The Los Angeles Clippers came into this season looking to build off a promising 2024-25 season that crashed and burned in the playoffs. LA really hit their stride to finish the year, and took the Denver Nuggets to seven games in the first round, before no-showing in game seven.
There were positives that came out of the year though. Kawhi Leonard finished the season healthy, and looked like his old self in the playoffs. James Harden was once again an All-NBA player. Norman Powell was an absolute revelation, and likely would have won Most Improved Player honors if he didn’t miss time due to a hamstring injury.
The team’s supporting cast of Ivica Zubac, Derrick Jones Jr., Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Kris Dunn all contributed. The Clippers just needed to continue to round out their supporting cast. They traded away Powell to get John Collins to bolster their frontcourt. They signed Bradley Beal, and Chris Paul in free agency to give them more scoring in Beal, and a stable floor-general in Paul.
They also brought in Brook Lopez to give Zubac a true backup big. Despite their old age, the Clippers looked like they would still be a major player in the West. To start the season, that has not been the case.
The Clippers have been an absolute disaster so far
LA is currently 4-10, and in 11th place in the Western Conference. Leonard has already missed eight games due to an ankle injury, and Beal was ruled out for the season due to a fractured hip. Injuries have been an issue, but the on-court product has looked anything but promising.
Through 14 games, the Clippers are 21st in offensive rating, 25th in defensive rating, and 22nd in overall net rating. They play at the second slowest pace, which in a league that is playing faster and faster, is not the style you want.
Harden has been doing everything he can, averaging 26 points per game, six rebounds, and nine assists. He is getting little to no support from his supporting cast. Zubac is averaging 16 PPG, and 11 rebounds, but Collins, Lopez, Bogdanovic, and Nic Batum are giving little to no offensive or defensive production. When you watch LA play, they just look old, and over-reliant on a 36-year old James Harden.
It could go from bad to worse quickly for the Clippers
L.A. can’t even tank because OKC owns their pick thanks to the Paul George trade. If things keep going the way they are, that pick could end up being in the lottery. In a stacked draft class, this is not the year to not have a first-round pick, especially if you aren’t a contender.
The NBA season is an 82-game marathon, and the Clippers have time to turn it around. If they can get Leonard back healthy, anything is possible for them. Unfortunately, that is not a guarantee, and LA could be staring down the barrel of a nightmare season.
