Favorites To Win The Title
After all those big names traded places and the dust kind of set off in terms of free agent superstars, lets see who are the number one favorites to win the NBA title next season. Even though the MVP of the league came out from the East this season, the West is still the stronger coast, and with all the additions that took place these days, it will be more than a battle for the Finals spot next year. The Los Angeles based teams, for the first time ever, are mentioned both in the conversation, to go along with Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets or even the Utah Jazz could make a surprise and sneak their way further up in the playoffs.
Going all the way to the East, we see that Philadelphia 76ers has the best roster and as I mentioned before, if Ben Simmons works on his jump shot this summer, they are the clear favorites to come out of the East, at least. Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks are right there with the 76ers, and the same goes for Giannis as for Ben, if he develops his shooting form, then the Bucks will have a shot at winning it all. The difference between those two teams is the bench, as Philly has more depth and can rely on more players than Milwaukee.
Back to the Western Conference now, it is kind of hard to pick and choose one team, as there is a lot of talent on those teams’ rosters. On paper, Los Angeles Clippers are the favorites, as they reached the playoffs last year and beat the Warriors two times without a real star. The supporting cast for the Clippers is what makes them so strong, so if you add Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, who recently had the best season of his career, chances are high that they are going to beat their fellow citizens, Lakers. And speaking of the Lakers, the only thing that could stay in their way is their over-sized lineup. If Frank Vogel will, indeed, choose to start with LeBron James, Danny Green, Kyle Kuzma, Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins, they are going to have all kinds of problems, because in today’s NBA, it won’t work if you play with three ‘and a half’ big guys on the floor.
However, from the defensive point of view, it’s not quite sure that they can match the Clippers intensity. Yes, they have good defenders in Avery Bradley, Danny Green and Anthony Davis, but they are nowhere near the defensive capabilities of Patrick Beverley, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, who were all candidates to the Defensive Player of the Year award in the past. This could be an important factor that can make the difference between those two that are favorites to win the title.
