Although fans rooting for the LA Clippers across the world are overlooking the age factor, the common denominator for everyone, including those skeptical of the team's potential, is that anything below the sixth seed would be considered a disappointment.
The Clippers remained afloat last season despite numerous detrimental circumstances, so finishing much lower in 2025-26, especially in the play-in tournament, would suggest that such additions, like Chris Paul and Bradley Beal, may have been unnecessary.
However, as long as they are healthy, the only way the Clippers finish well below teams in their tier, like the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, and Denver Nuggets, is if they try to. Head coach Tyronn Lue has every tool in his mechanic's toolbox to construct his regular season and playoff run for the NBA Finals.
Every year, Kawhi Leonard and James Harden set the All-Star standard, and next season will be a first for Ivica Zubac. Conversely, their success will only be individual if they cannot create a championship culture together. This is the only way their wins will be celebrated.
That said, the piece that will bind the stars to the role players is John Collins. Fans are excited for Collins' three-level talents to be showcased at the Intuit Dome, but there should be no hope for him to make a significant impact, as his past performances hint that he will be inactive in two crucial areas.
Fans of the LA Clippers must stay neutral on the John Collins hype due to availability and defense
Watching John Collins' film for the Utah Jazz last season suggests that the LA Clippers essentially added another All-Star for Norman Powell. His team may have been losing, but Collins had the scouting report focused on him, detailing each way he could get a bucket and cause havoc.
On the contrary, Collins' averages of 19.0 points and 8.2 rebounds, and highlight mixes, were achieved over only 40 games. To add insult to injury, his health concern is abnormal for a 27-year-old forward entering his ninth season.
Additionally, Collins' defense in a Clippers culture, led by Jeff Van Gundy, which underlines the concept of being fueling hustle and effort, could be a reason for fans to temper their expectations for him next season.
It is sometimes difficult for Collins to be an effective defender in the four-man position. When he struggles, Tyronn Lue will likely have to bench him for Nicolas Batum, who is not shy in reciprocating physicality on the hardwood.