Getty Images L.A. Clippers' Kawhi Leonard defending Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James
The city of Los Angeles is torn between two teams. They have the Los Angeles Lakers who have been a favorite since the beginning of time and then there’s the L.A. Clippers who have progressively gained major respect in recent years. Los Angeles is now divided into two which has sparked a huge debate. Is LeBron the King of L.A. or is Kawhi Leonard taking over that title?
Are the Lakers better, or are the Clippers better? This discussion floods the streets of Los Angeles and consumes many conversations.
Sports analysts, Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe decided to speak upon the argument on their show, Skip and Shannon: UNDISPUTED. Amid the huge debate, Bayless and Sharpe brought on NBA analyst, Ric Bucher. Bucher had a strong stance and confidently said ‘there’s no debate’ that the Clippers are better than the Lakers.
Bucher elaborated on his thoughts by backing up the argument further.
“The Clippers just have way too much for the Lakers. They can send multiple quality defenders at Anthony Davis and wear him down. They can send multiple defenders at LeBron James and wear him down. They can play slow. They can play fast. They can score from the perimeter. They can do all the things you need to do in the postseason and the Lakers are simply hoping that they can be what they are now at the end of the year.”
Los Angeles Lakers Argument
LeBron James and Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers own the hearts of many L.A. fans. They have brought home 16 championships and are definitely beloved by their followers. This season, they have two of the best players in the league in LeBron James and Anthony Davis. They currently boast a 9-2 record, the best in the Western Conference. The team poses a serious threat to all other NBA contenders and are favorites in the eyes of many.
Per NBC Sports, the Lakers have the best defensive rating in the league at under 100. Their roster features particularly great defensive players including, Anthony Davis, Danny Green, Avery Bradley, Rajon Rondo, and Dwight Howard. It’s no surprise the Lakers have been so great defensively through the early stages of the season.
The L.A. Clippers Argument
Getty ImagesKawhi Leonard and Patrick Beverley of the Los Angeles Clippers
Though the Clippers aren’t doing as well as the Lakers, at least record-wise, they are still outperforming most of the competition. One also has to take into consideration that a key player in Paul George took the court for the first time this season on Thursday night. It’s unknown what things will look like once George and Leonard take the floor together.
The Clippers also feature a strong bench headlined by Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell. The team now holds a 7-5 record, which may seem average, or maybe even below average, but it’s hard to argue that they haven’t hit their stride yet. Fans only saw a glimpse of PG13 when he suited up Thursday night and they have yet to see the star duo play together.
It is safe to say that the Lakers still have the hearts of L.A., but the Clippers are giving the rival a run for their money. The competition between the two is heating up and if the Clippers beat the Lakers again in their next meeting and make a deeper run this season, the Lakers may just lose their edge in terms of fandom. This is the battle for Los Angeles. Game on.