Kobe Bryant and the Lakers are finding it tough to stay on top of the division as the new-found Clippers team is starting to gel together.
In terms of basketball. the city of Los Angeles has been, and very well could be, "Laker City" forever...Don't tell this to Clippers fans though because as of the new shortened NBA season, Clippers fans have finally begun to realize why they became Clippers fans in the first place.
With the new additions of the highly sought after point guard Chris Paul, the streaky shooter in Caron Butler, and the ever so reliable Chauncey Billups, the Clippers are atop the Pacific division in the Western Conference with a record of 15-7 which makes the ahead of the Lakers by 2.5 games who have a record of 14-11. The Clippers have been able to put this kind of record together though the terrific play of Paul and Billups in the backcourt and with the play of Deandre Jordan and Blake Griffin in the front court. Jordan and Griffin have really helped the Clippers out through the energy they bring every game and with Jordans tremendous ability to hit the glass and block shots. Griffin on the other hand, is an offensive weapon who has continued his onslaught of posterizing other opponents with his monstrous dunks as he is arguably the most exciting player to watch in the league.
As for the Lakers, they still have Kobe Bryant who needs no introduction because he is one of the greatest of all time to play the game. Alongside Bryant there are a lot of young players who have stepped up such as Andrew Bynum. With Bynum and Pau Gasol in the post, the Lakers have one of the best big men duos in the league. Whether or not both those players can stay consistent and healthy is another issue, but the race for the top spot in the division should be fun to watch.
As for injuries for both teams, the Clippers took a blow the other night when they lost Billups for the season with a torn Achilles tendon. This could possibly end up being a fatal blow for them as Billups has played well which taken a lot of pressure of off Paul and Griffin.
On the Other side, the Lakers seem to be pretty healthy leading up to the All-Star break which is great because at this point in the season Bynum's knee is usually flaring up. Let's hope that is a thing of the past and it stays this way, otherwise the Lakers could find themselves fighting for a playoff spot in May. Also, reports have said the Bryant's wrist is finally starting to heal completely which is a good sign because after he had wrist surgery back in December, he decided to play through the agonizing pain which some said might have been a bad idea.
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