The two Los Angeles professional basketball teams tip-off their regular season this week.
Both teams are looking for improvement from last year. If the Clippers can stay healthy, they will surprise a lot of people. They were 5-0 in the preseason although they played overseas teams like the Sydney Kings and the Macabbi Haifa. They did have wins over the Lakers, Minnesota and Denver.
Three of the Clippers starting five are set but the other two are still up in the air. Coach Doc Rivers will begin his starting five with guard Patrick Beverly, forward Danilo Gallinari and forward Tobias Harris.
Other players who will start or get playing time are guard Avery Bradley, guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, center Marcin Gortat, forward Wesley Johnson, center Boban Marjanovic, forward Luc Mbah a Moute, guard Jerome Robinson and guard Lou Williams.
During the preseason the Clippers played hard and they seem to like each other. That’s important for any team but especially on the professional level.
Good locker and off-the-court chemistry create a winning atmosphere.
The Lakers will improve with the addition of probably the best player in the world in LeBron James. The 6’8, 250 pound forward appears to be ready to take the Lakers to the next level.
The “next level” for the Lakers means they will make the playoffs in the tough Western Conference. Whether he can take the Lakers to the highest level to match the Golden State Warriors is a different story.
Their starting lineup during the preseason was Brandon Ingram and James at forwards, JaVale McGee at center, and Josh Hart and Rajon Rondo at the guard positions.
Ingram looks bigger and stronger and if he plays like he did in the preseason the Lakers will have the player they always wanted when he was drafted second overall in 2016.
The Lakers have really improved their bench players. Some of their bench players will even be starting some games but right now Lonzo Ball, Michael Beasley, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma, Lance Stephenson and Ivica Zubac will be coming off the pine.
With the addition of James, it should be Showtime in Los Angeles again.
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