven-adams\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Steven Adams<\/a>, a major part of their major offensive rebounding advantage, out for the entire second half of their schedule. Now the Rockets get Adams and their point guard, <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/2252663\/fred-vanvleet\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Fred VanVleet<\/a>, back. This is a better team than the one that finished last season with the sixth-best net rating in the league.\u00a0        <\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re waiting on the <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/1231866\/kevin-durant\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kevin Durant<\/a> decline, get comfortable. The guy averaged 26 points per game last season on damn-near 52\/41\/87 shooting splits with almost zero structural offensive assistance. To that point, Houston needs to improve its possession quality and find some semblance of dependable late-game offense other than giving the ball to Durant and spectating. VanVleet should help immensely with that aspect.\u00a0        <\/p>\n<p>Also, don&#8217;t get too caught up in the lottery-reform narrative as it pertains particularly to the Rockets, who were not a team feasting on tankers last season. Among the top-10 Western Conference teams, only the <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/teams\/LAC\/los-angeles-clippers\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Clippers<\/a> lost more games to below-.500 opponents. During an extended December-January stretch, the Rockets lost games to the Jazz, <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/teams\/NO\/new-orleans-pelicans\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Pelicans<\/a>, and the Mavericks, <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/teams\/SAC\/sacramento-kings\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kings<\/a> and Blazers twice each. They were also 1-7 in overtime games. Chances are, at least half those games swing their way this season.\u00a0        <\/p>\n<p>There&#8217;s a strong case to be made that 52 wins was about the lowest possible outcome for Houston last season. Based on their point differential, Cleaning The Glass pegged them as an expected 56-win team. And again, they are better this season. This 48.5 number is a comfortable over for me.\u00a0    <\/p>\n<p>                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/teams\/LAC\/los-angeles-clippers\/\" aria-label=\"home team page\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"TeamLogo-image\" alt=\"team logo\" src=\"https:\/\/sports.cbsimg.net\/fly\/images\/team-logos\/344.svg\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"80\" height=\"80\"\/><br \/>\n                                                <\/a><\/p>\n<p>    Los Angeles Clippers2025-26 record: 42-402026-27 win total:\u00a028.5Prediction:\u00a0Under<\/p>\n<p>There are some names on this Clippers team, notably <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/3042335\/darius-garland\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Darius Garland<\/a> and <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/2202503\/brandon-ingram\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Brandon Ingram<\/a>. But Ingram has a partially torn Achilles, and there&#8217;s no telling when he&#8217;ll be ready to go.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Max Strus<\/a>\u00a0is also hurt to start the year, and the most important factor in this line is that the Clippers almost have to trade some guys to recoup some of the future draft picks they forfeited to the\u00a0<a href=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Kawhi Leonard<\/a>\u00a0cap-circumvention cause (<a href=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Rui Hachimura<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Kris Dunn,<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Derrick Jones Jr<\/a>. are prime candidates).\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, Ty Lue&#8217;s coaching might be enough to keep the Clippers out of the bottom-three relegation zone, but they&#8217;ll still go under this number as they devote most of the season&#8217;s focus to developing <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/29332336\/keaton-wagler\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Keaton Wagler<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/teams\/LAL\/los-angeles-lakers\/\" aria-label=\"home team page\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"TeamLogo-image\" alt=\"team logo\" src=\"https:\/\/sports.cbsimg.net\/fly\/images\/team-logos\/345.svg\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"80\" height=\"80\"\/><br \/>\n                                                <\/a><\/p>\n<p>                Los Angeles Lakers        2025-26 record: 53-292026-27 win total:\u00a046.5Prediction:\u00a0Over<\/p>\n<p>The Lakers were looking like a shadow contender until <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/2900426\/luka-doncic\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Luka Doncic<\/a> and <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/2268681\/austin-reaves\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Austin Reaves<\/a> got hurt last year. Yes, they lose maybe the best player ever, but the numbers with Don\u010di\u0107 and Reaves on the court without <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/400553\/lebron-james\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">LeBron James<\/a> still paint a rosy picture.