There's a reason why the Los Angeles Clippers are near-universally seen as a threat to finish in the top four out West next season. The front office has put on an absolute show with their offseason moves, and in doing so they've given James Harden what he undoubtedly wanted: a deep squad with lots of ball-handlers and scorers.
The Clippers already had a solid amount of depth last season, but they've simply taken it to a different level now. Whereas last year's roster leaned heavily into defensive power, this current version of the Clips is a more balanced, all-around group and is positioned to level up that much more.
LA added Bradley Beal, John Collins, Brook Lopez and Chris Paul this summer while only losing Norman Powell when you look at the top-six guys in minutes per game from 2024-25. They may be down Bogdan Bogdanovic to begin the season, but the Clippers are going to be more than fine. The roster they've built can withstand those kinds of losses.
Essentially, what this type of roster does is make life significantly easier for the likes of James Harden. Last season, so much of the Clippers' offensive success was predicated on the gravity that Powell and Harden brought to the hardwood.
This Clippers roster suits Harden very well
Those are two dynamic offensive creators, but they just can't be relied upon too heavily. However, with Kawhi Leonard only able to play 37 games in the regular season, their talents were needed more than it would have looked like on paper.
Now, the Clippers have taken care of that problem by adding Bradley Beal. If Ty Lue is in a stretch of the game where the offense has dried up and Harden is having an off night, Beal is an ideal one-on-one scorer that he knows can get to the cup at will. No more extended stretches of lackluster offense.
That's what ended up dooming this team time after time in 2024-25. That issue won't loom nearly as large going forward. Clippers fans can also look forward to Chris Paul playing a role in keeping their team's offense humming like a well-oiled machine. The all-time great point guard is going to step in and work his magic anytime LA needs help figuring out how to get scoring out of a particular lineup.
All in all, this is a roster that should serve to lift significant pressure off James Harden all season long. With Harden able to play his game more comfortably and freely from October to April, it'll bode that much better for his performance in the playoffs.