The LA Clippers are 6-18, sitting 14th in the Western Conference, and have lost seven of their last eight games. Their season is essentially over.
And yet, the Clippers continue to operate like a team fighting for playoff positioning. They're still playing veterans heavy minutes, trotting out lineups that clearly don't work, and refusing to develop the few young players they actually have. This is organizational malpractice, and it's painful to watch.
The LA Clippers' numbers tell the full story
Let's be brutally honest about where the LA Clippers stand. To even sneak into the Play-In Tournament as the 10th seed, they'd need to finish around .500, which means going 35-23 the rest of the way. That's a 60-win pace for a team that's currently playing at a 21-win pace.
Making matters worse, the worse the Clippers are, the better pick Oklahoma City lands. There's literally no incentive to win games this season beyond pride and ticket sales at the Intuit Dome.
Additionally, it's simply irrational that Brook Lopez has been playing over Yanic Konan Niederhauser, the rookie center drafted in the first round.
The Clippers have a youth movement that is not happening
The LA Clippers have exactly three young players with any kind of upside: Cam Christie, Kobe Sanders, and Yanic Konan Niederhauser. That's it. That's the entire future of the franchise sitting on the bench watching Brook Lopez try to play both ends of the court.
Christie was drafted as a shooter, but he's barely seeing the floor. When he does play, he struggles, shooting just 31.6% from three in November. At this point, Tyronn Lue needs to let him play through it, as Christie needs reps. This will allow him to create his own shot and get comfortable in NBA games.
Sanders showed flashes early in the season, even starting games when Kawhi Leonard was out. Now, his shot attempts are down, and his minutes are shrinking. He is also struggling defensively, and making rotation mistakes, but he's a second-round rookie. The only way he improves is by playing minutes.
And then there's Niederhauser, the 21-year-old big man who represents actual upside. Brook Lopez finally got benched after posting embarrassing numbers, but instead of giving Niederhauser his minutes, Tyronn Lue decided to play Kobe Brown at small-ball center. Why? What's the endgame here? Kobe Brown isn't the future. Niederhauser at least represents development and potential.
The LA Clippers' veterans are struggling to say the least
Let's talk about the veterans the LA Clippers are desperately clinging to while the ship sinks. Bradley Beal is done for the season with a fractured hip, Brook Lopez was benched after posting atrocious shooting splits, Chris Paul is away from the team, Bogdan Bogdanović hasn't contributed, and Nicolas Batum had more turnovers than assists in November.
The only veterans producing are Kawhi Leonard and James Harden. Leonard is putting up 25.4 points per game, and Harden is playing at an All-NBA level. But even their strong individual performances can't mask the fundamental flaws of this roster. In the loss to Minnesota, Harden dropped 34 points and moved into 10th on the all-time scoring list, and the Clippers still lost after blowing an 18-point lead.
That's been the story all season: build a lead, miss multiple chances to pull away, watch the other team go on a run, fall behind by double digits, mount a fake comeback for extra heartbreak.
There is a catastrophe brewing within the coaching
Tyronn Lue's insistence on playing veterans who can barely move over young players with actual upside defies logic. He's pretty much running the James Harden and Kawhi Leonard isolation offense in 2025, when the entire league has moved toward pace-and-space. His inability to make in-game adjustments has cost the LA Clippers multiple games where they blew double-digit leads.
And perhaps most incomprehensible: he refused to even meet with Chris Paul when the veteran requested a conversation.
The locker room is evidently unorganized under Lue, and he seems to be staying put, with unreasonable decision-making from Lawrence Frank and Steve Ballmer.
The LA Clippers' key to long-term prosperity is crystal clear
The LA Clippers' solution is painfully obvious, which makes their refusal to implement it even more frustrating.
First, and foremost, Yanic Konan Niederhauser should be played 25 minutes each night. He needs to make mistakes, as that is the only way he will learn. Even if he struggles, he's developing for next season.
Secondly, Cam Christie needs the green light. He should be assigned no less than 25 minutes a night, where he can freely get buckets. He was drafted as a three-point shooter; let him figure out how to shoot in NBA games.
Lastly, Kobe Sanders must run the second unit. This will generate real opportunities to develop his defensive instincts, which is the far more logical outcome than benching him after one mistake.
The Clippers aren't winning a championship, making the playoffs, and possibly not even finishing .500. So why not use this time to develop the few young assets they have?
The Clippers' nightmare will continue
Steve Ballmer built the Intuit Dome, and spent hundreds of millions assembling this roster. He gave fans a state-of-the-art arena with premium amenities and cutting-edge technology. And in return, they get to watch a 6-18, old, boring team.
The LA Clippers are wasting everyone's time: the players, the fans, and even their own future. They need to embrace the tank, develop the youth, and start building a foundation that doesn't include older talents.
Unfortunately, LA won't do it. Why? Because that would require self-awareness and a willingness to admit failure. And if there's one thing the LA Clippers have proven over and over again, it's that they'd rather cling to delusion than face reality.