\u00a0    <\/p>\n<p>With those two on the court without James, the Lakers outscored opponents by 8.3 points per 100 possessions with an 80th percentile offense and defense last season. Rob Pelinka might have paid a bit too much for <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/3178012\/walker-kessler\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Walker Kessler<\/a>, but that&#8217;s a major addition. If he gets hurt for a significant stretch, the Lakers&#8217; defense is shot, but that&#8217;s the only thing that gives me even brief pause on this number. Assuming Kessler plays in 60-65 games, he will be a possession monster for them on the offensive glass and give Don\u010di\u0107 a functional roll partner.\u00a0    <\/p>\n<p>This team is just built to win regular-season games. The postseason is a different story when teams start looking to hunt Don\u010di\u0107 and Reaves, but night in and night out, having Don\u010di\u0107 and Reaves is such guaranteed high-level offense, it&#8217;s hard to see the Lakers going under 50 wins, let alone falling down to 46, on the strength of that duo alone with Kessler in the middle.\u00a0    <\/p>\n<p>Now add in some sneaky depth. There are a lot of guys who can catch and shoot 3 off Don\u010di\u0107&#8217;s gravity. The Lakers can play a pretty mean five-out lineup with <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/2893115\/sandro-mamukelashvili\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Sandro Mamukelashvili<\/a> at center. <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/3042107\/quentin-grimes\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Quentin Grimes<\/a> is a player, and the addition of <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/2891955\/collin-sexton\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Collin Sexton<\/a> maintains creative capacity when Don\u010di\u0107 sits and\/or misses time. To me, 55-57 wins is in play for the Lakers. Have you forgotten how great Don\u010di\u0107 is? This is a wildly low number.\u00a0    <\/p>\n<p>                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/teams\/MEM\/memphis-grizzlies\/\" aria-label=\"home team page\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"TeamLogo-image\" alt=\"team logo\" src=\"https:\/\/sports.cbsimg.net\/fly\/images\/team-logos\/360.svg\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"80\" height=\"80\"\/><br \/>\n                                                <\/a><\/p>\n<p>    Memphis Grizzlies2025-26 record:\u00a025-572026-27 win total: 29.5Prediction:\u00a0Over<\/p>\n<p>I think rookie <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/28906139\/cameron-boozer\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Cameron Boozer<\/a> is ready to average 20 and 10 out of the gate. Playing alongside <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/3178244\/zach-edey\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Zach Edey<\/a>, who was a top-10 offensive board guy as a rookie and is a problem with his size inside (the <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/teams\/MEM\/memphis-grizzlies\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Grizzlies<\/a> killed teams in his minutes last year, albeit in almost an irrelevantly small sample as he only played 11 games), he should be able to overpower matchups against smaller defenders.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Those two guys and <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/3142103\/isaiah-stewart\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Isaiah Stewart<\/a> are the frontline foundation of a team that is going to play extremely hard every night. <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/2268642\/ty-jerome\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ty Jerome<\/a>, who played in just 15 games last year, is very good and will create pick-and-roll offense. <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/3148174\/quinten-post\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Quinten Post<\/a> gives them size and stretch shooting behind Edey. <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/28955726\/cedric-coward\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Cedric Coward<\/a>, who can really defend and attack the basket with force and has a sweet shooting stroke, is a guy to watch for a big sophomore leap after a strong rookie season. I love <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/29230884\/jaylen-wells\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jaylen Wells<\/a> (in part because I went to the same college as him!).