Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are set to face LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the first of many marquee showdowns between the Clippers and Lakers.

The two LA teams, led by two players who have won 5 out of the last 8 NBA titles, look to start off the season on the right foot. In a Western Conference that features at least 10 teams that could realistically fight for playoff spots, every single win is going to matter.

The biggest question, though, is who will be the undisputed ruler of Los Angeles by the end of the season. Leonard made his case in the first game, leading the Clippers to a 112-102 win in their season opener.

Battle-tested superstars are ready for war

Regular season contests between Leonard and James, starting from when they played for the Spurs and Heat, have seen Leonard come out on top by a 6-3 margin.

In those games, the two superstars have posted a close battle. Leonard has posted 21.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2 steals. James was no slouch either, and has a stat line of 24.9 points, 6 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.1 steals. It’s a prime-time contest and it’s going to be interesting to see who has the better stats as the season progresses.

LeBron and Kawhi had a heck of a duel last season.

The other big battles will occur between the co-stars: Paul George and Anthony Davis. Their head-to-head record has Davis edging ahead on a 7-5 margin.

Those contests saw George average 22.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 2.5 steals. Davis averaged 22.9 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.7 blocks.

They haven’t had to guard each other much in the past, but this season, the two should be matched up a lot more, as George will likely see a lot of time at power forward in the upcoming season.

Who comes out on top this season?

The Clippers seem to have a greater amount of depth, and that should push them through in the season series.

The Lakers are certainly a great team with the presence of James and Davis. But there are still too many questions about how the pieces that they’ve assembled will fit together. Will father time finally catch up with James? Can Dwight Howard finally be able to acclimatize as a role player in his second Lakers stint? How will they survive the pre-season loss of DeMarcus Cousins?

Kyle Kuzma remains to be a tantalizing prospect, but other players like Rajon Rondo may be over the hill.

The Clippers are the deeper team, and their key role players have all seen success together and are a scrappy group. They’ve also got a sweet shooting youngster in Landry Shamet who is going to absolutely feast on the wide-open threes that Leonard and George will open up for him. They’ve also got a point guard duo in Patrick Beverley and Lou Williams that are a guaranteed problem for the Lakers.

Landry Shamet is in a perfect position to develop behind two superstars.

Plus, Doc Rivers is an excellent coach that can bring out the best in his players, and his two new stars have shown the ability to join a new team and gel well.

The Clippers definitely have the upper hand, but never count ‘King James’ out. The only certainty is this: basketball fans are going to have a great time watching the battle for LA throughout the season. Paul George’s early season injury also needs to be watched, as he is slated to miss at least the first 10 games of the season.

Season series prediction: 3-1 to the Clippers.

Updated on 23 October 2019 with mention of Paul George’s injury.