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Five teams that could challenge the LA Clippers’ title aspirations

By Garrett Chorpenning

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 10: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the LA Clippers steps back on Nikola Jokic #15 and Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets during the first half at Staples Center on October 10, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 10: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the LA Clippers steps back on Nikola Jokic #15 and Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets during the first half at Staples Center on October 10, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 05: Anthony Davis (left) #3 sits next to LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers during their game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on October 05, 2019 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 05: Anthony Davis (left) #3 sits next to LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers during their game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on October 05, 2019 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

No. 4: Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers may have missed out on Kawhi Leonard this summer, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be able to compete with the LA Clippers. LeBron James is back for another season, and he’ll be paired up with Anthony Davis, who is the most talented teammate James has had since teaming up with Dwyane Wade in 2010.

There are certainly a few things to be worried about with the Lakers, but for the most part, this is a talented roster that has title aspirations of its own.

The case for

James, now at age 34, is still one of the game’s best players. He averaged 27.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.3 assists this past season with the Lakers, and he could be even better this season as a lot of the weight will be lifted off of him.

Davis is the co-star that James lacked with last season’s Lakers team, and it’s something that he desperately needed. Kyle Kuzma isn’t ready to take on that role yet (and he may not ever be), and that hurt Los Angeles when James went down with a groin injury that kept him out of 17 straight games.

Davis is one of the league’s most dominant bigs, and his numbers were evidence of that last year in New Orleans. The 26-year-old averaged 25.9 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.4 blocks per game for the Pelicans and had one of his best years from three-point range, connecting on 33.1 percent of the shots he put up.

Together, James and Davis are arguably a more dominant duo than Leonard and Paul George. Both are top-10 talents, and while the same can be said about the LA Clippers’ duo, Davis’ ability in the paint will probably give them the slight edge in head-to-head matchups.

James has a chance to make history in 2020 by restoring the Lakers to their former glory and winning a title with a third franchise, which would make him just the third player to ever do it.

The case against

Outside of James and Davis, the Lakers don’t offer much. Danny Green is a solid starting-caliber player and excellent three-point shooter and Kuzma has demonstrated that he can score, but there isn’t much else to be excited about here.

Dwight Howard is nothing like the player he used to be, and his contract situation with the Lakers doesn’t exactly show that the franchise is overly confident in him. Avery Bradley isn’t the defensive stud he once was with the Boston Celtics, either. LA Clippers fans had a front-row seat to that show last season.

Alex Caruso had his best game against the Clippers last season, going for a career-high 32 points in the Lakers’ early-April victory. Lakers fans bring that to our attention quite a bit, but typically fail to mention the fact that Patrick Beverley was inactive for that performance.

There’s also the possibility of injuries, which is always something worth considering. Davis has played 70+ games in the regular season just twice throughout his seven-year career, and James’ injury last season showed how little the Lakers had to offer besides him.

The Clippers’ stars are injury-prone too, but the difference is that their roster is better-equipped to handle those injuries than that of the Lakers. If either James or Davis goes down, the replacement player won’t be a Montrezl Harrell or a Lou Williams or a Maurice Harkless — it’ll be a Kuzma or a Kentavious Caldwell-Pope or a JaVale McGee.

If these two teams do wind up meeting in the postseason, as many anticipate they will, the Clippers’ depth could ultimately be what puts them over the top.

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