1 advantage the LA Clippers have over every Pacific rival
By Evan Desai
1 advantage the LA Clippers have over the Los Angeles Lakers: Adequate court spacing
The LA Clippers really shouldn’t be worried very much about the Los Angeles Lakers trading for Russell Westbrook.
I’m not one of these people that claims that the Lakers are now worse with Westbrook. They’re not, and they’re not a first-round exit anymore. That being said, it wasn’t the right move for the Lakers if they want to have their big three playing to their full strength.
The Clippers have a core that allows them to do what they do best. They have many long wings who can shoot the lights out, play defense, and slash. Their point guards are scoring threats, and can also play defense.
Their identity is set and it works. The Lakers are going to have a heck of a time figuring out how to have healthy court spacing with LeBron James and Russell Westbrook on the floor at the same time. Both are very ball-dominant scorers, which typically won’t work too well together.
Westbrook is going to want to be aggressive and score from anywhere on the court. The problem is, James looks to do the same when he’s on the floor. They’re going to end up clogging the paint for Anthony Davis.