B/R's Way-Too-Early NBA Title Odds for 2018-19 Season

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20. Detroit Pistons: 150-1

The Pistons found their new head coach in Dwane Casey, who snagged a five-year deal as Stan Van Gundy's replacement, per ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski. Now, it's Casey's job to figure out how these puzzle pieces fit. The high-priced trio of Blake Griffin, Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson doesn't offer much in terms of floor-spacing or durability.

19. Los Angeles Clippers: 150-1

If DeAndre Jordan leaves this summer (player option), will the Clippers finally embrace a total rebuild? They've already seen Griffin, Chris Paul, JJ Redick and Jamal Crawford head for the exits. L.A. could be average with Jordan, but this franchise's future might be shaped by how it handles the 12th and 13th overall picks.

18. Miami Heat: 100-1

Assuming the Heat are out of the LeBron James sweepstakes—they don't have cap space or in-prime stars—they'll continue floating near the middle without a discernible centerpiece. They need more talent, but their roster is already overpriced and they don't have a draft pick.

If they trade Hassan Whiteside this summer, they might get nothing more than salary relief in return.

17. Washington Wizards: 100-1

The Wizards might have two stars in John Wall and Bradley Beal, but the club's whole never seems to mirror the sum of its parts.

Wall has said this roster requires "a lot" of attention, per ESPN.com's Ohm Youngmisuk. Problem is there's already a lot of money on the books (at least $115.8 million for next season) and there aren't many coveted trade chips.

16. Portland Trail Blazers: 100-1

The Blazers both surprised and disappointed this past season, snaring the West's No. 3 seed but also going 2-8 in the month of April while being swept out of the opening round.

They need more pieces, but the budget might necessitate subtractions. Jusuf Nurkic and Ed Davis lead a group of four rotation players into free agency. Over the next few weeks, expect to hear the latest round of debates regarding the long-term viability of a Damian Lillard-CJ McCollum backcourt.

15. Indiana Pacers: 100-1

The first post-Paul George campaign was a resounding success in the Circle City. If Myles Turner and/or Domantas Sabonis can make anything close to the kind of leap Victor Oladipo just did, the Pacers could get interesting quickly. If not, Oladipo's lack of star-level support will prevent Indy from ascending any further.

14. Denver Nuggets: 80-1

Give Nikola Jokic, Paul Millsap and Jamal Murray a full season together, and this will be one of the best offenses in basketball. But their defense isn't ready to contend (26th in efficiency), and their star power might not be, either.

13. Milwaukee Bucks: 80-1

Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the Association's brightest stars, and Mike Budenholzer stands as the most intriguing coaching hire. But what happens next?

Will the Bucks spend big to keep Jabari Parker after two ACL tears in four years? Can the franchise afford to let him walk? If he stays, how can Milwaukee improve the center spot and find the internal spring to jump from good to really good or even great?

12. Minnesota Timberwolves: 75-1

Last season, the Wolves had the NBA's 22nd-ranked defense and least utilized bench. Their roster and head coach make one wonder if either area can improve.

That said, there aren't many more talented 1-2 punches than Karl-Anthony Towns and Jimmy Butler, and maybe there's a way to get Andrew Wiggins to better fit this core or trade him for a player that would.

11. New Orleans Pelicans: 75-1

The Pelicans have a massive decision to make with an injured DeMarcus Cousins entering unrestricted free agency. And regardless of what call the front office makes there, it will still need to get creative to upgrade the wings and build a better bench.

Cousins, Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday were the only teammate trio to all average 36-plus minutes.

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