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There are two basketball teams in Los Angeles which share a building. There has always been a clear pecking order with the Lakers on top and the Clippers as the little brother. They faced off at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday in their first meeting of the season, with the visiting Clippers winning 103-97.
On the “Jalen and Jacoby Show” co-host and former NBA player Jalen Rose reacted to the game.
“This ain't fair to the Lakers. … All of their flaws is gonna be exposed on national TV,” Rose said.
Even LeBron James has said the Lakers lack shooting. The Clippers are not the Warriors, who beat the Lakers 123-109 on Tuesday, but they have a lot of depth and have a few shooters who can spread the floor.
The Clippers are trying to be No. 1
The Clippers look poised to become the premier basketball team in the city of Los Angeles at the moment.
The Lakers have long dominated the scene and have the championships to show for it: 17 The Clippers, who have never won a title, feel like it's their time to break through and become champions.
The Clippers brought back a healthy Kawhi Leonard and Paul George this season. Having two All-Stars who play well on both ends will be a huge boost. The team also added former All-Star John Wall this offseason.
The team has some solid depth at all positions. Point guard Reggie Jackson had a breakout season last year, averaging 16.8 points per game. Coach Tyrone Lue has a solid lineup to work with that will play good defense and look to contend in the Western Conference.
The Lakers appear to be in trouble already
Russell Westbrook does not fit with the Lakers, particularly with LeBron James. The most successful team LeBron has been on has had good shooting around him. If Anthony Davis stays healthy, he can be very good, but he has not shown that he can do that in recent years.
Patrick Beverley is a good defender but has never really been an offensive contributor. The team doesn’t have another big man of consequence other than Anthony Davis. The sole highlight for this team could be James breaking the all-time scoring record this season.
Will the team be able to make a trade to bolster this roster? Can the Lakers find an offensive identity that works to their strengths? How long will Westbrook be part of the roster? All of these questions will need to be answered if the Lakers are going to be successful.
