NBA Power Rankings: LA Lakers Mired in Mediocrity While Clippers Rise
The City of Angels is engaged in a Civil War at the moment, and the LA Clippers are winning the latest battle.
I know what you are thinking. The Lakers recently dispatched of the Clippers in a Staples Center match that was emotional and scintillating on so many levels. Metta World Peace had an edge, and Pau Gasol got a little too familiar with Chris Paul.
You will get no argument from me that the Lakers owned that game, but the NBA Power Rankings are more of a measure on how these two teams sit on the greater NBA landscape.
Since that loss to the Lakers, Lob City has gone on to beat the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies, two top-15 teams.
Meanwhile, the elder Lakers got a two-day rest and came out to lose a lackluster game against the Milwaukee Bucks and then had to have Kobe Bryant save the day against the Timberwolves.
And therein lies the problem, the Lakers continue to play inconsistently, all the while wading in mediocrity.
The Clippers continue to grow and mature into a contender that looks all the more dangerous with each passing game. It pains me to say this, but the Lakers just show more and more deficiencies on offense as the season lingers.
The Lakers don't have the depth it takes to be an elite team either. This was evident as they squandered an 18-point lead against the hapless Timberwolves on Sunday.
They came away with a road win, but it served to show that this team is far more in danger of slipping into the middle of the pack than they are of retaking the West as the preeminent power.
The Lakers big problem is something that the Clippers had no problem doing, even with Chris Paul sidelined a week ago.
The purple and gold rank 20th in points per contest at 93 per game. This is a team that would put up 100 points a game with championship regularity last season. The magic is just not there.
Mike Brown may have brought defensive measure to LA, but the offensive prowess has left the gym with offseason departures and another year for this club to get older, not better.
The city still belongs to the Lakers, but the season is quickly tipping in favor of the guys down the hall.
| 1. Oklahoma City Thunder |
|---|
| 2. Miami Heat |
| 3. Chicago Bulls |
| 4. Denver Nuggets |
| 5. Indiana Pacers |
| 6. LA Clippers |
| 7. Philadelphia 76ers |
| 8. Dallas Mavericks |
| 9. Atlanta Hawks |
| 10. San Antonio Spurs |
| 11. LA Lakers |
| 12. Portland Trail Blazers |
| 13. Houston Rockets |
| 14. Memphis Grizzlies |
| 16. Boston Celtics |
17. Utah Jazz |
| 18. Orlando Magic |
| 19. Milwaukee Bucks |
| 20. Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 21. Toronto Raptors |
| 22. New Jersey Nets |
| 23. Golden State Warriors |
| 24. Phoenix Suns |
| 25. New York Knicks |
| 26. New Orleans Hornets |
| 27. Sacramento Kings |
| 28. Detroit Pistons |
| 29. Washington Wizards |
| 30. Charlotte Bobcats |
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