\u00a0<a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/2135533\/jerami-grant\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jerami Grant<\/a> averaged just under 20 points and shot 39% from 3 on volume last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I just think Jerome and Edey basically not playing last year and the Grizzlies still winning 25 games (with an incentive to tank) is the profile of a team that can win five more games this season.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/teams\/MIN\/minnesota-timberwolves\/\" aria-label=\"home team page\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"TeamLogo-image\" alt=\"team logo\" src=\"https:\/\/sports.cbsimg.net\/fly\/images\/team-logos\/348.svg\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"80\" height=\"80\"\/><br \/>\n                                                <\/a><\/p>\n<p>    Minnesota Timberwolves2025-26 record:\u00a049-332026-27 win total: 48.5Prediction:\u00a0Over<\/p>\n<p>Shooters convert shots at one of the highest rates in the league off <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/3149252\/lamelo-ball\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">LaMelo Ball<\/a> passes. He&#8217;s an extraordinarily gifted passer who hits his in rhythm and on target. <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/3141406\/anthony-edwards\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Anthony Edwards<\/a> shot 48% on catch-and-shoot 3s last season. This has the makings of a truly dynamic offensive duo, with Ball relieving some of Edwards&#8217; on-ball stress and juice in an offense that, in general, could get a little bogged down running through <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/2135560\/julius-randle\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Julius Randle<\/a> in the past.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>You can have your concerns about Ball staying healthy or surviving defensively in a playoff series, but there is a lot of defensive infrastructure in Minnesota with <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/2067669\/rudy-gobert\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Rudy Gobert<\/a> and <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/3142190\/jaden-mcdaniels\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jaden McDaniels<\/a> (one of the better true two-way players in the league), and this team is going to play with a lot of energy and swagger. <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/26602407\/jonathan-kuminga\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jonathan Kuminga<\/a> should really benefit from Ball&#8217;s hit-ahead passing and general pace pushing. <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/3148879\/naz-reid\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Naz Reid<\/a> will be missed, and the frontcourt depth could be a pain point. Give me the over.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/teams\/NO\/new-orleans-pelicans\/\" aria-label=\"home team page\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"TeamLogo-image\" alt=\"team logo\" src=\"https:\/\/sports.cbsimg.net\/fly\/images\/team-logos\/335.svg\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"80\" height=\"80\"\/><br \/>\n                                                <\/a><\/p>\n<p>    New Orleans Pelicans2025-26 record:\u00a026-562026-27 win total: 28.5Prediction:\u00a0Under<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/3042398\/zion-williamson\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Zion Williamson<\/a> is a round peg in a square hole. He doesn&#8217;t fit next to <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/29559183\/derik-queen\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Derik Queen<\/a> because neither can shoot nor defend. Williamson needs the ball to really make an impact, but you can&#8217;t justify not playing through Queen and <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/29558457\/jeremiah-fears\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jeremiah Fears<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>There are teams that are better than the sum of their parts and teams that are worse than the sum of their parts, and the Pelicans are the latter. They have good players. <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/2891952\/herbert-jones\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Herbert Jones<\/a>. <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/3041735\/trey-murphy-iii\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Trey Murphy III<\/a>. <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/2203544\/dejounte-murray\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dejounte Murray<\/a>. All these guys can play and therefore should be traded because this team, as constructed, is going nowhere and has too many overlapping skill sets with the same flaws.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The only question with this team is whether the front office will do the right thing and make some of these trades (notably Murphy III) at a reasonable price, rather than holding out for the Danny Ainge train-heist package. Either way, this team is going under.