A Tale of Two Teams


There are two basketball teams in Los Angeles, and each fills a traditional role. There's the Los Angeles Lakers — one of the historically best franchises in basketball — that usually contends for the playoffs and the title. Then there's the Los Angeles Clippers — the also-ran team — that usually stumbles through the season thanks to some inept leadership.

So near the end of January, just over halfway through the regular season, seeing the two records for the Los Angeles teams isn't surprising. One is atop the Pacific Division at 32-13. The other is 18-25, tied for 10th place in the Western Conference. The only thing surprising is that it's the Clippers in the catbird seat, while the Lakers appear to be on their way to missing the playoffs entirely.

What makes that more shocking is that, heading into the season, the Lakers were viewed as heavy favorites. Last year the team fell short, again, in the Western Conference semi-finals. But with a strong nucleus still intact — including Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Metta World Peace — the team was poised to contend again. Then the Lakers reloaded.

A pair of trades brought them All-Star point guard Steve Nash — a great passer seeking his first title — and All-Star center Dwight Howard — an incredible defensive force that brought youth to the front court. The Lakers also rounded out the roster with strong reserves, including power forward Antoine Jamison, in order to have the depth to compete.

But it didn't happen. After a sluggish start, coach Mike Brown was fired. While the Lakers seemed on the verge of resigning Phil Jackson — a coach who went to the finals seven times and won five titles in Los Angeles — the team went with Mike D'Antoni. It was supposed to fix things.

It hasn't.

The Lakers can't defend — a common theme among D'Antoni teams — and the new coach can't seem to figure out how to use the Lakers' five best players to win games. That's a problem. Instead of being a top contender, the Lakers will have to have an other worldly finish to the season just to make the playoffs.

And after the season, who knows what will happen? Will Howard stay? Will the team get a new coach? Will the roster be blown up? These are usually questions reserved for the Clippers, but now its the Lakers in turmoil with no easy answers.

The Clippers, meanwhile, sit third in the Western Conference, with a loaded roster and a bright future ahead. It's just another reason why this reversal of fortune among LA basketball teams is so fascinating.

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