5-on-5: So, are the Clippers better than the Warriors (and Cavs)?

— -- Would the Clippers beat the Warriors in a series? Who's the best team in the NBA -- the Cavs, Clippers or Warriors?

Our NBA Insiders debate.

1. Who's the best team in the NBA?

Amin Elhassan, ESPN Insider:?The team playing the best basketball in the NBA right now is the Los Angeles Clippers. They are demolishing opponents at home and on the road, both sickly (Brooklyn Nets) and stout (San Antonio Spurs).

Chris Haynes, ESPN.com: I'd go with the Cavaliers. They seem to be playing with the most comfort and rhythm. Not much has changed on that roster, which allows Cleveland to continue building off their principles. The Warriors are still in the figuring-it-out phase. While I like what the Clippers have done, it still remains to be seen if they possess a reliable go-to scorer down the stretch of tight games.

Jeremias Engelmann, ESPN Insider: There is no doubt it's the Clippers for now. The starting unit is firing on all cylinders, and their formerly abysmal bench can suddenly hold on to leads. Somewhat unexpectedly, they feature the best defense in the league, with Luc Mbah a Moute defending at an elite level. In the game against the Blazers, he held Damian Lillard to 1-of-10 shooting.

Andrew Han, ESPN.com:?Can I say the Clippers? Is that OK? It's the Clippers. Who will be the best team in the league when it's all said and done is presently unknowable (although I think most picked the Warriors). For now, the Clippers have the largest margin of victory (by far) and a top-5 offense and defense by efficiency. Oh, and the Clippers starting five is currently out-pacing last season's Warriors death lineup in plus-minus (861 to 688) while playing fewer total minutes.

Kevin Pelton, ESPN Insider:?Right now, the Clippers. Even if you assume opponents will regress to shooting the league average from each of Basketball-Reference.com's ranges (an extremely conservative assumption), which pushes their effective field-goal percentage (eFG%) from .455 (best in the league) to .491 (11th), applying that adjustment would still leave the Clippers' point differential at an NBA-high 10.6.

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2. Which is more true?

A.?The Clippers are extremely hot.
B.?The Clippers have found a new level of play.

Pelton:?A. Still, I do think the Clippers have found an improved level of play. As I noted in last week's analysis, their defensive shot distribution has been more favorable than previous seasons, and the second unit appears somewhat more capable. The Clippers were already quite good when healthy, and I think their improvement from that level is more a function of ice-cold opponent shooting.

Han:?B. What's surprising is that the Clippers' offense was actually pretty terrible the first four games of the season, having tweaked and made adjustments in the offseason. Since then, they've gone from 23rd in offensive efficiency to fifth, behind only the Warriors during that seven-game stretch. After they finished last season fourth in defensive efficiency, there's evidence to suggest their current top-ranked defense is no fluke.

Haynes: I'm leaning toward A. The league as a whole isn't as strong as it used to be and the Clippers, to their credit, are taking care of business. That nucleus has played a ton of games together. They should be playing at a high level, but the true indicator of how far they've come will be revealed in the playoffs.

Engelmann:?Both answers are true, but I'd probably lean toward B. Obviously, there's no chance the Clippers will continue trouncing opponents to the tune of 14 points per game, but they have found a rotation that works extremely well. Paul Pierce being injured to start the season was probably a blessing in disguise.

Elhassan:?C. Both. Sure, we have to acknowledge that there are some things happening that we look at with a skeptical eye as far as sustainability: For example, can Mbah a Moute continue to shoot well (an important prerequisite for the fifth guy on the floor with the core four)?

But once again, I have to beat the drum of continuity -- the most underrated element in a modern NBA where change (both the knee-jerk and inevitable varieties) is constant.

3. Which is more true?

A.?The Warriors have things to worry about.
B.?The Warriors will be fine.

