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The Los Angeles Lakers lead the Western Conference with a stellar 41-12 (0.774) win-loss record, but many would argue against their ownership to the throne. The Lakers have tasted defeat in both their meetings with the Los Angeles Clippers so far. The matchups were not one-sided affairs by any means, but the Clips managed to pull through down the stretch on each occasion.
Coach Doc Rivers and his Clippers (37-18) are currently 5 games behind the Lakers on the West standings, but possess one of the most lethal lineups across the league. Courtesy of Lou Williams and Montrezl Harell, the Clippers lead the league in bench points.
"There's no way the Lakers beat the Clippers in a seven-game series," an Eastern Conference executive said.
On that note, let's take a look at three reasons why the battle of LA is most likely to end with the Clippers emerging triumphant.
#1 The Clippers are making all the right moves at the right time
The Clippers managed to land Marcus Morris before the trade deadline, and his addition to the present cannot be overstated. The 30-year-old was averaging career-high numbers - 19.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game - while shooting 43 percent from beyond the arc.
Come playoff time, Morris can easily guard elite wing scorers with his 6-foot-9 frame, and take some offensive load off George and Kawhi's shoulders.
Moreover, the Clippers also won the arms race with Lakers in signing Pistons guard Reggie Jackson, who provides another scoring boost to an already-stacked second unit. Jackson has appeared in just 14 games this season due to injury, but averaged 15.4 points and 4.2 assists last season.
The Clipppers already had an open roster spot (which they had to fill by this Saturday in order to meet league requirements), so bringing in Jackson fits their scheme of things perfectly.
#2 The Lakers' defense will have to sacrifice LeBron in order to contain Kawhi in a playoff series
When it comes to a seven-game series, there are not many people who can effectively guard Kawhi Leonard. While Danny Green and Kyle Kuzma have had problems in the past guarding the Klaw, KCP and Bradley are not built strong enough.
The Lakers have always had trouble containing big, strong wings, and their only saving grace will come from LeBron James.
But putting Bron on Kawhi means the 35-year-old will have to manage ball-handling, scoring and playmaking duties, while also defending consistently at a high level. That does not inspire much confidence in the Lakers' fortunes.
On the other hand, the Clippers carry the best defensive rating in the league (105.6 points allowed per 100 possessions), against top 13 offenses. Even before incorporating Morris into the mix, this team had been the cream of the league when it came to lockdown defense.
Coach Frank Vogel needs to have a methodical defensive strategy up his sleeve if the Lakers wish to get past the freight train that is the Clippers roster.
#3 Outside of LeBron James, the Lakers do not have a reliable scoring ball-handler
The Los Angeles Lakers roster comprises of only three players scoring in double-digits. The offensive distribution is ridiculously skewed. Moreover, Playoff Bron is projected to take over as the permanent floor general come playoff time.
The likes of Rajon Rondo, Alex Caruso and Quinn Cook have just not been consistent when bringing the ball up the floor, which puts immense pressure on LeBron to make the right plays when he is on the court.
While Rondo has not been much of a shot-creator this year, Caruso and Cook are averaging under 6 ppg so far. Even though Avery Bradley has emerged as their latest three-point dark horse, when one imagines full-court pressure on him by Pat Bev, the outcome does not look good.
The Clippers have multiple lineups that they can utilise, and their guard rotation is stacked to the brim at the moment. And considering the playoff version of Leonard we witnessed last year, the Clippers seem like surefire title contenders - even though they haven't been the best team for a consistent stretch so far.
