Going into the 2019-20 NBA campaign, the two prohibitive favorites (at least in the Western Conference) were the Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers.

And here we are, toward the end of February, and not surprisingly, nothing has changed.

The Clippers and Lakers are genuinely regarded as the two best teams in basketball (some might argue for the Milwaukee Bucks), and a playoff clash seems almost inevitable.

But do the Lakers have a chance?

On paper, you would think so. The tandem of LeBron James and Anthony Davis is incredible, and the Lakers have seasoned veterans like Rajon Rondo, Avery Bradley, Danny Green, JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard permeating the roster.

Then there is Kyle Kuzma, who is kind of a wild card who has had a tough time fitting in with the new group.

The point is, there is no shortage of talent on this Lakers' roster, and they are probably about to add Markieff Morris, as well.

Still, they just don't seem to have the oomph of the Clippers, a club that boasts Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Lou Williams, Patrick Beverley, Montrezl Harrell and, most recently, Marcus Morris and Reggie Jackson.

That group is absolutely loaded, and defensively, the Clips are a nightmare for their opponents. Not only that, but the Clippers have more dogs than anyone else in the league. It may sound cliche, but it's the truth.

It's just hard to imagine this current Lakers team beating the Clippers in a seven-game series.

Yes, the Lakers have James and Davis, but after that, the Clippers are clearly deeper and more versatile on both ends of the floor, and the fact that Leonard may be better than LeBron at this stage could negate any advantage the Lakers could potentially have with James.

The Lakers' X-factor could be Davis, as the Clippers don't seem to have a clear answer for him on their roster (maybe Harrell?), so AD could end up having a big series in a potential meeting.

But that won't be enough on its own. The Clippers are just too good overall.

There is also the question on whether or not the Lakers are tough enough to beat the Clippers. This is a concern that has been posed by some throughout the season, and it is something that could rear its head come playoff time.

Yes, talent generally wins out, but when the talent is roughly even, toughness is often what puts a team over the top, and I don't think there is much doubt that the Clippers have the edge in that area.

So, the Clippers are clearly better defensively, they are deeper, they may very well have the best player of the two sides in Leonard and they are tougher.

What reason is there exactly to pick the Lakers then?

Just saying “LeBron James” doesn't work anymore, because he would not dominate a series against Leonard and George. It's not just Kawhi and PG, either. The Clips have multiple bodies they can throw at James, such as Harrell and Morris.

Obviously, stranger things have happened, but as of right now, the Lakers are on the short end of the stick when it comes to their matchup with the Clippers. Barring injuries, of course.