The Los Angeles Clippers entered the new NBA season as early favorites, boasting a stacked lineup of experienced players and former All-Stars. They were off to a good start this season, winning three of their first five games. James Harden even carried his MVP momentum forward, averaging 29.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 8.3 assists over the next nine games while Ivica Zubac notched seven double-doubles and scored 20-plus points three times. Yet despite these individual performances, the team’s season soon took a sharp downturn, losing nine of their last ten games and sliding near the bottom of the standings with a 4–11 record.
In that stretch, the Clippers’ offensive issues were clear: they ranked 24th in points per game and 26th in field goals made. They also placed 25th in second-chance points, 26th in points in the paint, and last in fastbreak scoring. These weaknesses were exposed in their recent losses. Against the Magic — in what became their worst loss of the season — they were outscored by 26 points in transition. Against the Celtics, they were outmatched in the paint, finishing with a -10 margin in offensive rebounds and -8 deficit in points in the paint. This suggests that the team’s veteran-heavy roster might have been a liability, as they struggle to keep pace against younger, more athletic and more physical teams.
More issues surfaced in other key areas. While Harden ranks seventh in the league in assists and Zubac ranks sixth in rebounds, the rest of the team just couldn’t keep up, as the Clippers sit 25th in total rebounds and at the bottom of the league in assists. They also rank in the lower third of the league in both offensive and defensive rating.
There are even more frustrations surrounding their key players. John Collins is their top bench contributor but he’s still posting career-low rebounding numbers and his second-lowest scoring average this season. Bradley Beal, who began the year with lackluster performances, is now out for the season due to a hip injury. Meanwhile, Kawhi Leonard’s availability remains a problem, as an ankle sprain has kept him sidelined for nine games.
With these challenges piling up, the Clippers are on pace for a 20-win season—their worst in 17 years. To make matters worse, they lack control over a first-round pick next year, having surrendered it back in 2019 in the Paul George–Shai Gilgeous-Alexander trade.
