Earlier into the 2024-25 season, the Los Angeles Clippers turned some heads with a strong start. The team is still reeling from the departure of nine-time NBA All-Star Paul George. Nonetheless, that didn’t stop the team from staying in the playoff hunt, as they currently sit in the seventh seed with a 32-38 record.
In order to fortify their playoff hopes, the Clippers were busy at the trade deadline. They managed to part ways with PJ Tucker, Mo Bamba, Terrence Mann, Bones Hyland, and a second-round draft pick and got Patty Mills, Drew Eubanks, and sharpshooter Bogdan Bogdanovic in return.
Furthermore, they also received a haul of draft picks. After the trade deadline, the team further bolstered their roster when they picked up controversial star Ben Simmons from the buyout market.
However, despite their moves, the Clippers still have some issues to address. In fact, the Los Angeles Clippers’ fatal flaw that must be fixed after the 2025 NBA All-Star break is failing to win games consistently with a healthy Kawhi Leonard back in the mix. Although a returning superstar at full health is usually a good sign, it looks like the team has regressed a bit since Leonard’s return.
Kawhi Leonard has missed a lot of games this year
Leonard’s health concerns were apparent once again for the Clippers this year. Prior to the 2024-25 season, Leonard decided to sit out of Team USA’s campaign at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Since then, that has carried into the NBA season, as he missed the first 34 games to recover from a right knee injury. But after recovering from said knee injury, he also dealt with other injuries, such as left foot soreness.
Nonetheless, Los Angeles didn’t exactly do so badly without their superstar. To start the season, the Clippers were actually one of the most surprising teams as they raced to become one of the top teams in the Western Conference early on. Without Leonard, the team has posted a 21-20 record overall. On the other side of the coin, with The Klaw on the team, the Clippers have won 11 out of the 19 games he played in.
Now with The Klaw back in tow, it looks like the team is going through some adjustments in order to re-acclimate their superstar back into full action. Even with the departure of George, this team still has enough talent to make a push in the tough Western Conference. As a result, the Clippers are aiming to secure a spot in the postseason.
Los Angeles Clippers are showing a tale of two halves to the season
Before the All-Star Weekend, the Clippers actually posted a decent 31-23 record. However, once the second half of the season started, Los Angeles found themselves in a bit of a slump. The team has posted a 1-5 record since the All-Star break, including back-to-back losses against the Los Angeles Lakers with Leonard in full health.
Whether it’s showing signs of rust or not, it doesn’t look like that Tyronn Lue and Kawhi Leonard are showing signs of worry regarding their ongoing slump. However, an issue contributing to their struggles has been injuries. Powell exited the game against the Lakers after straining his hamstring. Other notable players such as Derrick Jones Jr. and buyout market acquisition Ben Simmons have also been nursing their respective injuries.
With the Clippers getting hit with an injury bug, it is more important for Leonard to maintain his health if the team is aiming to finish the rest of the season in competitive fashion. The time is now for The Klaw to showcase why he’s a legitimate superstar if Los Angeles wants any chance at all to make some noise in the postseason.
Reintegrating Kawhi Leonard back into the Los Angeles Clippers system
On the bright side, amidst all the injuries the Clippers have faced, Leonard is slowly reverting back to superstar form as the team enters the crucial stretch of the 2024-25 season.
In 19 games this year, Leonard has averaged 17.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. Despite the team’s latest loss against the Purple and Gold, he was a bright spot, finishing with a season-high 33 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 56.5% from the field overall.
Individually, Leonard has been putting up the right numbers. His presence has also made the Clippers competitive, despite missing out on some of their key pieces. Although it’s a good sign to see the Clippers star playing like his old self, Lue and the coaching staff still have their work cut out for them on how to translate Leonard’s strong performances into team victories.
But apart from figuring out how to win with Leonard, the team must, first and foremost, also find a way to keep their superstar healthy, especially during the playoffs.
The Clippers under Leonard’s era have been disappointing at best, given that the team still doesn’t have a championship banner to show for. With Leonard’s prime years coming to an end, now is the best time for the franchise to gun for a title. Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done.
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