Lakers News: Former LeBron James Teammate Makes Surprise Pick In Hypothetical Clippers Playoff Series
During a recent NBA Today episode on ESPN, two former LeBron James teammates-turned-analysts discussed who would win a theoretical playoff series between James' Lakers and the LA Clippers.
The Lakers lead their season series 2-1, and that lone Clippers win happened when James was sidelined.
Richard Jefferson, who won a championship with James in 2016 as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, had this to say when asked about if he would pick the Lakers over the Clippers in a series:
Jefferson's confidence in LeBron and co. feels a little overzealous all things considered, as the Lakers have been far worse than the Clippers all-around this season.
That said, they've won both of their head-to-head games (albeit, one was before the James Harden trade), suggesting that from a matchup standpoint, the Lakers could be at an advantage.
And from an Xs and Os standpoint, they likely are. While Clippers center Ivica Zubac definitely gets the job done, he's dramatically outmatched by Anthony Davis, and what makes the Clippers so good is their wing depth, which LA rivals perfectly.
Depth including the likes of Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish, Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura, and Max Christie aren't perfect solutions, but they're decent-to-good ones against the elite group of Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and Norman Powell.
Another factor to consider is injuries, as the Clippers have seemingly found ways to become banged up annually, without fail. Kawhi and Paul George both have lengthy injury histories, specifically towards the end of the year/entering playoff time. Without one or both of them, as we've seen in years prior, the Clippers' ceiling is seriously capped, making the Lakers a safer pick in a head-to-head series.
