Although they are the LA Clippers' biggest rivals, and have been for years, the Los Angeles Lakers have numerous roster similarities. They have two superstars in Luka Dončić and LeBron James, while the Clippers have James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, along with a relatively deep roster, with a former NBA veteran at the helm as head coach.
Speaking of Dončić, he plays somewhat identically to Harden, in that both are elite scorers and all-world playmakers who have an emphasized focus on making their teammates better.
However, to thrive with this type of playstyle, they need a center who is willing to work in pick-and-rolls, clean the glass, and always look to soar up top for an alley oop. This is where the difference stands, as the Clippers have Ivica Zubac, and the Lakers are still searching for their answer.
The Lakers hoped to have uncovered a solution in the NBA Draft, and they even traded up from not having a pick to the second round to select forward Adou Thiero. This meant the front office was having talks to fill their void in free agency.
The Lakers' top target was Brook Lopez, who spent 2017-18 with the franchise. This reunion made sense for both sides, but instead of going through with it, Lopez wanted to see what life was like on the other side of town, as he signed a two-year, $18 million deal with the Clippers.
This is viewed as a significant upgrade for the Clippers, who essentially stole their rivals' top offseason target.
Brook Lopez joining the LA Clippers' center situation, over the Los Angeles Lakers, is one he is familiar with
The one-two punch of Ivica Zubac and Brook Lopez is lethal, and something the LA Clippers have never had before. Isaiah Hartenstein was great behind the Croatian star, but Lopez's three-point shooting and rim protection make him more valuable on the bench.
This season, Lopez turned 37 years old, and still averaged 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists, shooting 50.9% from the field and 37.3% from beyond the arc.
His production was elite, but coincidentally enough, Zubac has seen it before, on the Los Angeles Lakers. In the 2017-18 season, the Clippers' now-star big man was in his second season, still learning, and was the backup to Lopez.
Now, the roles are reversed, and it will translate to a turnaround worth watching as both are fully developed but can still help each other, while also winning games in Inglewood, California.