Game of Thrones

Before you get too excited by the title of this article, I feel obliged to let you know that I've only seen the show once and was pretty darn confused by what was going on. I do know that in the middle of the episode a midget was walloped in the head with a mallet of some kind and wound up dozing through an entire battle. A bit sophomoric, I admit, but I'd be lying if said I didn't think it was really a very humorous moment. Anyway, from what I gathered, the show is all about four or five kingdoms fighting over control of the world, or at least a good chunk of it's land. While I suppose the concept of this show can serve as an allegory for not only the NBA, but professional sports as a whole, I'm going to zoom in my lens of a analysis a bit and focus on the in flux basketball hierarchy in the state of California.

California is no stranger to tectonic shifts of both the literal and metaphorical kind, and already I'm sure you've been preached to ad nauseum about the positives of Chris Paul's addition to the Clip-show and what it means in relation to the transitioning Lakers, who in the wake of the acquisition of CP3 have lost some of their luster and look a bit more like slowtime than showtime by comparison. And while an article focusing on a "Battle of Los Angeles" is about as catchy as can be and lends itself to the rarely used "Rage Against The Machine Pun Collection" (it exists), I urge you, in this shortened season, to take a closer look at L.A.'s California counterparts in Golden State and Sacramento, whose franchises may also be on the rise.

As if on cue, the hands of fate have seen fit to grant this article the backdrop of back to back overtime loses for the Heat to two of the very teams I'm to discuss. I'm not a fan of admitting this, but a team's performance against a complete Heat squad is about as good of a litmus test for success and heart as there is at this point in the season and thus far, California has yet to disappoint.

I'll start with the Clippers. Honestly, there's not much to tell you that you probably don't already know. Chris Paul, as he would anywhere in the league, makes all the difference in the world. The man is responsible for the birth of LOB City. (Worse nicknames have stuck, but let's see them in the playoffs before we start doing backflips of exuberance.) A war-tested floor general with some of the best vision the league has to offer, arguably second only to Kobe Bryant and maybe Wade in his ability to take over a game on both ends of the floor at the drop of a hat without becoming reckless. (Before I get arguing tweets, Durant is right there when Westbrook gives him a chance, Dwight's just barely not on that level, and Dirk and 'Melo don't do it on defense.)

Paul's Punnett square has long proven to bear this trait that appears, in time, to have become recessive (science metaphor created with the indirect assistance of LeBron James) and he demonstrated biology at work most recently against the Heat as he willed his team to victory despite a pretty poor showing by Blake Griffin.

Let's be honest, though, a poor showing by Griffin is better than the best game of some players' lives. Griffin is still a phenom, so take this opinion with a grain of salt, but he's had a really hard time this year handling latent double teams in the post. Unless shots have been created for him on the break or in the half-court, he has been struggling with his decision making in the post, forcing shots, turning the ball over, settling for jumpers and not kicking the ball out when he should. The presence of Paul and the sudden presence of a supporting cast long since absent have prevented this squad from taking a very minute, yet important, step back in my opinion.

Caron Butler seems healthy this season and is flourishing as the third option on that team. His All-Star abilities are often overshadowed by the success of his own teamates, but the importance of Butler's injection of "Tuff Juice" into this franchise cannot be overstated. Mo Williams has acclimated nicely to his bench role, and Billups fills the multi-purpose 2 position well, so far. The Clippers suddenly find themselves very deep at the guard position. Bear in mind that young upstart, Eric Bledsoe, has yet to play a second this year. The Clippers have some pieces that can maybe be used to pick up a back up big man for DeAndre Jordan, but even if they don't, having so many heady guards on the same squad can only be an asset.

