Shaquille O’Neal disapproves of Charles Barkley’s take on LA Clippers as West favorites: “Clippers lost 13 games Lakers lost 15”

Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal had an intense debate. This came after the former named the LA Clippers as the Western Conference favorites on the "Inside the NBA" show. Barkley considered teams like the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns among the favorites.

He has now added the Clippers and New Orleans Pelicans to that bracket. Here's what Barkley said:

"Right now, if you give me the Clippers and the Pelicans, I'll take those two teams in the West... If Paul [Geogre] and Kawhi [Leonard] aren't healthy, I might take the Pelicans."

However, O'Neal wasn't a fan of the Clippers' inclusion in that conversation. The former LA Lakers superstar came out in support of the Purple and Gold, saying:

"You know where you sound crazy right now? The Clippers lost 13 games the Lakers lost 15 games."

The LA Clippers and LA Lakers have both struggled due to various reasons. The Clippers haven't had their two superstars, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, available for the majority of their games. Meanwhile, the Lakers have been over-reliant on their leaders, LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Both Hollywood teams have a lot to figure out as the season progresses. It would be unfair to give either one the tag as the favorite, and it's certainly difficult to pick which team would do better come playoff time.

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LA Clippers likely to do better than LA Lakers provided their superstars stay healthy

One key difference between the LA Clippers and LA Lakers is their respective squad depth. The Clippers are a well-rounded team and role players who could help them win games without their superstars, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

That hasn't been the case with the Lakers. LeBron James and Anthony Davis have had to play through niggles since the team's 2-8 start. The Lakers lack shooters and cannot rely on their supporting cast to win games in their co-captains' absence.

All four players have been injury prone over the last few years. James and Davis, when healthy, are arguably the best duos in the league, but with a poorly constructed roster around them, they could falter in the playoffs.

That may not be the situation with the Clippers if Leonard and George are 100%. Considering how cautious the team has been with their workload, they are likely to enter the playoffs in better shape compared to the Lakers' superstar duo. That will give them a significant advantage in the postseason.

The last time the LA Clippers were in the playoffs (2021) and Kawhi Leonard and Paul George were healthy, they looked unplayable at times. They were the favorites to win the West. However, Leonard sustained a knee injury in the second round, which ruined the Clippers' chances of toppling the Suns in the conference finals.