Lakers and Clippers, the Battle in L.A.

The Los Angeles Clippers and the LA Lakers have shared the city of Los Angeles for many decades. The city has always been more of a Laker town than a Clippers town as the Lakers have enjoyed all the success. Three long stints throughout the past 70 years have seen the Lakers win championships in multiple years while the Clippers seem to just wast away in the playoffs. Let’s take a look at the Lakers and Clippers, the battle in L.A.

But this year is different. Due to the recent events during the offseason for both the Lakers and the Clippers, there may be a big rivalry in the city of Angeles. This offseason the Lakers acquired Anthony Davis from the Pelicans to pair with LeBron in hopes of a title run. As well, the Clippers signed both Paul George and Kawhi Leonard adding to a team that made a sound showing against the Warriors last season in the playoffs. Could the parity there is now, give the people of Los Angeles the battle they have been waiting for?

The Lakers

Let’s face it, one of the reasons Laker fans feel there has never been a real rivalry between them and the Clippers is because the Clippers have never won anything. The Lakers have plenty to show as they have won 16 NBA Championships over the years. There have been at least three separate occasions over the past 70 years that the Lakers have won multiple titles in groups.

In the early ’50s, the Lakers won titles in 1949, 50, 52, 53, and in 1954. That’s a great start to a franchise I would say. Then again in the 80s with Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar and showtime was running wild they won another five championships. Then once again in the early 2000’s they won another three titles with Shaq and Kobe.

They have had great success over the years and have had the hearts of a city filled with the glitter of Hollywood. When the Lakers play the stars come out and watch. It is a show, and event in the city and always has been. It has not always been that way. They have had stretches where they have had downtimes. They have not won a title now since 2010. Since Kobe has retired it has been a below-average team at best.

The front office has not always been the best. They even managed to run a beloved ex-player, Magic Johnson, off over the past couple of years. But now they have King James and A.D. They have a cast of players that just may make an interesting run this year. On the other side of the Staples Center are Kawhi and Paul and a very good group around them. They will be tough to beat.

The Clippers rise again

The Los Angeles Clippers have never been a team that has had long term success in the league. In the early to the middle section of the ’70s, they had brief success. Going into the second round three straight times only to lose. Then it was a long time before they even made the playoffs again, 16 years later in 1992, they made it again.

Then in 2011, the Clippers fell into a deal for Chris Paul with the then-New Orleans Hornets. Lob City was born and the Clippers with Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and a bunch of guys that brought winning back to the Clippers organization. The reached the playoffs six straight years but only reached second round three times. They were good and had all that the Lakers had.

With one glaring omission, the titles. They never made it out of the second round and when you play in a city with that many championships, you must win to be relevant. So even in the years, they did enjoy winning, they never gained the city in a way the Lakers always had. Most Laker fans would never call when they called the Clippers a rivalry. But that all ends now.

The Battle in L.A.

The Clippers last season had what many would call a decent team, not great by any means but good. Then they added the prize of free agency, Kawhi Leonard and then also managed to get Paul George. Two of the best two players in the game today. Both can guard anybody on the floor and both can create and score for themselves. They have sharp shooting on the outside in second-year man Landry Shamet who can score and also plays great defense.

Patrick Beverley ; who is one of the toughest guards in the league, can also play defense with the best of them. This, the defense will be what puts this team in the top of the Western Conference this year. When they want to clam down they will be able to stop any run a team may have. The defense will win a championship. This team as it sits is exactly why there is now a rivalry in L.A. Even with king James sitting on the other side, this Clippers team almost can’t be matched.

They have a deep bench and will make the fight in Los Angeles one for the city to remember. Can the Clippers outdo, outdraw a Lakers team with James and Davis? Who wins more games this year? Who wins the series between the two? The Lakers do not have as deep of a bench as the Clippers. They do have guys we all know can play and will play hard every night. Dwight Howard looks good and JaVale McGee can be a force in the paint both offensively and defensively.

Lack of shooting may be the biggest problem for L.A. but scoring will not be a problem. To beat this Laker team you will have to score a lot of points. One thing is for sure, the city of Los Angeles is about to see one of its best basketball seasons from both the NBA teams that call L.A. home. The Clippers and the Lakers, let the battle in L.A. begin.

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