US media: If the Lakers Clippers meet in the playoffs, they will easily beat the Clippers 4-2! The Lakers have obvious 3 points of advantage

Since the Lakers successfully won Doncic on the 2025 trading deadline, they have begun the journey of building a championship lineup with all their might. This offseason, although they lost the defensive champion Finney Smith, they also cleverly used their cap space to welcome three influential players: defender Smart, who won the best defensive player (DPOY), former No. 1 center Ayton, and all-around forward Laravia. Now, the core lineup built by James, Doncic and Reeves has already possessed strong competitiveness, and the addition of new players has made the team even more powerful. At the same time, the Clippers are also making great strides on the road to reconstruction. Through a series of operations, they have formed a powerful team that should not be underestimated. Authoritative American media wrote an article on the open-air stand that if the two Los Angeles giants meet in the 25-26 season in the playoffs, a basketball feast will surely be staged. However, in-depth analysis of the strength of the two teams, the Lakers easily defeated the Clippers 4-2!

The Lakers' starting fives (Doncic, Reeves, Ba Cloak, James, Ayton) are extremely luxurious. Doncic, a superstar who averaged 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game, is the absolute core of the Lakers' offense with his outstanding shooting control and unparalleled basketball IQ. He joined forces with James, making the Clippers unable to defend. Although James has entered the late stages of his career, his average of 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game still demonstrates his strong dominance. The tacit understanding and power shown by the two in the pick-and-roll cooperation is enough to tear open the defense line of any team.

Reeves' comprehensiveness has injected more vitality into the team, averaging 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game, making him an indispensable member of the team. Although his defensive ability is average, the Clippers' backcourt Bill and Harden are also average in defense. Hachimura Hachimura has a three-point shooting percentage of 41.3%, which opens up the team's offensive space and creates favorable conditions for breakthroughs and support in the inside. Ayton will restrain himself in Los Angeles. After all, this is the last chance to prove himself. His dominance in the inside cannot be underestimated. His average of 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game not only guarantees the team's rebounding advantage, but also builds a solid barrier under the basket. This starting lineup, both offensive firepower and tactical cooperation, has reached the championship level.

Los Angeles Clippers: Super outside combination, the inside is slightly weak. The Clippers' starting lineup is also shining with stars. Harden averaged 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 8.7 assists, Bill averaged 17.0 points, and Leonard averaged 21.5 points and 5.9 rebounds. The outside trio formed by them has super scoring ability and offensive threats. Harden's organization and breakthroughs, Bill's precise shooting and Leonard's offense and defense have given them a diverse choice on the offensive end. Collins averaged 19.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and Izubac's averaged 16.8 points and 12.6 rebounds per game were also remarkable in the inside, providing the team with a certain inside support.

However, compared with the Lakers, the Clippers' starting lineup has some obvious shortcomings. First, the team's age structure is relatively large, which may affect their physical fitness and injury status in the series. Secondly, on the defensive end, especially in the inside defense, the Clippers are relatively weak, and may be in trouble when facing the Lakers Ayton's powerful inside shock. Overall, the Lakers' starting lineup is better in overall strength.

Key substitute players: Both teams have their own strengths, and it is difficult to distinguish them.

Los Angeles Lakers have diverse deep lineup functions. The Lakers' bench can be regarded as a "Swiss Army Knife"-like existence. The addition of Smart and Vincent brings strong defensive strength and scoring ability at critical moments. Among them, Smart has tough defense and rich game experience, and can play an important role in defending the opponent's core players; Vincent has excellent performance on the offensive end and can provide the team with stable firepower support.

Laravia and Knecht's shooting ability has opened up space for the team on the offensive end and increased the diversity of the offensive. The presence of Vanderbilt, Maxi Cleber and Hayes gives the Lakers an advantage in defensive and rebounding competition, and their position versatility also provides more possibilities for the team's tactical adjustment. While bench scoring may become a problem in some games, overall, the Lakers’ substitute depth and functional diversity can meet the team’s needs in different game scenarios.

Los Angeles Clippers are experienced and have balanced strength. The Clippers' substitute lineup is also very strong. Chris Paul's return is undoubtedly a highlight of the team. He has rich experience and excellent organizational skills, can stabilize the team's second team and create more scoring opportunities for his teammates. Players such as Chris Dunn, Cam Christie, Bogdanovic, Derek Jones Jr., Batum, Kobe Brown and Bropez each have their own unique skills and advantages. They can provide some firepower support on the offensive end and do their duty on the defensive end.

