“I just don’t think this is a good team” – Jeff Teague is not a fan of the 2025-26 Clippers originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Many see the Los Angeles Clippers as a legitimate contender going into the 2025-26 NBA season. However, former NBA player Jeff Teague doesn’t belong in that group.
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Teague thinks the public is fooled by the names on the roster when, in reality, he feels like it’s not going to click for multiple reasons, whether from an X and O’s standpoint or locker room dynamics.
“I just don’t think this is a good [team], I don’t think it is,” Teague said via the Club 520 podcast. “Like, if this was three years ago, I’d be like, ‘It’s the best team you could put together right here.’ And now I think age is undefeated.”
Oldest team in NBA history
Teague’s comments came right after Bradley Beal — who recently signed with the Clippers via buyout — said he’s determined to win a ring in Los Angeles this coming season.
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The retired NBA champion encouraged Beal not to hold his breath because he’s going to be on a team with too many superstars (past or present) who require the ball to maximize their potential. As a result, the offense won’t flow in a way that leads to winning basketball. Instead, all the star players will feel pressure to fit around each other without compromising their ability to score.
“And they all old, so it doesn’t matter anymore. But it’s just… The best game they play, the way they play, is isolation basketball…. I’m just saying the way they play is isolation basketball. Kawhi Leonard is one of the best isolation players. He plays isolation. James Harden plays like that. That’s a big two,” Teague said. “I love that group. I just don’t like it when there are so many stars on a team.”
The Clippers are the oldest team in NBA history, with an average age of 33.2 years. They’re built around two superstars, Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, who can still perform at a high level, as proven by how they pushed the Denver Nuggets to a seven-game series in last year’s playoffs. Guys like Ivica Zubac, John Collins and Kris Dunn add depth, but the question is whether they are enough to balance things out between other star players.
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The Clippers’ strongest asset
The Clippers’ best asset might still be Tyronn Lue, who is regarded as one of the best coaches in the league. Lue led last year’s team, without Leonard for most of the season, to the league’s second-best offense and 11th-best defense during the regular season.
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The one-time champion coach is a brilliant mind who can get the best out of his pieces and figure out a system for them to thrive, like he has over the years. But for the Clippers, that has never translated into postseason success, mostly because of injuries.
With a mix of experienced veterans and a quality young core, the Clippers’ challenge this season will be to defy the odds and be one of the rare teams to prove that having stacked and shiny names on the roster can translate to winning basketball. But even if they click on the court, the health issues are still a big concern going into next season.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 15, 2025, where it first appeared.