Few intracity rivalries have been as lopsided as the one between the Lakers and Clippers for the hearts and minds of Los Angeles hoops fans. Since L.A. became a two-team city in 1984, the Lakers have won in the regular season at nearly twice the rate of the Clippers,.659 to .338. The Lakers can also boast six titles in those 22 seasons, not to mention 20 playoff appearances and a lineup that usually features a couple future Hall of Famers. Clipper fans can only stew over lottery disasters like Michael Olowokandi (taken ahead of Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison in 1998) and one winning season in 22 years.

This season marks the start of a change. When the two teams meet on Friday night, the Lakers won’t just be looking up at the red-hot 6-2 Clippers – they’ll also be staring down the barrel of a Hollywood re-alignment. The Clippers have built a core of players that should make them successful for the next few seasons, while Phil Jackson looks to have his work cut out for him in his second go-round with the purple and gold.

My first response to seeing the Clippers at the top of the Western Conference standings was that the pendulum of dominance is swinging back toward the Eastern Conference. My second was that their schedule had probably been somewhat soft. But you end up in yoga-like pretzels if you try too hard to denigrate the Clippers performance so far.

While the Eastern Conference can no longer be termed the “Leastern,” it’s too early to assess relative strengths across the geographic divide. And while the Clippers’ gaudy record does include two victories over winless Atlanta and no road trips through Texas or the Central Division, they have beaten the doormats on their schedule with the authority a good team should wield. They’ve also beaten the Wizards in Washington, and on Tuesday night they trashed a good Milwaukee team.

Much of the attention on the Clippers’ improvement has focused on point guard Sam Cassell, who came over from Minnesota in an off-season deal. Cassell, who turns 36 tomorrow, has improved the Clippers point guard production by averaging 15.5 points and 8.1 assists in 33 minutes a game – a notable improvement over Marko Jaric, who tallied 9.9 and 6.1 in comparable minutes last year.

Cassell’s play, however, shouldn’t detract from the superb start from power forward Elton Brand. Brand, who is averaging 23.3 points and 9.5 rebounds and shooting 59.3%, has long been one of the most underrated players in the game, owing equally to the fact that he has played for miserable teams and that we live in an age of great power forwards; Brand’s Western Conference foes include Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, and Amare Stoudemire.

Nevertheless, Brand won’t lack for attention if he continues to play at the level he’s showing this season. Small forward Corey Maggette is the other big threat in the Clippers’ offense. His ultra-quick first step makes him a threat to drive against even the tightest defenses, and his step-back jumper is a solid complement to his inside game. He’s contributing 19.5 points a night on 50% shooting.

The Clippers like to run, but in the half court, coach Mike Dunleavy has created a potent offense by running Cassell as the first option, either allowing him to post up smaller guards or shoot over bigger ones. When he draws attention, it frees Brand on the low blocks or Maggette on the wing. If defenses sag against those three, two-guard Cuttino Mobley, who is averaging 16.3 points per game, punishes them from outside.

With this system clicking, the Clippers rank 11th in the league in Offensive Efficiency with 103.2 points per 100 possessions (last year they ranked 20th).The pivot remains the only real offensive uncertainty since Chris Kaman has yet to develop the necessary footwork for NBA caliber post play and Chris Wilcox, who has played the position well, has been curiously nailed to the bench.

Defense figured to be a problem for the Clippers, whose roster has a somewhat thin on defensive reputation, but so far they rank a respectable eighth in the league in Defensive Efficiency, allowing just 98 points per 100 possessions. On Tuesday, they held the Bucks – who are averaging over 103 points per game – to 85 points on 39% shooting, mostly by denying guard Michael Redd his spots and harassing all inside shots.

Against the Lakers, the Clips will face one of the better defensive teams in the league. Jackson still has to figure out who can score besides Kobe Bryant, but he has his squad playing solid defense. The Lakers are forcing 17 turnovers a game and keeping opponents off the offensive glass – foes grab only 26.4% of available boards. But despite the first rate defense, only Bryant, Lamar Odom, and local playground star Smush Parker are playing quality ball. Deep reserve Laron Profit has worked his way into the rotation, too, but neither he nor Parker have track records of extended excellence. The Lakers won three of their first four, but reality has set in; they are badly undermanned for the long season ahead.

By contrast, the Clippers have a solid lineup, and they can look to the future. Brand and Magette are in their primes, and Mobley is in his late prime, but likely has two or three solid years left. Cassell is old and a free agent at the end of the season, but the Clippers have made several indications that they aim to retain him both for his play and as a mentor to second-year point guard Shaun Livingston.

Friday’s matchup, though a Laker home contest, should be a statement game for the Clippers about who rules the Staples Center. Their fans have waited more than 20 years for this moment.