The Los Angeles Clippers went all in on Kawhi Leonard this offseason and pulled off a blockbuster trade for Paul George to assemble one of the best duos in the NBA, and according to a survey of coaches and executives from around the league, the Clippers’ bold moves have made them the clear favorite to win the 2020 NBA championship.
The Clippers and Lakers have the shortest championship odds at sports books around the world, but ESPN’s offseason poll of 20 anonymous “coaches, executives and scouts” suggests that the general public may be overrating the Lakers’ chances. The Lakers didn’t garner a single vote to win the Western Conference Finals, whereas 80 percent of respondents picked the Clippers to win the West. In all, the Clippers received 65 percent of the vote to win the 2020 NBA title, ahead of the Bucks and Sixers, both at 10 percent.
Via ESPN:
East: Milwaukee Bucks 12, Philadelphia 76ers 8
West: LA Clippers 16, Denver Nuggets 2, Utah Jazz 1, Houston Rockets 1
NBA title: LA Clippers 13, Milwaukee Bucks 2, Philadelphia 76ers 2, Utah Jazz 1, Denver Nuggets 1, Houston Rockets 1
Kawhi Leonard’s heroics throughout the 2019 NBA playoffs clearly had a major impact on the voting process. Leonard also received 12 of 20 votes as the best player in the NBA, ahead of Giannis Antetokounmpo (6) and James Harden (2).
