The Los Angeles Lakers have been at the top of basically every oddsmakers list to win the NBA Championship for over a year, basically ever since they made the trade for Anthony Davis. But after going 3-5 in the bubble and being significantly underwhelming, they are not seen as the heavy favorites they looked like before the season went into a hiatus.
According to reporting from ESPN’s David Purdum, the Clippers are the new favorites to win the championship and would be favored in a series against the Lakers, or the No. 1 seed Bucks, according to Caesar’s Sportsbook.
From observing the play of the Lakers and all the teams in the bubble, the Clippers offense has been excellent. Their ball movement has been much better than the Lakers and they still have excellent defense on the wings, anchored by Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. For all of those reasons, as well as the Lakers’ struggles offensively, they are heavier favorites against the 7th seed Dallas Mavericks than the Lakers are against the 8th seed Blazers.
[lawrence-related id=33720,33711]