However, the Clippers' substitute lineup is not perfect either. Judging from historical performance, the team has certain instability in the performance of substitutes, such as Bogdanovic's performance in the playoffs sometimes is unsatisfactory. Overall, the substitute lineups of the two teams are hard to distinguish in terms of strength. Although the Clippers have some more experienced players, the depth of the Lakers' lineup and youthful vitality should not be underestimated. Therefore, in the key substitute, the two sides tied with each other..

Coach showdown: Redick is slightly inferior to Tyron Lu

J.J. Redick has excellent game analysis skills. In the game, Redick focuses on tactical flexibility and player execution. He dares to try new lineup matching and tactical arrangements to deal with different opponents and game situations. But Tyron Lue: Experienced in the playoffs, pragmatic tactics. Tyron Lu's rich playoff experience became a major advantage for the Clippers. During his coaching career, he led the team to achieve excellent results in the playoffs and has unique insights into the rhythm of the playoffs and grasping key nodes. In terms of tactical arrangements, Tyron Lu focuses on playing the characteristics of the players, and he is good at leveraging the experience and abilities of veterans. Overall, Tyron Lue's extensive experience and outstanding performance in the playoffs gave him a little upper hand in the coaching matchup.

The Lakers have obvious advantages in the interior.

The Lakers' interior advantage is one of their magic weapons. As the team's center, Ayton has strong dominance under the basket with his 7-foot height and excellent physical fitness. He was able to finish the finish efficiently on the offensive end, contributing 14.4 points per game, but also performed excellently in rebounding, with a data of 10.2 rebounds per game, giving the Lakers an advantage in rebounding competition. His presence effectively protects the team's basket and limits the opponent's scoring in the inside. At the same time, Ayton's pick-and-roll cooperation with James and Doncic also added more changes and threats to the team's offense. By contrast, the Clippers' inside may be in trouble with rebounding and inside defense when facing the Lakers.

Lakers stars have good chemistry

The Lakers' core stars have excellent chemistry. The collaboration between James and Doncic is a perfect match. They trust each other on the court and cooperate with each other. Whether it is pick-and-roll, pass or offensive choices, they all show a very high level. As the third core of the team, Reeves can also integrate well into the system of the two superstars and give full play to his own advantages. This good chemical reaction not only improves the team's offensive efficiency, but also provides the team with stable scoring guarantees at critical moments. At the stalemate of the game, Lakers stars can make the right decisions with their tacit understanding and help the team win the game.

The Clippers' superstar veterans gathered, have rich experience and a strong desire to win the championship

The Clippers have a group of superstars who are eager to win the NBA championship. Leonard, as the two-time MVP of the Finals, is top-notch in both offense and defense. His stable performance and his big heart performance at critical moments are important guarantees for the Clippers in the game. In order to pursue the championship, Harden joined the Clippers at all costs to sacrifice his personal interests. His organizational ability and scoring ability can effectively improve the team's offensive efficiency. Bill's joining further strengthened the Clippers' external firepower. These superstars all have a strong desire to win the championship. The Clippers' roster has many experienced veterans in their roster, and they have accumulated rich experience in the playoffs. As a veteran who has been fighting for many years, Paul has no match for his understanding and control of the game. At critical moments, his experience and calmness can help the team stabilize the situation. Players such as Leonard and Harden have also experienced countless tests in the playoffs, and they have a deep understanding of the intensity and pressure of the playoffs. The playoff experience of these players will play an important role in the playoffs and help the Clippers deal with various difficulties and challenges.

Series prediction: The Lakers have more advantages, and advance to the six games

Combining the above analysis, the Lakers have a clear advantage in the seven matchups of the Los Angeles two heroes. They have a stronger starting lineup, and their dominance in the inside and the chemistry between the stars are top-notch. The Lakers' substitute lineup depth and diversity can also provide strong support for the team during the game. In contrast, although the Clippers have many superstars and rich playoff experience, the team has certain shortcomings in their age structure, inside defense, etc. The Clippers may be in trouble when facing the Lakers' powerful internal and external impact. Therefore, the open-air stands predict that the Lakers will defeat the Clippers 4-2 to advance.