The NBA has seen plenty of great players from every state in the US but there is no doubt that California has provided some of the biggest names the league has seen in over 70 years. Things haven’t changed in recent years and this state keeps delivering players every single season.
Some of the best ballers in the league right now come from Cali and they’re so good and that we could use the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers, turn them into a state team and put together two starting lineups full of great players. We recently talked about the Ohio-Born NBA team and today, we’re going to take a look at how these two teams would look and which one would win if they go up against each other.
The California Lakers Team
This team is stacked and it’s well rounded, with every player having a clear position on the field. Russell Westbrook (Long Beach) would start at point guard for this squad. Russ has been one of the most explosive players in the game for quite some time so the pace he will give to the team would create a lot of problems for rivals. Starting at shooting guard, James Harden (Bellflower) would be a menace for the competition; the Beard has become one of the greatest scorers in NBA history but he still would need to play differently to make a bigger impact on his team.
Kawhi Leonard (Los Angeles) would probably be the leader and small forward of this team. He has taken two franchises to win championships and it would be hard to find a better player to lead this squad to the promised land. Kevin Love (Santa Monica), one of the best 3-pointers in the league, would start at power forward whole Brook Lopez (North Hollywood), a very reliable player, would play at center for this team.
The California Clippers Team
This team would be something else, too, as these Clippers would have a very fast pace, players who can actually shoot, and bigs that would complement the rest of the squad just fine. Damian Lillard (Oakland) would be the starting point guard of this team. A terrific leader who isn’t afraid of the big moments and will try to do anything to lead his team to win everything. He will be part of a terrific backcourt with Klay Thompson, one of the best shooters in NBA history and a guy that can impact the game in more than one way.
Starting at small forward, we would see Paul George, who actually plays for the Los Angeles Clippers. PG13 has been surrounded by criticism in recent years due to his inability to perform well in the postseason, but when he’s feeling himself, nobody can stop him. Aaron Gordon, one of the most spectacular dunkers in the association, and Christian Wood, one of the biggest surprises in the league this campaign, would complete this deadly lineup.
Conclusion
Even though superstars tend to show their best version in a seven-game series, trying to lead their teams to the promised land, it seems like the Lakers would have problems trying to beat this Clippers. The different styles of play of Harden and Russell Westbrook and the chemistry issues that would create make the Clippers the favorites to win this game. We all know how the recent duels between Westbrook and Damian Lillard have ended and that’s an advantage for the Clips. Klay and Harden would play a key factor in the series and one could say Harden would beat the 3x NBA champion.
Kawhi Leonard has the edge over Paul George, especially seeing the latter’s struggles in the postseason for the past couple of seasons. That brings us to the bigs. Kevin Love could make the difference with his three-pointers but his defense won’t have much to do against Aaron Gordon’s explosiveness. As for Lopez and Woods, the twin brother is a better 3-point shooter but Woods seems to have more tools than him and is more athletic.
Still, the troubles that Westbrook and Harden would have, as they had last season against the Los Angeles Lakers, don’t make anybody think that these hypothetical Lakers would stand a chance against their regional rivals.
Final Result
All-California Clippers vs. All-California Lakers 4-2
Credit for idea: S1cked1ts
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