Chris Paul and New-Look Clippers Will Outshine Kobe Bryant's Lakers

The new Chris Paul-led Los Angeles Clippers will surpass its crosstown rival, the Kobe Bryant-led Los Angeles Lakers.

Chris Paul's presence had already sent a lot of buzz toward the Clippers, invigorating the long-irrelevant franchise. That enthusiasm combined with the fact that the Clippers are younger and more talented than the Lakers, will show the Clips to be the superior team throughout the season.

Here are five reasons why Paul's Clippers will put Bryant's Lakers to shame.

The Clippers Have a Point Guard, the Lakers Not so Much

A strong point guard separates the contenders from pretenders in the NBA. Just look at the the New Orleans Hornets last year. They gave the Los Angeles Lakers fits in the playoffs, and it was all because of Chris Paul.

The Lakers have been the exception to the rule for the past decade, as they've been able to win multiple championships while never having a true point guard. However, that was in large part thanks to Phil Jackson's triangle offense, which doesn't require strong point guard play. That's all out the window since Jackson has flown the coop and the Lakers are now coached by Mike Brown.

Paul has averaged 18.7 points, 10.0 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game in his career, making him one of the most well-rounded guards in the league.

Derek Fisher and Steve Blake are both veteran guys who can shoot threes, but neither can run an offense or play defense on the quicker point guards in the league. Paul combines the veteran savvy that those guys possess with the athleticism and youth of other point guards in the league.

Paul will be huge advantage for the Clippers. The Lakers' lack of a point guard will be a huge disadvantage.

The Clippers Are Young, the Lakers Are Old

Most NBA players reach their prime between ages 25 and 30, and that prime can last from 25 to as old as 33 or 34. Example: Michael Jordan won his first championship at age 28 and his last at age 35.

Youth isn't the only thing, but it can be a very good thing for a team to have. Especially for a team like the Los Angeles Clippers, who are building toward being a championship contender.

The Los Angeles Lakers have a core who has seen much younger days. Kobe Bryant is entering his 16th season with the Lakers. While his knee does appear to be better after having experimental surgery in Europe, he is still 33 years old and much older when you consider all the basketball he's played.

Derek Fisher is 37 years old and has clearly lost a step. Pau Gasol isn't getting any younger at age 31, and the player formerly known as Ron Artest is now 32. The Lakers do have some younger players such as Devin Ebanks and Andrew Bynum, but none of them seem to be on the path to stardom.

Meanwhile, the Clippers have Chris Paul who is just 26, DeAndre Jordan who is 23 and Blake Griffin who is 22. That gives them an All-NBA-caliber point guard, an All-NBA power forward and a young center with big potential who are all still far from the 30-mark.

In a condensed season as this one, youth is even more important. Teams will be required to play more back-to-backs and even some back-to-back-to-backs (the Lakers start off the season that way). Youth will be huge this year as will the Clippers. The ancient Lakers will get too tired too fast.

A Tale of Two Offenses

The offenses are another big key as to why the Los Angeles Clippers will be much better than the Los Angeles Lakers this year.

The Lakers offense is brand-new along with brand-new coach Mike Brown. The triangle is gone and is replaced with a motion system that features isolation plays for Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. While both of those guys are among the best in the game at their positions offensively, ultimately, the rest of the team will be standing around watching, uninvolved.

The Clippers will be the opposite. They have multiple scoring options on the floor at all times, at least three usually. Caron Butler is one of the most underrated wing scorers in the game, a solid addition to a team that needed that type of scoring. Also, it's no secret how good Blake Griffin is offensively, averaging 22.5 points per game last season.

The magic to the mix is Chris Paul, a guy who can score in a big way on his own and keep everyone else on the court involved. Center DeAndre Jordan is still learning the game offensively, but the addition of Paul will speed up that learning process.

The Clippers offense will be more multi-faceted and flexible than that of the Lakers, which is what each team in the league strives for.

The Clippers Will Catch Teams by Surprise

The Los Angeles Lakers are the same, old Kobe Bryant-team that they've always been. They have a new coach and a different offense, but ultimately, they will still be the same Kobe-centric team they've always been.

The Los Angeles Clippers are still a bit of an enigma. Fans and other teams got a glimpse of the new-look Clippers on Christmas Day when they defeated the Golden State Warriors by 19 points.

Other than that small sampling (along with a couple of preseason games), opponents have no tape or scouting on this Clippers team. That will give them a decided advantage over the Lakers, who have been on top so long that teams are figuring them out.

The Clippers Have the Leadership They Need

One of the biggest edges that the Los Angeles Lakers have had is that they are winners and know how to win. Kobe Bryant has been considered one of the "clutchest" operators in the NBA. That is no longer an advantage over the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Clippers are now starting two of the best point guards, leadership-wise, in the game. Chauncey "Big Shot" Billups has played in multiples NBA Finals, winning one and even more Conference Finals. Chris Paul leads both on and off the court. He involves everyone on the court and makes his whole team better.

Add to all the the burgeoning leadership of Blake Griffin and you've got a team that has plenty of leadership to combat that of the Lakers.

This team will be better than the Lakers. They are younger, more athletic and more dynamic on the offensive end. The Chris Paul trade made the Clippers a playoff team. It also made them the best team in L.A.