LA Clippers
Mid-season grade: B
After losing Paul George in free agency, and with the understanding that Kawhi Leonard was going to miss a good portion of the start of the season, the LA Clippers entered this year with some pretty uncertain expectations. Through the first half of the year, the Clippers managed to remain afloat in the Western Conference and because of their play through the first 40-ish games of the season, you can't help but be impressed with the way this team has handled the cards that they've been dealt so far this year.
Now that Kawhi is slowly getting back into the swing of things, the Clippers are certainly a team to keep an eye on as we inch deeper into the season. Kawhi is probably still going to be missing games here and there, but if they can get to the postseason with a close to 100 percent healthy roster, this team has shown the ability to be a potential dark horse down the stretch. I'm not sure if they have the ability to make a championship run, but the Clippers certainly give a few favorites a headache or two in the postseason.
Los Angeles Lakers
Mid-season grade: B
It's become easy to ridicule and critique the Los Angeles Lakers but they've been pretty solid to start this year. I'm not sure if it's been a banner first half of the season for the Lakers, especially considering the barometer that they placed for themselves over the history of the franchise, but it's hard to be completely disappointed by the team so far this year. Are the Lakers a perfect unit? Absolutely not. However, as they quickly approach the NBA Trade Deadline, this team is not completely dead in the Western Conference just yet.
If the front office can manage to pull off the right move before the trade deadline, there's a reason to believe that the Lakers could emerge as a dangerous team in the postseason. Of course, as is the case for many teams in the league, the Lakers' chances to pull off an upset in the postseason are going to come down to health. If this team is healthy, they have the capability to compete with almost any team in the conference.