Clippers vs Lakers: Loss to Lakers Proves Lob City Isn't Elite Just Yet

The Los Angeles Clippers had a chance to beat the Los Angeles Lakers for a second time this season and put everyone on notice that they were the new kings of Los Angeles.

They had a chance to remind everyone that they're an elite—and darn exciting—team.

Instead, they lost 96-91 and proved they aren't there just yet.

And frankly, they lost to a boring Lakers team. The Lakers haven't reached 100 points in 12 straight games now. They lack a threat at the point guard position or beyond the arc. The MVP of the game was probably Metta World Peace, a sentence that really should never be written.

Meanwhile, the Clippers have sizzle. They have budding superstar Blake Griffin, established superstar Chris Paul, the exciting DeAndre Jordan and veterans like Caron Butler, Mo Williams and Chauncey Billups that make them a well-rounded squad.

People want to watch the Clippers. They're fun. They have the opportunity to be fun in the way the Phoenix Suns used to be fun, but with the potential to do something that Suns team never did:

Win a championship.

It's probably too early to expect the Clippers to be an elite team. Their roster is drastically different from last year, had a short training camp to come together and is being put through an expedited regular season. So this isn't an indictment on the Clippers for not being elite just yet—these things take time.

But the Lob City honeymoon should be over now. For all of the fun dunks and crazy Chris Paul passes, this needs to be a team that realizes it isn't elite but needs to reach that point by the playoffs. At least outside of Oklahoma City, the Western Conference is wide open this year.

It isn't a stretch to say the Clippers could be a championship team this year.

It's time to start proving they're on that path.

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