Picking the winner of the Western Conference finals between the LA Clippers and the Phoenix Suns is an agonizing task.
The Clippers won two of the teams’ three regular-season meetings, but both clubs now are missing All-NBA players. Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard is suffering from a right-knee injury, and Suns point guard Chris Paul is in the league’s health and safety protocols.
So which team will win the series, and why? To answer that question, The Athletic asked a scout, a coach and a front office executive who work for other teams to analyze the matchup and offer their predictions. The scout, coach and executive were granted anonymity so they could speak with complete candor.
These are their unfiltered takes on the series.
