INGLEWOOD, Calif. – – The Los Angeles Clippers come into this season with the oldest roster in the history of the NBA with an average age of 33.2 years. This surpasses the previous record held by the 2000-01 Utah Jazz and includes veteran players like 40-year old Chris Paul, 37-year-olds James Harden & Brook Lopez, 36-year-old Nicolas Batum & 34-year-old Kawhi Leonard.
With that type of experience and veteran leadership this team’s season is either championship or bust!
Los Angeles is coming off of a 50-32 season and feels as though they have improved the talent around star players Harden and Leonard.
“I thought Lawrence [Frank], Mark [Hughes] and Trent [Redden] did a good job addressing some needs that we needed,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “Adding Chris Paul at point guard who can add some play-making and make guys better. Lopez is a great three-point shooter and a great rim protector. John Collins with his athleticism with the way he runs the floor and finish at the rim. Who is also another big body that can rebound. Also picking up Bradley who is a very good scorer that can score on all three levels.”
Los Angeles has had a successful training camp so far and look primed to be one of the elite teams in the tough Western Conference.
The teams has played two preseason game and has Leonard very excited about the addition of Lopez who adds an element this team didn’t have last season: a floor stretching big.
“I love that we have a shooting five. And we don’t have to put a 6’7” or 6’8” guy in to try to fill that center void,” Leonard said. “He can score on a small or like size in the post. He’s been doing great… Veteran guy. Well spoken. Knows how to bring humor in the locker room as well.”
You saw his impact as recent as last night when the Clippers faced the Denver Nuggets in their first preseason game at home this season. Lopez’s ability to provide immediate value as a floor spacer and shot blocker is going to be key but more importantly will give Ivica Zubac much needed rest when needed.
Zubac is coming into this season looking to earn his first ever all-NBA nod after his best season of his career last year. If he is able to improve on what we saw last season, he will give the Clippers a legit big three alongside Harden and Leonard.
The player that most Clipper fans should be most excited about going into the season as they strive to win the franchise’s first championship ever is none other than Leonard himself.
Words out of training camp and what we have seen in preseason action so far leads many to believe that this will be Leonard’s best individual season since 2019.
“Kawhi looks great. Every drill, every practice, conditioning, body’s in great shape. He feels really good, so hope we can keep it that way,” coach Lue said.
“Kawhi’s a freak of nature… One of the best to ever touch a ball. Same with JH. Their work ethic is unmatched” new addition guard Beal said.
Leonard when healthy is truly one of the game’s most feared two-way players, and a locked-in Kawhi means L.A. could reach their championship goals.
Another key component will be the play and leadership of lead guard Harden. Coming off of another All Star season and looking at all of the accolades he has earned throughout his career. The former Artesia High grad is looking to add a championship to his illustrious career.
With Leonard’s quiet demeanor, Harden has become the leader this team needs. While talking to the media recently, Harden showed a glimpse of that reported leadership by outlining the Clippers’ goals and taking some responsibility for the team’s lofty goals.
“This is a tough conference that we’re in… This year, we know what we have, we’ve just got to put it together,” Harden said. “At the end of the regular season, we want to put ourselves in a position to have a good postseason run. So it’s very, very vital for us to get off to a good start. And it starts with me and Kawhi.”
This team has the names, the games, the coach, the home court advantage and ownership that is needed to be a championship organization. Now it all has to come together for the “Los Angeles’ other team” to finally bring a banner home.
So the question like always for this team is, do you believe this will finally be the year? The answer right now is that they will be in the mix if all things go right.
