CLIPPERS SCORE NEW DYNAMIC DUO
Oddsmakers all across the country had to rush back to their calculators and crystal balls when this years’ NBA Playoffs MVP announced that he had just made a deal to play for Doc Richards and the Los Angeles Clippers for the foreseeable future. Ex-Raptor Kawhi Leonard is moving to Los Angeles after signing at 4 year, $142,000,000 contract with the ecstatic Clips.
Just factoring that move into the calculations for the odds to win the NBA Championship next year caused the predictions to go haywire, then it was announced that veteran All-Star Paul George would also be joining Kawhi Leonard in LA and the numbers went into a scramble once again, finally leaving the Clippers as odds on favorites to win the NBA title in 2020 at some venues.
Los Angeles is once again looking like the center of the basketball world after the Clippers latest moves and the acquisition by the LA Lakers of Anthony Davis from New Orleans to partner up with LeBron James, and yes, that is an awesome duo of highly skilled opponents on any basketball court. However, looking at the rest of the Lakers depth chart, the LA Clippers seem to have a significant edge in both front line and bench players. The NBA season is long and endurance will become a key factor before it’s all over.
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are both seasoned professional players in their prime. Both are in their late 20’s and free from significant injuries, although George is nursing a sore shoulder at this time. Both have displayed greatness on the court individually, together they should be a formidable force to reckon with. Doc Richards must be laughing.
So the Clippers have moved from 10-1 all the way up to 11-4 overnight! The Lakers, who were listed at 7-5 after signing Anthony Davis, dropped to 4-1 after they failed to also sign up Kawhi Leonard. However, bettors are still coming down heavily on the Lakers to win the NBA Championship for 2020. Las Vegas sports books took wagers up to $10,000 on the Lakers in June. In fact, wagers on the Lakers to win the title have totaled almost 5 times the amount wagered on all other teams combined.
Now those numbers have already started moving with the announcement that the Clippers were obtaining the services of both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Thus far however, more money has been wagered on the New Orleans Pelicans to win the title than on the Los Angeles Clippers.
Funny how the balance of power seems to be working out in the NBA. For a long time the Celtics and the Lakers were the dominant teams, then came the era of the Golden State Warriors. Now, just as some of the air goes out of the Warriors franchise, here come the LA Clippers to pick up the slack and have their run at being NBA royalty for a while. They have the coach, and now they have the players to make a real run at the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy for 2020.
Did the Lakers big moves inspire the Clippers to respond with Leonard and George? Probably so, but it doesn’t matter who went first anymore because now the race is on, and it’s going to be a good one!
