When the Golden State Warriors’ dynasty came to an end, several NBA teams in the Western Conference became more aggressive in upgrading their roster last summer, including the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers . The Lakers finally got LeBron James a superstar teammate in Anthony Davis, while the Clippers succeeded in turning themselves into legitimate title contenders with the successful acquisition of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Though both teams are still working on their chemistry, they have somehow managed to live up to expectations this season.
Before the NBA suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Lakers and the Clippers were sitting in the top two spots in the Western Conference. With their current performance, it’s not surprising that the two teams are the heavy favorites to dethrone the Warriors as Western Conference champions. Though it still remains a big question mark when the current season will resume, NBA legend Jerry West — who played for the Lakers and is currently serving as a Clippers executive — said on NBA Together that the potential Western Conference Finals matchup between the two Los Angeles teams would be an “incredible thing for basketball.”
“We were ascending, OK,” West said of the Clippers, as transcribed by Bleacher Report . “And now when are we going to get back?… No one knows. And the Lakers across town, this would have been an incredible thing for basketball if some way, somehow these two teams could have played in a Western Conference Finals.”
It would definitely be interesting to see the Lakers and the Clippers face each other for the first time in the playoffs, especially in the battle that would determine who is the best team, not only in Los Angeles but in the entire Western Conference. The NBA hiatus has undeniably affected their rhythm, but it also has some great benefits for the Lakers and the Clippers.
After almost two months since the league announced the suspension of the 2019-20 NBA season, most of the players on the Lakers and Clippers’ rosters are likely fully rested and recovered from their injuries. Seeing all the players — especially James, Davis, Leonard, and George — in perfect shape when the season resumes would undeniably make their potential Western Conference Finals matchup more thrilling and exciting.
As of now, NBA commissioner Adam Silver hasn’t given any specific information on whether they still plan to continue the 2019-20 season or not. However, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN , the “overwhelming majority” of high-level officials remain optimistic that basketball will return this season.