Who Is Better: LeBron James and Anthony Davis or Paul George and Kawhi Leonard?

Los Angeles has become the U.S. basketball capital.

With Kawhi Leonard and Paul George joining the Clippers following a trade that landed Anthony Davis alongside LeBron James with the Lakers, it's going to be near impossible to grab L.A. hoops tickets this upcoming season.

While the James/Davis two-man combo was the NBA's most talented for a few weeks, has the pairing of Leonard and George already made the former the second-best in their own arena?

Here's how the new Hollywood power couples stack up.

Scoring/Playmaking

There will be no shortage of offensive fireworks from either L.A. squad this season.

All four players finished in the top 10 in points per game this past season, with George's 28.0 per night finishing second to only James Harden. Davis was the lowest of the bunch at 25.9.

While all four have no problem putting the ball in the basket, it's how they score that's going to matter.

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Leonard and George have similar styles. Both are fluid, athletic wings who have shot better than 37 percent from three, 40 percent from mid-range and 84 percent from the free-throw line in their careers.

While neither is a big-time playmaker like James or has the size and rim threat like Davis, both are the kind of versatile offensive wings that teams crave. Go under the screen, and both are willing and able three-point shooters. Try to stop the three, and watch them drive to the paint before splashing a jumper or getting to the rim.

The biggest advantage the Lakers' duo has over the Clippers' pair is James' passing.

He had more assists per game last season (8.3) than Leonard and George combined (7.4). Even Davis averaged a career-high 3.9 dimes in 2018-19, primarily a result of the constant pressure defenses threw at him in New Orleans.

"Coming into the season, I knew that teams were going to focus on me a lot and try to double-team and get the ball out of my hands, so I just try to make the right plays," Davis told Bleacher Report in January. "Late in the game, of course, the ball's probably going to come to me, and teams are going to try and get it out of my hands."

Now teams may not be so willing to throw extra bodies at Davis and will be forced to play him one-on-one. If shots aren't falling on a given night, this added dimension of the Lakers' playmaking gives them the offensive edge.

Defense

Davis is the only rim protector of the group, having led the NBA in blocked shots three times, and he's a three-time member of the All-Defensive teams. While the Pelicans didn't get Davis' best defensive effort last season thanks to a mixture of injuries and his trade request, in 2017-18 he held opponents to 10.7 percent below their normal shooting rates from within six feet of the basket, per NBA.com. Assuming he is healthy and motivated in his new surroundings, we should see this type of defensive effort again.

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Those who have followed James the past few years know he's stopped playing defense in the regular season. This usually leads to poor body language and finger-pointing by January, followed by a revival in effort once the playoffs begin. James is still a high-level defender when he's engaged, even if he's a few steps behind his athletic prime. But even at his best, he has become the worst defensive player of the four.

Leonard, 28, and George, 29, can both be the backbone of a top defensive team.

Leonard is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and has the size and strength (6'7", 230 lbs) to guard multiple positions, from wings to power forwards. George came in second in DPOY voting this past season, finishing just one point behind Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert. He has also made four All-Defensive teams in his career. While he doesn't have the same muscle mass as Leonard or James, his 6'9", 220-pound frame is perfectly suited to containing opposing wings, and he led the NBA with 2.2 steals per game last season.

Even if members of last season's Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers were plucked and placed around Leonard and George, the two stars could transform the group into a top-five defensive unit. They're that good.

As capable as Davis and James can be on that end, Leonard and George are perhaps the two best defensive wings in the NBA and carry the advantage here.

X-Factors

The Lakers' star duo is superior at rebounding and should play in the occasional small lineup, with James at power forward and Davis at center. While that may not be their preferred positions or the ones best suited for long-term health, it's probably the Lakers' best chance at playing uptempo at times.

Leonard and George could see time at small forward and power forward, although neither is a traditional 4.

June Frantz Hunt/Associated Press

The Clippers' combo was healthier last season, missing 27 total games for injuries and rest, mostly for Leonard. Somehow, George only missed five games despite needing surgery on both shoulders this offseason to repair a labrum tear and partially torn tendon. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Royce Young reported that George would likely miss the start of training camp but is expected to be ready for the beginning of the regular season.

James and Davis were out a combined 53 games, with James missing 17 straight with a groin injury, the most significant ailment of his 16-year career. The Lakers also shut him down for the season in late March. While that should bode well for his health this coming season, consider this category a push with all the "load management" we're likely to see from these four stars.

Playoff experience is also something to consider given the ultimate goals for both the Lakers and Clippers. Simply making the postseason isn't enough. Each team should have title aspirations, even if the Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors and Utah Jazz should all share similar goals in the loaded Western Conference.

James and Leonard have led separate franchises to a championship and claimed multiple Finals MVPs, including one each against each another. James is already the all-time postseason scoring leader by nearly a full 1,000 points over Michael Jordan and is fourth in total games played (239), having never missed a single contest because of injury. He has built his body to withstand long postseason runs and would likely have more than three rings if not for Kevin Durant joining a loaded Golden State Warriors squad in 2016.

While Davis has just 13 playoff games under his belt, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love had not yet tasted the postseason before James carried them to four straight Finals (three for Kyrie).

As good as Leonard and even George (20.1 points per game in 76 career postseason contests) have been, giving James a superstar teammate usually ends in a Finals trip.

Conclusion

Given the 2018-19 success of Leonard (Finals MVP) and George (third place in regular-season MVP voting), it would seem the Clippers have the upper hand in the battle of L.A. stars.

But let's not forget just how dominant James can be.

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

The 34-year-old has shown little sign of slowing down and is coming off an extra two-and-a-half months of rest compared to his normal summers of playing into mid-June. Add in a 26-year-old Davis, arguably the most talented teammate James has ever had, and it's the Lakers who come out on top.

While the duo of Leonard and George is better defensively, James and Davis bring the versatility to cover all five positions as needed, while James' passing and ability to set the table for Davis is something the Clippers could struggle with at times.

Add in James' rest and playoff pedigree, and the Lakers' superstar pairing should still be the kings of L.A. for 2019-20.

Greg Swartz covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter. All stats via Basketball Reference or NBA.com unless otherwise noted.