Take a shot on these long shots
Most of the NBA has reached the halfway point in games played. The focus moving into February will be on seeding for the playoffs and to see which teams are real contenders for the NBA Finals.
We’ll take a look at two squads to keep an eye on that could potentially take home the title (odds from BetMGM):
Clippers (+900)
The Clippers have found a way over the past decade to be one of the more competitive teams in the Western Conference after decades of irrelevancy.
Unfortunately, injuries and some bad luck have derailed LA’s chances at making the NBA Finals, which the franchise has never done, even dating back to its start in Buffalo in 1970.
The cornerstone of this team is built around Kawhi Leonard, who has won championships at his two previous stops with San Antonio and Toronto. Leonard returned to his native Southern California trying to build the Clippers into a champion, but injuries have hindered that opportunity.
Leonard and Paul George make up a tremendous 1-2 punch, as the combo averages nearly 24 points per game apiece this season to help the Clippers lead the Pacific Division.
The addition of guard James Harden from Philadelphia early in the season can only help this Clippers team, as long as he is committed to the team concept, which has not been there at his previous stops.
The Western Conference is always tough, as the Denver Nuggets broke through last season for their first NBA title. Minnesota and Oklahoma City are having impressive seasons, while New Orleans and Dallas are going for the top spot in the Southwest Division.
The Pacific Division showcases some of the league’s biggest names in LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry, but the Lakers, Suns, and Warriors are no locks to go to the playoffs this season.
Since 2015, the Clippers have exited the playoffs in the first round four times, while advancing to the Western Conference Finals once, which came in 2021, when they fell short against Phoenix in six games.
This Clippers’ team has put things together following a slow start as they are definitely worth a look at winning the NBA title at +900 odds.
Cavaliers (66/1)
As far as a long shot goes, it’s hard to find many teams that can make a run to the NBA Finals who are not No. 4 seeds or higher. The Miami Heat debunked that theory last season as they reached the NBA Finals as a No. 8 seed, while knocking off Milwaukee and Boston along the way.
The Cleveland Cavaliers likely won’t be an 8th seed this season, as they have built up a 25-15 record through 40 games. That has happened in spite of various injuries, including to guards Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, who missed plenty of time.
Mitchell and Garland are back and it has helped rejuvenate this Cleveland squad, which owns a 7-1 record in January and is not far behind defending Central Division champion Milwaukee.
The Cavs were knocked out in the first round of the NBA playoffs last season following an ugly offensive showing against the Knicks, but this time around could be different.
The three big dogs in the Eastern Conference are Boston, Philadelphia, and Milwaukee, but as long as the Cavs can avoid the Celtics until perhaps the conference finals, they have a shot to go far.
Kevin Rogers analyzes the NBA for Action Network.