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/teams\/OKC\/oklahoma-city-thunder\/\" aria-label=\"home team page\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"TeamLogo-image\" alt=\"team logo\" src=\"https:\/\/sports.cbsimg.net\/fly\/images\/team-logos\/1628527.svg\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"80\" height=\"80\"\/><br \/>\n                                                <\/a><\/p>\n<p>    Oklahoma City Thunder2025-26 record:\u00a064-182026-27 win total: 62.5Prediction:\u00a0Under<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m telling you right now, do not mess with this bet. The Thunder could very easily go over this number. They won 64 last year and <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/3141818\/jalen-williams\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jalen Williams<\/a> only played 33 games. But in a league this deep, I&#8217;m banking on just one 60-win team and it won&#8217;t be OKC. The Thunder just have the motivation to really put their pedal to the floor.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>That doesn&#8217;t matter a ton because their floor is so high, and they have so many deep, guaranteed sources of offense and defense, individually and collectively, but it&#8217;s just enough of a factor for me to say this team to finish under 63 wins, if only slightly.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/teams\/PHO\/phoenix-suns\/\" aria-label=\"home team page\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"TeamLogo-image\" alt=\"team logo\" src=\"https:\/\/sports.cbsimg.net\/fly\/images\/team-logos\/353.svg\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"80\" height=\"80\"\/><br \/>\n                                                <\/a><\/p>\n<p>      Phoenix Suns         2025-26 record:\u00a045-372026-27 win total:\u00a040.5Prediction:\u00a0Under<\/p>\n<p>Phoenix is definitely going to regress from its 45 wins last year. The question is how much? Personally, I think this is a 36-38 win team because they won last year by flat-out playing harder than their opponents.\u00a0    <\/p>\n<p>That won&#8217;t catch as many teams by surprise this season, and it&#8217;s just tough to sustain that winning blueprint over multiple seasons when you&#8217;re at a talent deficit against two-thirds of the league. Lottery reform stands to punish this team considerably, too. The <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/teams\/PHO\/phoenix-suns\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Suns<\/a> killed the bad teams last year: 23-4 against bottom-10 opponents, per Cleaning the Glass. Those are teams that are no longer incentivized to concede defeat.\u00a0    <\/p>\n<p>Also, can <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/2157680\/dillon-brooks\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dillon Brooks<\/a> really repeat his 2025-26 season? It wasn&#8217;t the most efficient, but this guy was a flat-out stud second scorer. Maybe he really is that. But a Brooks regression is certainly on the table. Combine all of this with the strength of the West and the league overall, and I just don&#8217;t see a 40-win roster in Phoenix.\u00a0 <\/p>\n<p>                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/teams\/POR\/portland-trail-blazers\/\" aria-label=\"home team page\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"TeamLogo-image\" alt=\"team logo\" src=\"https:\/\/sports.cbsimg.net\/fly\/images\/team-logos\/354.svg\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"80\" height=\"80\"\/><br \/>\n                                                <\/a><\/p>\n<p>    Portland Trail Blazers2025-26 record:\u00a042-402026-27 win total:\u00a041.5Prediction:\u00a0Over<\/p>\n<p>I like this over quite a bit. I have the same concerns about the Ja Morant\/Damian Lillard pairing as everyone else, but I don&#8217;t think it&#8217;ll take Micah Nori &#8212; who&#8217;s on a one-year contract and doesn&#8217;t have time to mess around with losing lineups &#8212; long to move Morant to the bench. From there, the upside of his scoring becomes much more of a bonus play.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Outside of that concern, I love this team. Lillard feels so right back in this uniform and I have no reason to think he&#8217;ll be anything less than very good. They&#8217;ll have to figure out the balance of on-ball creation as <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/3149254\/deni-avdija\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Deni Avdija<\/a> is probably the guy that deserves the most usage and Lillard, though obviously capable, was never the best version of himself off the ball in Milwaukee.