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Los Angeles Lakers: Advantages Lakers have over Clippers in playoffs

By Jason Reed

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 22: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers is defended by Kawhi Leonard #2 of the LA Clippers during the first half in the LA Clippers season home opener at Staples Center on October 22, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 22: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers is defended by Kawhi Leonard #2 of the LA Clippers during the first half in the LA Clippers season home opener at Staples Center on October 22, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

1. Size

Size is a very important thing in the NBA and even if we are moving to a new era where teams are embracing the three-ball so much more, things often slow down in the playoffs and having reliable bigs could make a huge difference while coming up against a smaller team.

If the Clippers were a much better shooting team than the Lakers then it would be something then it would not be as big of an advantage for the Lakers, but they aren’t. The Clippers are shooting 36.3 percent from beyond the arc this season, the Lakers are shooting 36.2 percent.

The Lakers have several options near the rim to turn to. Anthony Davis is the most obvious and he is going to be the most important player in this series as he could dominate the Clippers and have a career-defining series en route to the Finals.

However, the Lakers also have both Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee to provide minutes. Both have playoff experience under their belt and at the very least will be reliable scorers around the rim when needed and shot blockers.

The Clippers do not have that luxury. They have Ivica Zubac, who Doc Rivers did not trust in the playoffs last year and seemingly does not trust this year, and Montrezl Harrell.

Harrell is an awesome player and one of the most underrated in the league but it has become a problem where Rivers is keeping Harrell out there for what seems like the entire fourth quarter.

Outside of Harrell, the team does not really have another reliable big, which is going to be a massive problem against the lethal LeBron-Davis pick and roll.

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