We ran a list of this year’s top contenders just before the season, and while many of the same teams are making their cases as possible winners of the NBA title, there are others who have fallen way off.

Since the first quarter of the season has almost been completed, it is a good time to re-assess how the title landscape has changed. Listed below are the biggest favorites to win the title, and our thoughts on whether they’re contenders or pretenders.

LA Clippers (3.8 to 1)

The Clippers are starting to put the pieces together. They had some early hiccups along the way, especially when Kawhi Leonard was being load managed before Paul George made his debut. However, they seem to be firing on all cylinders now on both ends of the floors.

Offensively, they have four players that are a threat for 20 or more points on a given night: Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Lou Williams, and Montrezl Harrell. The Clippers’ gutsy playoff run last season showed the world that Williams and Harrell were great players in their own right, but it’s become downright unfair for them to become the third and fourth options on a team. They’re a top 5 team in the league in terms of offensive rating and haven’t really even gotten into a full groove yet. They’ve also already scored 150 points or more TWICE this season.

They’ve had some struggles on defense, particularly with teams that push the pace, but still find themselves 10th in the league in defensive rating. It’s hard to see how they wouldn’t be able to adjust to an opponent in the playoffs when the game slows down and you face the same team every other night. Patrick Beverley is a shameless pest who hounds opposing wing players, Harrell is a relentless force, while PG and Kawhi are arguably the toughest pair of wing defenders that any team in the NBA has.

The Clippers are going to make a deep run, no doubt about it. But they’re not a cinch to win the title.

STATUS: CONTENDERS

LA Lakers (4 to 1)

LeBron James and Anthony Davis are doing a phenomenal job on their first season leading the Lakers. They are leading the most competitive Western Conference in recent memory with a 17-3 record and have started to build a reputation as a team that comes back when it matters, even when down big.

James is having a throwback year, averaging 25.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 10.8 assists. Davis is the best partner he’s had since a prime Dwyane Wade, and Davis’ 26.1 points, 9.3 rebounds (and 2.8 blocks per game) are helping the Lakers roll to victory after victory. 

So far, they’ve only lost to the Clippers, Raptors, and the Mavericks. These three are some of the toughest covers in the league.

They’re getting their wins quite differently from the Clippers. For the Lakers, it’s all about having James and Davis play in as many games as they can. Both superstars probably also realize that James’ window as an elite player is closing fast, and that they have to focus on trying to win the title ASAP.

This year’s as good a shot as James will get to bring a title to LA. If he and Davis can stay relatively injury-free, then they are legitimately one of the best picks for this year’s champion.

STATUS: CONTENDERS

Milwaukee Bucks (6 to 1)

Giannis Antentokounmpo is on a mission to make the NBA finals. His Bucks are sitting alone at the top of the Eastern Conference, and they are trading the honour of having the top record in the entire league on any given week.

What’s scary is that the Greek Freak has kept up his production a few months after being accepting his MVP trophy. His averages of 30.8 PPG, 13.4 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.4 SPG, and 1.3 BPG show an amazing all-around contribution to team success. He’s also getting a lot of help this year, as Khris Middleton (17.4 PPG), Eric Bledsoe (15.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 5.6 AST), and Brook Lopez (10.7 PPG, 2.4 BPG) are helping the Bucks roll.

The Bucks aren’t going to be happy about how they got trounced from the playoffs last year, and another year of experience and improvement for their star makes them the team to beat in the East.

STATUS: CONTENDERS

Philadelphia 76ers (7 to 1)

The Sixers are one of the few teams that are unbeaten at home, and they are legitimate contenders for the East throne. They may currently sit fifth in the conference, but make no mistake, they are a force to be reckoned with. So far, all of their losses have come on the road, and they currently own a 10-0 home record.

Buoyed by Joel Embiid (22.4 PPG, 12.2 RPG), the Sixers also boast four other players averaging double figures: Tobias Harris (18.4 PPG), Josh Richardson (16.1 PPG), Al Horford (14.5 PPG) and Ben Simmons (13.0 PPG, 8.4 APG).

