Even with Chris Paul on Los Angeles Clippers, Lakers Still Team To Beat in LA

 Finally as we all know, the Chris Paul soap opera is over. Rumors have being floating and lingering since Carmelo Anthony's wedding a while back about his departure to the New York Knicks. Then came the talks about him going to Los Angeles to play for the Lakers, which was eventually blocked by NBA commissioner David Stern.

Ultimately Los Angeles became his home when the Clippers' resurgence and resilience proved to be superior and they landed NBA superstar point guard Chris Paul, after an initial trade denial from the league.

Congratulations CP3, your wish was granted, but you still have a lot—and I mean a lot—to prove to be granted the title of being "better" than the Lakers.

The Clippers are a young and talented franchise right now, and have added just the right amount of experience to stabilize the squad and make a good run this season.

Having acquired Chauncey Billups off the league's amnesty waivers and signing veteran forward Caron Butler, the Clippers assembled a pretty great team around Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and Paul—the kind of lineup you would assemble of NBA 2K12.

Now let's pump the brakes for a quick second.

After all the hype and smoke has cleared, people are actually convinced that the Clippers are better than the Lakers. Really?

As long as I have worshiped sports and basketball, the "dream team" always struggles just a little bit. Therefore, I am currently not convinced.

Although they are two different sports and two very different cities, let's use the Philadelphia Eagles as an example. During this past offseason, the Eagles signed everyone and their momma it seems like and now they aren't even in the NFL playoff picture.

The Lakers are aging; there is no doubt about it. Kobe Bryant is slowing down. Pau Gasol, Metta World Peace (formerly Ron Artest) and Derek Fisher are all in their 30s. But so are Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, who form Boston's Big Three. So does that mean that the Lakers can't hang with the in-town rival young guns? Not necessarily.

The Lakers are still the best team in Los Angeles, and will only be dethroned if the Clippers beat them and finish with a better record. Both teams on paper are good, and that isn't unusual for the Lakers, and that is why I am giving the Clippers the benefit of the doubt for having their most competitive team that I can remember.

As of now, here are how the team lineups look:

Los Angeles Clippers

G	1	Billups, Chauncey
G	12	Bledsoe, Eric
F	5	Butler, Caron
F	34	Cook, Brian
G	4	Foye, Randy
F	15	Gomes, Ryan
F	32	Griffin, Blake
C	9	Jordan, DeAndre
G	23	Leslie, Travis
G	3	Paul, Chris
F	33	Thompkins, Trey
G	13	Warren, Willie
G	25	Williams, Mo

Los Angeles Lakers

F	21	Andrews, Zack
F	9	Barnes, Matt
G	5	Blake, Steve
G	24	Bryant, Kobe (C)
C	17	Bynum, Andrew
C	54	Daniels, Chris
F	--	Thomas, Malcolm
F	45	Caracter, Derrick
F	3	Ebanks, Devin
G	2	Fisher, Derek (C)
F/C	16	Gasol, Pau
G/F	12	Green, Gerald
G	0	Goudelock, Andrew
G/F	28	Kapono, Jason
F/C	35	Majok, Ater
F/C	6	McRoberts, Josh
G	18	Millsap, Elijah
G	1	Morris, Darius
F	4	Walton, Luke
F	15	World Peace, Metta

One thing is for sure: The battle for Los Angeles will be interesting.

The Lakers are still a force to be reckoned with, now with just a little more competition.

Prediction

Clippers make the playoffs as the No. 4-6 seed and make a decent run in the postseason.

Lakers make the playoffs as the second or third seed and a possible appearance in the NBA Finals.

Advice for Clippers' Future

Stay humble, healthy and play good fundamental basketball. The Hornets' record before Paul was 18-64 and they were playoff contenders before he left. He makes a big difference and they have a young nucleus of talent that could be dangerous in the near future. Patience will make this team a future NBA title contender.

Advice for Lakers' Future

DH12 doesn’t sound as catchy as CP3, but Howard could make the Staples Center feud that much more interesting. They need to rejuvenate and make sure Kobe stays happy. A rebuilding phase is in the near future for the Lakers.

Bad Blood

Bryant was pretty upset about the nature of the “business” and blames the other owners of the NBA for not acquiring Paul. This will just add fuel to the fire for the Los Angeles rivalry.

In conclusion, there will be beautiful, great basketball played in Tinseltown this season, and everyone needs to prove themselves on the court—no one wins championships because they look good on paper.