Is There Any Hope for the Clippers This Season?

Can the Los Angeles Clippers salvage their season after a 4-11 start?

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Clippers are undoubtedly the most disappointing team in the NBA. After Thursday night's desultory loss against the Orlando Magic, the Clippers are 4-11 and a bottom-ten unit on both ends of the floor. Having the fifth-worst defensive rating in the league after being an elite group for years has to be the biggest disappointment, but there are not many positives to take away to begin with. As of today, the Clippers have a net rating of -7.9 and are on pace for a 23-win season. An unmitigated disaster would be an understatement if that were to occur.

But how hopeless is the situation really? Is there any reason Clippers fans should be hopeful?

The Weak Rest of the West Is a Silver Lining for the Clippers

The Clippers don't control their own first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft as they owe it to the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Washington Wizards, depending on where it falls. Therefore, they have no reason to stop trying and start tanking this season. This could automatically give them a leg up in the second half of the season when some teams prioritize positioning themselves for the draft rather than chasing a postseason spot.

One silver lining for the Clippers is that there are plenty of disappointing teams in the Western Conference. Despite a 4-11 start, there are somehow three teams with a worse record in the West. The Mavs, Kings, Grizzlies, and Pelicans have all been dumpster fires of their own. The current tenth seed is the Utah Jazz, who have very little incentive to keep chasing the Play-In as they owe a top-eight protected pick to, you guessed it, the OKC Thunder. They would much rather be in the lottery and keep their pick rather than be the tenth seed and lose in the play-in. Plus, the Clippers should be better than the Jazz regardless of the teams' motivations.

The Clippers are currently only two games behind the ninth-seeded Portland Trail Blazers, who have a 6-9 record. For comparison, in the Eastern Conference, the No. 9 seed has a 9-7 record. The West looks top-heavy, giving the Clippers a chance to close the gap between themselves and the middle of the pack of the conference.

There are obviously major structural issues ailing the Clippers. They are old, slow, and aren't getting anything out of players not named James Harden or Ivica Zubac. How they will get the oldest roster in NBA history to play better as we get deeper and deeper into the grueling season is a big question.

The elephant in the room is Kawhi Leonard. He has missed the last nine games. If history is any indication, he could either be back tomorrow or in three months. There is simply no way of knowing. That is just the life of a Clippers fan. If his return timeline is closer to tomorrow, the Clippers can still believe that they can make the Play-In. If he misses an extended time, this season could easily get out of hand and force a 180-degree pivot.

Even the best-case scenario of making the play-in, however, is not going to be good enough for this franchise, which is desperate to contend for championships. That means this season is already a failure.