The Lakers Remain On Top:
It’s close, but ultimately the Los Angeles Lakers are the stronger of the two LA teams going into this season for a variety of reasons. LeBron James and Anthony Davis complement each other’s game’s better than Kawhi Leonard and Paul George do.
Having two ball-dominant superstars may very well become a big issue for the Clippers. Kawhi Leonard’s main focus, and often only focus, is scoring. He averged just 3.3 assists per game last season for the Tornoto Raptors, despite having the highest usage rate on the team by a mile.
Paul George averaged just over 4 assists per game last season, but he also played alongside a ball-dominant superstar in Russell Westbrook, and went home with an early first round exit after being toyed with by the Portland Trail Blazers. It’s yet to be determined how Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will play together, but what we do know is that their style’s of play don’t necessarily mesh beautifully with one another.
I see no reason why LeBron James and Anthony Davis won’t instantly mesh with one another on the basketball court. Off the court, it seems Davis and James have already formed quite the companionship, assumed by watching them sit courtside at the NBA Summer League and LeBron James standing in attendance during Anthony Davis’ introduction to the Lakers organization. LeBron is a wonderful facilitator who’s most effective when the ball is in his hands. Anthony Davis however, execels on offense playing off the ball, to complement James’ ball dominance beautifully.
The Clippers win the defensive battle, but not by much. George and Leonard are the two greatest perimeter defenders in this league but Avery Bradley and Danny Green aren’t too far off. Additionally, the Lakers have a huge advantage over the Clippers in the winning experience department, which is just the icing on the cake. The Clippers are going to make some noise, but they still won’t be louder than the Lakers.