Ranking 5 the most likely NBA champions if season resumes

3. LA Clippers

Truth be told, until the last week leading up to the NBA’s suspended season, the LA Clippers might have been one spot higher on this list. However, after watching what LeBron James did to them in the latest Staples Center rivalry game, there are reasons for keeping them at No. 3, and they extend beyond that one head-to-head matchup (we’ll get there in a minute).

Still, the Clippers are neck-and-neck with their L.A. brethren, and in a seven-game series for the Western belt, it could honestly go either way. The Clips are clearly elite, ranking third in O-rating, fifth in D-rating and third in net rating. In 11 games Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell available, they’ve gone 10-1 with a plus-11.6 point differential — elite numbers that should concern anyone in a seven-game series.

This is an elite two-way team, with ample star power, depth, playoff experience and a quality head coach. They are one of the three truly undisputed title favorites. Leonard won’t back down from the King in a postseason showdown, and that superior depth could matter in a conference finals series. But for now, the Clippers are just a hair behind that other L.A. team.