The NBA Playoffs are going to start this week, with the entire world in anticipation to see who’ll be crowned the 2025 NBA Champion. Two of the biggest contenders in the Western Conference are the two Los Angeles teams – Lakers and Clippers.
Both teams are orchestrated by powerful guard-forward combinations, with the Lakers having Luka Doncic and LeBron James, while the Clippers have James Harden and Kawhi Leonard.
Former NBA All-Star Jeff Teague declared he’d take the Clippers duo over the Lakers duo in a recent episode of the ‘Club 520 Podcast.’
“I like that duo (Harden and Kawhi) beating Bron and Luka. Bron’s 50! Kawhi can guard Luka. James and Luka cancel each other out. Obviously, Luka is better because he’s younger and can do more. They can get you similar stats… Well, Playoff Kawhi vs. 40-year-old LeBron? I’m rolling with Kawhi!”
https://twitter.com/Sports_Legacyy/status/1911836506244915305
This is a bold take, but one that is explainable.
James Harden has had a phenomenal season as the sole leader of the Clippers for most of the year. He’s averaged 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 8.7 assists in 79 games, leading the team as the perfect point guard who helped Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac have career seasons.
Kawhi made his season debut in January 2025, averaging 21.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 37 games since coming back. He ended the season looking like his healthiest version in years. The 33-year-old still has a lot to offer.
This duo works better than the Lakers duo on fit because Kawhi doesn’t need many on-ball possessions, allowing Harden to be the primary orchestrator on offense with Kawhi the clear defensive leader for the team.
Doncic has averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists since joining the Lakers in February. The Slovenian guard has the highest ceiling of the four players here, already besting the Kawhi and Harden duo last season with the Dallas Mavericks.
Luka and LeBron are both arguably two of the most on-ball heavy players in the NBA right now. However, LeBron has actively accepted being third in usage rate for the Lakers behind both Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Still, James averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists in 70 games over the season and will likely be the only All-NBA selection among the four names here.
It will be tougher with everyone healthy, but the 26-year-old Luka can single-handedly impact this battle more than the other three in their mid-to-late 30s.
Teague’s assertion could be right if these teams meet in the Conference Finals, as Harden and Leonard’s style works better with how the Clippers play overall. However, the upside of performances from either Luka or LeBron gives them a chance in any series against any opponent in the Playoffs, something that can’t be said about the Clippers.
The Lakers are tangible threats to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round and then beat the winner of the Houston Rockets series against the No. 7 seed in the second round for a Conference Finals.
Even though the Clippers are dark horses, they have a tough first-round opponent in the Denver Nuggets before a likely matchup with the No. 1 seed OKC Thunder in the second round.
The strengths of these duos won’t matter if they don’t advance deep into the Playoffs. A matchup between them to settle this is unlikely, but their accomplishments over this run will tell the tale anyway.
