Getty Anthony Davis is introduced as the newest player of the Los Angeles Lakers during a press conference with general manager Rob Pelinka and head coach Frank Vogel.
The Lakers put a team together that is looking to compete for an NBA Championship this season.
Already having LeBron James, Kyle Kuzma, JaVale McGee, Rajon Rondo, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Alex Caruso on their roster, LA added some vets Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, Dwight Howard, Danny Green, Avery Bradley, Jared Dudley, Quinn Cook, Troy Daniels and rookie Talen Horton-Tucker to their roster.
So have the Los Angeles Clippers. This offseason, the Clippers signed Kawhi Leonard and followed that up by trading to get Paul George to an existing roster that already included Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell and Ivica Zubac.
Which team is better? Who can compete for an NBA Championship? “I like those two teams,” Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes told me on the Scoop B Radio Podcast.
“I don’t like them [Lakers] better than the Clippers, but I like them. I also just can’t dismiss the Lakers, I can’t do that. I did a local radio show here in Fresnoan d most people that are from around here are Lakers fans. So I know I crush their hearts when I say I like the Clippers over the Lakers. But the reason why I’m picking the Clippers over the Lakers right now is because the players on the Clippers team have continuity. Those guys play well together and now you add two top ten players for them to play with. Now with the Lakers, you’ve got a bunch of players that have never played together before. And you have Anthony Davis, top 5 maybe top 3 talent, who has never won anything on a team. There’s a bunch of question marks with the Laker team.”
The Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers begin training camp next week. The NBA’s regular season begins next month.
Anthony Davis tells me the Lakers have championship plans. “Do whatever I can to help this team win a championship,” Davis said.
“That’s the main goal. That’s our goal and we are going to come in with the mindset that we’re all thinking. This is the year.”
“If they get it together obviously they’re going to be a very good team,” Dwyane Wade told me of the Lakers.
“LeBron, Rondo and those guys, their veteran leadership is going to try and get that continuity together early on and try to get it together and going fast.”
The Clippers were already competitve last season. They went toe-to-toe with the Warriors in the NBA Playoffs.
“I think the Clippers are one of the best watches in the NBA,” ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne told me on the Scoop B Radio Podcast.
Adding Kawhi Leonard was icing on the cake.
“Kawhi seems to be a guy who loves honesty,” NBA Hall of Famer, Shaquille O’Neal told me.
O’Neal believes that Leonard found that in Clippers consultant Jerry West who was the architect of many pivotal deals as general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers. Also an NBA Hall of Famer,NBA Champion and 14-time NBA All Star was quite responsible for creating the great 1980s Lakers dynasty, which brought five championship rings (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988) to the purple and gold.“Jerry is very honest,” Shaq told me.
“Jerry probably said: ‘I’m working on a deal to get you Paul George. You’ve seen what the team did last year. You know what type of guy Doc is. This is your hometown. We would like to have you.’”
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