Typically, when the NBA releases the LA Clippers’ regular-season schedule, one of the first things fans worldwide look for is how many back-to-backs the team is playing. This is a crucial disadvantage everyone all over the league faces, as it limits rest and, as we’ve seen over the years, directly affects performance.
During the 2026-27 season, the Clippers will play just 13 back-to-backs. With the league average being 14.2, LA got lucky. Still, one may conclude their good fortune arrived later than it should’ve, as Kawhi Leonard could’ve used the favorable amount over the years given his lengthy injury history.
Now, when Leonard is no longer a part of the team (assuming the trade goes through and he becomes a Toronto Raptor), the Clippers play a reasonable amount of games on consecutive nights in one season.
LA would’ve certainly benefitted from their massive schedule advantage with Kawhi
It should not get twisted; playing just 13 back-to-backs is a huge plus to a long, 82-game season, which helps guys like Darius Garland, Brandon Ingram (pending trade), and Rui Hachimura, all veterans who haven’t consistently met the 65-game minimum in their careers, get quality rest when they’ll need it.
In the same breath, though, there’s no telling how many more games the Clippers would’ve won if they played 13 with Kawhi Leonard still on the team, especially given the fact that the last couple of seasons have come down to the wire in terms of seeding in the Western Conference.
On a number of occasions, when Leonard was ruled out for load management because the coaching staff was taking precautions and the Clippers lost, the excuse was always, “if we had our best player, the outcome would have definitely been a lot different.”
Leonard wouldn’t even have to score 30 or lock up the opponents’ best player. Simply having him out on the court does wonders, as the attention he draws makes everyone else’s lives on the team ten times easier.
Towards the end of his time with the Clippers' organization, the two-time champion was playing on consecutive nights comfortably, but there was a point in time when he wasn’t allowed, despite expressing the desire to.
Nonetheless, all Clippers fans can really do at this point is just be happy with the 2026-27 schedule. From the 13 back-to-backs to minimal travel in between, there’s a lot to like about what’s ahead.
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