Who will take the NBA title this season?

This season feels like a very strange one. The Warriors are without a doubt the worst team in the NBA this season, after dominating for the last five years. The Lakers have all of a sudden popped up from a middle of the road team to the dominant force in the Western Conference. The Bucks have turned into a super team that seem almost unbeatable. It has made NBA betting online one of the hardest things to call. All of this means that everything seems upside down this year. Who is most likely to walk away with the NBA title this season? We have taken a look at some of the top contenders.

The LA Clippers

Last season the Raptors managed to achieve a franchise first and win the playoffs. This was mainly due to the performances of Kawhi Leonard. That was why when he made the move to the Clippers in the off season, many people expected them to be challenging at the top of the Western this season. Although they are currently sitting in fourth place, they are actually level with second and third, meaning that just a win could see them jump up the table. However, they still look as though they are some way behind the Lakers, which will definitely hurt them a little.

The Clippers look very likely to pull off a playoff place this season, which means that they are always in with a chance of winning. If Leonard can take them to second place in the standings, just like the Raptors last season, then they have every chance of carrying out what many expected them to do at the start of the season.

The LA Lakers

When LeBron is on your team, you always have a chance of winning. King James is one of the all-time great players in the NBA. He has shown his ability almost since he made the move into the NBA and even though time is catching up with him a little bit, he can still go when he needs to. The addition of Anthony Davis to the roster in the off season meant that the burden was taken off LeBron’s shoulders a little bit. It means that he has been able to play with a little more freedom and the Lakers have flourished because of it.

Currently sitting at the top of the Western Conference, four games clear of their nearest rivals, it looks as though they will be taking the top seed in the Western for the playoffs. If things go as expected then they could be looking at a matchup against the Bucks in the finals, which would severely test the Lakers resilience. They may be the best team in the Western right now, but it will be a big challenge if they come up against the Bucks.

The Toronto Raptors

The reigning NBA champions are not keeping pace with the Bucks like they did last season. A lot of this has to do with them losing Leonard in the off season, but they have still been able to maintain their position near the top of the standings for two reasons. The first is that they were able to keep Kyle Lowry on for another year at least. By signing him to a one season extension it meant they still had some high-quality firepower, although not at the same level as the departing Leonard.

The second is the emergence of Pascal Siakam as a top tier talent. He seems to have stepped out of the shadow that Leonard was casting to become the main man for the Raptors in just a season. If he continues to improve at this rate, then he could well be a future NBA MVP. These two players are why the Raptors are always dangerous, although still an outside shot for the finals.

The Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks look incredible this season. There is one word behind it. Giannis. The current NBA MVP looks set to grab the crown again this season after pushing the Bucks to another season topping the standings in the Eastern. After ending last season with the best regular season record, it looks likely that the Bucks will do so again this season. What they will be aiming for is to avoid losing in the Conference finals like they did last season. The Bucks seem to have more resilience this year, so it would be foolish to back anyone except them to win the NBA title this season.