LA's two teams and the Nuggets' big frontline

Two teams share the Staples Center, calling it their home turf. They also represent the city of Los Angeles, California with contrasting degrees of success or failures, whichever way you look at it. The LA Lakers and the LA Clippers are now battling it out as to who among them are the City of Angels' best hoop squad.

After undergoing hip replacement surgery last week, Laker coach Phil Jackson is recovering rather well and was discharged from the Centinela Hospital Medical Center a day after the procedure. Jackson is walking with a cane and is more upright "which is probably something hard to believe", assistant coach Kurt Rambis said. Rambis is running team practice sessions until Jackson returns to the bench when the Lakers open the season against Phoenix on October 31. The creator of the triangle offense, Tex Winter, who sits as the team's basketball consultant, on some instances, halted practice to point out mistakes.

The Lakers will still be Kobe Bryant's team. New addition Vladimir Radmanovic will provide more outside firepower from the forward spot. If Kwame Brown finally finds his game and Chris Mihm recovers from ankle surgery, there will be some improvements on their frontline but it would still be a questionable frontline. Lamar Odom, Luke Walton, Brian Cook, Andrew Bynum and Rony Turiaf? These guys are way too soft.

Threatening to take over as LA's "it" team, the Clippers look like they are the better ballclub. Key players Elton Brand, Sam Cassell, Cuttino Mobley, Corey Magette and improving young guns Kris Kaman and Shaun Livingston are back. The addition of Tim Thomas provides more versatility.

The long-suffering Clippers finally made it to the playoffs last season after eight years. They now have depth and if they manage to stay healthy, they should again advance to the post season. Nobody expected them to whip Denver in the first round and stretch Phoenix to the limit in the second round.

Since coming to the Clippers in 2003, coach Mike Dunleavy has turned the franchise around and finished the regular season with a 47-35 win-loss record, only their second winning season since transferring from Buffalo to California in 1978.

The Clippers are better than the Lakers no matter how you look at things but hey, LA LA Land is still Laker country.

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Last season, they began with six centers and power forwards. As if this wasn't enough, this season they have eight centers and power forwards, all with guaranteed contracts, more than half of the 15-man roster limit.

The Denver Nuggets say too many big men won't be a problem for their squad. Consider this - Marcus Camby, Jamal Sampson and Nene Hilario stand 6-11. Joe Smith is 6-10. Kenyon Martin is 6-9. Reggie Evans, Eduardo Najera and Linas Klieza are 6-8.

Nene tore his right ACL in the opener last season and his campaign was done. Camby and Martin were in and out of injuries and missed solid time. Joe Smith is a comebacking vet who also spent more time on the injury list.

If the Nuggets stay injury-free, this might pose a problem. Six of these guys can at least play 20 minutes a game, starters Camby and Martin probably averaging 30 minutes or more. smith, Najera, Nene, Evans and deep reserves Sampson and Klieza will be battling fiercely for these minutes.

Meanwhile, Nugget small forward Carmelo Anthony will have his new shoe coming out on the third week of November. The Jordan Brand shoe, the M3, is in gray-and-white combo. Anthony said he's got 85% of the design, including his horoscope sign Gemini and his thumbprint on the insides. The corresponding number of airholes on the shoe represents birthdates for his father and mother. This shoe will probably be on the P6,000 to P7,000 price range.