3 Reasons why the LA Clippers will overpower the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Playoffs

#2 The Lakers' defense will have to sacrifice LeBron in order to contain Kawhi in a playoff series

Leonard is averaging a career-high 27 ppg this season

When it comes to a seven-game series, there are not many people who can effectively guard Kawhi Leonard. While Danny Green and Kyle Kuzma have had problems in the past guarding the Klaw, KCP and Bradley are not built strong enough.

The Lakers have always had trouble containing big, strong wings, and their only saving grace will come from LeBron James.

But putting Bron on Kawhi means the 35-year-old will have to manage ball-handling, scoring and playmaking duties, while also defending consistently at a high level. That does not inspire much confidence in the Lakers' fortunes.

On the other hand, the Clippers carry the best defensive rating in the league (105.6 points allowed per 100 possessions), against top 13 offenses. Even before incorporating Morris into the mix, this team had been the cream of the league when it came to lockdown defense.

Coach Frank Vogel needs to have a methodical defensive strategy up his sleeve if the Lakers wish to get past the freight train that is the Clippers roster.