Han:?B. Is their bench thinner than last season? Yes, but the 2014-15 champions are also making space for Kevin Durant. As seamless an adjustment as many anticipated between Durant and the Bay Area' "joga bonito," it's still an adjustment (e.g. Klay Thompson uncharacteristically missing wide-open shots). If you want to bet against them, many will still gladly accept cash.

Engelmann:?A. The Warriors currently feature the third-worst defensive rebounding rate and only the 16th-best defense, while their starting unit is outscoring opponents by a measly 1.3 points per 100 possessions (in 113 minutes). With the Clippers' resurgence, the Warriors' path to the title suddenly looks a lot tougher.

Haynes:?B. Considering their plentiful talent and basketball IQ, I think it's only a matter of time before playing together becomes second nature. The Warriors play in a system that doesn't require much overthinking, but they've found themselves doing just that while trying to incorporate Durant. My inclination is they'll be just fine in the end.

Elhassan:?C. Both again. We can simultaneously acknowledge that the concerns about depth, particularly up front, present a real issue for the Warriors while also knowing that their top six players are immensely talented. They have the third-worst defensive rebound percentage and the fourth-worst rim defense, and those are both indicative of the problems in the middle. But for every one of those concerns, they still have the past three MVPs.

Pelton:?B. Golden State should worry about Zaza Pachulia as a starting center and their center position more generally. Still, I think most of their offensive issues are the product of uncharacteristically poor shooting, and most of their defensive issues are the product of complacency. When the Warriors are locked in, they've shown they can blow opponents off the court.

4.?Are any other West teams at either the Clippers' or the Warriors' level?

Haynes:?You'd still have to throw San Antonio in that mix. Even without Tim Duncan, they're a force with the continuing emergence of Kawhi Leonard. But aside from the Spurs, in my opinion, there's no other West squad in that conversation.

Elhassan:?Right now, no. Theoretically the Spurs are the third team in the top tier, but they haven't been the same clinical machine that we've been accustomed to seeing in the past.

Engelmann:?No other team is currently at the Clippers' level, but several West teams are playing close to the Warriors' level. The Warriors' 7-3 record and plus-8.2 point differential are somewhat deceiving as they've played both the lowly Pelicans and Suns twice. When adjusted for strength of schedule, the Spurs and Rockets have been almost as good.

Pelton:?No, I don't think San Antonio is at that level. The Spurs are still quite good and will win plenty of games in the regular season. When it comes to the playoffs, however, I think their 24-point home loss to the Clippers is more indicative of how they'll match up with the West's best teams than their 29-point win at Golden State on opening night.

Han:?Superstition insists that the Spurs at least be mentioned when talking about the West's elites. But whether a line of LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol can anchor a top defense (even with wunderkind Leonard wreaking havoc on the perimeter) is still a concern at this point in the season.

5. Clippers or Warriors: Who would you pick in a seven-game series?

Elhassan: I'm still taking Golden State. In a playoff chess match, the Warriors still hold the advantage in terms of the versatility of their main players and the ability to dictate the tempo and matchups.

Haynes:?I'm going with the Warriors for the simple fact that I've witnessed the Clippers fail time and time again during the postseason. As deep as they are, a closer is something Los Angeles has always lacked. Golden State has three of them. Case closed.

Han:?Warriors. The animus between the two teams is so great that even if the Warriors had massive chemistry issues, a temptation would exist to pick them over the Clippers. Golden State has all the talent and firepower needed to beat any team. Come playoff time, it's plausible they don't galvanize to upend several opponents. But the Clippers would almost be like reverse kryptonite -- anyone but L.A.

Engelmann:?It's very close. The Clippers are playing better basketball right now, but we have to assume the Warriors have another gear. They have little motivation to give full effort during the regular season and are probably saving a lot of their energy for May and June.

Pelton:?Golden State. Any effort or focus issues the Warriors experience during the regular season should not be a major issue come playoff time, and I think they could exploit the Clippers' weaknesses in terms of the need to keep Mbah a Moute (or perhaps Wesley Johnson) on the court to guard Durant and their difficulty defending when Golden State moves Draymond Green to center.