Ricky Dimon
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Is it too early to hand the Western Conference title to Los Angeles Lakers?
Well, yes; absolutely. The Lakers may be the best team in the NBA right now at 17-2 (East-leading Milwaukee is 17-3), but the West could be won by a number of different teams. It’s a conference that looked to be positively loaded when the season began, and although a few teams have floundered it remains potent at the top of the standings. “Top-heavy” may be the definition of the West these days, but that is enough to pose a threat to the Lakers.
As December arrives, the Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers are co-favorites to triumph in the Western Conference, with the Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets not too far behind according to the odds. Trailing that quartet by a relatively substantial gap are the Utah Jazz and upstart Dallas Mavericks, after which the struggling Portland Trail Blazers land in seventh—a country mile behind the six aforementioned squads.
Los Angeles Lakers (+200)
The Lakers have tied their franchise-best start to a season with 17 wins in 19 games. They can set a new record by improving to 18-2 if they prevail at home over Dallas on Sunday, which would mark their 11th win in a row. Check out our free NBA expert picks. In a league dominated by dynamic duos, LeBron James and Anthony Davis are looking like the best of the bunch. They are combining for 51.8 points, 16.3 rebounds, 14.5 assists, 3.4 blocks, and 2.8 steals per game.
Los Angeles Clippers (+200)
L.A.’s two teams have been co-favorites in the Western Conference (and for the NBA title) basically since the start of the 2019-20 campaign. The Clippers have not quite kept up since defeating their in-city rival in the season opener, but that was in part due to Paul George’s absence. George has since returned from offseason shoulder surgery and his team is 7-1 in its last eight games, improving to 14-6 overall.
Houston Rockets (+500)
James Harden scored 60 points in just three quarters—and in only 31 total minutes—during Saturday’s 158-111 humiliation of the Atlanta Hawks. Harden’s points per game average has climbed to 38.9, which is at least 8.0 ppg more than every other player in the league (2018-19 MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is second with 30.0 ppg). He is putting up those numbers despite sharing the spoils with Russell Westbrook, who is contributing 22.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg, and 6.9 apg.
Denver Nuggets (+800)
As usual, the Nuggets are quietly going about their business—which they did last season while coming within one win of reaching the Western Conference Finals. Although they may not have an absolutely huge name on their roster, Nikola Jokic, Paul Millsap, Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, and Will Barton—among others—are more than capable of carrying the load. Denver has ridden its impressive depth to a 13-4 record, good for second place in the Western Conference standings.
