Believe it or not, there is a difference between rosters with talented players and championship-caliber teams in the NBA. Many rosters over the years have featured superstars, but some of those teams never lived up to their expectations. Sure, injuries sometimes play a role, but other times there seems to be a lack of chemistry and togetherness. Oftentimes, this stems from a lack of an identity for the team. Are the Los Angeles Clippers in danger of traveling down that road?
The Clippers have been in a state of transition in recent seasons. It was not that long ago that LA was looking to build a championship roster around Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. George, of course, now plays with the Philadelphia 76ers. Leonard and James Harden are the leaders in LA at the moment, but the Clippers have also added veterans such as Chris Paul and Bradley Beal.
Paul and Beal are both former superstars who can still positively impact a team. However, their strengths are not on the defensive end of the floor. Meanwhile, the Clippers took a big step in the right direction from a defensive standpoint a season ago with Ivica Zubac, Derrick Jones Jr. and Kris Dunn on the roster. Paul and Beal -- as well as John Collins -- will likely receive respectable amounts of playing time over players such as Dunn and Jones, something that will negatively impact the Clippers' defense.
So, what does this mean for the Clippers' identity? Does LA even have a true identity heading into the 2025-26 campaign?
Defense will still play a pivotal role in what the team is looking to accomplish. Beal, a guard known for his scoring prowess, doesn't help in that regard, though. The same can be said for Collins, who may take minutes away from Jones. Balance on a roster is good, but one could have argued that the Clippers should have added more role players who support the defensive-first approach as opposed to bringing in veterans who won't enhance the aforementioned defensive identity.
Paul is a veteran leader and it's difficult to argue against reuniting with the future Hall of Famer. Arguments can be made to oppose the Collins and Beal additions, however. With multiple veterans nearing the later years of their careers, the Clippers need to win now. Finding a true identity often requires multiple years to accomplish.
The Oklahoma City Thunder entered a rebuild, discovered their stars and built a team around those players to develop a winning team. The result? Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led a terrific group of players to a championship in 2025. The same can be said for Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics in 2024.
The Clippers could still make some noise in the standings during the 2025-26 season. However, it is difficult to envision this team emerging as a true championship contender unless they are able to find and maintain a strong identity soon.