The Los Angeles Clippers have been busy this offseason. They’ve added some pretty big names next to James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, which has, on paper, made them one of the most star-studded squads in the Western Conference. Many are even calling it a team capable of reaching the Finals. Bill Simmons, however, is not convinced.
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Bradley Beal, Brook Lopez, and Chris Paul are among those who’ll wear the Clippers jersey in the 2025–26 season. After years of early playoff exits and underwhelming postseason performances in general, the Los Angeles side will finally be hoping that this team of All-Stars can make a competitive push.
Simmons has his doubts because he feels the Clippers will still run their offense through Harden. Why is that a problem? The famed analyst believes Harden has exposed himself far too many times in the league over the years.
“This is a team built around James Harden, and fundamentally, you cannot win four playoff rounds with James Harden,” stated Simmons. “How old is he now? 36, and he’s shown us who he is year after year for his entire career. I just can’t get excited about it, I’m sorry.”
Simmons’ co-host, Zach Lowe, also brought up how Kawhi and the injuries he has battled throughout his Clippers stint. But this lit a fuse for Bill. “When you say battled injuries, do you mean he played 266 games in 6 years and 37 last year? Is that battling or is that drowning?”
Simmons has a point. As great as Leonard is, his repeated absences have put the Clippers in tough spots and disrupted the franchise’s momentum. When he’s healthy and on the floor, he’s easily a Top 5 player in the league. The problem is, he needs to actually be on the floor.
Lowe remained a bit more optimistic about the Clippers, especially given the veteran talent they’ve added to bolster the roster. “I don’t think anyone with the Clippers has any illusions about what they are,” he stated. “They probably think we are a really, REALLY good team that slots in fourth in the West at best.”
“They’re undeniably better than the team that was last year. They have 11 guys who could really play. They’re going to need all 11 to get through the regular season,” Lowe added.
“I can’t get excited about it. I’m sorry.”@BillSimmons and @ZachLowe_NBA discuss what the expectations should be for the Clippers after the improvements they’ve made this offseason. pic.twitter.com/aHohYslAS7
— The Ringer (@ringer) July 23, 2025
It feels like the Clippers are throwing everything at the wall, including CP3, in a desperate push to get at least one ring under the new ownership. But age is a concern. They have one of the oldest rosters in the league, and that could become a serious issue as they progress deeper into the postseason.
That’s the point ESPN analyst Chiney Ogwumike made. She noted how the recent NBA Finals between the Thunder and Pacers leaned heavily on the young guns from both sides. “We saw in the NBA Finals, it was young legs, fresh legs, running and gunning. You have to be able to compete,” she said on ESPN.
Still, one thing this Clippers team will not be is boring. Lowe reiterated that the Clippers are not hiding from what they are, but leaning into it. “I don’t think they’re going into the season like, ‘Oh yeah, we hit it out of the park. We’re a championship favorite.’ I think they know exactly what they are.”
As the summer inches closer to its end, so do the days before the start of the 2025–2026 season. Many expect the Clippers to fail. Now it’s time to prove them all wrong.
