The Clippers start the season with a healthy Kawhi Leonard and veteran depth
The Clippers made an offseason push with a win-now perspective, adding a pair of former All-Stars in the backcourt and a pair of veterans up front, as well as a promising 6-foot-11-inch rookie center.
The two areas of concern for the Clippers as they once again target the playoffs — and hopes of advancing past the first round for the first time since their trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2021 — are age and chemistry. When the season opens on Wednesday against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City, the Clippers will likely have the oldest team in the league with an average age of 33.2 years. By contrast, the Oklahoma City Thunder won the title last season with an average age of 24.7 years.
Can coach Tyronn Lue fit all the pieces of the puzzle together?
“It’s going to take 15 to 20 games a season to really understand our rotation, our chemistry, how we want to play, who we fit in,” Lue said after the Clippers’ first preseason game.
Then there’s the annual worry about the health of Kawhi Leonard, a six-time All-Star and two-time NBA Finals MVP, who hasn’t played in at least 70 regular-season games since 2016-17. While he is starting his 14th season healthy, he only played in 37 games last season, missing the first 34 games due to ongoing knee issues. He played the entire seven-game playoff series against the Denver Nuggets, averaging 25.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists.
Off the court, the Clippers, owner Steve Ballmer and Leonard are the focus of an investigation by an independent law firm trying to determine whether the team violated league rules by funneling extra money to their star through a separate company in which the Clippers owner was an investor. Palmer and Leonard deny the existence of such a deal.
On the court, 11-time All-Star and former MVP James Harden will once again be the catalyst of the offense alongside Leonard. Harden averaged 22.8 points, 8.7 assists and 5.8 rebounds last season. He was one of just four players — along with Cade Cunningham, LeBron James and Nikola Jokic — to average more than 22 points and eight rebounds per game while shooting 35% or better from three-point range.
Harden and Leonard led the Clippers to a fifth-place finish in the Western Conference last season, thanks in part to winning 18 of their final 21 regular-season games.
This season, the Clippers’ rebuilt roster will include three-time All-Star Bradley Beal as the starter after two injury-plagued seasons with Phoenix and 40-year-old Chris Paul — a former Clipper, 12-time All-Star and Hall of Famer — in a backup role. The team acquired Brook Lopez (free agency), John Collins (trade), and Yannick-Konan Niederhauser (draft) to fortify a frontcourt anchored by 7-footer Ivica Zubac, who averaged 16.8 points and 12.6 rebounds last season while shooting 62.8%.
One key will be how Bell fits into the lineup as a scorer and facilitator. Lu believes he will return to his best form after getting rid of the injuries.
“Players like that are very rare, and they’re hard to get,” Lue said this summer when the team signed Bell after the Suns bought out his contract. “You can put him in a lot of different positions and he’ll find ways to score. … He can create his own ways or he can play off the ball. He cuts the ball great. He’s also a great playmaker who will make everyone better.”
New Clippers guard Bradley Beal will join a starting lineup that includes James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac, who are looking to shake off two injury-plagued seasons in Phoenix.
(Eric Thayer/Associated Press)
Gone are guard Norman Powell, who had a breakout season and was part of the trade to acquire Collins, Amir Coffey (free agency), Ben Simmons (free agency) and Patty Mills (retired) as well as center Drew Eubanks (waived).
However, the Clippers will have plenty of depth offensively and defensively with versatile forwards Derrick Jones Jr. and Nicolas Batum as well as guards Kris Dunn and Bogdan Bogdanovic.
Law stated that his club will have several veteran players coming off the bench who have been regular starters.
“It feels good to have a lot of different options and combinations,” Lu said. “Every night can be different, every night will be different.
“But we have time. We just have to keep getting better.”
The Associated Press, Basketball-reference.com and NBA.com contributed to this report.