The Los Angeles Clippers have four future Hall of Fame players on their roster, all 32 years of age and older. With two of the four scheduled to hit free agency in 2025, it’s now or never for the franchise that has only advanced to the conference finals once in its 53-year history. Do they have a chance?
Future Hall Of Famers
The Clippers have Paul George, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and Russell Westbrook. Between them, they have just about every individual accolade that exists and dozens of All-NBA and All-Star honors.
But none of the four are still in their prime, and injury concerns are a factor for a team that depends on players this old, especially with poor injury histories.
The team is under .500 right now and still working to get Harden integrated to the flow of the offense and getting him in shape. This is what happens when you hold out of training camp to force a trade.
Defensively this team should be a well-connected unit, even with Harden. Offensively they should be elite with all that shot creation and Harden’s sublime playmaking. But it’s all going to take time. With that, there will be losses and growing pains.
“This is my toughest challenge as a head coach, but I’m up for the task for sure,” Clippers head coach Ty Lue told Bleacher Report earlier this month. “The biggest thing is getting these guys to sacrifice for guys, whether that’s starting the game, finishing the game, shots, touches, who’s running pick-and-rolls, and things like that. Getting these guys to sacrifice will be the biggest challenge all season.”
Developing Cohesion Takes Time
When you are as accomplished as a player as all four men are, a lot of pride, stubbornness and ego comes with that. They have all achieved tremendous heights doing things their way, so how can you ask them to do something different?
That’s what Lue is talking about when he says “sacrifice.” If this team wants to win the championship, it will take sacrifice, trust and time. Unfortunately, the latter likely will be the impediment to ultimate success.
None of these four players is selfish or plays the wrong way. That awkwardness and discombobulation you see at times on the floor is Harden not wanting to step on any toes. For all of his foibles, Harden understands that Leonard, George and Westbrook had to sign off on his arrival.
George and Leonard become unrestricted free agents in 2025, Westbrook has a $4 million player option next season, and Harden is an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season.
It seems like this is the year for them to make a run. It’s just unlikely given the time they need to become a cohesive unit.
When all four players are on the court or when three of the four are on the court, whoever doesn’t have the ball will have to be useful off the ball with movement. Something for which none of them has shown an affinity.
It’s easy to get mesmerized by big names and superstars, but the league is increasingly moving away from top-heavy superstar rosters, instead looking for more balance.
It’s early and we are not even a month into the season yet. The Clippers will have a stretch where they play very well and look like contenders. But will it last? Time will tell.
