Do The Clippers Have A Chance of Winning The Western Conference?

For anyone following basketball, it is almost too clear there are very few teams out there capable of winning the Western Conference. Look at even the most basic stats, and the season’s performance, and you know the Lakers look the strongest to win. If this is your call, then it is definitely safe. As with every year, LeBron’s team is looking strong and is an easy pick to win the Conference. But this year, the season has been shortened and things might be changing for these odds to stick.

The team to look more closely at the Clippers. The main reason is that they are the only team that has a winning record against the Lakers in 2020. They were playing a spectacular game, with their players raring to go before the season was shut down earlier, this year. They are the other L.A. team but were never the favorites when pitted against the Lakers. But this season, they have shown enough reasons for this mindset to change. They have a doubled net rating from 7 to 14 just from their previous eight games.

While many can argue that the coronavirus induced lockdown may have put an end to their winning streak, it actually looks to be the opposite. This season had been devoted to preserving the health and form of two important players - George and Leonard. Even though a comeback to the season after an extended break increases the chances of fresh injuries across teams, the Clips are sitting tight with their roster full of fully recovered players. This being said, it is the Clippers that you should be placing your bets on to win the conference. 

Another really important reason the Clippers could actually win - they have two players who are actually capable of putting up a solid defense against LeBron. While their defense isn’t enough to actually stop LeBron, it sure gets the work done because they have, in the past, managed to slow him down enough to win against the Lakers. Both, these defense players are more agile and younger than LeBron - Paul George and Kawhi. They have played against him in matches where LeBron has been at his absolute best, including the conference finals and the NBA finals. 

The depth of their roster is another significant advantage over the Lakers. The Lakers’ biggest weakness is in the numbers of their squad. This does not only help during the match with people to substitute in and out, but it also helps in the strategizing of how to build a team for any situation. The various permutations possible make it easy for the Clippers’ management to pick out the best combination of players for the finals. 

Looking at the rest of the teams playing the Western Conference, it is safe to say there isn’t any strong competitor to the Clippers and the Lakers. The Houston Rockets may have been a strong team, but their gameplay this past year has been all over the place. The Rockets have been able to play well in away games and adapt to matches even as they take place - which gives them the upper hand in coaching and strategic ability. However, their lineup isn’t nearly as impressive as the L.A. teams and their haphazard performance does not instill confidence in anyone. 

Some other teams in the Western Conference don't seem to pose a threat to the L.A. teams. The Nuggets and Jazz do not have the players who would successfully play offense against the Clippers’ defensive line, and especially not enough to sustain a seven-game series. Utah has been, like the Rockets, quite all over the place. If any of the teams make it any further, it will only add to the mystery of how their seasons have been faring. 

The best bet - definitely the Clippers. They have been finals MVPs before, the time off has helped their injured star players recover and their pre lockdown performance has shown that they are very capable of acing this season. Both Leonard and George had been battling with injuries. While the former has had this issue for a few seasons, the latter had been recovering from surgery. The lockdown has been in place for a few months, and they have had over 2 months after recovery to get back in full form for training and playoffs. Combine this with a great strategic coach, and you have a winning team.