The LA Clippers are 7-21, sitting 26th in the NBA, and the reason is painfully obvious: everyone on the bench is unplayable.
The collapse last Thursday, which ended in a 122-101 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, showcased the disaster perfectly. Without James Harden, the Clippers turned the ball over 29 times, which is the highest single-game total in the NBA this season. Kris Dunn, Jordan Miller, and Kobe Sanders combined for 16 turnovers alone.
The veterans on the Clippers' bench have all disappointed
The LA Clippers' veteran leaders on the bench include a 37-year-old Brook Lopez, who was out of the rotation before Ivica Zubac's injury, Chris Paul, a 40-year-old guard not even on the team, and Nicolas Batum, who costed the Clippers a win by stepping over the baseline on an inbounds play against the Houston Rockets.
Bogdan Bogdanović is the only bench player who should theoretically be playable, but he's been the worst shooter on the team despite being brought in specifically to provide scoring.
In fact, against Oklahoma City, he scored 14 points but was minus-18. When your best bench player is a massive negative, you're not in a great spot.
The Clippers' youth is not ready to help with the pressure
The LA Clippers' young players aren't ready for NBA minutes, but they're being forced into action because the veterans are worse. Kobe Sanders had five turnovers against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Jordan Miller struggled. This combination shows exactly why Tyronn Lue has been reluctant to play them.
Yanic Konan Niederhauser was drafted 30th overall, which is around the same range as players like Maxime Raynaud and Ryan Kalkbrenner, who are contributing for other teams. But Niederhauser is only playing 5 minutes a game because the Clippers don't think the 22-year-old is ready.
This is what happens when you build the oldest roster in NBA history and pair ancient veterans with non-developed talents. It's either decrepit 37-year-olds or completely raw 21-year-olds, and neither group can execute.; there's no middle ground of proven 26-28-year-old rotation players.
The Clippers' losing has become infectious
When you cannot stop going on losing streaks, a losing mentality becomes infectious. Inevitably, the fans start booing, which happened a week ago after the LA Clippers' loss at the Intuit Dome to the Memphis Grizzlies. Thus, the vibes are completely down in the dumps.
Even when Kawhi Leonard plays well, the bench negates whatever positive momentum the starters build.
Against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Leonard dropped 22 points but was minus-24. Additionally, John Collins added 20 points while Ivica Zubac posted 11 points and 11 rebounds. However, none of it mattered because the supporting cast carelessly turned the ball over and allowed the Thunder to take 25 more shot attempts.
Before collapsing, the Clippers led by 11. This has been the pattern all season: brief competitiveness followed by complete disintegration when Lue goes to his bench or the young players.
Tyronn Lue's optimism is starting to seem delusional
The most absurd aspect so far is Tyronn Lue's refusal to acknowledge reality. After falling to 6-20, Lue left the reporters with a statement on the LA Clippers' regular season that did not make sense.
Ty Lue on the 6-20 Clippers:
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) December 19, 2025
“We just gotta be better. The season is not over… We’re four games out of the play-in. That’s gotta be our mindset going forward.”
Several games out of the play-in, this is what Lue has to say. His words are essentially the total opposite of what he could've said, which suggests blind optimism that somehow this collection of unplayable veterans and unprepared rookies will figure it out.
The Clippers can't fix their problems without dramatic roster changes. Fans are booing because the team has 21 losses with a bench is so dysfunctional that it doesn't matter who plays; they're all unplayable.