This is the most open nba season in 15 years. Is that a false statement?
I think maybe? But also it's a little hard, because say, looking back at 2015, the first year the Warriors won, its like, of course they won, but before the season, no one had them as winners. (they were +2800, 8th highest per BBref They were probably one of the more unlikely winners, looking at it that way, in years. Which is madness, because, Warriors.). But you had the Cavs at +275 and the Spurs at +350.
This year, per Bovada, I'm seeing
1) Lakers +300
2) Clippers +350
3) Bucks +600
This is a very simply way of looking at it, but the last time the favorite was worse than +300 was in 2009, Lakers/Boston were both +350. You could easily argue there is very little difference between two teams at +350 and one at +300 and the other at +350, and behind that, there was only one team better than +1000 (Spurs) where there are 3 this year (Bucks, Sixers Rockets)
2008 though, you had
1) Dallas +450
2) Spurs +450
3) Suns +500
4) Cavs +600
Which I would say is essentially the same as this year. And man does is still kind of weird me out that 2008 was 11 years ago. (And I looked at the odds for 07 ,that was even more open than 08.) So definitely very close to 15 years) The middle of the decade it seems like things were more wide open, basically from after the Lakers dynasty blew up to until Boston won their title (they were +1000 in 08), you had about 5 years where there were about 4-5 legit contenders. The first year post Jordan (99) there were 7 teams at +500 or lower!