Lakers vs. Clippers: Who has the edge at each position?

Shooting Guard

Shoveling dirt on Paul George after his poor performance in The Bubble is a mistake. He’s still an excellent wing player that has the two-way ability to dominate opponents on both ends. The Clippers will support him with Lou Williams and Kennard, but George is a guy they will count on heavily in high-leverage situations.

The Lakers are pleased they were able to bring back Caldwell-Pope to be their starting two-guard. They don’t need him to be a star. Instead, the plan for Caldwell-Pope will be to focus on playing elite defense and knocking down open shots on the perimeter. Matthews will get some minutes playing behind him, but he’ll be asked to do largely the same things.

The degree of difficulty is higher for George. The Clippers need him to create offense off the dribble, in the post, and with his perimeter shooting. He’s got the talent to succeed in that diverse role. That makes it pretty clear he’s the best off-guard on either roster.

When in doubt, always go with the most talented player in any NBA battle. That means the Clippers have an important win at this spot on the floor. George enters this season with questions about just how good he still is, but he’s comfortably ahead of anyone the Lakers can deploy to stop him.

Edge: Solid victory for the Clippers