They probably have the most talented starting five in the league, but their depth may become an issue later in the playoffs, when rotations get slimmer and less players are expected to see the floor. They’re definitely not a team to sleep on.

STATUS: CONTENDERS

Houston Rockets (8 to 1)

It’s hard to describe just how up and down the Rockets have been this season. The question about whether James Harden (38.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 7.8 APG, 1.7 SPG) and Russell Westbrook (22.1 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 6.9 APG, 1.5 SPG) can play together seems to have been answered with a yes. They’ve also gotten a lot of contribution from Clint Cappela, who went on pretty big streak of 20 rebound games early in the season. 

The new question for the Rockets, though, is whether or not their brand of basketball can take them to the promised land. Their losses this year have mostly come from teams featured in this contenders list. The ways they’ve lost have been quite varied as well, from dropping a big lead against the Bucks in their season opener, to getting owned by the Heat, to blowing the final two minutes against the Clippers in a game where they had a good lead multiple times. They also lost one game to their in-state rivals the Dallas Mavericks, where the transcendent Luka Doncic outdueled Harden.

The Rockets are entertaining, and Harden is an amazing player. However, they probably don’t have enough talent to win the trophy.

STATUS: PRETENDERS

Utah Jazz (12 to 1)

The Jazz are being propped up on offense by  Donovan Mitchell (24.5 PPG) and Bojan Bogdanovic (20.9 PPG) and anchored on defense by an always-game Rudy Gobert (14.0 PPG, 13.7 RPG, 2.0 BPG). They’ve been a game team who have had some impressive wins against the Bucks and Sixers, but have also not truly proven that they can beat the best teams in their conference. While they do have a victory over the Clippers, that happened on a Kawhi-less night. They were soundly beaten when the Clippers had a star back on the floor.

Mike Conley has been mercurial for them as well, alternating a few good games with a few horrible ones. They’re going to find it tough to make it past their conference rivals.

STATUS: PRETENDERS

Denver Nuggets (15 to 1)

The Nuggets may currently be a top four team in the Western Conference, but this season may be showing them the limits of how far their current core can go. Nikola Jokic (15.6 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 6.0 APG) will continue to be a triple-double threat, and Jamal Murray (18.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 4.9 APG) won’t stop being an issue for opposing defenses. However, Paul Millsap is aging and starting to slow down a bit, and their depth could come back to hurt them.

While they’ve done their job for the most part, the Nuggets already have losses to some of the league’s worst teams, including the Hawks, Pelicans, and Kings. They’ll be remembering their heartbreaking loss to the Blazers in last year’s playoffs. Unfortunately with the Clippers and Lakers fielding such dominant rosters, this is not the year to try and sneak into the NBA finals.

STATUS: PRETENDERS

Special mentions:

The defending champion Toronto Raptors were predicted to plummet in the Eastern Conference after losing Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green, but they’ve done the work to stay afloat and actually find themselves not only in a playoff position but also looking at having home court advantage in at least one series. Pascal Siakam has really come into his own this season, and the Raptors’ coaching staff and front office deserve credit for showing that the rest of their players are still a formidable force. They’re 27 to 1 to win the title but they’re going to be a tough out.

The Miami Heat, in a similar vein, deserve credit as well. They also find themselves in a top-four position in the East thanks to a team-oriented style of basketball spearheaded by Jimmy Butler. Many people wondered how and why Butler decided to move from the Sixers to the Heat, but it seems like he’s found a home with people who are willing to work as hard as him. 35 to 1 is a very long shot but they’re going to be a difficult test.

The Dallas Mavericks, on the other hand, may not be ready yet. While Doncic has been a legitimate MVP candidate, it will take another year or two of building their squad before they can make a case as title contenders. It’s going to be fun watching them, though.