16. Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are quickly spiraling out of control as they've hit a difficult spot in their schedule. After a strong start of the year, the Lakers have quickly come to the realization that perhaps they simply do not have enough talent on their roster to compete with the other Western Conference contenders. At this point, it's pretty clear that if the Lakers are going to emerge as a thread down the stretch, they're going to have to make a big move. Of course, the problem is that the Lakers simply don't have a ton of assets to pull off such a move before the trade deadline.
Add in the speculative reporting that LeBron James could be growing weary of the losing in Los Angeles and it adds a completely different outlook for this team as we inch closer to the trade deadline. I'm not quite sure what the future holds for the Lakers but there's no question that there's a very real chance that changes could be on the horizon for this team. I still don't believe the Lakers will trade LeBron in the middle of the season, but at the end of the day, it is ultimately his decision. And if he's ready to go hunting for a championship on a team like the Golden State Warriors, that's exactly what LeBron is going to do.
15. LA Clippers
In the Western Conference, the LA Clippers might be a team that is considered the best one that no one seems to be talking about or taking seriously. That's because Kawhi Leonard remains out with an injury and it's not exactly clear when he's going to return. There have been recent reports that Kawhi could be inching closer to making his regular season debut, but as always is the case with him, you can never comfortably predict or expect something to happen.
Nevertheless, as the Clippers continue to prove that they do have the talent to remain afloat in the West even without a completely healthy roster, it's hard to overlook this team as one that could potentially sneak their way into the postseason. If Kawhi returns healthy and looks like his usual All-Star self, it's impossible to count out the Clippers as a potential team that could shake up the hierarchy of the West heading into the postseason.