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When the Clippers acquired Chris Paul in late December, days after
Paul's trade to the Lakers was nixed by the NBA, everyone anticipated a
real rivalry developing between the two teams.
At
FOX Sports West, we dedicated a page to it: BATTLE FOR
L.A.
And guess what?
It's been exactly that – a battle for L.A., a battle for the Pacific Division title and, down the road, maybe a battle for even higher stakes. Going into their final meeting of the regular season Wednesday night at Staples Center, only a game and a half separates the Lakers (33-20) and Clippers (32-21). Both teams are among the best in the NBA. Both have a transcendant star as well as complementary stars. But both also have issues to resolve before the playoffs in order to emerge as true title contenders.
Let's start with the Lakers.
And let's start by saying this: Kobe Bryant is NOT their biggest problem. It's a little crazy I even have to say that, but that's what I keep hearing recently: He's shooting too much. He's trying to do too much. He needs to tone it down and defer to the big men.
Look, it's not good that Kobe's shooting 43 percent. But think about what he's had to do this year. Until they traded for Ramon Sessions, he was the Lakers' only perimeter threat. He was the only one who could create shots for himself and create shots for teammates. When the shot clock is running down, he's the one who's forced to take a lot of tough shots. He's had a lot on his shoulders, and he's carried it without complaining.
Kobe never shies away from any challenge and that's what makes him special. He just has a different DNA than anyone, except maybe Michael Jordan. I hope people appreciate the time and effort and heart he puts into playing basketball. Anyone watching him each night is watching NBA history. He's one of the greatest players ever.
To me, Kobe's minutes are a lot more of a concern than his shot selection. He's playing 38.6 minutes per game, nearly five more than last year. That's the third-most in the NBA and just way too many considering this is his 16th NBA season. No one's played this many minutes at this stage of his career in the history of the game. And they're hard minutes because the Lakers live and die with Kobe Bryant. I just hope he still has his legs when the playoffs roll around.
That's where Sessions can help. With a young, fast point guard who can create his own shot, there's not as much pressure on Kobe to carry the offensive load. Sessions is already giving them a lot of what they need, but it's still an adjustment for everyone. Kobe's more of a 2-guard now; that's an adjustment. Everyone has to get used to playing with Sessions and he needs as many reps as possible before the playoffs.
The Lakers' weaknesses are the same as they've been all season. Their small forwards aren't giving them much offensively. Metta World Peace and Matt Barnes have been excellent on defense, but they haven't been consistent shooting the ball.
Their 3-point percentage (31.7) is the fourth-worst in the league. And their bench scoring is the worst. They need someone to score besides Bryant, Sessions, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. Barnes has been better since they got Sessions because he can run the court and get easy baskets. I think Troy Murphy can still be a big part of what they do.
Despite their problems, the Lakers are a very good basketball team. No one else has two 7-footers as good as Bynum and Gasol. No one else has Kobe Bryant. They play excellent defense, especially when it comes to protecting the basket in the halfcourt. And since playoff basketball is usually a halfcourt game, this team is built for the playoffs. The question is whether they'll be healthy and hitting on all cylinders when they get there.
The Clippers, meanwhile, seem to be hitting on all cylinders right now. It's amazing how quickly things change. A couple weeks ago they were really struggling and Vinny Del Negro was on the hot seat. Six wins later, that seat isn't hot anymore. The team is.
Give Del Negro some credit. It's not easy to coach a team with a lot of new players. The Clippers added Chris Paul, of course, but then they got Reggie Evans and Kenyon Martin and Nick Young. Those are all good parts, but it's difficult to integrate them all into a cohesive unit. Vinny's done a very good job of solidifying his rotation and establishing roles.
But what's the biggest reason for their resurgence? You guessed it: Chris Paul. He's kind of been like Kobe in that he's had to do so much – score, distribute, play a lot of minutes, make all the plays down the stretch. I think he got a little tired, which is understandable, but he's back to being spectacular. When he plays this well, everyone else benefits because he makes the game easier for them.
Blake Griffin may benefit the most from Paul's presence. He gets easier baskets and can continue his own maturation process with a true superstar by his side. Griffin is already a star and the most physically gifted power forward in the game today, but he's just finding out how truly great he can be.
One thing that's helped Paul is the emergence of Eric Bledsoe. He missed about half the season after knee surgery, but he's really given them a lift off the bench lately. He's so fast, he just speeds up the game when he comes in. He's always been an outstanding defender, but he's playing much better on the offensive end now.
So is Randy Foye, who really seemed like the odd man out when the Clippers traded for Young. He didn't play at all in the first game after the trade. But then Mo Williams got hurt and Foye got a chance again, and he's made the most of it. He set a franchise record with eight 3-pointers in Dallas on Monday. He's been the shooter they need with Williams out in order to balance the floor with Griffin inside and Paul's penetration.
Young is starting to come into his own, too. I think there was a lot of pressure on him with people touting him as the last piece for a championship run. But I think he's better coming off the bench. He gives the second unit some scoring punch. Bledsoe brings energy. Martin brings toughness and defense. That's a nice group coming off the bench. When Williams comes back, it's going to be a challenge for Del Negro to figure out minutes and rotations again.
But for now, I really like the defensive personality the Clippers have started to establish. That's been their biggest issue all season. They haven't been able to maintain that defensive intensity. Once in a while, they'd take a possession off. But now they're playing with a lot of energy and they're coming after teams. They're having fun playing basketball again.
Wednesday's game is going to be great. The Clippers dominated the Lakers early in the season, but the Lakers won the second matchup and pulled ahead in the Pacific. Now the Clippers are playing better than the Lakers at the moment.
It's such a contrast of styles when these teams meet. The Lakers want to slow it down and make it a halfcourt game. The Clippers want to get out and run. Who can force their tempo? That will probably decide it.
It's an important game for both teams. Not only does the winner stay in a strong position to get a top-four seed in the West, I think it means a lot as far as confidence and bragging rights and swagger. The winner is going to feel good about itself going into the home stretch of the season. The loser isn't going to feel so hot.
Because if you can't win the Battle for L.A., it's going to be hard to win the other battles that lay ahead.