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Still, we&#8217;re not talking about a contender here. We&#8217;re just talking about finishing a little above .500 for a team with a potentially still-elite shot creator Lillard, an All-NBA-level player in Avdija, a top-shelf rim protector in <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/28953860\/donovan-clingan\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Donovan Clingan<\/a>, a first-class wing defender in <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/3141429\/toumani-camara\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Toumani Camara<\/a>, and the wing depth of <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/1685257\/jrue-holiday\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jrue Holiday<\/a>, Morant and <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/29005041\/scoot-henderson\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Scoot Henderson<\/a> &#8212; who&#8217;s in a contract year and coming off a pretty quietly solid third season &#8212; to cover for the six-month loss of <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/26893318\/shaedon-sharpe\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Shaedon Sharpe<\/a>, who will be back hopefully for the post-All-Star stretch run. This is a good team unless Morant completely screws it up.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/teams\/SAC\/sacramento-kings\/\" aria-label=\"home team page\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"TeamLogo-image\" alt=\"team logo\" src=\"https:\/\/sports.cbsimg.net\/fly\/images\/team-logos\/355.svg\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"80\" height=\"80\"\/><br \/>\n                                                <\/a><\/p>\n<p>    Sacramento Kings2025-26 record:\u00a022-602026-27 win total:\u00a021.5Prediction:\u00a0Under<\/p>\n<p>This is the worst team in the league. The 21.5 total reflects that (by far <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/betting\/news\/betmgm-promo-code\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">BetMGM&#8217;s<\/a> lowest line), but it&#8217;s not low enough. <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/29106338\/darius-acuff-jr\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Darius Acuff Jr<\/a>. is going to put up a barrelful of empty stats, which will hopefully be a fun reason to watch the Kings, but there isn&#8217;t a defensive bone to be found on this team.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/2135543\/zach-lavine\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Zach LaVine<\/a> has to get traded or bought out or something. <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/2152455\/domantas-sabonis\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Domantas Sabonis<\/a>, too. I mean, this team could very likely be starting <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/2202822\/ben-simmons\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ben Simmons<\/a> on opening night. If you think they&#8217;re going over this line just because it&#8217;s so low, fine. But I can&#8217;t bring myself to endorse any sort of winning wager on a team this bad.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/teams\/SA\/san-antonio-spurs\/\" aria-label=\"home team page\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"TeamLogo-image\" alt=\"team logo\" src=\"https:\/\/sports.cbsimg.net\/fly\/images\/team-logos\/356.svg\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"80\" height=\"80\"\/><br \/>\n                                                <\/a><\/p>\n<p>                San Antonio Spurs        2025-26 record:\u00a062-202026-27 win total:\u00a059.5Prediction:\u00a0Over<\/p>\n<p>There&#8217;s a blueprint for winning 60-plus games. It starts with talent, which, of course, the Spurs are loaded with. Then it&#8217;s about depth, because guys are going to miss games and winning 60 necessitates putting a high-level <a href=\"https:\/\/cbssports.com\/nba\/teams\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">NBA team<\/a> on the floor every night.\u00a0  <\/p>\n<p>And then there&#8217;s the &#8220;something to prove&#8221; factor. <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/29005036\/victor-wembanyama\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Victor Wembanyama<\/a> sets this tone. He openly talks about wanting to win the MVP, so he&#8217;s going to play the 65 games at least, and he&#8217;s going to play them\u00a0hard.\u00a0<a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/29557116\/dylan-harper\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dylan Harper<\/a> is pushing to prove worthy of all the hype. The Spurs believe they are on the cusp of a dynasty. In the initial stages of championship development, teams like the 2014-15 Warriors and 2024-25 Thunder play the regular season with the fervor of a team announcing the true beginning of its reign.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Last season, the Spurs sort of crashed the party. This season, they&#8217;re throwing the party. They&#8217;re going to be out to dominate every single night, and with the baseline defense of Wembanyama and so many viable creators that can cover for each other&#8217;s injuries and\/or off nights, the baseline here is just too high with this kind of motivation to see the Spurs going under 60 wins. I think 65-67 wins is the real number.