To be the number one seed and have the most favorable chances to win the NBA Finals, a team must be excellent and impeccable on both sides of the ball. This means multi-level performers who are superstars with role players so comfortable in their roles that, regardless of the opponent, no one can hinder their production.
Furthermore, the LA Clippers only had an identity on one side of the ball, and that was defense. They had one of the best guard-big defensive combos in Kris Dunn and Ivica Zubac, who should have both made an All-Defensive team, and a phenomenal support system of players who can stretch the full length of the floor with unbeatable feet, including Kawhi Leonard, Derrick Jones Jr., and Nicolas Batum.
Of course, the man scheming behind the Clippers’ flawlessness, Jeff Van Gundy, was crucial in orchestrating lineups and connecting players’ strengths to aid a squad trying to allow the fewest points to opponents, and succeeded at 108.2, the fourth-best mark in the NBA.
However, the Clippers’ offense was, to a certain extent, the opposite. They accumulated 50 wins, indicating that their scoring had to be considered above average; nevertheless, in retrospect, it was inconsistent.
James Harden had games of poor efficiency, and with him battling inconsistency, there was no path for the Clippers’ offense to reach the same level as the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder.
Executive Lawrence Frank did not have to conduct extensive mathematical, scientific, and research-based analysis to conclude that LA’s offense held them back; instead, he addressed the issue by adding Bradley Beal, Chris Paul, Brook Lopez, and John Collins.
These additions may be beneficial to the offensive flow, but ultimately, the Clippers may have compromised the image they worked tirelessly to establish.
The LA Clippers placed far too much emphasis on scoring their defense may have been taken away
Amongst the notable additions the LA Clippers made this summer, the only sub-par defender is Bradley Beal. This means that he will have to step out of his comfort zone, be okay with not scoring as much, and hustle twice as hard.
Moreover, the rest have one or more issues on defense, such as size, age, or avoidance in physicality, that will slow the Clippers down from following up on how great they were in 2024-25.
These detriments could certainly impact where the Clippers finish in the postseason, especially if they are seeded one through four.