Clippers Are Big Winners This Season Even If They Fail in the Postseason

After back-to-back losses, the Los Angeles Clippers have fallen to the ninth seed in the Western Conference. This has led some fans to start panicking about the team's postseason hopes, which is valid. But it's also very important to remember the Clippers' future has not looked this bright for a long time.

By parting ways with James Harden and Ivica Zubac around the trade deadline, the Clippers set themselves back for the remainder of this season. Not only did that decision affect team chemistry and create new challenges for the coaching staff to navigate, but it also left a huge hole at the center position. This has led to a ton of highs and lows for LA on both ends since the deadline passed, and a consistent struggle to rebound the basketball. However, Lawrence Frank's decision to shift from an aging timeline to a younger one may be the smartest move he's made in his tenure with the Clippers.

For a team that doesn't outright own the rights to its first-round pick until 2030, turning an aging, declining core into a young one is a full 180 for the Clippers future.

A Necessary Reset

After starting the season 6-21, it was obvious that this Clippers team, even after a miraculous turnaround, wasn't a true contender, and as a front office, it takes a ton of courage to admit that. With how important both James Harden and Ivica Zubac were to the Clippers during their 2024–25 season, trading them wasn’t easy. But Lawrence Frank realized a combination of Darius Garland, Bennedict Mathurin, financial flexibility, and two potential high-end lottery picks could help extend the Kawhi Leonard window while also still prioritizing the future.

The new direction has helped the Clippers create balance. When healthy, Garland can play that same role as Harden as the lead playmaker and as a bona fide self-creator, while also still having plenty of room to grow not just as a player but as a leader. For Mathurin, he gets to be a gutsy shot creator, who brings athleticism and energy that an older LA team didn't have.

With Kawhi soon to be 35, surrounding him with fast, up-tempo players is a perfect way for the Clippers to transition from an isolation-heavy offense to one built on pace.

Of course, the transition was never going to be easy. Defensively, the loss of Zubac has been especially noticeable, as the Clippers have struggled to protect the rim and secure rebounds consistently. Offensively, the chemistry still needs some work, but that’s all part of the process.

For a long time, the front office continued to mortgage more and more of the future to extend a closing championship window. But this shift signals something different. With the West only getting younger and more competitive, the willingness to sacrifice immediate results for long-term sustainability shows the open-mindedness the Clippers have been lacking.

Even though falling to the ninth seed and dropping an important game against Portland has hurt the Clippers playoff hopes, they shouldn’t overshadow what’s being built. LA is laying the foundation for the next era of Clippers basketball. Sometimes in life, you take one step back to take two steps forward, and that’s what the Clippers are trying to prove.