Golden State's NBA Draft odds improve following Curry injury

Golden State Warriors head coach reacts to a call with Stephen Curry. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire)

November 1st, 2019

Steph Curry’s broken hand and subsequent absence from the NBA could have a silver lining for the Golden State Warriors, with the team now poised to play a starring role in the draft for the first time in years.

BetAmerica has crunched the numbers and assessed the Warriors a +1300 chance of winning the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, making them the eighth favorite.

Odds to win the first pick in the 2020 NBA Draft

Team	2020 NBA Draft Odds

New York Knicks	+600
Cleveland Cavaliers	+600
Charlotte Hornets	+700
Chicago Bulls	+700
Washington Wizards	+700
Memphis Grizzlies	+800
Oklahoma City Thunder	+1000
Golden State Warriors	+1300
Phoenix Suns	+1300
New Orleans Pelicans	+1500

It's an unfamiliar terrain for the defending Western Conference champs, who have been to the NBA Finals in each of the last five seasons. Golden State's highest draft pick during that span has been the 28th selection, which the team used on Cincinnati guard Jacob Evans in 2018 and Michigan guard Jordan Poole in 2019.

The last time the Warriors had the benefit of a top 10 selection was in 2012 when they selected North Carolina forward Harrison Barnes with the seventh overall pick. The 3-and-D specialist helped the team win an NBA Championship in 2015 before signing a four-year, $94 million contract with the Dallas Mavericks.

Knicks could be in for a long season

Golden State's +1300 odds are attractive given Curry's injury and the team's dearth of talent, but bettors should also consider the Knicks at +600. New York has stumbled out of the gates with a 1-4 record and has shown a troubling tendency to cough up leads in the fourth quarter. Part of that is a matter of inexperience as the Knicks have one of the youngest teams in the league, but a bigger part is a lack of commitment to defense. David Fizdale's squad is ranked 26th in opponent points off fast breaks and 27th in opponent points off turnovers. It's hard to win games when you don't even bother to get back in transition.

Current State of the NY Knicks: pic.twitter.com/bd3K8aZP9o
— Weston Blasi (@westonblasi) November 1, 2019

Kings have gotten off to a rough start

The Kings are another attractive wager at +2500. Sacramento has begun the season 0-5 and has the worst point differential in the NBA.

The Sacramento Kings fall to 0-5 pic.twitter.com/lG2mYK4Ai2
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 31, 2019

Like the Warriors, the Kings are also dealing with injury issues. Marvin Bagley III fractured his right thumb on October 24 and could be on the sidelines for six weeks. The 20-year-old pivot averaged a double-double during the final month of his rookie season and was beginning to display excellent chemistry with point guard De'Aaron Fox. Sacramento will win eventually, but his prolonged absence could derail their season.

Kings‘ Marvin Bagley III will miss four-to-six weeks with a fractured right thumb.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 24, 2019

NBA has leveled the playing field with new draft odds

It should be noted that finishing with the worst record in the league doesn't guarantee a team the first pick in the draft. According to the NBA's new format, the three teams with the worst regular-season records each have a 14% chance of winning the annual draft lottery. The odds for the remaining participants in the 14-team lottery are reduced incrementally from 12.5% to 0.5%.

The NBA Draft Lottery will be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2020.