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The LA Lakers, LA Clippers and the Brooklyn Nets all came into this season with championship aspirations. But since then, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that things haven't exactly gone according to plan for the franchise.
Credit is due to the Clippers, though, as they have probably done the best they can under the circumstances they are in. Their two superstars in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have missed a huge chunk of games this season. With the former yet to play a single minute this season.
The Lakers, meanwhile, fell to another defeat against the Dallas Mavericks and the Brooklyn Nets seem to have finally found a settled roster and are expected to be in championship contention this year.
The recent performances of the Clippers, in particular, have put fans in an upbeat mood as they took to Reddit to sing the team's praises. Especially in light of the fact that Leonard and George are absent.
The contrasting seasons the LA Lakers and LA Clippers are enduring
The LA Lakers and the LA Clippers are experiencing contrasting seasons at the moment and yet both franchises had similar postseason goals. Injuries have played a huge part in derailing their respective campaigns, especially to their superstars, but one has managed to cope up with it better than the other.
The Lakers have been as dysfunctional as one team can possibly be this campaign, with roster construction being the root of their problems. While this is a team built for the postseason, having the oldest roster in the league hasn't helped them navigate through the regular season.
The likes of Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis have been shocking this season with LeBron James. continuing to do what he does best. James is putting in incredible performances and carrying the franchise as much as he can.
Meanwhile, the LA Clippers lost Kawhi Leonard coming into the season but were soon without Paul George as well as picking up an elbow injury right around the end of December. Head coach Ty Lue has earned incredible praise for having the Clippers in a playoff spot in the highly competitive Western Conference.
With Leonard and George, in all likelihood, returning before the end of the regular season, the Clippers have the capability to mount a championship challenge.
There was incredible buzz around the City of Angels when Kawhi Leonard announced his decision to sign with the Lakers in 2019 as he was pitted against James immediately. However, "King James" did win a championship with his LA team as recently as 2020,
Leonard and the LA Clippers are yet to have a proper crack at the postseason with a healthy squad and their players firing on all cylinders. We could potentially see that play out this year if the LA Lakers can get their act together.
Guess the Lakers players!
