Similar struggles aside, the hoops hierarchy in LA remains as topsy-turvy as ever. The Lakers may have more stars on their side (i.e. Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol and Steve Nash), but it's the Clippers who've looked more like title contenders in the early going.
Seeing the Clips storm out to an 8-4 start is strange enough on its own. They've never so much as sniffed the Larry O'Brien Trophy since their founding in 1970 as the Buffalo Braves. The closest the Clips have ever come to a date with destiny was in 2006, when they pushed the run-and-gun Phoenix Suns to seven games in the Western Conference semifinals.
As such, seeing the Clips playing like an elite NBA outfit is somewhat shocking, even if it shouldn't be with the likes of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and Jamal Crawford on the roster. But for them to upstage their star-studded Staples Center co-tenants, who've hung 16 banners and were picked by many to hang a 17th prior to the start of the season?
Well, maybe the Mayans knew what they were talking about after all. With that in mind—the Clips' rise, not the predicted apocalypse—let's have a look at how the Battle for LA has thus far been turned on its head.
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Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