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/teams\/UTA\/utah-jazz\/\" aria-label=\"home team page\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"TeamLogo-image\" alt=\"team logo\" src=\"https:\/\/sports.cbsimg.net\/fly\/images\/team-logos\/359.svg\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"80\" height=\"80\"\/><br \/>\n                                                <\/a><\/p>\n<p>    Utah Jazz2025-26 record:\u00a022-602026-27 win total:\u00a037.5Prediction:\u00a0Over<\/p>\n<p>The Jazz are finally ready to start playing games with the actual goal of winning. They&#8217;ve traded for <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/2892693\/jaren-jackson-jr\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jaren Jackson Jr<\/a>. and kept <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/2844693\/lauri-markkanen\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Lauri Markkanen<\/a> all these years. They&#8217;ve seen <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/28951907\/keyonte-george\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Keyonte George<\/a> develop into a lethal weapon. They drafted <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/28906140\/darryn-peterson\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Darryn Peterson<\/a> at second overall. And with the spacing this team has with its bigs, those two could combine for 40 a lot of nights. Utah&#8217;s offense will be very good.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The defense is another story. Walker Kessler is gone, and Jackson Jr. is an almost unbelievably poor rebounder for his size. <a class=\"Annotation-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/players\/2135553\/jusuf-nurkic\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jusuf Nurkic<\/a> being out to start the year (listed as a four-week injury, but we&#8217;ll see) really hurts Utah&#8217;s rebounding prospects and he is a passer who can tie a lot of this offense together. The bottom line is Utah was competitive in a good amount of games last year until it decided not to be, and there is real talent on this roster. Give me the over as this team fights for a play-in berth.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In the 2007-08 NBA season, all eight Western Conference teams won at least 50 games. That will not&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":884836,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[1750,2241,31513,11654,24002,107827,100474,50262,12327,114222,79567,761,760,59047,68211,27494,56185,111213,18427,25170,1753,172453,36974,25165,6416,109037,56267,13339,49952,23140,2243,76878,162142,5050,138058,114221,7625,6408,60520,29980,45194,17721,6422,6410,6424,104714,11653,238613,5556,117437,21401,6345,764,25179,72268,3013,11952,1055,3014,27497,7741,11951,59056,78366,355,6932,361,6402,2113,6415,6406,7627,9250,92429,33866,6404,2116,118738,18428,18429,99,2244,47940,2970,103870,40368,6414,4219,32090,21146,98985,60521,3787,29771],"class_list":["post-884835","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-aaron-gordon","tag-al-horford","tag-anthony-edwards","tag-austin-reaves","tag-ben-simmons","tag-brandon-ingram","tag-brandon-williams","tag-cameron-boozer","tag-cameron-johnson","tag-cedric-coward","tag-collin-sexton","tag-cooper-flagg","tag-dallas-mavericks","tag-daniel-gafford","tag-darius-acuff-jr","tag-darius-garland","tag-darryn-peterson","tag-dejounte-murray","tag-demar-derozan","tag-deni-avdija","tag-denver-nuggets","tag-dereck-lively-ii","tag-derik-queen","tag-derrick-jones-jr","tag-dillon-brooks","tag-domantas-sabonis","tag-donovan-clingan","tag-draymond-green","tag-dylan-harper","tag-fred-vanvleet","tag-golden-state-warriors","tag-gui-santos","tag-herbert-jones","tag-houston-rockets","tag-isaiah-stewart","tag-jaden-mcdaniels","tag-jalen-williams","tag-jaren-jackson-jr","tag-jaylen-wells","tag-jerami-grant","tag-jeremiah-fears","tag-jimmy-butler","tag-jonathan-kuminga","tag-jrue-holiday","tag-julius-randle","tag-jusuf-nurkic","tag-kawhi-leonard","tag-keaton-wagler","tag-kevin-durant","tag-keyonte-george","tag-kris-dunn","tag-kristaps-porzingis","tag-kyrie-irving","tag-lamelo-ball","tag-lauri-markkanen","tag-lebron-james","tag-los-angeles-clippers","tag-los-angeles-lakers","tag-luka-doncic","tag-max-strus","tag-memphis-grizzlies","tag-minnesota-timberwolves","tag-naji-marshall","tag-naz-reid","tag-nba","tag-new-orleans-pelicans","tag-new-york-knicks","tag-oklahoma-city-thunder","tag-philadelphia-76ers","tag-phoenix-suns","tag-portland-trail-blazers","tag-quentin-grimes","tag-quinten-post","tag-rudy-gobert","tag-rui-hachimura","tag-sacramento-kings","tag-san-antonio-spurs","tag-sandro-mamukelashvili","tag-scoot-henderson","tag-shaedon-sharpe","tag-sports","tag-stephen-curry","tag-steven-adams","tag-toronto-raptors","tag-toumani-camara","tag-trey-murphy-iii","tag-ty-jerome","tag-utah-jazz","tag-victor-wembanyama","tag-walker-kessler","tag-yaxel-lendeborg","tag-zach-edey","tag-zach-lavine","tag-zion-williamson"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/884835","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=884835"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/884835\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/884836"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=884835"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=884835"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=884835"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}