The History
A lot of people have been crowning the Clippers because of what’s been going on in LA lately, but The Los Angeles Lakers may have the best history for any team in sports. The Los Angeles Clippers, not so much. The Lakers were founded in Minneapolis in 1946, and would eventually move to LA in 1960. Since the start, the Lakers have won 17 championships in 31 finals appearances and the team has an all time winning percentage of %61.9. Twenty-five hall of famers have played for the Lakers, ten of which scored at least 10, 000 points for the historic franchise. From Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain to Kobe and Shaq, the history of the Los Angeles Lakers is endless.
For the Clippers, things have been a little different. The team was founded in 1970, and since then they’ve only made it to the playoffs 7 times, and haven’t even appeared in the finals once. Their all time winning percentage is nearly half the Lakers at %36.2. 4 Hall of Famers played for the Clippers, and Randy Smith is the only one who has scored 10, 000 points for the franchise. Not until now, have the Clippers even been able to breathe on the Lakers.
FACT: The two teams have met 194 times in the history of the NBA and the Lakers have won 143 times.
ADVANTAGE: LAKERS
The Present
Right now, Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers hoist a measly 24 win and 28-loss record, and they stand in 10th place in the Western Conference. The Clippers on the other hand, are 37 and 13 and are 3rd place in the Western Conference. The two teams have each battled their fair share of injuries this season, but the Lakers have no excuse for losing as they added one of the games elite centers in Dwight Howard this season. Dwight is currently averaging 16.2 points per game (worst since 05-06) and 11.7 rebounds (worst since rookie season 04-05). Don’t forget they added 39-year old point guard Steve Nash as well.
The two teams also hold arguably two of the leagues top five players in Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul. Kobe Bryant, at 34-years old, hasn’t missed a game yet this season and is averaging 27.4 points per game, trailing only Carmelo and Durant in that category. Chris Paul has been battling injury all year, but leads the league in steals by a landslide at 2.6 per game and is looking to finish atop that list for the fifth time of his eight-year career. It’s clear who the stars are on these teams, but Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan have officially given Los Angeles the nickname Lob City. Jamal Crawford, at 32-years old is also making his case at winning his 2nd Sixth Man of the Year award as he’s averaging 17.1 PPG off the bench. The Lakers role players are no match for the Clippers.
FACT: This season the Lakers and Clippers have met twice, and the Clippers won both times.
ADVANTAGE: CLIPPERS
The Future
The Clippers (29.4 years-old) and the Lakers (29 years-old) are 3rd and 4th in the NBA in average age of team. It’s clear that the star power from the Clippers is coming more from its youth as Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, and Eric Bledsoe are all 27-years or younger and Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Pau Gasol, and Metta World-Peace are all 32-years or older.
Unfortunately, young talent doesn’t mean everything in sports today, as some teams use money to build franchises. The Lakers may create the future of their choice as the team is worth $643 million and the Clippers half that at $305 million (which is still a lot). We all know one thing for certain; you’re more likely to see Denzel Washington, Justin Bieber, or Lil Wayne at a Lakers game than a Clippers game.
FACT: The two teams play this Thursday at 10:30 PM est. time on TNT.
ADVANTAGE: WHAT DO YOU THINK?
I agree that the Clippers hold a slight edge over the Lakers in the present. That edge could disappear if Kobe Bryant truly emulated his idol and learned to make others around him better. He’s copied every other aspect of MJ’s game, but that intangible quality is something Mamba has never mastered.
The Lakers could be one of the best teams in the league if:
1. Dwight Howard realized he is a great role-player, NOT someone who the offense should move through.
2. Go back to the triangle offense, or some variation of it.
3. Hire Ryan Moody as backup point gaurd