Battle of L.A.: Lakers or Clippers?

The Lakers have ruled Los Angeles for years, but with one big trade, the Clippers became the hot ticket in Hollywood. Our 5-on-5 crew weighs in.

1. Who has the best player: Lakers or Clippers?

J.A. Adande, ESPN.com: Kobe Bryant, Lakers. Chris Paul had a better series when they matched up in the playoffs last spring, but with Kobe back to his high-scoring ways (and don't sleep on his assists or rebounds) he is still the No. 1 pick in the city draft.

Kevin Arnovitz, ESPN.com: Chris Paul, Clippers. Paul came into the season a little doughy and with no familiarity with his teammates. But we're starting to see his capacity to take over a game with that unique combination of aggression and patience. If you have a single possession and want to guarantee your team the best look at the basket, Paul is the guy to make that happen.

Larry Coon, ESPN.com: Kobe Bryant, Lakers. With all due respect to CP3 and Blake, Kobe is still the best player in L.A. Kobe's bionically replaced limbs ... er, Orthokine therapy has ushered in a resurgence, and he still has the killer instinct that Paul and Griffin have yet to demonstrate. Blake and Chris may be climbing the mountain, but they have yet to knock Kobe off the top.

Chris Palmer, ESPN The Magazine: Kobe Bryant, Lakers. Has a 33-year-old banged-up shooting guard ever played better than Kobe is right now? While Paul may be the top point guard in the league and is playing terrific basketball, we just haven't seen anybody do what Kobe is doing. He makes you tune in every night. You don't want to miss a game, then find out he scored 55.

Justin Verrier, ESPN.com: Chris Paul, Clippers. Virtually all of Kobe's numbers are up this season, including the one that leads me to pick Paul. Bryant's sky-high usage rate (37.2) is far and away the largest of any player in the league, and while he continues to rack up oodles of points with all those possessions (the bulk of which coming from the dreaded long-2 zone), he often does so at the detriment of his team (most notably, Andrew Bynum, who's in the midst of a career year). Even if Kobe had his limbs surgically replaced in Germany with bionic arms like Jax in Mortal Kombat, that center-of-the-universe mindset will never change. Paul, please.

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2. Who faces more pressure this season: Lakers or Clippers?

J.A. Adande, ESPN.com: The Lakers. As great as Kobe has been so far, we don't know how many of these types of seasons he has left. The Lakers are designed to compete right now. There's no "building for tomorrow" for them. Chris Paul is the eldest of the Clippers' two best players, and he's only 26.

Kevin Arnovitz, ESPN.com: After bowing out of the postseason unceremoniously, failing to add an impact star, then dealing Lamar Odom, most observers charted a steady decline for the Lakers. Meanwhile, the Clippers picked up Chris Paul, filled out their roster nicely and even launched a new hashtag. They might not need to win huge this season, but they'll need to make a splash over the next 18 months.

Larry Coon, ESPN.com: Lakers. The Clippers are still a work in progress, they're still (for the most part) young, and they have a longer window in which to contend. Few expect them to win it all this season. The Lakers' window, on the other hand, will last as long as Kobe's prime does. Two more shots? Three? Kobe and the Lakers can't afford to let another season slip away with a second-round exit.

Chris Palmer, ESPN The Magazine: Without question the Clippers. When you make the kind of acquisition they did with Chris Paul, expectations are going to skyrocket -- and so does the pressure right along with it. The Lakers' pressure comes from the fact that they are facing Father Time. But they've already won two championships. The Lakers are expected to maintain while the Clippers are expected to improve. Far more pressure when you're expected to improve.

Justin Verrier, ESPN.com: Lakers. Despite the hype, the Clippers' bar has been set so low for so long (one playoff berth in over a decade!) that any significant accomplishment in Year 1 of the CP3 Project will be hailed as a victory and memorialized with ironic T-shirts everywhere. But one significant injury to Pau Gasol, Bynum or Bryant (at least, one that he couldn't play through. So, basically, a loss of a limb) could send the benchless Lakers into a tailspin and cause the crashing of most NBA-related message boards on the interwebs.

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3. Who will finish higher in the West in '11-12: Lakers or Clippers?

J.A. Adande, ESPN.com: Clippers, on the basis of (and I may never get to write this in regards to an NBA season outlook again) strength of schedule. The Clippers don't have to play at Miami or Boston, for example, while the Lakers do. The Clippers have some games to make up on the Lakers, who were tied with OKC for the most games played out of the gate. But the young Clippers' legs will be able to get through the busy part of the schedule.

