Los Angeles Lakers: Why Kobe Bryant and Lakers Are Still Kings in LA
Wednesday night was as exciting as it gets for Los Angeles basketball fans.
The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Miami Heat in a thriller at Staples, and the Lakers beat the Utah Jazz in a hostile environment in overtime.
It really sets up for the approaching encounter between the Lakers and Clippers on the 14th. The only thing guaranteed in the revived hallway rivalry are plenty of explosions.
It will ultimately judge, at least for a night, who runs LA.
It would be easy to simply look at the fact that the Lakers weren't able to acquire Chris Paul or Dwight Howard and see the Clippers' signature win over Miami as evidence that the Clippers are the new kings of Los Angeles.
However, the Lakers haven't relinquished that title. They're still ahead of the Clippers in the standings and they've played four more games.
The Clippers have had breaks, the Lakers haven't. And with the more condensed schedule, the Lakers have been tested to a greater extent thus far. Also, if one ignores the first two losses of the season, the Lakers have won eight of their last 10 games.
The Clippers may have a huge advantage at the point guard position, but let's not forget that Chris Paul's New Orleans Hornets started off 11-1 last year before collapsing. Let's not award anything to the Clippers until they win a playoff series.
The Lakers' strong defensive play, along with Kobe's recent dominance, easily shows that the Purple and Gold are still the premier team in Southern California.
Mike Brown's newly implemented defense is always going to give the Lakers a chance to win games. After 12 games the Lakers have allowed the fourth-fewest points per game at 89.8, and have kept opponents at bay with just a 41.6 field goal percentage.
They're also winning rebounding battles every game. Opponents only manage 38.8 rebounds per game, the third-lowest average in the league. The Lakers, on the other hand, lead the league with 46.8 rebounds per game.
In other words, these aren't your father's Lakers.
They're less flash, more punch.
This is highlighted by Andrew Bynum's 14.6 rebounds per game and his impressive five-block performance Wednesday night in Utah, one of which saved the game for LA. Don't forget Pau Gasol, who is quickly erasing his reputation of being soft, averaging close to 10 rebounds per game.
Finally, with their effort and hard work ethic players like Troy Murphy and Josh McRoberts have had an effect on opponents' scoring. Lamar Odom would bring his A-game once in a while; these two bring it every night. No exceptions.
Don't be mistaken—the Lakers still have a dose of showtime, too.
Kobe Bryant hasn't stopped being Kobe. His 36.7 points per game in the last six games has people wondering if Kobe can play for another decade or two.
Kobe's not going anywhere, and neither are the Lakers.
This isn't to say that the Clippers haven't improved. They have.
They're among the league leaders in assists per game and field-goal percentage. They have a new offensive identity.
That being said, it takes time for newly built teams to grow. The Miami Heat started off 9-8 last season with their Heatles. No one knows when the team will come together and pull off a long winning streak, but a work in progress like the Clippers should never be considered superior to a team with five championships in the last decade.
Also, as dynamic as the Clippers have been offensively, they've been pedestrian defensively. They allow 96.5 points per game and opponents are shooting 45 percent on them. These numbers aren't terrible per se, but the Lakers are clearly the better defensive team.
And with Kobe in the lineup, they can still be the more talented offense.
It'll be interesting to see what happens on Saturday night, along with the two other future encounters between these two foes. The Lakers will definitely be carrying the sting of the two preseason losses against the Clippers with them. Will that be enough for Kobe and the Lakers?
Considering that Kobe has absolutely exploded in the last six games after a horrible outing against Denver, it may be more than enough. It is times like these that Kobe sometimes takes his game to another level. Right now, he's the hottest player in the league.
That's just another reason why the Lakers run LA.
Until the Clippers soundly defeat the Lakers, the title of King of LA will be retained by the Lakers.
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