The Lakers are different. I suppose the jury is still out regarding how positive these changes are, but you can't help but be intrigued by the new style and glimpses of greatness that this team displays more often then not. I feel like I've mentioned Mike Brown's attention to defense often enough in these articles to skip mentioning it, so take that for granted. As a result of swapping the power of zen for the power of meticulous hard work, we see a Laker team that is grittier than any Laker squad I've ever seen. Barnes, Murphy, World Peace (*sigh*), and McRoberts are players whose blue collars at one time seemed to clash with the purple and gold, but now these players provide a hard-nosed toughness under Mike Brown not apparent in past incarnations of perhaps the most decorated franchise in league history. Just to be clear, I'm not saying the Lakers weren't tough, I'm just saying they resemble the bad boy Pistons of lore more so than the smooth, flashy game commonly associated with Laker-ball.

Offensively, Kobe's getting 30 points per game and recently wound back the clock for 48 against the Suns, whose defense is not as poor as it used to be. Maybe the amount of shots he's hoisting to get these numbers is a little disconcerting. And news of pain killing injections constantly being pumped into his wrist has to be a bit of a red flag and make you wonder just how long he can keep up his level of play, but Kobe is Kobe. He'll go until they drag him off the court and the system appears to get him the ball in the post easier than the triangle did, so until proven otherwise, I consider Kobe's 32-year-old glass of Gatorade half full.

Bynum has been an absolute monster since his return from suspension and he appears to be raising his already solid game to another level under this more traditional offense. Pau Gasol's versatility as a big now becomes a nice change of pace for the otherwise unrefined Lakers and he continues to be an integral cog in the the Laker machine. Steve Blake's minutes compared to Fisher's will be interesting to monitor as the season unfolds.

The Lakers have a new chip on their shoulder and it will be interesting to see if the new blend of glitz and muscle will pay dividends come playoff time. If World Peace resolves to stop shooting threes entirely, I'd say they have a shot.

The Warriors appear to have fully recovered from the hangover of Nellie-ball and have a new attention to defense under first-time head coach, Mark Jackson. The Warriors have had their share of growing pains, but players seemed to have committed fully to Mark Jackson's vision and have shown flashes of true promise.

The pieces there are strong. Ellis and Lee are two of the most underrated at their respective positions and, more importantly, these players seem to be fully invested in Mark Jackson and vice versa. Jackson's deep rotation reminds of how Rick Adleman gets the most out of what's put in front of him. This team has no quit and Jackson wants to give everyone on his bench a role. He just may have the skills to do it. As a former player, Jackson seems to have a horse whisperer type of presence in the locker room and some real camaraderie appears to be forming in Oakland. If Jackson can get this squad running on all cylinders consistently and injuries under control, look out league.

My only issue with Jackson is that he's been quoted several times as saying the Warriors are a "random" offensive team. While having that kind of trust in your players to "just play" is admirable, I wouldn't mind, as a fan, a bit more of a formal system. With that said, a "random" offense is the kind of set in which Nate Robinson can thrive, which may prove important if Curry shuts down his ailing ankles for any extended period of time, and they seem to know to run through Monta through crunch time. The Warriors are a gang of lost boys who appear to have found their Peter Pan (without the tights) and in the long term have a chance to spoil the dreams of some contenders this season.

The Kings have cut ties with unpopular Paul Westphal and his crazy rotations and seemingly appeased a frustrated Cousins. Keith Smart is not a long term answer to coaching woes, and no one on this team passes the rock. But on paper, the talent and potential of this team can't be denied, from Evans and Thornton all the way down to the young rookie, Isiah Thomas. Fixing this team's woes may be as simple as teaching the players to share. That won't happen overnight, but winning their first game under Smart in dramatic fashion with an excited bench and fans alike has to be a good sign. Look for subtle improvements for the Kings this year. Perhaps the return of the master of the little things, Chuck Hayes, will spark a change in Sac-town's mindset. Whether it was his fault or not, Westphal screwed up the King's book. Keith Smart brings about a new chapter and a chance for these young princes to get on the same page and live up to their "Kings" moniker.

In California, we're witnessing a game of thrones, indeed. Perhaps the path to ascension is more up for grabs than it appears.