Kevin Arnovitz, ESPN.com: Assuming both teams remain relatively healthy -- and that's a huge assumption -- the Lakers have a very slight edge. It'll be a race to see whether the Clippers can figure things out defensively before the Lakers figure out how to find quality shots inside without the benefit of shooters who can spread the floor.

Larry Coon, ESPN.com: Lakers.

The Clippers will have a better second half as the players become more comfortable with their roles and with each other, but the Lakers are still the better team.

Chris Palmer, ESPN The Magazine: Clippers. Mainly because I have serious doubts about whether Kobe can hold up and maintain his current high output. The Clippers will find their stride and start racking up wins. Their youth and depth will play big roles in them finishing above the purple and gold.

Justin Verrier, ESPN.com: Clippers. The Lakers' regular seasons will continue to be high-wire acts as long as the injury-prone Bryant and Bynum are around, and the loss of Lamar Odom, the lack of a replacement for Odom and the compressed schedule only added a comically-sized barbell to the routine. Things could change if the Lakers add NBA ironman Dwight Howard, but the Clips will get Eric Bledsoe back soon, and they could always swap him or Mo Williams for more frontcourt help at the trade deadline.

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4. Who will win a title first: Lakers or Clippers?

J.A. Adande, ESPN.com: Lakers. Perhaps not with this group, but if they can reconfigure they'll have the talent to go with the experience. The Clippers still have several steps to go in the learning process. They're still in elementary school, while the Lakers are in college.

Kevin Arnovitz, ESPN.com: Right now, the Clippers are better situated for a title run, especially if they can add another piece on the wing over the next couple of seasons. But never underestimate the Lakers' ability to reload on the fly. Would we really be surprised if the Lakers finessed a way to land a couple of superstars sometime before the end of the Bryant Administration?

Larry Coon, ESPN.com: I love what the Clippers are doing, and I think they have a bright future. But the Lakers have shown time and again that not only can they win, they can also tear the team apart, rebuild it into a contender, and win all over again. The Clips are going to have to show me that they can reach the summit. I pick the Lakers.

Chris Palmer, ESPN The Magazine: Even though I'm not entirely sold on L.A.'s other team just yet, the Clippers will be the ones hanging the next banner at Staples, though that may be three or four years from now. And that's only because I think the Lakers' title days are over with this current bunch. But if they trade for Dwight Howard, let's talk.

Justin Verrier, ESPN.com: Lakers. As currently constructed, the Clippers have the better chance, both this season and in the coming years. But while one trade (and one non-trade) may have altered the franchises' immediate outlooks, it hasn't changed the culture and perceptions of each club. Players will continue to flock to L.A.'s bright lights, and, until there's evidence proving otherwise, the destination is the team with 16 titles, not seven playoff berths.

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5. Who wins Saturday: Lakers or Clippers?

J.A. Adande, ESPN.com: The Clippers. They'll be fresher after sitting out Friday while the Lakers played the Cavaliers. And the Clippers will be hungrier. They have more to gain from this than the Lakers do. If the Clippers win it will be a statement. If the Lakers win it will be business as usual.

Kevin Arnovitz, ESPN.com: I'll take the Clippers. They've started to play a better brand of defense, particularly at home, where they're giving up a stingy 91.2 points per 100 possessions over their past four games. I don't put much stock in the preseason wins, but the contrast in speed and athleticism between the teams was striking.

Larry Coon, ESPN.com: Clippers. With Steve Blake out, Chris Paul is going to have a field day. They're bolstered by their win over Miami on Wednesday and will play the Lakers after two days' rest -- with the Lakers on the tail end of a back-to-back. The Clips are primed to take this one.

Chris Palmer, ESPN The Magazine: Clippers by one or two on the last possession. The crowd, the buzz from the win over Miami and a healthy dose of Chris Paul will prove too much. Oh, my. The times they are a changin'.

Justin Verrier, ESPN.com: Lakers. In another gift from the NBA, the Clips get two days to rest up before Saturday's matchup. But Pau's length and height provide a tough matchup for Griffin, and even at age 33, Kobe often blew by a slow-footed Caron Butler in preseason. The Lakers have won both games in a back-to-back just once this season and needed overtime to do it, but the travel schedule for this "road" trip will help.

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