Every season, the Clippers face questions heading into training camp. Queries about how well the new players will fit into the roster and if or how deep they are capable of going in the playoffs?
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Can a lineup, anchored by point guard Darius Garland, be enough to erase the memories of last season’s 42-40 record and Play-In Tournament exit? Those are easy ones.
This season, the questions extend beyond the court. How can the Clippers move forward following a year of allegations and investigations that resulted in hefty penalties and suspensions from the NBA and focus on building a winning team? Finding these answers won’t be as easy as tossing up a basketball.
What’s next?
The Clippers will try to make their fan base digest the fallout from violating salary cap rules and the subsequent penalties without panicking. In addition to a $30 million fine and the loss of five first-round draft picks, team owner Steve Ballmer (one year), President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker (one year) and President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank (six months) were all suspended.
The team appears ready to move on. Already, interim CEO and Governor John S. Gibson has promised to hold the organization accountable moving forward.
“Every successful organization faces defining moments, moments that provide an opportunity to move forward with renewed purpose,” Gibson said in a YouTube video.
“When talented people unite around a common purpose, there’s no challenge they cannot overcome … the challenges ahead of us are significant, but so is our resolve.”
In Gibson’s first personnel move, General Manager Trent Redden was promoted to interim president of basketball operations while Frank serves his suspension, and assistant GM Mark Hughes will take over GM duties for the same period. Gibson will deal with the business operations.
Despite Gibson’s positive message, an open federal inquiry into the team’s dealings with Aspiration, the bankrupt company whose deal with former Clippers star Kawhi Leonard led to the NBA penalties, looms.
Winning games would go a long way toward chasing away the summer blues.
Who fills the void at small forward?
Leonard is gone, the seven-time All-Star having been traded to the Toronto Raptors, and he leaves behind a gaping hole on offense and defense. His 27.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game last season, not to mention his menacing presence on the other side of the court, will be difficult to replace. It’s going to take a village.
Forward Brandon Ingram, who came to the Clippers in the Leonard trade, can score. Last season with the Raptors, he averaged 21.5 points while shooting 47.7% from the field and 38.2% from 3-point range, but he is considered a league-average defender.
Veteran guard Kris Dunn will pick up some of the defensive load, as his 293 deflections and 129 steals were the fifth-most and fourth-most in the NBA last season, respectively.
Rebounding is another issue the Clippers will need to address. Their top five rebounders from last season are gone (Ivica Zubac, James Harden, Bennedict Mathurin, John Collins and Leonard).
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Who’s the man in the middle?
Brook Lopez for now.
Second-year center Yanic Konan Niederhauser is out until at least January after having surgery on his right foot, leaving two unproven rookie centers and Isaiah Jackson, who will come off the bench. That puts the starting job on Lopez’s broad shoulders to begin the season.
Lopez came up big for the Clippers last season after Zubac was traded to the Indiana Pacers at the deadline, averaging 8.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots over 75 games (40 starts).
He scored in double figures in three of the final four games, including a 21-point performance against Portland while shooting 5 for 11 from 3-point range. Lopez had several other big moments last season, but at 38, does he have the energy to handle the starting job over the first three months?
How will Keaton Wagler respond with the spotlight on him?
The ink on his rookie contract was barely dry before the Clippers began marketing Keaton Wagler as the fresh young face of the franchise. The fans who sit in the Wall section at the Intuit Dome have already given the No. 5 overall draft pick an official chant, and he was featured in team-produced videos, including a 2-minute video to promote the release of this season’s schedule.
Wagler also threw out the first pitch at an Angels game.
But finding his place on a veteran-heavy roster could be difficult for the 19-year-old guard. Wagler starred at Illinois, where he averaged 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists while leading the Fighting Illini to the NCAA Tournament’s Final Four in his lone college season. But this is the NBA, and Wagler came face-to-face with that reality during Summer League play in Las Vegas.
In his first game, Wagler struggled to beat his defender one-on-one, and the strength and physicality of the higher level of play slowed him from getting to his spots and social media took notice. Fans-turned-critics blasted his performance, which resulted in seven points on 1-of-7 shooting and five fouls in the 23-point loss to the Sacramento Kings, who got a far better showing from Darius Acuff Jr. that night, a player selected two spots behind Wagler.
Wagler rebounded and finished by averaging 15.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 28.1 minutes per game. The stakes only get higher and the spotlight brighter now, and Wagler will have to adjust quickly to live up to the hype that comes with his draft status.
What’s the deal with Bradley Beal?
In a head-scratching offseason move, the Clippers re-signed Bradley Beal to a two-year, $13.2 million contract despite him being on the shelf for almost all of last season.
The veteran shooting guard suffered a fractured hip in the sixth game of the season, an injury that required surgery and a long recovery for the 33-year-old.
More curious is that the Clippers chose an injury-prone Beal over Mathurin, who at 24 years old has a bigger upside, for essentially the same money. Mathurin eventually signed a two-year, $15.4 million deal with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Beal, though, is a better shooter and off-ball player and is less likely to pout if his minutes are cut in favor of a younger player. Mathurin will be playing for a big payday next summer and needed a role with significant playing time.
Still, the Clippers don’t need a limited veteran guard whose best days are behind him. The three-time All-Star hasn’t played more than 60 games in a season since 2020-21, when he averaged 31.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists.
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