The LeBron Factor: Why Bookmakers Are Giving the Cleveland Cavaliers Top Odds to Win the 2015 NBA Finals

James returning to his first love Cleveland, opens door to increased speculation regarding their success in the following NBA season.

LeBron James is a proven talent of the highest quality. People nowadays are heavily debating whether he has managed to usurp Michael Jordan’s throne in being regarded as the finest basketball player in history.

With the announcement of LeBron’s return to his home town, Cavaliers fans will be hoping to see him lead the way to NBA glory. Many online sportsbooks in US are highly favoring Cleveland to lift the championship next season, however there are still some doubts whether they can pull it off.

The Cavaliers

Since the media speculation commenced about LeBron’s next destination, bookmakers in Las Vegas have constantly adjusted the Cavs’ hopes of clinching the NBA title. LeBron is certainly one player that can make a difference in any team that he plays, which caused the immense furore surrounding his future club.

• LeBron James return home with two NBA titles
• Cavaliers may be serious challengers for NBA title after the following season
• Many sportsbooks rate the Cavs highly due to LeBron’s return

Before he left Cleveland for Miami in 2010, he was the star of the team. He basically carried the Cavs on his shoulders, however they didn’t enjoy much success. Now that he is back to his roots, the lack of success in his first stint with the club will certainly echo a sentiment of unfinished business.

During four seasons with Heat, LeBron has won two NBA trophies and propelled his glory into the stratosphere. Gambling news reports that many experts in the sport would agree that he is a complete player, a fact that is resembled in all of his stats. Nevertheless, the question remains can the Cavaliers put all of their hopes on one single man?

The Ohio based team is still in its infant stage, as they boasts a very young team with LeBron being the only established star. “King James” himself acknowledged that it is not likely they will win anything in the following year, however their success may come in some later stages.

Sportsbook managers express belief in the Cavs’ team

Numerous mobile betting sites have given the Cavs preferential odds for lifting the NBA Cup next season. MGM Resorts sportsbook hub manager, Jeff Stoneback, highlighted the difference in strength and overall level of competition between the West and East conferences in the NBA.

“LeBron instantly makes Cleveland a contender just because of the Eastern Conference being the weaker of the two conferences. We can go through six or seven teams in the West that are probably better than Cleveland under the scenario of LeBron being there, but only one of those teams is going to make the NBA Finals.”

He also added, “In the East, Cleveland has to deal with Chicago and Indiana as the top contenders, and it’s much more likely that they would be there for that opportunity to play for the trophy than many of those West teams.”

The assistant manager of LVH (Las Vegas Hotel and Casino), Jeff Sherman, is also convinced that the Cavaliers have higher chances of reaching the NBA final due to there being less top-class competition in the East. However, he believes that the Cavs are more likely to become a serious threat the year after this one, as they will continue to grow in strength.

“It’s a much easier road for them to get there than for all the West teams that are better. I think after one year together, the Cavs will be much more of a force and a team to be reckoned with the following year.”

Despite his immense presence as the league’s best player, the Cavs still need a team to make it to the finals. Judging objectively, having one great player may not be enough to lift the NBA trophy, as nowadays such a feature requires a team.

Realistically the Cavaliers do stand much of a chance next season, despite the fervent media and bookmakers’ speculation about their future success. If they manage to bring in quality players and if they can effectively assemble them around LeBron, only then may they be serious contenders for the NBA title.