The NBA's Pacific Division Is Loaded (Again)
Lakers, Suns, Warriors, Clippers are all legit title contenders
Nick Ashooh - Oct 7, 2021, 11:24am EDT
- The Lakers have the best odds to win the NBA's Pacific Division at +110 at BetMGM, but they have stiff competition.
- The Lakers are followed by the Suns (+200), Warriors (+475) and Clippers (+900).
- Lakers resting older stars could be a factor
The Pacific Division is loaded in the NBA. With the Lakers, Suns, Clippers and Warriors all riding championship aspirations, it makes it that much harder to figure out who could come out on top in the division, much less the NBA playoffs.
The Top Contenders
Well, everyone ... except the Kings. Sorry, Sacramento.
The Lakers lead the way at +110 at BetMGM to win the division, followed by the Suns at +200, Warriors +475 and Clippers +900.
The Lakers reloaded this offeason, but of course have an average age of somewhere around 127 years old (give or take), so injuries and fatigue could always be a factor. They also have LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook.
The Suns went to the NBA Finals last year, but of course slipped by teams that all lost stars to injury during the postseason.
The now-healthy Warriors are hoping to get back to their winning ways, but a lot of that hinges on whether Klay Thompson can be close to his old self after missing two years with injuries.
The wild card for the Clippers is that they have no idea when Kawhi Leonard will be back.
The Safest Bet
That's gotta be the Lakers, who have the most talent and championship experience to rely upon. The one issue besides injuries you may want to factor in though, is because of that age situation, resting players during the regular season may be more common, which could sacrifice a few regular-season wins in order to be ready for the playoffs.
The Suns have a chance to repeat in the division, and will be more inclined to chase a top seed during the regular season, adding up to a few extra wins, and possibly a Pacific Division title.
