Roundtable: Los Angeles Lakers-Los Angeles Clippers arms race

Both the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers will enter next season with a completely different looking team than last season.

The summer of 2019 might go down in history as the most significant in the rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers. For the first time in their history here in Los Angeles, both teams find themselves at the top of not only the Western Conference but perhaps in the whole NBA.

As of this writing, Las Vegas oddsmakers have both teams in a virtual tie to be crowned NBA champions in 2020. On one side you have the duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the other, it’s Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

Both teams rosters have been transformed and even with future moves looming deserve their place. We here at LA Sports Hub wanted to discuss the flurry of moves and where this leaves both teams.

Here is our roundtable on the arms race between the two teams, starting with a fairly straightforward question.

1. Which roster is better, the Los Angeles Lakers or Los Angeles Clippers?

Redan Lopez: After the Clippers made a blockbuster trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder to acquire Paul George to pair with its signing of superstar Kawhi Leonard, it is clear that there is a battle for supremacy in LA. The Lakers have a formidable pair of their own in big man Anthony Davis and the almighty LeBron James.

When putting the two rosters next two each other, the Lakers surprisingly have the better roster. They have more size and more depth than the Clippers, so missing out on Leonard may have been good from this perspective. They were able to address several open holes on their roster.

The Lakers were able to get depth at the center position by signing JaVale McGee and DeMarcus Cousins. The outside shooting was also able to be addressed with re-signing Kentavious Caldwell Pope and adding sharpshooter Danny Green.

Don’t forget the Lakers also got back Rajon Rondo, added vet Jared Dudley, and got ex-Warrior Quinn Cook to solidify their guard rotation.

Meanwhile, the Clippers shredded their depth in trading for Paul George. The losses of Danilo Gallinari and rising point guard Shai Giligeous-Alexander really hurt.

The team does not have much-proven depth behind its formidable first five of Leonard, George, Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, and Montrezl Harrell. As a result, it’s hard to trust the second unit of the Clippers right now because of the uncertainty after those top players are off the floor.

Hil Lopez: The summer of 2019 has truly been the most interesting free agency period in its recent period. Although, out of the two LA teams who truly made power moves this summer, the one that has the better roster is the LA Clippers.

The Clippers have two max free agents (Kawhi Leonard and Paul George), and the Lakers have two (LeBron James, and Anthony Davis), the latter who will be paid the max probably next year when his contract is up. However, the one part that distances itself between the two teams is the bench.

The Clippers have the better bench as they have two of the best players coming off the bench in Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell. Williams just won the sixth man of the year award yet again, with Harrell coming in third in the voting. Both players know their roles and have great chemistry in the pick and roll game.

The Clippers arguably have the deepest bench in the league with many 3 and D guys, and that doesn’t include PF JaMychal Green who signed a team friendly deal (2 years, $10 million via ESPN).

Jamaal Artis: It’s the Lakers, the Clippers have a formidable starting five when you factor defense but I think the Lakers have done a better job of surrounding LeBron and Anthony Davis with players that maximize their strengths.

If DeMarcus Cousins is healthy the amount of length, size, and versatility that could overwhelm even the best of teams. The Clippers won’t be able to match that..yet.