Predicting how many games the Clippers will win this season

With the 2024-25 NBA season set to begin in mere hours, the LA Clippers will head into the year with many questions still left unanswered. A transformative offseason saw Paul George depart for Philadelphia and numerous role players take his place, leading to a complete and utter re-shaping of this team's roster. More changes can still take place at the deadline, but this is the group they will have for now.

When it comes to the Clippers' performance in the upcoming season, they will likely go as far as their two stars can take them. Kawhi Leonard and James Harden are both on the older side, but their talent is still considerable enough to believe they can elevate LA to a high level given the pieces around them fit into place properly.

The biggest complication here is of course Kawhi's health. The Clippers will be beginning their campaign without the services of Leonard for an indefinite period of time, frustrating the fanbase and leading to questions about what kind of shape his body is in. As we consider how many games LA might win this season, his availability is the most important factor without question.

For the sake of the conversation, we will assume Leonard cracks 50 games played this year. If we think that he misses around the first two weeks of the regular season, that would knock him down by around eight games. From there, let's say he rests on numerous back-to-backs but retains his overall health and finishes with between 50 and 60 games played. I think most Clippers fans would consider that outcome to be a huge win.

The Clippers are playing in an improved Western Conference

Assuming Kawhi returns to form, the question marks surrounding the rest of the roster still remain. How much of an effect will Derrick Jones Jr. have in the starting lineup? What kind of production can Harden put out? Will this team be able to produce enough points on top of their solid defensive capabilities? All these points will be major in determining where LA ends up regarding the wins and losses column.

Looking around the Western Conference, the Clippers are in for quite a challenge this season. All things considered, a strong West from 2023-24 only got deeper and more dangerous after the events of the offseason. The top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder added Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein, the Minnesota Timberwolves leveled up with Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, and several young squads will be getting a year older and better as well. The competition will be stiff, and that does not bode well for a brand-new team like the Clippers.

Last season, we saw LA make a big switch-up just two weeks into the regular season when they traded for James Harden. There were growing pains, but the Clippers were one of the best teams in basketball during December 2023 and January 2024. After leveling off a bit, they finished with 51 wins and 31 losses. With the West's strengthening and the Clippers still trying to figure out a new roster, it is reasonable to think that number will become lower in 2024-25.

But even as everyone seems to be predicting doom and gloom for this team, I think it is reasonable that they stay in the mix for a playoff run assuming Kawhi does play the aforementioned 50-plus games. The Clippers' roster got younger and more athletic, and that should help them stay afloat even in this gauntlet of a Western Conference.

Prediction: 45 wins, 38 losses