LA Clippers: 3 bold predictions for the 2020-21 season

3. The LA Clippers win the NBA title

It’s trendy to write off the LA Clippers this year. They flamed out in the postseason, they didn’t make any sweeping changes outside of a head coach who was already on the team and an aging center, and they lost the reigning Sixth Man of the Year winner. Paul George is still going to fall apart in the postseason, right?

The reality is that this team is at least as good as a year ago, and should be even better. Kawhi Leonard and George should have even better chemistry in their second season, Serge Ibaka is a solid veteran big with a championship pedigree who addresses a need, and Luke Kennard (as previously mentioned) is an underrated boost to their offense. This team can weather the loss of Harrell offensively and should be better defensively.

Last season they were one of the three most popular picks to win the title, both before the season and at the start of the playoffs. Their three straight losses to end their playoff run are concerning, but they are just three games against an entire season of elite play. You win in the NBA with elite two-way wings, and the Clippers have two of the four-to-seven best. Kawhi Leonard is built for the playoffs.

Resting their stars may mean the Clippers don’t secure the top record in the Western Conference, but the Los Angeles Lakers will be resting their stars too, and both should go into the playoffs as the title favorites. With lessons learned from a year ago and a coach ready to make postseason adjustments, they should be better protected against a collapse. Are we really that ready to count Kawhi Leonard out?

The Clippers have a more modern roster than the Lakers, they don’t have a defensive weak point with their best lineup, and no other contender in the league is equipped to stop all of their offensive weapons. They can go huge with Ibaka at the 4, small with Marcus Morris at the 5; they will likely start one of the league’s best defensive combinations in Patrick Beverly, George, Leonard, Morris and Ibaka, but can swap Beverly out for Kennard for a mind-boggling offense.

In the end, the Clippers are the best playoff team in the league. That means they will overcome LeBron James and the Lakers and drop whoever comes out of the Eastern Conference to challenge them.

Prediction: 50-22, 1st in the Western Conference; Win first championship in franchise history; Kawhi Leonard third Finals MVP award