Biggest Flaw in the Clippers Roster They Can't Afford to Ignore

Assuming that the Kawhi Leonard trade goes through, the Los Angeles Clippers will begin the 2026-27 season with a revamped roster. For the first time in a while, the Clippers will not have serious postseason aspirations entering the season.

Even though they are more focused on the future than the present, the Clippers will still try to win as many games as possible since they have no incentive to lose. The league has changed the lottery rules to incentivize tanking, and the Clippers don't control their own 2027 first-round pick anyway.

While the Clippers have enough talent to be competitive and respectable when fully healthy, they also have significant flaws. It's not a roster built for success in the modern NBA. The biggest reason is their shocking lack of physicality. Barring major changes to the roster, the Clippers simply don't have the required physicality to punch above their weight.

Lack of Physicality Will Tank the Clippers' Season

The Clippers' backcourt rotation will likely consist of Darius Garland, Keaton Wagler, Kobe Sanders, Bradley Beal, and Kris Dunn to begin the season. Besides Dunn, none of these guards play with any physicality. Sanders can get there, and he has shown flashes, but how much he will be in the rotation when the team is fully healthy remains to be seen.

Garland and Wagler don't play bigger than their size. They have slight frames. They don't get into their opponent, making them poor point-of-attack defenders. They can easily get pushed around. Wagler can grow into his body and get stronger over time, but any time Garland and Wagler are on the court together, there will be significant defensive concerns.

The Clippers replaced Kawhi Leonard with Brandon Ingram, which is a serious downgrade in terms of physicality. Leonard is strong and likes to get into his opponent's body on both ends of the floor. Ingram, on the other hand, is more of a finesse player. He largely avoids contact, making him unable to play bigger than his size.

The same is true for Rui Hachimura. Even though he has the size and length on paper, he is not a physical player. He likes to pop rather than roll and pull up for jumpers rather than play in traffic. He can get pushed out of position by bigger, stronger players. He is certainly not the most physical power forward in the league.

Brook Lopez is a similar player as well. As he has aged, he has become more of a finesse center rather than a physical brute. He rarely mashes and battles with opposing bigs on the interior. He is a very poor rebounder. He mostly wants to stay out on the perimeter and shoot threes.

Among the frontcourt options the Clippers have, Derrick Jones Jr. may be the only player who plays with a lot of intensity. However, he is very slight for a combo forward and doesn't have the physical tools to guard most elite wings.

In today's NBA, this type of physicality and intensity is more important than it has ever been. More and more teams are deploying full-court pressure, pushing the pace, and going after offensive rebounds. This requires players with elite physical and athletic tools. Unfortunately, the Clippers are bereft of such players, which will be a big reason for their struggles next season.

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