Which NBA Teams Benefit Most From Coronavirus Suspension?

• Now healthy, the LA Clippers will be able to practice as a full squad once NBA play starts up
• Raptors system and championship pedigree will allow them to hit the ground running
• Read below to see who might be worth wagering on once the NBA season resumes

While no basketball fan wanted it to get to this, believe me when I tell you there are a few teams that are — strictly on-court product speaking — quietly thankful for this post all-star game, stretch-run season postponement.

Because when we do (hopefully) get back to hoops, some select squads should be able to take advantage, and move the needle in the 2020 NBA Championship odds.

2020 NBA Championship Odds

*Odds from March 13

Let’s run down the teams should be able to benefit from this current work stoppage, courtesy the Coronavirus.

Clippers Can Come Together

On paper, and finally, on the court, the Clippers were starting to look like the team many had envisioned to be the cream of the NBA crop. Even then, a team that seemed to struggle coming together was still in a race for second in the West, and clearly one of the contenders for a championship.

After the Kawhi news broke, it became surreal just seeing Kawhi Leonard in Clippers gear. It still is.

We don’t know what the future holds, but watching Kawhi ball out this season as a Clipper has been one of my life’s greatest joys.
pic.twitter.com/aQlAoLnLim

— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) March 12, 2020

Their superstar duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have been in the lineup together just 32 games on the season, totalling 760.5 minutes of game experience in their first season together. For comparison, the Lakers’ LeBron James and Anthony Davis have played 53 games for nearly 1320 minutes on the court.

.@yg_trece with the fake and make from the corner.

📺 @NBAonTNT | #ClipperNation pic.twitter.com/zMot7dxpzE

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) March 11, 2020

And this is before the acquisitions of Marcus Morris, Reggie Jackson and, assuming the season resumes, Joakim Noah may be in the mix too. The Clips looked like world beaters recently, steamrolling teams while going 6-0, scoring better than 120 points a game with a +17 point differential.

LeBron and AD ran LA today!

They combined for 58 points as the Lakers defeated the Clippers 😤 pic.twitter.com/ci0SQMZR7Q

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 8, 2020

But that came crashing down in an all-LA showdown against the Lakers, and while it was a close game, the Clips lacked the polish of a championship-level team that was in a high-stakes matchup.

Whenever this season resumes, and we know that’s at least a month, the Clippers will get a chance to practice with a healthy roster. Not bad at all for a team whose greatness weakness was probably cohesion. Once fully gelled, that’s going to be scary.

Rockets Need To Regroup

In Houston, the micro-ball lineups that were all the rage just a short while ago have crashed into a big brick wall, with the Rockets staggering, losing four of their last five. Their litmus test against the Clippers was a total annihilation, wrapping losses around the whipping to the lottery-bound Knicks and Hornets.

“That’s history, folks. A quadruple-double for James Harden in points, rebounds, assists and turnovers.”

The Hornets announcers really flamed Harden after his 10th turnover… pic.twitter.com/Aua4F2KtRQ

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 8, 2020

He might be the league’s leading scorer, but James Harden has been in an incredible shooting funk. While he did score 37 — including 5-for-10 from three-point range — to beat the Timberwolves before postponement, the Beard was shooting an ugly 12-for-59 from deep since Feb. 29.

The faster pace and extra effort needed to switch all over the floor, plus banging bodies as the undersized team in basically every game they’ve played since going small has taken its toll. A chance to heal up and for Harden to get mentally fresh before the playoffs is something Houston will gladly take.

Raptors Present Best Value

The one team that knows itself better than any contender happen to be the defending NBA Champions. The Toronto Raptors have replaced Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green, handled a ton of injuries to every player of significance on their roster, and hold down the third best record in basketball.

Dunk of the Night: Mar. 5th

👉Terence Davis of the @Raptors pic.twitter.com/oHUpKnCkik

— NBA Canada (@NBACanada) March 6, 2020

They’re currently at +2500 odds, but if and when this season resumes, no team is better equipped to hit the ground running than the Toronto Raptors. Assuming they get healthy — the latest edition of the Raptors’ M.A.S.H. squad featured Marc Gasol, Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell — this team will feature a lineup led by all-stars Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam and can legitimately roll 10-deep with little drop off.

The Art Of Defense by Kyle Lowry! pic.twitter.com/HRJhQpFjs6

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) March 5, 2020

They can play big or small, beat you in a track meet and, when their shots are falling, do enough damage to wreck you in the half court. But their staying power rests in their ability to defend. They rank second in defensive rating to the Milwaukee Bucks, and they surrendering just 106.5 points per game, the best mark in the NBA.

While things might still be pointing to an LA team taking the crown, things might get goofy if the season resumes, and Toronto has a good a shot an anyone to get out of the East. This will probably the last time you’ll get them at these long of odds, so take them now for the chance at a nice payout.