The Clippers, however, viewed their 2011-'12 campaign as a success. Former GM Neil Olshey put together a terrific squad on the fly, adding Chris Paul, Caron Butler, Kenyon Martin and Reggie Evans to a young, energetic core of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.
After squandering homecourt advantage at the end of the season, they defeated the Memphis Grizzlies in seven games to advance to the second round for only the second time in franchise history. They were then swept by the San Antonio Spurs; however, both Paul and Griffin were nursing injuries sustained in the previous series. Overall, they are looking to build upon a successful year.
The Lakers, however, have title aspirations every season, whether it is justified or not. Last year, without the Zen Master pacing—I mean, sitting in his highchair on the sidelines—Mike Brown struggled to create a cohesive unit. Kobe Bryant was forced to handle the ball more often than not, which essentially took the point guard out of the play. Pau Gasol was frustrated all year, and Andrew Bynum only appeared engaged every other night.
Entering an offseason of questions, both teams have answered the bell thus far. Here's an early look at each position between the now inner-city rivals:
PG: Chris Paul, Clippers VS. Steve Nash, Lakers
The city of Los Angeles has been salivating for quite some time at the prospect of witnessing the battle between Paul and Nash orchestrating their respective offenses, and for good reason. These two studs are the best in the business at their position on the offensive side of the ball.
Nash, a two-time MVP, has a proven track record of making th...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
