Heading into the season, the teams that were projected to contend for the Western Conference crown either resided in Los Angeles or were in cities starting with the letter ‘D’. And yet, the top two teams in the West are both newcomers: the Utah Jazz and the Phoenix Suns.
The Clippers have shown the ability to contend with the Jazz, even at full strength, but the Suns are a less familiar challenge. The two teams matched up once earlier this year when the Clippers nearly blew a 31-point lead and survived on a late Nic Batum 3-pointer.