Former NBA player Matt Barnes thinks that the Clippers won the offseason battle of L.A. over the Lakers by building a clearly better team.
According to him, the experience of playing last season without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George helped the team build their identity and gain valuable experience for other players.
Barnes also highlighted the addition of John Wall whom he expects to be hungry after sitting out a season with the Rockets.
“[The Clippers are a] deep team, developed an identity without their stars last season,” he said on ESPN’s NBA Today. “That’s what I like about this team. They played the entire season, they were in a race without their two main guys. Paul George came back at the end of the season and gave them a little boost.
“But people like Reggie Jackson and all their role players got valuable experience last year knowing that we’re going to be fully reloaded this season.
“Plus a hungry John Wall. You could say what you want about John Wall, but last time he was on a basketball court playing for Houston he averaged about 20 points and 8 assists. This is going to be a guy that’s eager to prove himself that he still belongs in this league.
“Him and Reggie Jackson, that backcourt along with the two of the best two-way defensive players in the game, I definitely think the Clippers had a better offseason, although the Lakers got a new coach and retooled with some younger players, to me it’s a no brainer the Clippers had a better offseason.”
