Lakers vs Clippers Preseason Game 1 Recap

We finally were given our first look at the Los Angeles Clippers new roster in action and it was an eye opener. Lets get this straight from the start – Los Angeles is still a Laker town. The 16 banners in the rafters will be a testament to that but… What the Clippers have done so far in the off-season should be applauded. They bring a new brand of basketball to the la la land. Overall I thought the Clippers looked younger, faster and sharper than the Lakers in the first preseason game. Yes I know this was a preseason game but it was still interesting to see. I think this will be good for the Lakers. I think they will be forced to re-evaluate their roster and seriously look at making some more moves before the trade deadline. Final Score: Lakers 95 – Clippers 114

Notables:
Kobe Bryant looked good moving around the floor. Looking to avoid questions about the health of his knees. But how well will he hold up during the compacted season schedule? With the current roster I do not think he will be able to take many games off. Kobe even came back into the game late to work out the kinks with the lineup on the floor – 22 pts in 29 minutes.
Metta World Peace looked awful. Too many missed shots – 0 for 8 from the field. Only 3 pts in 24 minutes.
Chauncey Billups looked good. Starting at the 2-guard position and working along side Chris Paul, Chauncey shot well and had 23 pts in 20 minutes.
Chris Paul looked very good in the debut. He scored 17 pts in 24 minutes and had a game high +/- of +26. He flirted with a triple double with 9 assists and 7 rebounds. He also sat out the entire 4th quarter.
And finally – DeAndre Jordan – WOW. I think that dunk may hold up as the dunk of the year.

Video courtesy NBA.com via YouTube: